Source: http://www.usunnewyork.usmission.gov/press_releases/20071029_274.html http://www.usunnewyork.usmission.gov/press_releases/20071029_274.html Date: October 29, 2007 USUN PRESS RELEASE # 274(07) October 29, 2007 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Office of Press and Public Diplomacy United States Mission to the United Nations 140 East 45th Street New York, N.Y. 10017 Remarks by Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, U.S. Permanent Representative, on Sudan, Lebanon, and Iraq, at the Security Council Stakeout, October 29, 2007 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ambassador Khalilzad: Good morning. Well, we had a good meeting this morning, dealing with the CPA, the Comprehensive Peace Agreement between North and South, between the Central government and the South in Sudan. Everyone that I heard there urged that the parties go forward with the implementation of the CPA. And the implementation of CPA has implication, and has a link with the Darfur situation and we took advantage of the opportunity also to talk about the deployment of the forces to Darfur, about the meeting in Libya, about the responsibility of all sides to observe a cease-fire, urging those who are not participating in the talks to reconsider, that the eyes of the world and the hopes and aspirations of the people of Darfur are focused on them. And that they will have to answer why they are not participating, and if they don’t observe a cease-fire, why they are not observing a cease-fire. We are working on a resolution with colleagues to renew the mandate of, the UN mandate for the Sudan. And there were general statements of support for the work that’s ongoing in that regard. I’d be happy to take your questions. Reporter: Ambassador, on the CPA. In recent weeks it’s looked like it was really unraveling, particularly when Salva Kiir in fact left the government. Is it, the reports you got today, is it that Salva Kiir is fully engaged again with the government? Is the so-called government of national unity functioning again? Is the CPA back in a state where it can be implemented? Because the last report was it was unraveling, and unraveling pretty fast. Ambassador Khalilzad: Well, there was a commitment that was expressed by the Secretariat speaking on behalf of the Secretary General, but as well as pointing to the fact Mr. Qazi, the new envoy, arrived there. He will work hard to put the implementation on track. There are specific issues that need to be dealt with. Deployment of forces by both sides, for example, that needs to be dealt with among other issues. There is also the issue of perhaps having a high-level meeting, sometime after appropriately prepared internationally to take a look at the CPA and where it is and how the international community can assist with the steps to implement. I believe that we’re not satisfied with where we are on the implementation of CPA. But the level of concern that was there a few weeks ago has reduced somewhat. So we are urging Mr. Qazi to engage fully and assist the two sides to move forward with implementation. Reporter: Ambassador, UN Human Rights Rapporteur for summary executions and extrajudicial punishment is coming to Washington in a couple of months. He is going to be looking into military justice in Iraq and also Blackwater and other contractors mostly in Iraq and Afghanistan. Do you think that this visit is warranted, and do you have any other thoughts on that? Ambassador Khalilzad: I don’t have anything on that. I don’t know about this. But we’ll look into that and get back to you. Reporter: Ambassador, Mr. Al-Baradei of the IAEA spoke to the GA today, but in his statements to the press he was rather critical of the American policies towards Iran and the way, and I’m paraphrasing, that the U.S. is upping the ante unnecessarily. First, I’d like your reaction to this and to the statement… Ambassador Khalilzad: I don’t know what he said, so let me say where we are. One: that we are moving on three tracks simultaneously with regard to the nuclear issue in Iran. Track one involves Mr. El-Baradei and his agreement with the Iranians and implementation of that work plan. He has to report on that comprehensively and he did not do that today, and it was not appropriate for him to do that today. That is to happen in November. Second is the issue of the discussions involving the enrichment, suspension of enrichment that the Security Council has demanded. And that is in the channel of Mr. Solana and the Iranian envoys. We have no indication that Iran is moving towards complying with that requirement. Track three is the drafting of a new resolution to increase the pressure on Iran, to incentivize Iran to cooperate should they not cooperate with one or both of the other tracks and those discussions are taking place. It is very important to know what the goal is. Our goal is to get Iran to cooperate on the questions with regard to the past, the Al-Baradei issues as I like to call them, and then issues having to do with enrichment. And, diplomacy requires more pressure, in my view, to incentivize Iran to cooperate. And if Iran cooperates, we have said we would be prepared to engage with Iran to address questions such as the issue of fuel supplies, which is an issue which Mr. Al-Baradei also addressed today generally, about the issue of international supply of fuel to countries that are building reactors. Reporter: (inaudible) criticism by Mr. Al-Baradei of the American policy, of the U.S. policy (inaudible) visibly (inaudible) Ambassador Khalilzad: I don’t know exactly what he said, so therefore, I am reluctant to get into a back and forth with Mr. El-Baradei. He has a job to do; his job is to get an agreement with regard to the questions and additional protocols. And, I believe that our effort is to help incentivize Iran to cooperate. And he has one role, we have another role. And the goal is to get agreement with Iran. We believe that the Iranian nuclear issue is one of the most important, defining issues of our time. And given the record of this regime, the rhetoric of this regime, the policies of this regime, the connections of this regime, it cannot be acceptable for it develop nuclear, the capability to produce nuclear weapons. So, therefore we are active on it. But, the goal is to get an agreement on enrichment and on the issues that Mr. El-Baradei has responsibility for. Reporter: Mr. Ambassador, Mr. El-Baradei has said over and over that perhaps the most important way to make progress in the Iran nuclear issue is for the United States to sit down and talk with Iran. We know that Secretary Rice has said that she would as soon as they suspend enrichment. But as someone, you, who has actually talked with Iran directly, how effective do you think that would be to have those one-on-one talks, and how important to closing the nuclear issue would it be? Ambassador Khalilzad: Well, in the toolbox of diplomacy, of course, you’ve got various means. You’ve got engagement. You’ve got different kinds of engagement, pressures including sanctions and so on. We have engagement with Iran on this issue through Mr. Solona at this point. There is nothing that Iran would want to discuss or raise with regards to the issue that they can raise with Mr. Solona who in turn can discuss it with colleagues with the P5 in Germany. I think the reason Iran is not agreeing so far to the suspension of enrichment is not because there is no direct discussion between Iran and the United States on this issue. I don’t believe that to be the case. But as you’ve said, the Secretary of State has said that she will be willing to seat down herself with the Iranians to discuss all kinds of issues, including nuclear issues once Iran is in compliance with the UN Security Council resolution. We are on this issue and I have repeat that what the world has asked of Iran and you’ve heard me say this before, ‘suspension’ its not the end but suspension while talks take place including talks that will involve directly the United States. If those talks are so important for Iran, that they will like to have this discussion with the Unites States, well, what has been asked is not a lot in my view. Suspension, then leading to talks; leading to hopefully to progress and agreement. So, that’s where we are on that. Reporter: Ambassador, of the track three, you mentioned, the drafting of the resolution. Is that happening now with the British and the French and the American actually draft is it happening in capitals? Ambassador Khalilzad: It’s happening in capitals. It has not been transferred yet to New York. Reporter: (inaudible) Ambassador Khalilzad: Well, because you know what’s happening, as there have been intervening factors as you know particularly Mr. El-Baradei’s agreement that has had an impact on the discussions and because of that there was, this last month, an agreement to work on the three tracks simultaneously and wait until November. So, that’s where we are because of the (inaudible) Reporter: But are you saying now that it is more active now. My question is that why are you speaking of it now. Is there something … Ambassador Khalilzad: Speaking of what? Reporter: Of the draft thing. The resolution. Ambassador Khalilzad: No, I am simply reminding you of where we are. I’ve said this, exactly the same thing little while back that we are on three tracks and what these tracks are but because you mentioned it, Mr. Al-Baradei’s comments, I was refreshing your memory on where we are and what the issues are. Reporter: Does the U.S. want this resolution, this draft resolution to mention the possibility of; I’m using the vice president’s words, serious consequences for Iran if they don’t suspend enrichment? Ambassador Khalilzad: I mean, you’ve heard the Vice President say that so it’s quite authoritative. I don’t need to add to that. Reporter: Given the reluctance of Russia and China to get onboard on sanctions and given the time factor, do you have a timeline in mind? Ambassador Khalilzad: Well, no, no, as I said, we are working simultaneously on three with a timeline of November, towards the end of November as the timeframe for it. So, that’s a timeline and that has been agreed to at the foreign minister’s level among the P5 plus Germany. Thank you very much. Thank you.