Source: http://www.usunnewyork.usmission.gov/press_releases/20080519_123.html http://www.usunnewyork.usmission.gov/press_releases/20080519_123.html
Date: May 19, 2008


USUN PRESS RELEASE #   123(08)
May 19, 2008 

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 Burma, Lebanon, the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Special Rapporteur’s visit to the U.S., in the Security Council, May 19, 2008


Ambassador Khalilzad: Good afternoon. I wanted to make a point or two, first with regard to Burma: We welcome the meeting of the ASEAN foreign ministers. We believe it’s very important that access is provided so that assistance reaches those who need them in a timely manner. We appreciate the initiative of the ASEAN ministers. 
Two, we also welcome that the Secretary-General will be visiting Burma and we wish him a successful trip and we hope that he will have – and his team and all those who accompany him the access that he needs – around the country, particularly in the delta area because there is a need for not only access but an assessment of the situation and what help – additional help the international community can provide. We have so far provided $17.5 million worth of humanitarian assistance. Today, we have five C-130s landing and two of those aircraft would deliver there supplies to NGOs directly. And with that I’d be happy to take your questions.
Reporter: Ambassador, what impact, if any, do you expect the Secretary-General’s visit to Myanmar will have? I mean do you expect anything – that he’s going to provoke any kind of response out of them? They didn’t even take his phone calls.
Ambassador Khalilzad: Well, the fact that he’s going there is positive. For it to be successful he needs to have, as I said, access to the area and the impact of the visit should be to open up access for the international community, government and nongovernmental organization experts, and for supplies to get to where they are needed. That would be the key in his assessment – assessment of his team as to what is needed in terms of dealing with the immediate as well as longer term humanitarian needs of the country. But the focus has to be opening up the place - access for experts and supplies, and logistical needs to be – to have access and to be able to get to the needed areas.
Reporter: Ambassador, on Lebanon, do you have anything to announce regarding the extension of the mandate of Daniel Bellemare? And also if the Doha talks goes like it's supposed to be, the opposition wouldn't have the upper hand on the new government, what will happen to resolutions 1559, 1701, 1757? When the generals will be out of jail, what will happen to the Tribunal? 
Ambassador Khalilzad: Well, regarding to the Tribunal, we have seen the letter from the Lebanese government regarding the Doha meeting. The key issue for us is that support for the legitimate government of Lebanon. The key issue for us is the election of the president. The key issue for us is to allow the institutions of the Lebanese sovereign state to operate. The issue - important issue for us is to support Lebanese independence, territorial integrity, sovereignty of Lebanon. And what's important for us is that the use of force that we saw by Hezbollah against Lebanese civilians and Lebanese institutions demonstrates that this issue that Hezbollah is a resistance outfit aimed at Israeli occupation of Lebanese territory. But in fact what we've seen is that this has been a use of force by this group that is supported by Iran and Syria, against Lebanese civilian institutions. So there has been a bit of unmasking that has taken place with regard to Hezbollah, and we don't think that it should be rewarded for its use of force against the Lebanese citizens, against the Lebanese institutions. 
With regard to those resolutions that you mentioned, they all remain valid. 
Reporter: There is a - there is a Special Rapporteur sent by the Human Rights Council to investigate racism in the U.S. election. Do you think one is needed? 
Ambassador Khalilzad: Well, we don't think one is needed, but we welcome the visit. I think it would be important for the Human Rights Council to spend its time on real problems and the problems of violations of human rights in countries that are notorious for their violations of human rights. And you know, the list we all know it includes North Korea, it includes Iran, it includes a number of others, so that - Belarus and all those that you've heard me speak about here. But we welcome - we welcome the visit. 
Reporter: Mr. Ambassador, Mr. Siniora said that if you want to support him, why doesn't United States help in Israel to withdraw from Shebaa Farms? Another thing, how do you view his snubbing of Mr. Bush by not attending Sharm el-Sheikh meeting? 
Ambassador Khalilzad: Well, we support Lebanon's territorial integrity. We support Lebanon's independence. We support, as I mentioned, the sovereignty of Lebanon. And we stand with the people of Lebanon. But as far as the visit of Mr. Siniora, I think he has important work to do with regard to negotiations and discussions that are going on in Doha. We don't take that as any kind of snub. He has important work to do with regard to his country in Doha. 
Thank you very much. Thank you. 
Reporter: Mr. Ambassador, on Myanmar - on Myanmar. Is there a sense - is there a sense among the Security Council…
Reporter: On Bosnia; on Bosnia. The meeting was on Bosnia. You've just met the president of the council, of the Ministerial Council. What did you tell him? What did he tell you? And how you are satisfied, indeed, with the progress on cooperation with the war crime tribunal in Bosnia? 
Ambassador Khalilzad: Well, we did mention - in fact, several colleagues mentioned the importance of cooperation with the war crime tribunal. We underscored it as one of the four points that we thought was very important. We think there is progress that has been made in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and we believe that the high representative and his people have done a good job. 
We think their coming elections should be conducted in a manner that doesn't polarize. The rhetoric needs to be such that, unlike the 2006 elections, it's more positive and less polarizing. 
Thank you very much.