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White House avoids answers
on Western responses to Iran
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release) -- Following are Middle East excerpts from White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs' briefing for reporters on Tuesday, July 27:
Q: Switch to the Middle East, on Israel. What's the status of these talks going on in the Middle East right now? Is the U.S. putting extraordinary pressure on Israel out of concern of a possible Israeli air strike against Iran?
MR. GIBBS: Well, I think you see the commitment that the administration believes is needed, is necessary, and is willing to do to get progress on Middle East peace by sending -- former Senator Mitchell is in the region. He met last night with President Peres, President Abbas, Prime Minister Fayyad, this morning with Prime Minister Netanyahu. General Jones is on his way to the region. Secretary Gates met with his defense counterpart, Ehud Barak, yesterday. I think that level of participation denotes our commitment to working to find a lasting peace in the Middle East. And Prime Minister Netanyahu said on the radio that we were making progress, and Senator Mitchell believes the same thing.
Q What are the next steps with Syria?
MR. GIBBS: I think -- I don't know if Senator Mitchell and others will -- I don't know what, on their itinerary, whether they've -- what those stops have been, but we'll continue to work with both sides throughout the region to get Middle East peace.
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Q Last week, the Senate unanimously passed a resolution that directs the President to impose crippling sanctions on Iran if the regime hasn't accepted the U.S. offer of engagement by the time of the G20 in September. And I was wondering, has the President, or other administration officials, engaged in discussions with our international partners about specific sanctions against Iran?
MR. GIBBS: The international community has a standing offer dating back to April for engagement through the process with Iran that we have not heard back from on. The G8 said that in September, the international community would take stock of where we are on Iran. And we anticipate that that will take place in September. I don't want to get into hypotheticals, of what if, past that.
Q Any specific plans, though, if the situation --
MR. GIBBS: Well, again, I think that's -- I'd carve that into the hypotheticals.
Clinton and Miliband express concern for Iranian dissidents
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release)-- Following are the Mideast excerpts of a joint news conference on Wednesday of U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and British Foreign Minister David Miliband:
QUESTION: Madame Secretary, in Iraq, can you talk about the U.S. policy towards the MEK in Iraq, and can you also talk about the events of yesterday and whether or not the U.S. has any responsibility towards the people in Camp Ashraf?
And for both of you, in Iran, next door in Iran, there are reports of abuse of political prisoners coming out of Iran and also reports of a fracture among the political leadership in Iran. Can you address those issues, please?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, first with respect to the MEK at Camp Ashraf, we are urging restraint on both sides. The Government of Iraq has stated that the residents of Camp Ashraf will be treated in accordance with Iraq’s constitution, laws, and international obligations. The Iraqi Government has assumed security responsibility for Camp Ashraf and its residents, which obviously largely consists of MEK members, the full transfer of security responsibility from the coalition forces in Iraq to the Iraqi army forces occurred on February 20th, 2009. This is part of the turnover of responsibilities to a sovereign nation.
And although the U.S. Government remains engaged and concerned about this issue, it is a matter now for the Government of Iraq to resolve in accordance with its laws. And we are very clear that we expect that the Government of Iraq, now that it has assumed this security responsibility, will fulfill its obligations, to show restraint, will not forcibly transfer anyone to a country where such a transfer might result in the mistreatment or the death of that person based on their political affiliation and activities. But it is now the responsibility of the Government of Iraq.
With respect to the stories coming out of Iran concerning the abuse of political prisoners, we deplore that. We believe that it is imperative for the Iraqi authorities to release political prisoners, to treat them appropriately and humanely, and it is something that is very much telling, because their continuing detention and abuse of political prisoners certainly suggests that the political situation inside of Iran has not yet resolved itself.
And we are very much, as you’ve heard me say before, supportive of the people of Iran being able to express their opinions, being able to demonstrate freely and openly and engage in peaceful protests, for freedom of the press so that journalists are not picked up, detained, deported. And it’s part of the overall concerns that we have expressed for weeks now about what we’ve seen in the behavior of the authorities in Iran and the incredible courage of the Iranian people in standing up against what they view as infringements on their rights.
FOREIGN MINISTER MILIBAND: I think it’s important to say that ever since the elections, Secretary Clinton and I have been at pains to say that it is for the Iranian people to choose their government, but it’s for the Iranian Government to protect their people. And we have refused to fall into any trap that suggests it was for anyone other than the Iranian people to choose their government.
But equally, there are universal values, universal values that need to be stood up for, and obviously, we await further details of the alleged abuses. But it remains a signature part of our approach that without fear or favor, we do point to human rights abuse wherever it takes place. And the most recent Foreign Office Annual Report on Human Rights highlighted Iran as one of the countries of concern, and obviously, we’ve been looking with very great care at the latest revelations that have come out.
In terms of the situation within the government, I think that the world has seen a remarkable testimony to the strength and education and desire of the Iranian people for greater freedom. We’ve seen that in the run-up to the election day when the debate was passionate and engaged, but also since then. And I think it’s very important that we continue to say very clearly that the Iranian Government has responsibilities to the international community, which we want to see them uphold, but it also has responsibilities to its own people that its own people want to see upheld.
State Dept: Progress but no breakthrough during Mitchell and Netanyahu talks in Israel
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release)—Following is the Middle East excerpt from a press briefing on Wednesday, June 29, by State Department spokesman Ian Kelly:
QUESTION: Mitchell – Mitchell – what kind of progress he has made? Do you have anything?
MR. KELLY: Yeah. Mitchell, he – of course, he met --
QUESTION: On the record? On the record?
MR. KELLY: Yeah, this is on the record. He met yesterday with Prime Minister Netanyahu. I understand that it was a positive and constructive – they had positive and constructive talks. The day before yesterday, Mitchell met with Prime Minister Fayyad and with President Abbas, the Palestinian Authority officials.
QUESTION: Did the Israeli agree to stop the settlements or --
MR. KELLY: Well, I think – as I say, I think that both sides felt that there was progress made, but that – no breakthrough. But we look forward to continuing this process. Okay.
QUESTION: Do you know when he’ll give his speech --
MR. KELLY: Thanks.
QUESTION: -- in Bahrain? His speech in Bahrain?
MR. KELLY: He is in Bahrain, yeah.
QUESTION: He’s giving a speech today?
MR. KELLY: I think so. Yeah – no, he’s in Bahrain. I do know that.
QUESTION: All right.
U.S. closely monitoring fate of Iranian dissidents in Iraqi camp
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release)--Following is a transcript of the Middle East portions of the U.S. State Department briefing conducted on Tuesday by spokesman Ian Kelly:
QUESTION: This MEK group in Iraq, Iranian dissidents – they’re claiming that their Camp Ashraf is under assault.
MR. KELLY: Yeah.
QUESTION: And that – they’re also charging that the U.S. has reneged on a promise to protect them from the Iraqis.
MR. KELLY: Yeah.
QUESTION: What’s your understanding of that situation?
MR. KELLY: Yeah, I do have something for you on that. We’ve seen these media reports, and we’re looking into them. As you know, the Government of Iraq has assumed responsibility, security responsibility, for Camp Ashraf and its residents. We continue to monitor the situation closely to ensure the residents of Camp Ashraf are treated in accordance with Iraq’s written assurances that it will treat the residents there humanely.
This is in accordance with the constitutional laws and the international obligations of Iraq, and the government has stated to us that no Camp Ashraf resident will be forcibly transferred to a country where they have reason to fear persecution on the basis of their political beliefs – political opinions or religious beliefs, or whether there are substantial grounds for believing they would be tortured.
Of course, this is – as I said before, this is really a matter for the Government of Iraq to handle. This is completely within their purview. But we are closely monitoring it.
QUESTION: Is it just monitoring or is there going to be negative feedback afterwards? Because reports are, you know, indicating --
MR. KELLY: Yeah.
QUESTION: -- the level of – there is some actually harsh treatment of those --
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MR. KELLY: Yeah. As I say, I mean, we’ve seen these reports. It’s an evolving situation. And as it develops, of course we’ll – we will monitor it. And if the situation warrants, of course we’ll let our feeling be known about it.
Arshad.
QUESTION: Just a question on Iran. I’m sure you’ve seen the reports that Supreme Leader Khamenei has ordered a detention center closed. Is this a good thing?
MR. KELLY: I’ve only seen reports of it, so it’s hard for me to – or hard for us at the State Department to comment on something that we’ve only seen reports of. I mean, what I will say is, of course, that we’re deeply concerned about all these arbitrary arrests, detentions, and harassments that are – that have taken place in Iran, as well as the persistent lack of due process.
All along, we’ve called upon Iran’s leadership to release all of those who have been detained unjustly, and so allow them to be reunited with their families. In addition, we’re very concerned about some detentions of foreign citizens, including an American scholar that we’ve talked about here before, Kian Tajbakhsh, Newsweek reporter Maziar Bahari, and there’s a French scholar, Clotilde Reiss.
They have been detained, we think, without any grounds. And we find this unacceptable and we’re urging Iran to resolve all outstanding foreign national cases, including the call on Iran to be very transparent and open about the case of American citizen Robert Levinson, who’s been missing since March 2007.
QUESTION: There’s no update on the status of Mr. Tajbakhsh or the other American citizens?
MR. KELLY: I don’t have any update right now.
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QUESTION: Just to go back to Camp – the Camp Ashraf question.
MR. KELLY: Yeah.
QUESTION: I heard what you said before about how you’re monitoring this, and – but that, ultimately, this was up to the Iraqi Government.
MR. KELLY: Mm-hmm.
QUESTION: And the email I just got says that – it claims that Iraqi police forces are pouring boiling water on residents of Camp Ashraf and throwing stones at them. I mean, the allegation is that these people are being mistreated. Do you have – can you check to see if you have anything – I mean, if you believe those reports are credible and therefore if you’re actually going to intervene or speak to the Iraqi authorities about this?
MR. KELLY: Yeah. Yeah, we’ll see what we can do, Arshad. Those are certainly very disturbing reports that you’re reading there.
Seven Jewish Democrats in 13-6 committee vote for Sotomayor
WASHINGTON, D.C. —Seven Jewish Democrats were among the majority in he 13-6 Senate Judiciary Committee vote Tuesday favoring Judge Sonia Sotomayor's appointment to be a U.S. Supreme Court Justice. Whether to confirm her appointment by President Barack Obama next goes to a vote in the full U.S. Senate.
The seven Jewish committee members who backed Sotomayor to be the first U.S. Supreme Court Justice of Hispanic heritage were Senators Benjamin Cardin of Maryland, Russ Feingold of Wisconsin, Dianne Feinstein of California, Al Franken of Minnesota, Herb Kohl of Wisconsin, Charles Schumer of New York and Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania.
There were no Jewish members of the Senate voting in the minority on this issue.
Here are comments posted by some of the senators:
Senator Benjamin Cardin (Democrat-Maryland):“I believe Judge Sotomayor’s background and her professional accomplishments will add strength, balance and leadership to the Supreme Court. Her personal story of an immigrant family, the value of education, and a driven work ethic, is an inspirational story about one path to success in our nation.
“Judge Sotomayor’s command of legal precedent and her ability to challenge attorneys in their legal arguments will bode well for reaching the right decisions in the Supreme Court of the United States. Her leadership ability in forging consensus among the judges in the Second Circuit will be a talent that I also think will be very helpful. She is mainstream in her judicial decisions and opinions and she possesses a correct sense of the role of a judge in deciding a case based on sound legal precedent and the facts, giving due deference to Congressional intent. "
Senator Dianne Feinstein (Democrat, California): "I see her as a most impressive person on a number of different levels. First, in terms of personal history, it is truly impressive. It is everything our country is all about. Secondly, in terms of qualifications, she has more qualifications for this job than virtually any of the prior four nominees that I have heard as a member of this committee: 29 ½ years in the law. Prosecutor, private practitioner. Appointed to the federal court--first by a Republican president, secondly, by a Democratic president.
And the analysis of her record by the Congressional Research Service says a very interesting thing: 'Perhaps the most consistent characteristic of [her] approach as an appellate judge has been an adherence to the doctrine of stare decisis,' or precedence. I think this woman has done a splendid job. She has shown a dedication to the law. This has been tested and tested. She has shown before us judicial temperament. This has been probed and picked at. I find no example of infidelity to the law."
Senator Herbert Kohl (Democrat, Wisconsin): Judge Sotomayor is much more than just a story of accomplishment. She has shown herself to be a judge truly worthy of elevation to the Supreme Court. Both on the bench and before this Committee, Judge Sotomayor has proved that she has the necessary character, competence and integrity to serve on the Supreme Court. Judge Sotomayor's distinguished 17 year judicial record demonstrates her commitment to fair and impartial application of the law, and respect for the values which make up our Constitution.
At her hearing, Judge Sotomayor assured us that she will listen with an open mind to all sides of an argument and that she will be mindful of the very real impact her decisions will have on each and every American. She pledged fidelity to the Constitution and to the Court's precedent, as well as a responsibility to cautiously review precedent when justice requires.
Coalition in House and Senate push capital land conservation
 WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release)– U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (Democrat, Maryland) today introduced legislation to create a new grant program to fund land preservation in the National Capitol region, which includes portions of Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. Co-sponsors of the bill include Democratic Senators Barbara A. Mikulski of Maryland, James Webb of Virginia and Mark R. Warner of Virginia.
“It’s critical that we preserve open space in the National Capital region and this legislation will allow us to identify worthy land conservation projects while helping us invest in green infrastructure,” said Senator Cardin, a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. “Our region is a treasure trove of natural habitat and it is important that we ensure its survival for future generations.”
The National Capital Region Land Conservation Act of 2009 authorizes $50 million a year for cost-sharing grants to local and state governments and regional entities to preserve land for the full range of open space purposes including protecting water quality, providing recreational opportunities, preserving historic viewsheds, and similar reasons. It would amend the Capper-Cramton Act of 1930, which created the National Capital Planning Commission, the entity authorized to purchase green space within the National Capital area. Using U.S. Census data, the bill would define the National Capital region as the metropolitan statistical area of Washington, D.C. This definition would allow the scope of the area to grow over time as the metropolitan region continues to expand northwest toward Hagerstown, MD and south toward Richmond, VA.
“This is a federal investment in preserving the National Capital region’s national treasures for future generations,” Senator Mikulski said. “This legislation will allow us to identify land to preserve and protect, help us record our history, and keep attracting families and visitors to the area for generations to come.”
“This federal effort would guarantee a healthy and sound living environment for the heavily populated National Capital region,” said Senator Webb.
“Land conservation in the National Capital region requires innovative planning efforts. This legislation will help us protect and conserve many acres of parks and green space that will enhance the quality of life for the region’s residents,” said Senator Warner. “I’m pleased to be a part of this regional effort that focuses on preserving open areas while recognizing their economic value.”
U.S. Congressman Jim Moran (Democrat, Virginia) has filed similar legislation in the House of Representatives. House co-sponsors include: Democrats Jim Connolly of Virginia, Donna Edwards of Maryland, Eleanor Holmes Norton of the District of Columbia, Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, and Republican Frank Wolf of Virginia.
Defense Department reports improvements in relations with Libya; Gates' visit to Jordan
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