Expat Water Cooler

Briefing by Special Envoy for Middle East Peace George Mitchell on Middle East Peace Talks

Washington, DC

September 2, 2010

1:00 p.m. EDT

MR. CROWLEY: Good afternoon and welcome to the Department of State in Washington, D.C. Today, we have successfully re-launched direct negotiations between the – among the United States, Israel, and the Palestinian Authority in pursuit of a final agreement, a final settlement and a just peace, two states living side by side. George Mitchell will give a statement and answer a few of your questions, but we still have meetings going on with the parties and will have – he’ll have to return upstairs rather rapidly to rejoin the negotiations. But here’s Senator Mitchell.

MR. MITCHELL: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. The parties have just concluded the first round of trilateral talks. The meeting lasted about an hour and a half. It began with a plenary session involving the full U.S., Israeli, and Palestinian delegations on the eighth floor of the State Department and then broke to a smaller meeting in the Secretary of State’s personal office involving Prime Minister Netanyahu, President Abbas, Secretary Clinton, and myself. Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Abbas then went into a separate meeting for a direct discussion. That meeting is still going on right now.

In the trilateral meeting, there was a long and productive discussion on a range of issues. President Abbas and Prime Minister Netanyahu expressed their intent to approach these negotiations in good faith and with a seriousness of purpose. They also agreed that for these negotiations to succeed, they must be kept private and treated with the utmost sensitivity. So what I and they are able to disclose to you today and in the future will be limited, but I will now describe some of the key items that were addressed in the trilateral meeting.

Both Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Abbas condemned all forms of violence that target innocent civilians and pledged to work together to maintain security. They reiterated their common goal of two states for two peoples and to a solution to the conflict that resolves all issues, ends all claims, and establishes a viable state of Palestine alongside a secure state of Israel. President Abbas and Prime Minister Netanyahu agreed that these negotiations can be completed within one year and that the aim of the negotiations is to resolve all core issues.

The parties agreed that a logical next step would be to begin working on achieving a framework agreement for permanent status. The purpose of a framework agreement will be to establish the fundamental compromises necessary to enable them to flesh out and complete a comprehensive treaty that will end the conflict and establish a lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians. The parties agreed that in their actions and statements they will work to create an atmosphere of trust that will be conducive to reaching a final agreement.

They agreed to meet again on September 14 and 15 in the region and roughly two weeks thereafter – every two weeks thereafter. Of course, continued interactions at other levels between the parties and also yet others involving the United States will take place between those meetings. In fact, a preparatory trilateral meeting to plan for that second meeting in the region has already begun at another location in this building and will continue here and in the region between now and September 14^th, as is necessary.

As both President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton have said, the United States pledges its full support to the parties in these talks. We will be an active and sustained partner throughout. We will put our full weight behind these negotiations and will stand by the parties as they make the difficult decisions necessary to secure a better future for their citizens.

As we saw this week, there are those who will use violence to try to derail these talks. There are going to be difficult days and many obstacles along the way. We recognize that this is not an easy task. But as the President told the leaders, we expect to continue until our job is complete and successful.

And with that, I’ll be pleased to take some of your questions.

QUESTION: Senator, I’m Jeff Napshin with CCTV News out of Asia. I would like to know what was their personal relationship. At times when you saw them next to each other, it seemed like they were kind of distant. Did they seem to interact? Did they seem to develop any kind of bond or relationship together?

MR. MITCHELL: The relationship was cordial. As you know, these men have known each other for a long time. This is not the first meeting between them. They are not in any way strangers politically or personally. And I felt that it was a very constructive and positive mood, both in terms of their personal interaction and in terms of the nature of the discussion that occurred.

QUESTION: Thank you. Nadia Bilbassy with MBC Television. Senator, President Obama yesterday talked about some progress when asked, and I appreciate the fact that you don’t want to divulge too many details, but today, Prime Minister Netanyahu talk about the Jewishness of the state, which is considered nonstarter issue for the Palestinian. Just generally, do you think that these issues can be – can you bridge the gap considering there is obviously so many difficulties? But since re-launching the negotiation today, do you think this is – could be an issue that could be an explosive for the whole issue – for the peace process?

MR. MITCHELL: First, I believe very strongly, deeply, and personally that this conflict can be resolved and that these negotiations can produce a final agreement that enables the establishment of a Palestinian state and peace and security for both peoples.

Secondly, it is, of course, self-evident that the reason for a negotiation is that there are differences. The differences are many, they are deep, they are serious, and it will take serious, good-faith negotiations, sincerity on both sides, a willingness to make difficult concessions on both sides if that agreement is to be reached.

But I don’t think that any human problem can be solved if one begins by viewing the problems as insurmountable, as suggesting that the mountains are too high and the rivers are too wide, so let’s not undertake the journey. There has to be a sincerity and a seriousness of purpose combined with a realistic appraisal and understanding of the difficulties, but a determination to overcome them.

I believe that exists. I believe these two leaders, President Abbas and Prime Minister Netanyahu, are committed to doing what it takes to achieve the right result.

MR. CROWLEY: Major.

QUESTION: Hello, Senator Mitchell. Major Garrett, Fox News. You remember well from your life on Capitol Hill the phrase, whenever a tough negotiation was going on, “Nothing is agreed to until everything is agreed to.” Will that be the operative approach, you believe, for this process? And as a result, will you be reluctant to talk about anything that’s agreed upon until everything is agreed upon? That’s one process question.

The second one is you discussed the framework; is the deadline for the framework one year? Or is the framework something we’re likely to see much earlier and the one year still governs the entire solution to all remaining issues?

MR. MITCHELL: In terms of process, that and other questions will be resolved by the parties. The – you cannot separate process from substance in these discussions. There is an interaction that affects both and we’ve made it clear that these issues are to be determined by the parties. We have had extensive discussions with them on that and many other issues, and those will continue.

Our goal is to resolve all of the frame – all of the core issues within one year. And the parties themselves have suggested and agreed that the logical way to proceed, to tackle them is to try to reach a framework agreement first. And as I said – and I think this ought to be made clear because there has been a good bit of misunderstanding or not a full meeting of minds publicly regarding a framework agreement – a framework agreement is not an interim agreement. It’s more detailed than a declaration of principles, but is less than a full-fledged treaty. Its purpose is to establish the fundamental compromises necessary to enable the parties to then flesh out and complete a comprehensive agreement that will end the conflict and establish a lasting peace.

MR. CROWLEY: Charlie.

QUESTION: Thank you. Charlie Wolfson with CBS News. You mentioned that a number of issues were talked about today, but can you mention specifically that settlements was among them? And do you plan to be in the region for the talks that will take place on the 14^th and 15^th and at the table as well? Though you said the U.S. would be a part of the talks, take an active role, do you plan to be there for those talks, and can you tell us where they’re going to be?

MR. MITCHELL: As I said at the outset, what I will be able to disclose to you, that the parties will disclose will be limited. And so you’ve given me the first opportunity to invoke that principle with respect to the first part of your question, for which I thank you. (Laughter.)

Secondly, both Secretary Clinton and I will be at the meeting in the region on September 14^th and 15^th, and one of the subjects now being discussed in the trilateral preparatory meeting that’s ongoing in another room in this building, to which I must go in a few moments, is that subject. So a determination has not yet been made. That will be made, I believe, obviously in the near future and well in advance of the meeting.

MR. CROWLEY: Kirit, and then we’ll go there and then come back.

QUESTION: Kirit Radia with ABC News. I would like to take another crack at it after Charlie. I understand and appreciate that you can’t get into specifics about what was talked today, but I’m curious whether you could say – could speak about the scope of today’s talks, whether they did involve any substantive discussions on any of the core issues or whether this was strictly to lay out the plan for the coming year. Thanks.

MR. MITCHELL: As I mentioned in my response to Major’s questions, I don’t think one can neatly characterize process and substance as though they’re two separate things in these matters. They do interact and relate. You can’t discuss a process issue in any meaningful way without some relations to the substance that’s being discussed.

And so as I appreciate you said you’re taking another crack at Charlie’s question, and that gives me the chance to say for the second time that I’m not going to be able to get into the substance. But yes, there were discussions that touched on subject – on substance, although I don’t want to suggest to you that the meeting was such that there was a detailed and extended discussion or debate on a specific substantive issue.

MR. CROWLEY: We’ll move over here and then we’ll wrap up.

QUESTION: Ron Kampeas from JTA. It appears from this morning that obviously there weren’t any substantive concessions. There were – there have been rhetorical concessions. President Abbas talked about security, which is something that Netanyahu has wanted him to talk about, and Netanyahu yesterday at the dinner talked about recognizing the Palestinian claim that they’re – that the Palestinians live there.

Is that something that you’ve noticed? Is that something that the Americans have been encouraging? Have you played a role in asking the leaders to get out those statements?

MR. MITCHELL: We have encouraged the parties to be positive in their outlook, in their words, and in their actions. Any realistic appraisal of the situation, including the recent history – by which I mean the last two decades – makes clear that there are very serious differences between the parties, that there are many difficulties which lay ahead both in terms of the substance of the issues, the impact on their domestic politics, the needs and interests of their societies. We have not, of course, attempted to prescribe what they can or should say about any issue. These are independent and extremely able leaders representing the interests of their societies.

What we have sought to convey in innumerable conversations that I have had personally with both leaders over many, many months is President Obama’s conviction that despite all of the difficulties – near term, long term, political, substantive, personal, and otherwise – the paramount goal of making the lives of their citizens more safe, more secure, more prosperous, more full can best be achieved by a meaningful and lasting peace between the parties and in the region; that the alternative to that poses difficulties and dangers far greater to the individuals, to the leaders, to their societies, than those risks which they run in an effort to reach an agreement that brings about their lasting peace; that any realistic evaluation of the self-interest of the people of Israel and the Palestinian people must, in our judgment, conclude that they are far better off living side by side in two states in peace and security than in a continuation of the current situation.

MR. CROWLEY: Two last questions here (inaudible).

QUESTION: Yeah. Mohamed Ouasi of France 24 Washington. Senator, Prime Minister Netanyahu mentioned Iran this morning. Wouldn't that be making things more difficult for you to close the gap between the two parties?

MR. MITCHELL: In every aspect of human life, including your personal life and mine, the world is much different today than it was 10 years ago and vastly different than it was 20 years ago. And that is certainly true of the Middle East. It is an area of rapid change, of many conflicting currents that historians and analysts have described far better than I could in any exchange we have here.

But obviously, the actions and policies of the current Government of Iran have an effect in the region and in the wider world, and they influence what is occurring here. And in my judgment, they add another argument to those which I’ve already made and which many others have made as to why this conflict should be resolved. It is in the interests of the people involved, and in this respect, the word “comprehensive peace” is directly relevant. Please recall that when President Obama announced my appointment two days after taking office, he specifically identified comprehensive peace as the objective of U.S. policy in the region: Israel and the Palestinians, Israel and Syria, Israel and Lebanon, Israel at peace with all of its neighbors in normal relations.

And obviously, one of the factors that makes that desirable, in my judgment necessary, for all of these parties is, in part, the actions and policies that have been and are being taken by the Government of Iran. Yes, so it is a factor. Even if it didn’t exist, there would be a compelling reason for peace between Israelis and Palestinians, but that’s an additional factor.

MR. CROWLEY: Last question.

QUESTION: Senator, Laurie Ure, CNN. Peace negotiations between the parties have taken place, obviously, several times in the past. What is Secretary Clinton doing differently than her predecessors, including President Clinton?

MR. MITCHELL: Although my comment on that is not constrained by the agreement which I earlier described – (laughter) – there are other constraining factors – (laughter) – which come into play that somehow come right into my head as you completed the question. (Laughter.) Since I was not a part of the immediately preceding administration, although I did serve at the request of President Clinton and the then prime minister of Israel and the president of the Palestinian Authority as chairman of an international commission in 2000 and 2001 following the eruption of the second intifada, I’ll tell you my own belief.

First, we can’t be deterred by the fact that previous efforts didn’t succeed. The cause of peace is so important, so just, indeed – I’m not trying to use hyperbole – so noble, that it must continue notwithstanding prior efforts at failure. Indeed, an argument can be made to the reverse that the prior failures create an even more compelling imperative to proceed now.

Secondly, with respect to past efforts, as I said previously, not today but at an earlier briefing, we think that the best approach is to carefully review them, as we have done, and to try to draw the best lessons out of each one, not be bound by any particular practice or process or procedure, and always trying to keep in mind the dynamic changes in the region that have occurred in what is, in historical terms, a very short period of time.

So we don’t – I’ve been asked often, “Is this a continuation of Annapolis? Is it a continuation of some other process?” Our view is this is an effort that will try to learn from the lessons of the past, take the best and bring them forward, but not be bound by any label or category or previous process. Everything should be judged on the basis of what it will do to advance – help us advance to achieve the ultimate goal of peace in the region.

Now, one obvious difference is that President Obama is the only president in recent times, to my knowledge, to have established this as a high priority immediately upon taking office and to have acted immediately at that time. There have been many very well-written books on the history of the past 20 years. I think I’ve read most of them. And it’s very clear that at least in a couple of instances, time ran out. Indeed, the authors of several of these books used exactly those words to describe the problem: They ran out of time at the end.

Well, this President, I believe, will succeed. But as he said yesterday, neither success nor failure is predetermined or guaranteed, but it isn’t going to be because time ran out at the end. So that’s a vast difference.

I have a high opinion of the men and women who served in these tasks in the past. I know most of them personally, and I don’t think you can attribute inability to achieve a result to their individual or collective failures. They are the product of the difficulty and what many regard as the intractability of the problems and issues. But we believe that there are dynamic changes that occur. There are the more obvious difficulties that lie ahead for both sides if they don’t reach agreement that may be even more obvious than they were five or eight or 12 years ago.

You have to remember that these leaders must weigh two things. They must weigh the difficulties they face in getting agreement and they must weigh the difficulties they will face if they don’t get an agreement. And we believe it’s a very powerful argument that if you subject these to careful, reasoned, and rational analysis, to conclude that the latter difficulties, if they don’t get an agreement, will be much greater and have a much more profound impact on their societies than those they face in trying to get an agreement.

Thank you all very much. Been a pleasure to see you and I look forward to reporting to you on a regular basis.

Pakistan-U.S. Science and Technology Cooperation Program Announces Twenty-Seven Research Grants

Washington, DC

September 2, 2010

The Governments of the United States and Pakistan announced on September 1 the awarding of science and technology cooperative research grants to 27 joint teams of U.S. and Pakistani researchers, funded by contributions from both governments. The joint research resulting from these grants will strengthen scientific and technical cooperation between the two countries in ways that will help advance human and economic development in Pakistan, including health, water, agriculture, and energy.

This is the fourth round of science and technology cooperative research grants between the United States and Pakistan made through the program, with more awards than in any previous round, bringing the total number to 73. Expanding this program has been an important focus of the Science and Technology Working Group, one of thirteen working groups of the U.S.-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue. This expansion also furthers the Administration’s global engagement initiative announced by President Obama in Cairo in June 2009.

Since 2005, the Pakistan-U.S. Science and Technology Cooperation Program has provided research grants to joint Pakistan-U.S. teams through a transparent, merit-based, joint decision-making process. One new project is a collaboration between Pakistan’s National University of Science and Technology and the University of Oklahoma to build capacity in disaster risk assessment and management, including strategies for reducing risks from floods.

The Pakistan-U.S. S&T Cooperation Program is one of several activities through which Pakistan and the U.S. are collaborating on important social and economic issues related to science and technology. Numerous agencies on both the U.S. and Pakistan side are engaged in some of the most pressing environment, science, technology and health issues facing Pakistan, including collaboration on water resources assessment and management; promoting linkages between scientists and institutions in both countries; and supporting Pakistani women and youth in science, technology and engineering fields.

A list of grant recipients can be found at: http://sites.nationalacademies.org/PGA/dsc/pakistan/index.htm.

San Marino's Feast Day

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State

Washington, DC

September 2, 2010

On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I congratulate the Sammarinese people as you celebrate the Feast of San Marino on September 3.

The United States has a special respect for San Marino as one of the world’s oldest republics. The Republic of San Marino has flourished politically and economically since its founding through a strong tradition of independence and self-governance. From the time that the Captains Regent of San Marino conferred honorary citizenship on President Abraham Lincoln as a show of solidarity during our Civil War, our relationship has been a source of strength and encouragement for both our countries.

I wish all the people of San Marino a happy holiday and a successful year to come as the friendship between our nations continues to grow.

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Vietnam's National Day

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State

Washington, DC

September 1, 2010

On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I congratulate the Vietnamese people on the occasion of Vietnam’s National Day on September 2. I was honored to visit Vietnam earlier this summer to mark the 15^th anniversary of normalized diplomatic relations between our two countries, and to celebrate the great progress we have achieved in our bilateral relationship.

The United States is committed to enhancing our engagement in the Asia-Pacific region, and we recognize Vietnam’s important role in Southeast Asia. As Chair of ASEAN this year and as a key member of APEC, Vietnam has provided strong leadership on many of the region’s shared challenges. During my visit to Hanoi in July, I also had the opportunity to discuss several areas for increased bilateral cooperation between Vietnam and the United States, ranging from trade and investment to good governance, human rights, and security issues.

Vietnam’s dynamic population and impressive potential for further growth, and the budding spirit of cooperation between our nations, offer a strong foundation for the continued strengthening of our relationship. I look forward to representing the United States at the East Asia Summit this October and continuing our collaboration with Vietnam to address a wide range of regional and global challenges together.

On this festive occasion, I wish all Vietnamese people peace and prosperity in the coming year.

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Update: U.S. Response to Pakistan's Flooding Disaster

Office of the Spokesman

Washington, DC

September 1, 2010

The United States has responded immediately and generously to Pakistan's call for assistance following the tragic and devastating floods that began July 29. This includes $150 million to support immediate relief efforts in Pakistan, through the Pakistan National Disaster Management Authority, the UN’s emergency response plan, and many other local and international organizations. An additional $50 million has been allocated for initial recovery efforts to assist with rebuilding communities impacted by the floods. Therefore, the United States Government is now providing $200 million to assist with relief and recovery efforts, which does not include considerable in-kind and technical assistance specifically to address the impact of these floods.

We are also expanding pre-existing programs in flood-affected areas. The U.S. also has provided civilian and military in-kind assistance in the form of halal meals, pre-fabricated steel bridges and other infrastructure support, as well as air support to and within Pakistan to transport goods and rescue people at an approximate value of approximately $20 million.* Through August 31, these aircraft have evacuated 10,051 people and delivered more than 2,930,000 pounds of relief supplies.

American business and private citizens are also making generous contributions to assist the people of Pakistan.

Latest Developments:

• Two U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters were delivered to Pakistan today as the first elements of the U.S. Army 16th Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB) began to arrive from Ft. Wainwright, Alaska. The unit and its helicopters will operate in partnership with the Pakistani military throughout flood-impacted areas. The helicopters were transported to Pakistan Air Force Base Chaklala via a U.S. Air Force C-17 cargo aircraft. They will be reassembled, prepared for operations and await the arrival of other helicopters and support personnel, scheduled to arrive over the coming days.
  
• On August 31, U.S. military C-130 aircraft, based from Afghanistan, delivered 51,370 pounds of food and relief supplies from Rawalpindi to Sukkur, Jacobabad and Skardu.
  
• On August 31, U.S. military helicopters rescued 618 people and transported 128,000 pounds of relief supplies.
  
• The U.S. announced August 31 the launch of a program to provide short-term employment to 4,800 families in Swat. The jobs program will be used to rebuild roads and bridges in the area, as well as stimulate the local economy.
  
• An additional $2 million is being provided to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to expand humanitarian logistics operations and provide emergency relief supplies for health, shelter, and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programs.

Selected U.S. Contributions To Date:

• An additional 1,000 rolls of plastic sheeting have been delivered to Pakistan, bringing the total of the shelter materials to over 5,000 rolls. The plastic sheeting will provide temporary shelter for approximately 152,000 people.
  
• Seven additional mobile water treatment units arrived August 26, bringing the total to 13 now in Pakistan. U.S. water treatment units are capable of producing more than 1.3 million liters of clean water a day.
  
• The US brought in an additional 40 Zodiac inflatable rescue boats, bringing the total to 58.
  
• As of August 31, WFP Pakistan and partners have reached nearly 3 million beneficiaries with more than 34,000 metric tons of food. The U.S. has provided $51.5 million in food assistance to date.
  
• By September 1, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which the United States is supporting through the State Department, had assisted over 370,000 flood-affected beneficiaries around Pakistan. In Kyhber Pakhtunkhwa province alone, UNHCR has distributed over 20,800 tents, 65,000 plastic sheets, 149,000 blankets, 99,000 sleeping mats, 49,000 quilts, 49,000 jerry cans, 50,000 plastic buckets, 24,000 kitchen sets, 37 metric tons of soap, and 49,000 mosquito nets to the flood-affected population.
  
• By August 24, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which the U.S. is supporting, had assisted over 335,000 flood-affected beneficiaries.
  
• A grant to an NGO for $3.9 million was committed to support logistics and relief commodities, economic recovery and market systems, and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) activities for flood-affected people in KPk and Sindh provinces.

Private Sector Response:

• To date, the private sector has donated $8.39 million in contributions to flood relief efforts. American Business Council members in the U.S. and Pakistan that have contributed include: Abbott Labs, Agility Logistics, AT&T, Becton Dickinson, Chevron Pakistan, Cisco Foundation, Coca-Cola Export Corporation & Coca-Cola Beverages Pakistan Ltd., DuPont, EMC, Feros Sons Laboratories, Hadayat Sons, Johnson & Johnson, MDS Foods, Proctor and Gamble, Pfizer Pakistan, Silver Star Enterprises, 3M, Visa and Wackenhut Pakistan (Pvt.) In addition, the Lahore-based American Business Forum has collected donations from: Coca-Cola, Environment Consultancies & Options, Levi Strauss Pakistan, Kabani & Company, General Electric, Monsanto AgriTech, Al-Bario Engineering, and Netsol Technologies.
  
• People in Pakistan are invited to share information and updates by SMS texting the word FLOODS to 7111. People using the country’s active Humari Awaz (“Our Voice”) cell phone network are able to update each other about the latest flood news, valuable NGO grant and business opportunities and to make new announcements of support by SMS texting the word FLOODS to 7111. The Humari Awaz social network was launched by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at Government College Lahore during her visit to Pakistan in October 2009. Since the launch, the network’s subscribers collectively have sent over 350 million messages. To learn how to use Humari Awaz mobile users need only SMS the words "HELP" or "MADAD" to 7111.

Public Donation Information:

• The most effective way people can assist relief efforts is by making cash contributions to humanitarian organizations that are conducting relief operations. Cash donations allow aid professionals to procure the exact items needed (often in the affected region); reduce the burden on scarce resources (such as transportation routes, staff time, warehouse space, etc); can be transferred very quickly and without transportation costs; support the economy of the disaster-stricken region; and ensure culturally, dietary, and environmentally appropriate assistance.
  
• The Government of Pakistan and the Pakistan cellular phone industry are inviting Pakistanis to contribute to the Prime Minister’s Fund for Flood Relief beginning August 5 by texting the amount of their donation to “1234.” A number of NGOs and companies have announced the establishment of trust funds or donations to the Prime Minister’s Fund.
  
• As Secretary Clinton announced August 18, the U.S. Government, through the Department of State, has established the Pakistan Relief Fund for all to join in the tremendous relief, recovery and reconstruction effort. Individuals, corporations, and other organizations can send much needed help to the people of Pakistan by contributing to this fund at www.state.gov. In the U.S., individuals can send $10 through mobile phones by texting “FLOOD” to 27722.
  
• Working with mGive, Americans are also contributing to Pakistan flood relief by texting the word “SWAT” to 50555. The text results in a donation of $10 to the UNHCR Pakistan Flood Relief Effort. Every $10 helps provide tents and emergency aid to displaced families.
  
• A list of humanitarian organizations that are accepting cash donations for flood response efforts in Pakistan can be found at www.interaction.org. Information about organizations responding to the humanitarian situation in Pakistan may be available at www.reliefweb.int.
  
• More information can be found at:

o www.state.gov/pakistanflooding

o USAID: www.usaid.gov/pakistanflooding

o The Center for International Disaster Information: www.cidi.org or (703) 276-1914

• *The in-kind figure is not included in the calculation of the current USG total. It is an estimate of costs to date. The amount will be adjusted as additional information becomes available.

Diplomatic Security and U.S. Private Sector Security Experts to Ring Stock Exchange Bell

Office of the Spokesman

Washington, DC

September 1, 2010

On Thursday, September 2, representatives of the Department of State’s, Bureau of Diplomatic Security and global private sector security professionals will visit the New York Stock Exchange and ring the Opening Bell to celebrate the 25^th anniversary of the Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC).

OSAC is a public-private partnership under the U.S. State Department established to assist American businesses, academic institutions, and other organizations that work overseas in keeping their people and their facilities safe and secure.

Membership in OSAC is open to any interested U.S. private sector organization that has operations abroad.

OSAC is a force multiplier for the security of U.S. businesses, schools, faith-based groups, and NGOs operating overseas. It provides a forum for best practices to address today’s security challenges. From the Middle East to Asia or Africa, Americans can become victims of crime, terrorism, cyber threats, and natural disasters. OSAC works to ensure these and other situations do not adversely affect American businesses.

OSAC was the brainchild of former U.S. Secretary of State George P. Shultz. In 1985, a handful of chief executive officers from prominent American companies met with Secretary Shultz to promote cooperation between the American private sector worldwide and the U.S. Government on security issues.

U.S. Department of State Honors Kenneth Sydhagen of Norway as State Alumni Member of the Month

Office of the Spokesman

Washington, DC

September 1, 2010

The U.S. Department of State has named Kenneth Sydhagen of Norway, an alumnus of the Benjamin Franklin Transatlantic Summer Institute (BFTF), as State Alumni Member of the Month. Throughout September, his leadership and promotion of mutual understanding will be recognized on the State Alumni website (https://alumni.state.gov), the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ official site for the more than one million alumni who have participated in a Department-sponsored exchange program. Each month, the Bureau’s Office of Alumni Affairs, which supports alumni as they build on their exchange experiences, confers the award on an outstanding alumnus or alumna.

Following his BFTF exchange experience in 2008, Sydhagen was elected chair of The International Youth Network of Akershus County Council. In order to promote mutual understanding and encourage youth leadership in his local community, he organized an international youth conference including speakers from the United States, the European Union and Norway.

In 2009, Sydhagen introduced his school administrators to the public affairs staff of the U.S. Embassy in Oslo, who together established an English language program for high school students of minority backgrounds. He also helped establish an exchange program for students and faculty between his high school in Lørenskog and a U.S. high school in Idaho.

In fall 2009, Sydhagen initiated the “Young Ambassadors” program. Together with fellow alumni from the BFTF and the Fulbright Summer Institute for Outstanding European Students, he organized and managed a youth program for high school students seeking leadership education beyond that which their schools offer. Sydhagen drew upon his BFTF experiences to develop a seminar series where, from January to April 2010, the students practiced skills in public speaking, debating, networking, project management and career planning. The participants grew more confident and outspoken as a result of the program. One of the students went on to participate in the BFTF program and another in the Fulbright Summer Institute for Outstanding European Students.

Sydhagen, who currently studies law at the University of Oslo, credits the BFTF program with providing him “lifelong friendships, invaluable knowledge and great memories.”

For more information, visit the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ website at http://exchanges.state.gov/alumni/alumnus.html.

Media Contact: Catherine Stearns, StearnsCL@state.gov, phone (202) 632-6437

Libya's National Day

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State

Washington, DC

September 1, 2010

On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I congratulate the people of Libya as you mark your National Day on September 1.

Our governments have not always agreed on every issue, but our people share the dream of a safer world, a better life, and a brighter future for our children. The United States is committed to working with Libya to achieve these common goals. Although we have only recently reestablished relations between our countries, I hope these new bonds will endure well into the future. We look forward to strengthening the partnership between our governments even as we work through difficult issues, and we seek always to strengthen the friendship between our peoples.

On this occasion, we honor your history and culture, and I offer the people of Libya our warmest wishes for a happy holiday and a peaceful and prosperous year to come.

Rewards for Justice - Hakimullah Mehsud and Wali Ur Rehman Reward Offers

Office of the Spokesman

Washington, DC

September 1, 2010

The U.S. Department of State has offered rewards of up to $5 million each for information leading to the location of Hakimullah Mehsud and Wali Ur Rehman.

Hakimullah Mehsud is the leader of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a terrorist organization based in the tribal areas of western Pakistan, along the border with Afghanistan.

Since becoming leader of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan in August 2009, Mehsud has organized and directed several TTP attacks against U.S. personnel and interests in and beyond the region.

He has been charged in U.S. federal court with conspiracy to murder a U.S. national while outside of the United States and with conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction against a U.S. national while outside of the United States. The charges stem from an FBI investigation into the December 30, 2009 suicide bomb attack on Forward Operating Base Chapman in Afghanistan that left seven U.S. citizens dead.

In April 2010, Mehsud’s operatives used an explosives-laden truck, machine guns, and rocket launchers in an attack on the U.S. Consulate in Peshawar that killed six Pakistanis and wounded 20 others.

On May 1, 2010, a Pakistani-born naturalized U.S. citizen trained by the TTP attempted — and failed — to detonate a vehicle bomb in New York City’s Time Square. A day after that attack, the group released a video claiming responsibility for the attempted bombing. On May 3, Mehsud appeared in another video message warning that TTP would launch more attacks inside the United States.

Mehsud is also known as Hakeemullah Mehsud. He was born in the Kotkai region of South Waziristan, Pakistan and is believed to be in his early 30s.

Wali Ur Rehman is reportedly Mehsud’s one-time rival and current second-in-command. Rehman also is the TTP’s chief military strategist. He commands TTP members in the South Waziristan region of Pakistan and reportedly has led several attacks against U.S., NATO, and Pakistani forces on either side of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Rehman has aggressively recruited new fighters into the TTP terrorist network.

Like Mehsud, he was born in South Waziristan. He reportedly is in his early 40s. He is believed to be living in South Waziristan.

Both men are believed to have committed, or pose a significant risk of committing, acts of terrorism that threaten the security of the United States and its nationals.

The TTP is strongly linked to other terrorist organizations, including the Pakistan-based Haqqani network and al-Qa’ida. The TTP has provided sanctuary for al-Qa’ida operatives in the Pashtun tribal areas along Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan.

More information about Hakimullah Mehsud is located on the Rewards for Justice website (www.rewardsforjustice.net/Mehsud).

More information about Wali Ur Rehman also can be found on the Rewards for Justice website (www.rewardsforjustice.net/Rehman).

We encourage anyone with information on the location of Hakimullah Mehsud or Wali Ur Rehman to contact the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate, any U.S. military commander, or the Rewards for Justice office via the website (www.rewardsforjustice.net), e-mail (RFJ@state.gov) or mail (Rewards for Justice, Washington, DC 20520-0303, USA).

All information will be kept strictly confidential.

Since its inception in 1984, the Rewards for Justice Program has paid more than $100 million to more than 60 persons who provided credible information that has resulted in the capture or death of terrorists or prevented acts of international terrorism.

The investigation into the December 30, 2009 suicide attack at a U.S. military base in Afghanistan is being handled by the FBI’s Washington Field Office (WFO) and the prosecution is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Inquiries about this investigation or prosecution should be directed to the U.S. Attorney’s public information office at (202) 514-6933 or the FBI WFO’s public information office at (202) 278-3519.

U.S. and Argentina Will Hold First Bilateral Meeting on Science and Technology

Office of the Spokesman

Washington, DC

September 1, 2010

The Governments of the United States of America and the Argentine Republic will hold the first bilateral Joint Committee Meeting (JCM) on Science and Technology Cooperation at the National Academy of Exact, Physical and Natural Science in Buenos Aires on September 2-3, 2010. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Science, Space and Health Lawrence Gumbiner from the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs will lead the U.S. delegation and Secretary Alejandro Ceccato from the Ministry of Scientific and Technological Coordination will head the Argentine delegation.

U.S. and Argentine participants will affirm the significant role science and technology plays to enhance and complement each country’s political, economic and commercial infrastructure. Delegates will discuss potential collaborative activities that will enhance the development of professional and scientific networks, build capacity, strengthen institutional links, expand joint research, advance science knowledge and technology for innovation, and seek collaborative opportunities for civil safety and global security.

In particular, participants will examine scientific and technological cooperative activities currently underway between the two countries’ agencies, research centers, and academic institutions in the fields of innovation, basic science and astronomy, climate change, energy, earth science, forensic science, agriculture and food safety, and health. Delegates will explore several priority areas where bilateral collaboration could be further advanced including nanotechnology, atmospheric and space research, alternative energy research, and biotechnology.

The Joint Commission Meetings follow Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Foreign Minister Héctor Timerman’s bilateral discussions in Washington, DC, last month. The meetings will take place under the auspices of the Agreement related to Scientific and Technical Cooperation between the Government of the United States and the Government of the Argentine Republic, which was signed on April 7, 1972, and entered into force on April 11, 1972. The Joint Commission Meetings will include delegates representing ministries, technical agencies, and academic institutions from both countries related to science and technology.

For more information on the U.S.-Argentina Joint Committee Meeting on Science and Technology Cooperation, please visit: http://argentina.usembassy.gov/

Remarks With Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Before Their Meeting

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State

Mayflower Hotel

Washington, DC

August 31, 2010

PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU: We witnessed today a savage murder of four innocent Israelis. There are seven new orphans that were added to the circle of grief in Israel. We will not let the blood of Israeli civilians go unpunished. We will find the murderers. We will punish their dispatchers. We will not let terror decide where Israelis live or the configuration of our final borders. These and other issues will be determined in the negotiations for peace that we're conducting, and in these negotiations I will set clearly the security needs that are required precisely to address this kind of terror; and I hope to have the opportunity to go into greater detail in my conversations with President Obama tomorrow and with you, Secretary Clinton, today, and the leaders of Egypt, Jordan, and the Palestinians as well. Thank you.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, let me express our deepest sympathy to the families who have lost their loved ones. This kind of savage brutality has no place in any country, under any circumstances. The forces of terror and destruction cannot be allowed to continue. It is one of the reasons why the prime minister is here today: to engage in direct negotiations with those Palestinians who themselves have rejected a path of violence in favor of a path of peace. We have to not only stand against the kind of horrific murders we saw today on behalf of the four who were lost and, as the prime minister said, the seven orphans who have been brutally deprived of their parents, but on behalf of all people -- Israelis, Palestinians, everyone who knows that there is no answer when violence begets violence. And I thank the prime minister for his leadership in seeking a different future for the children of Israel. And we pledge to do all we can, always, to protect and defend the State of Israel and to provide security to the Israeli people. That is one of the paramount objectives that Israel has that the United States supports in these negotiations.

Merida Initiative Bilateral Implementation Office Opens

Office of the Spokesman

Washington, DC

August 31, 2010

As announced by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and Mexico’s Secretary of Foreign Relations Patricia Espinosa in March 2009, the Merida Initiative Bilateral Implementation Office (BIO) opened today in Mexico City.

This facility for ongoing consultation by the teams of both governments was inaugurated by David Johnson, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, and by Julian Ventura Valero, Undersecretary for North American Affairs of Mexico’s Secretariat of Foreign Relations. This office will allow for daily exchanges between technical staffers of agencies of both countries with the purpose of fully implementing equipment transfer and training programs under the Merida Initiative.

Neither officials from Mexico or the United States working in the Bilateral Implementation Office will engage in intelligence or operational activities.

The BIO demonstrates the high level of strength and depth of the bilateral relations between both countries in terms of security, as supported by the principles of shared responsibility, mutual trust and respect of jurisdiction.

This innovative, permanent mechanism for consultation will facilitate the implementation of the mandate of the Merida Initiative High Level Meeting, which took place in Mexico City on March 23, 2010, that the Merida Initiative programs disrupt the capacity of organized crime to operate, institutionalize the capacity to sustain rule of law, create a secure, 21^st century border infrastructure, and build strong and resilient communities.

The Slovak Republic's National Day

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State

Washington, DC

August 31, 2010

On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I congratulate the people of the Slovak Republic as you celebrate the 18th anniversary of your constitution on September 1.

Today, we honor your constitution and your commitment to the principles of freedom and democracy that bind our nations together. In less than 20 years, the Slovak Republic has transformed from a land locked behind the Iron Curtain into a vibrant democracy and a full member of NATO and the European Union. We appreciate the Slovak Republic’s partnership as we defend our shared ideals and advance our common goals around the world, particularly in Afghanistan where our soldiers continue to help the Afghan people build a better, more secure future for their country.

The United States also joins you in mourning and remembering those who tragically lost their lives in Devinska Nova Ves on August 30. We are saddened by this senseless loss of life and extend our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of those who perished and were injured on Monday.

I wish the people of the Slovak Republic a day of safe and peaceful celebration. The United States is honored to be your ally, your partner, and your friend. I look forward to continuing to deepen our relationship as we work together to build a free, stable, and more prosperous world.

Lebanon: Travel by Frederic Hof (Taken Question)

Office of the Spokesman

Washington, DC

Question Taken at the August 31, 2010 Daily Press Briefing

August 31, 2010

Question: Is Frederic Hof in Lebanon? If so, why?

Answer: Frederic Hof is visiting Lebanon and Israel to solidify the forward movement United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), Lebanon, and Israel have made in the wake of the August 3 incident to ensure processes and procedures are in place to minimize misunderstandings and maintain peace along the Blue Line.

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Reward Offered for the Capture of Edgar Valdez Villarreal (Taken Question)

Office of the Spokesman

Washington, DC

Question Taken at the August 31, 2010 Daily Press Briefing

August 31, 2010

Question:  Did the U.S. offer a $2 million reward for the capture of Edgar Valdez Villarreal?

 

 

Answer:  Edgar Valdez Villarreal was listed as a target of the Department of State's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) Narcotics Rewards Program with a reward offer of up to $2 million. 

 

For further information regarding this program please visit:  http://www.state.gov/p/inl/narc/rewards/index.htm

 

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Advisory Committee on Historical Diplomatic Documentation - Notice of Meeting

Office of the Spokesman

Washington, DC

August 31, 2010

The Advisory Committee on Historical Diplomatic Documentation will meet in open session from 1:30 p.m. through 2:30 p.m. on Monday, September 13, 2010 in the Department of State, 2201 “C” Street NW, Washington, D.C., in Conference Room 1205, to discuss declassification and transfer of Department of State records to the National Archives and Records Administration and the status of the Foreign Relations series.

Prior notification and a valid government-issued photo ID (such as driver’s license, passport, U. S. government or military ID) are required for entrance into the building. Members of the public planning to attend must notify Margaret Morrissey, Office of the Historian (202-663-3529) no later than September 9, 2010, to provide date of birth, valid government-issued photo identification number and type (such as driver’s license number/state, passport number/country, or US government ID number/agency or military ID number/branch), and relevant telephone numbers. If you cannot provide one of the specified forms of ID, please consult with Margaret Morrissey for acceptable alternative forms of picture identification. In addition, any requests for reasonable accommodation should be made no later than September 7, 2010. Requests for reasonable accommodation received after that time will be considered, but might be impossible to fulfill.

Questions concerning the meeting should be directed to Ambassador Edward Brynn, Executive Secretary, Advisory Committee on Historical Diplomatic Documentation, Department of State, Office of the Historian, Washington, D.C., 20520, telephone (202) 663-1123, (e-mail history@state.gov).

Fulbright NEXUS Program Launched to Link University Faculty, Applied Researchers, and Policy Practitioners Across Western Hemisphere

Office of the Spokesman

Washington, DC

August 31, 2010

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announced today the launch of the Fulbright Regional Network for Applied Research (NEXUS) Program. Through international exchanges, seminars, and collaborative research, Fulbright participants from the United States and other countries throughout the Western Hemisphere will engage in collaborative thinking, analysis, and problem-solving with a focus on improving the quality of life for communities in the region.

The Fulbright Program has long pioneered exchange programs that promote cooperation and synergies among government, academic, private and civil society to increase mutual understanding and address critical global issues. Building upon this tradition, the Fulbright NEXUS Program offers a collaborative model for regional scholarly exchange that moves beyond theory. The program will encourage the formation of networks of scholars, practitioners and applied researchers, fostering joint ventures with long-term regional impact.

Fulbright NEXUS Scholars will spend up to one calendar year engaged in multi-disciplinary, team-based research in one of three broad, interrelated topics: Science, Technology and Innovation; Entrepreneurship; and Sustainable Energy. Applicants to the program must describe how they will explore public-policy research questions in the topical areas of engagement, demonstrating how their research project will involve governments, NGOs, businesses, and communities. Ultimately, participants will be expected to develop and pilot effective cross-sector implementation activities related to their research at the local, national and regional levels.

The Fulbright NEXUS Program draws on current U.S. foreign policy initiatives that promote the sharing of best practices to fight poverty and inequality in creative, market-driven and socially responsible ways. As the Western Hemisphere continues to be plagued by the largest income gap in the world, initiatives such as Pathways to Prosperity, the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas, and the Inter-American Social Protection Network respond to the regional imperative of expanding broad-based economic opportunity to all citizens. In addition, Fulbright NEXUS builds on the accomplishments of other collaboration-based Fulbright models, including the worldwide Fulbright New Century Scholars program, and Fulbright student enrichment programs in the area of ‘Lab to Market’ innovation and social entrepreneurship.

The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government. For more information, please visit http://fulbright.state.gov/.

Media Contacts: James Lawrence, LawrenceJA@state.gov, 202-632-3241
Catherine Stearns, StearnsCL@state.gov , 202-632-6437

Killing of Parliamentary Candidate and Election Workers in Afghanistan

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State

Washington, DC

August 31, 2010

The United States strongly condemns the recent killing of a fourth candidate for parliament in Afghanistan and of five men working on the electoral campaign of a female candidate, all in Herat province. Though it is not yet clear who is responsible for these killings, our thoughts and deep sympathies are with the families affected by these horrible attacks.

Violent intimidation of electoral candidates and their supporters undermines the right of all Afghans to a peaceful and democratic future for their country, and those responsible for the killings must be brought to justice. Afghanistan’s upcoming parliamentary elections are an important milestone on the road to becoming a full and rightful member of the community of democratic nations. We encourage the Government of Afghanistan to provide adequate security measures that allow candidates and voters, particularly women, to fully participate and ensuring the election process reflects the democratic will of the Afghan people.

The United States will continue working with our Afghan and international partners to support the people of Afghanistan as they strive to secure a future of peace, freedom, and opportunity for themselves and their children, free from fear and intimidation.

Attacks on Afghan School Children

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State

Washington, DC

August 31, 2010

The United States is deeply concerned by the recent poisonings of Afghan school children in Kabul. While details of these attacks are still being verified, Afghan schools, teachers, and students, particularly girls, are regularly targeted by anti-government elements seeking to destabilize Afghanistan and undermine progress. We condemn such attacks and are working with the Afghan government to address this important issue and prevent further incidents from occurring.

Afghanistan and the United States, together with 40 other co-sponsors, presented a joint resolution to the Human Rights Council that was adopted by consensus in June concerning attacks on innocent students, particularly girls, in Afghanistan. We urge the international community to continue their support for the Government of Afghanistan in combating repression and violence against girls seeking an education, and in bringing to justice those responsible for these appalling attacks.

Our deepest sympathies are with the families of the victims, and we assure the government and all the people of Afghanistan that the United States will stand by you as you continue working to bring peace and stability to your country.

Secretary Clinton and the Ad Council Launch PSAs to Support Victims of the Pakistan Floods

Office of the Spokesman

Washington, DC

August 31, 2010

New PSAs Encourage Donations to the Department of State’s Pakistan Relief Fund

In television and radio public service announcements released by the Ad Council today, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton encourages donations to the Pakistan Relief Fund (the Fund). Since the flooding in Pakistan began just over one month ago, more than 20 million people throughout the country have been affected. Created by the U.S. Government through the Department of State, the Fund serves as a platform to raise the profile of fundraising efforts and to bring together people from around the world to help make donations.

The new PSAs, which include television and radio spots as well as Web banners, direct audiences from around the world to visit www.state.gov where they can donate to the Fund through a secure online donation page. Americans can also donate by text messaging the word "FLOOD" to 27722, which will charge $10 to their cell phone bill. Standard text messaging and data rates apply.

In her message Secretary Clinton says, “now is a time for our shared humanity to move us to help. That is why the United States government through the Department of State has established the Pakistan Relief Fund for all Americans to join in this tremendous relief, recovery and reconstruction effort.”

Secretary Clinton’s video message can be found by visiting: http://www.state.gov/video/?videoid=600301459001 . The Ad Council is distributing the PSAs to media outlets nationwide today. The PSA’s will run in advertising time and space that is donated by the media.

The Pakistan Relief Fund contributions will go towards funding programs run by the Department of State and other federal agencies for relief, recovery and reconstruction efforts in Pakistan, or to provide funds to international organizations, non-profit organizations and other appropriate recipients for relief, recovery and reconstruction efforts in Pakistan.

Several companies have donated production and digital distribution services for the new PSAs and Getty Images donated images of the Pakistan floods that are featured in the television and Web ads.

For more information about the Pakistan Relief Fund, visit www.state.gov/pakistanrelief.

The Ad Council is a private, non-profit organization that marshals volunteer efforts from the advertising and media industries to deliver messages to the American public.

The State Department's Pakistan Relief Fund builds on the momentum of the text SWAT to 50555 campaign launched earlier this year and benefits UNHCR.

Office of the Chief of Protocol Hosts US-China Business Roundtable

Office of the Spokesman

Washington, DC

August 31, 2010

On Wednesday August 25th, U.S. Chief of Protocol Ambassador Capricia Penavic Marshall hosted a U.S.-China business roundtable discussion with the Honorable Jon Huntsman, Ambassador of the United States to the People’s Republic of China, His Excellency Zhang Yesui Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to the United States, Chinese and American business leaders and other senior members of the Obama Administration.

Focused on the economy, the vibrant and productive discussion helped develop a greater mutual understanding among both the government and private sector leaders in attendance. The roundtable also laid an important foundation towards future partnerships and helped extend the U.S.-China relationship beyond the halls of government.

The US-China business roundtable was organized by the Office of the Chief of Protocol’s Diplomatic Partnerships Division. Diplomatic Partnerships seeks to foster international goodwill and cultivate the relationship between the Diplomatic Corps and the people and institutions of the United States through an exchange of ideas, cultures and traditions.

Diplomatic Partnerships pursues this goal through a broad range of unique programs and events including this event, Experience America trips which provide opportunities for foreign Chiefs of Diplomatic Mission to travel outside of Washington and learn about neighborhoods and communities across the United States and the “State of the Administration” speaker series which brings together foreign Chiefs of Diplomatic Missions and senior Obama administration officials for special briefings on relevant topics.

For more information about this event or other Diplomatic Partnerships events please contact the Office of the Chief of Protocol at Bazbazk@state.gov.

Briefing on the Global Shale Gas Initiative Conference

David L. Goldwyn
Special Envoy for International Energy Affairs 

Washington, DC

August 24, 2010

MR. CROWLEY: Good afternoon, and welcome to the Department of State. To start off today, we have our State Department Coordinator for International Energy Affairs David Goldwyn. He’s here to brief you on the Global Shale Gas Initiative Conference that is still ongoing here at the Department. It represents – 17 countries are represented to discuss the importance of shale gas as a lower-carbon fuel option. So we’ll start with David and then we’ll come back for other subjects.

MR. GOLDWYN: Thanks, P.J. Good afternoon. As P.J. noted, yesterday and today we’re hosting the Global Shale Gas Initiative Conference. It’s a regulatory conference. We’re up to 20 countries and 10 federal entities, as well as state and local regulators. The reason we’re doing this is it’s part of the State Department’s effort to promote global energy security and climate security around the world.

The U.S. shale gas phenomenon has transformed global energy markets. Because we have discovered and we have the technology to develop efficiently large quantities of gas from shale, global prices of liquefied natural gas have decreased. Gas has become cheaper. Gas is now competitive with coal on a BTU basis, which means that countries that might use coal can now not make an economic choice, but on a competitive basis choose gas for their next level of power generation.

It’s also provided competition, gas-on-gas competition, because the U.S. is no longer a big importer of or will not need to be an importer of liquefied natural gas.

So this has been a terrific boon for ourselves and for global energy security, and other countries want to replicate this process. And we wish them the best in doing this, but there are a lot of things that governments need to know in order to develop shale gas safely and efficiently. And that’s why we organized a regulatory conference where we could teach them what they need to know.

Now, their motivation and our motivation as the State Department to engage on this issue should be clear for foreign policy and energy security reasons. Countries around the world need diversity of energy supply. There are countries with millions of people – in fact, tens and some hundreds of millions of people – without access to electricity services. They need a feedstock and they need it for base load energy. They also, in many cases, are dependent on a single country for their source of gas supply and they want some choice.

So it’s understandable that they want to develop shale gas, but we have, in our country, an umbrella of laws and regulations that makes sure this is done safely and efficiently. We have federal regulation of air and water. We have state regulation of land use and water. We have the capacity to monitor and to regulate. And even then, there’s the need for enforcement.

So what we did was we gathered all these agencies together for two days to explain all of these things to governments. So EPA talked about how we regulate water at the federal level and how they partner with states. EIA, the Energy Information Administration, talked about the phenomenon in the growth of shale gas and how unconventional gas in general is making – giving us choices to improve the climate and to reduce the pathway for future energy emissions. The U.S. Geological Survey is talking to these countries about how you know what kind of resource you have. And the Bureau of Land Management and the Department of Interior is talking about how on federal lands all the steps we take in terms of environmental impact assessment, safety regulations, license rules, to make sure that when an operator comes to develop a resource that you have someone who is technically qualified, someone who has a plan which has been approved, and that the environmental impacts have been considered and are adopted into the core of the license.

We’ve also had a representative from the Groundwater Protection Council, and this is an association of state regulators, because in our country, it’s really the states that are on the front lines of safe drinking water regulation. In 33 states, the state leads or co-partners with the Environmental Protection Agency. So we’ve spent a lot of time talking about water, because water is scarce in a lot of these countries.

The bottom line is that we’ve had a really successful conference, because these countries have a lot of questions. People are enthusiastic, but they’re careful. There’s a lot that they need to know and there’s a lot they need to stand up in terms of regulatory capacity before they’re ready to engage in this. And so from our point of view, this has been a big success. We want people to have rational expectations about what they have. We want them to understand that it takes not just good commercial terms but really good government and good governance in order to make sure this is done safely.

So it’s another of the examples of our using smart power or creative diplomacy to try and improve energy security, but to help countries learn what they need to know. Thank you.

QUESTION: Can you give us a sense of how – of the total sort of consumption of LNG in the world, how much of it is now supplied by shale gas, and some sense of how you see that evolving over time, in five years, ten years?

MR. GOLDWYN: Well, right now, I would say very little. In fact, maybe no liquefied natural gas is supplied by shale gas. Most of the liquefied natural gas is coming from conventional gas production, and then liquefied and shipped on global markets. The impact in the U.S. is we, eight years ago, expected that we would be importing vast amounts of liquefied natural gas, and now, because we have this large-scale domestic production, we won’t need to.

In the future, it will really depend on which countries are producing shale gas and at what scale. In this country, it’s entirely possible if things continue on trend that we would have the ability to export gas extracted from shale, liquefy it, and export it overseas. That’s if we didn’t use all of it domestically.

In other countries, at least the countries around the table, my guess is that most of what is being produced will be used domestically. So China, India, to give examples of two large countries, have very large gas demands over time. If they’re able to produce shale gas, my guess is that it’s going to be used domestically and not used for export. The large-scale producers of gas right now – Qatar, Russia, Nigeria, Algeria, Trinidad and Tobago – all that is from conventional gas. So I think it’s unforeseeable, but I would not expect a huge portion of LNG supply to come from shale.

QUESTION: I’m sorry; I think I asked the question wrong. Essentially, what I was trying to get at is not so much liquefied natural gas, but just gas consumption and how much of it is – I mean, can you say, for example, in the United States what proportion of American gas consumption comes from shale gas and can you give us some sense of how much you – I mean, I’m trying to figure out if it’s been a big enough proportion to actually reduce gas prices, then it has to be a fairly – it has to be some percentage level, and sort of what kind of a bang for the buck might country X, or Y, or Z hope to get. Can they get 5 percent, 10 percent of their gas consumption?

MR. GOLDWYN: Sure. Well, in the U.S. right now, 10 percent of our production comes from shale gas. U.S. gas reserves have increased eight fold over the last 10 years. And projections we saw from the National Security Council this morning showed just that estimates from EIA for the United States, China, and Canada show that we might be looking at somewhere near 30 percent of future gas supply coming from unconventional sources – that shale-type gas, coal bed methane as well.

So, in Canada, by 2035, I think the projection is that close to half of gas production will come from shale and unconventional resources and in China as well a very significant increase. So for the U.S., this has been a game-changer in the sense that we thought we were on the decline and now we’re very significantly on the rise.

If these shales develop, I think this could easily be the case in these countries. What we don’t know right now is how much shale is there and whether it’s technically recoverable or whether it’s commercially recoverable. But there are large shale formations all over the world, and if they are even a fraction as prolific as the Barnett shale has been, as the Marcellus shale is proving to be, then it would be a dramatic portion of global gas supply in the future.

QUESTION: And predictions concerning Poland, where also huge deposits have been discovered of shale gas?

MR. GOLDWYN: Poland is here at the conference day. They have – there is exploration underway. And it’s hard to predict what you’re going to find until the drilling actually takes place, but they have large-scale shale formations. What we’ve learned over the last couple of days from the U.S. Geological Survey and from the Department of Commerce presentations is because you have a lot of shale, it’s hard to predict until you drill whether it’s technically or economically recoverable. It depends on how tight the formation is, how much gas it releases, whether the formation is very wide, and how it’s produced. It’s also a question of whether you have the infrastructure and the terms to bring that investment. So we have high hopes for Poland, but with any country, you can’t predict until they draw.

Yes, sir.

QUESTION: As far as India and U.S. energy cooperation, a lot is going on in the past few months and India is importing almost 80 percent. It might rise in the future because demand is also rising. Is there any cooperation going on now between the India and U.S. as far as more exploration? Because India has a lot of energy or gas but still somehow they are not taking the advantage of their technology.

MR. GOLDWYN: Yes. Coincident with the prime minister – with Prime Minister Singh’s visit to the U.S., we launched a memorandum of understanding with India on shale gas. And this will – we have proposed at least that the U.S. Geological Survey do a resource assessment of certain shale basins in India, and that we would provide workshops to train Indian geophysicists on how to do their own resource assessments.

The U.S. Geological Survey is the only federal agency, actually the only government agency in the world that assesses resources outside its home country. And they have a very sophisticated model where they can use analogs to shales in the U.S. and other places to project not only what the resource may hold, but what are the sweet spots, what are the most prolific places to drill. So we’ve proposed that to India; I’ll meet with them this afternoon to talk about deepening that cooperation, and it’s part of a larger umbrella of cooperation we have under the U.S.-India Strategic Dialogue.

QUESTION: It’s been a long time. But why it’s taking so long? Is it something to do with politics going on somewhere?

MR. GOLDWYN: Why has it taken India so long to develop its shale? Well, I think there’s – there are lots of reasons why the pace of production in countries can be slow. I think with respect to shale, it’s a relatively new phenomenon, even in this country. These very same shales that are producing now were uneconomic because of the technology even six or seven years ago, and the ability to do this now quickly and at a lower cost has really opened people’s eyes here in the U.S. and in other places to that possibility. So it’s new for India also.

But part of the message that we have given is that for any country you need more than the resource. You have to have a regulatory system. You have to have the infrastructure. You have to have protection of intellectual property. You have to have a pipeline that will take the gas from wherever it’s produced to a market. And you have to have a market price, because if there isn’t a market price for natural gas, no one wants to produce that gas. No one will finance a pipeline, no one will produce a gas-gathering system to remove the impurities, and no one will purchase it on the end.

And I think price, because of political pressures in many countries, is one of the biggest challenges. As part of the G-20, we’ve urged the removal of fossil-fuel subsidies, both at the production and at the consumption level. And I think as prices rise, you’ll see interest and investment increase.

You first and then --

QUESTION: You hinted at this. The – in terms of the possibilities in the future for the U.S. to be an exporter for shale, was that something that was raised in these talks and is that something you can see that this potentially could be a business opportunity for the U.S. – an economic opportunity?

MR. GOLDWYN: Well, a question came up and we had a presentation from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, FERC, which has responsibility for licensing and sighting pipelines, and they mentioned that they’ve had a request. Between FERC and the Department of Energy they have jurisdiction over those areas so I couldn’t comment on what future policy would be, but they’ve had at least one request.

Yes, sir.

QUESTION: Has USGS done any in-depth analyses yet of the shale gas resources of any country, or is India is the farthest along in that process?

MR. GOLDWYN: Well, USGS has – they’ve done these global surveys for oil and for gas and for other things. They’re just at the front end of doing resource assessments of unconventional reserves worldwide. So the assessments have actually not begun in India or in China, which is the other – one of the other countries in which we have a bilateral commitment to help do the resource assessments.

It’s a – the process takes actually a bit of time as I’ve learned from Brenda Pierce, who’s the chief scientist, who’s been helping us. You have to get the data from the other country, which may come from water wells, from log wells; there’s a tremendous amount of data. You gather that, you assess it. There are seven or eight different kinds of geochemical and geophysical analysis that go. They put that into a computer model and then they produce an assessment which they put on the web. But I think their worldwide assessment is really just beginning. I’m not aware of where – any country where they’ve completed one yet.

QUESTION: But you have MOUs just with China and India then? Or just China and still working on India?

MR. GOLDWYN: We have MOUs signed with China and India, but there are follow-up steps that are needed to begin implementation, although, we will have our first workshop in China, November 9^th to 11^th so we’ll be underway in China. Under the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas, we’ve also committed to do some in the Southern Cone, and so we’re looking at potential assessments in Chile and Uruguay as well.

Yes, sir.

QUESTION: Yes, a couple of questions. It seems like the technology and production has sort of been developed in the United States. Was there any discussion about partnerships directly between countries and U.S. companies that are at the forefront of this?

MR. GOLDWYN: There have been. We had presentations from a number of the companies today, under the Department of Commerce’s chairmanship, of companies that are working in the U.S. but are not working overseas. And there is some interest by some of the big upstream companies that we’ve seen in other places. The companies that we had here said today that the resource is large in the U.S. and the financial terms are secure, and the market price is driven by the market. And so – and they only have so much capital to invest in a lot of places, so for a lot of the companies that are big in the U.S., they’re staying in the U.S.

So there was great demand from other countries to find out whether service providers, technology providers, and investors would come to those countries. But our goal in this conference was really to be a regulatory conference rather than trade promotion.

QUESTION: Also, I just wanted to ask you and kind of clarify the strategic reason for holding this conference. For example, China is a competitor on – to some degree on – for oil and gas resources around the world. Does this take some pressure – would this take some pressure off of, I guess, that kind of global competition for energy resources if they were to develop their own gas shale resources? And also in Europe, would it take some pressure off of the Russia-Western Europe energy security issues?

MR. GOLDWYN: Well, the main reasons for doing it are national security and climate security. For these countries, you’re right. In Eastern Europe in particular, it’s really diversity of supply; it’s a national security issue. For China and India, it’s both climate security and economic security because they have large demand for resources and the market is volatile and to be able to produce it domestically is a huge boon. In countries in the Southern Cone, they don’t have LNG importing capability, and so they don’t have a choice of gas unless they produce it domestically.

In terms of the global market, gas is very different than oil. Oil is a global market, global commodity. I guess I wouldn’t agree that there is a destructive global competition for oil. The market’s pretty well supplied now. Gas is still very much a local market. It’s expensive to liquefy it, to transport over long distances. It’s mostly from the point of source to the point of consumption, and so there I don’t really see a global competitiveness issue, but there is a huge impact. If gas is cheap, plentiful, and available to countries like China and India – they have a choice versus coal – it’s competitive on a cost basis and the climate implications are huge.

You also have in India, and I would say in – also in Pakistan and other places, really, tens if not hundreds of millions of people without access to electricity. What are your choices for base load electricity? Nuclear, hydro, gas, fuel oil; so they don’t have – and coal. So coal is cheap and plentiful. If you can make gas cheap and plentiful, it’s a real choice.

QUESTION: Thank you. I was wondering if you can comment on the position or the reaction of oil-producer countries. And the second part of my question: If this initiative is in any way related to the energy and partnership of the Americas? And finally, if you can comment on the position of Venezuela on that? Thank you.

MR. GOLDWYN: I knew there would be a Venezuela question coming in there someplace. We haven’t asked global oil producers what they think of this initiative, so I don’t know. But gas is different than oil, so I think for the oil producers, I don’t imagine they – that they’re going to care a lot.

This is coordinated with the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas because they’re – as Secretary Clinton announced in April at the Energy and Climate Partnership ministerial, cooperation on shale gas was the sixth, I think, of the major initiatives that she announced. And we will be doing cooperation with – at least on a resource assessment basis – with Uruguay and Chile. And as part of this initiative, the next step is really to offer an a la carte menu to countries about the cooperation they need. If they are mature and they want to talk about water and safety, that’s the agenda. If they’re at the front end and they want to talk about resource assessment, we’ll bring USGS and BLM to them. It’ll be whatever the country wants.

And with respect to Venezuela, they have a lot of conventional gas. We haven’t talked to them about shale gas. Venezuela doesn’t really need shale gas because they have so much conventional offshore. And so Venezuela is not really a factor in this initiative.

QUESTION: But have you tried to establish any dialogue or conversations with the Venezuelan Government in that regard? I mean --

MR. GOLDWYN: Not – the Department of Energy has a dialogue which resumed, actually, coincident with the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas. And so that’s the primary dialogue for energy conversation with Venezuela.

QUESTION: Is this --

MR. GOLDWYN: No, you only get three.

QUESTION: Oh, okay.

MR. GOLDWYN: Yes, sir. (Laughter.)

QUESTION: What’s the scope and potential of shale gas in India? And are you – is the USGS also looking at it in Afghanistan?

MR. GOLDWYN: USGS actually has looked at the potential for a variety of minerals and resources in Afghanistan. It’s hard to tell in India. The shale formations are there, but you don’t know until you assess it. Every shale is different. Some of them are rich with gas, some of them are rich with gas and liquids, some of them are not at all. Some of them are easy to access, some are not.

So what we have offered to India is to bring our best knowledge about how you make that estimate, how you make that resource evaluation, and to bring our scientists to them to talk about that. And we’re waiting for India’s reaction and we’re hopeful that they’ll do it. I think the – you can’t tell until you drill, but the shale presence is there.

MR. CROWLEY: We’ll take two more and finish up – or three more.

QUESTION: I’m sorry. I’m going to jump in and I got three questions, one on India. India has already scheduled the auction of shale leases in three states next year. Do they know what’s under there in this – the GS – USGS is to survey additional states? Or is this going to be done in time for the auction next year?

MR. GOLDWYN: They’re – it probably will not be completed in time for the auction next year. There’s really two ways countries can find out what’s underneath the ground. One is they can take acreage that they think is prospective, they can offer it for leasing, and they can – companies can take that risk and they will pay – be compensated at a rate that evaluates that.

Another way to do it, which we think is going to be more helpful to countries if they can avail themselves of it, is to make the assessment first so investors will have a higher level of confidence about what the composition of that shale is and they’ll be more likely to explore there, and then the country will be in a better position to set itself competitive fiscal terms. So I think India and other countries will do both.

QUESTION: Okay. While you were talking with these people, there’s sometimes a significant difference between the United States and the rest of the world because we have private ownership of mineral rights here, whereas in India, for instance, the state controls all the mineral rights. Does that cause a problem or does that make it easier because they only have to deal with one person?

MR. GOLDWYN: For them – we spend a lot of time talking about that because we have such a unique system in that regard. I think to some extent, it makes it easier for them to regulate and you can probably have a single regulator. It makes it easy for them to set terms, and so that’s a – that provides a more uniformed system.

It’s easier for them to offer -- to pick which are the best spots to offer, and it’s also easier for them to do the kind of thing that the Bureau of Land Management does for us, is to look at their country and say “We don’t want development here and we want to protect wildlife there and we don’t want anyone near the water someplace else, so here’s the area we pick for development,” and we want them to be able to make those choices in a smart way. That’s easier for them. What’s harder is it’s harder to access capital.

MR. CROWLEY: David and then we’ll finish up.

QUESTION: Some environmentalists say that these shale extraction techniques are unequivocally disastrous vis-à-vis groundwater and that sort of thing. Is that the case, as far as you’re concerned? Do these concerns play in the discussions here?

MR. GOLDWYN: Well, safe water and safe regulation plays a huge part in our discussions. It’s really one of the main reasons that we held the conference in the first place. And while hundreds of thousands of wells have been drilled successfully in the United States so far, the lesson that we want all these countries to understand is that you have to have technically competent people operating and you have to have laws and regulations in place first. We have safe – we have safe – Clean Air Act. We have safe drinking acts. We have rules about where you can drill. We have rules about what sort of casings you have to have. And so, if done responsibly, it can be done safely, but these countries need to know you need laws and regulations in place first. I wouldn't paint the development with a broad brush.

MR. CROWLEY: Last one.

QUESTION: Basically, my question is that the production in the U.S. seems to have outpaced the ability to effectively oversee the safety, with multiple reports of ground water tables being polluted and the proprietary blend that they use, the companies use, they don’t have to really divulge what it in there under high pressure being pumped into the ground. So it seems that if U.S. is having a difficulty keeping up with the safety aspect, to what extent can we expect that other countries will be able to do the same?

MR. GOLDWYN: We heard from the Ground Water Protection Council, which is sort of a collection of state regulators, and we spent a lot of time talking about that issue, that you have to have the capacity in place first and that you have to have the rules in place to do that – to do that safely, and that you have to make sure that you know how to do that. We also heard a lot about the evolution in the states about new requirements for disclosure when – of what’s in the fluids. We heard new things from the companies about the move to use organic and green fluids in the process and about new technology for making the operations safer. So that essentially was our core message to all these countries is you need to know what you need to know before you get started.

QUESTION: Were any river basin commissions involved with this conference? The Susquehanna River Basin, the Delaware River Basin, Ohio River Basin, Potomac River Basin – are any of them involved?

MR. GOLDWYN: Not this one.

QUESTION: Because they regulate water supply.

MR. GOLDWYN: We had – for this one, we had BLM and EPA and the Ground Water Protection Council.

QUESTION: This is for India, how much cost and time are we looking for?

MR. GOLDWYN: Time and cost of looking for what?

QUESTION: Of – yes, sir. For drilling.

MR. GOLDWYN: Well, as you heard earlier, India has a licensing round in – I believe in September. But I think the pace of development will probably come with whether there’s success in these first basins, whether there’s an assessment of what they have. As you know, Reliance has made an investment in a U.S. company to learn the technology, and that’s what a lot of countries are doing is they’re trying to find out how it’s done. So it’ll depend on success and, in India in particular, depend on the price of gas.

Thanks very much.

United States Representation at 12th Cairo International Biennale Organized by Arab American National Museum

Office of the Spokesman

Washington, DC

August 30, 2010

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) is pleased to announce the selection of the Arab American National Museum of Dearborn, Michigan, to organize the United States’ representation at the 12^th Cairo International Biennale, to be held in Egypt from December 2010 through February 2011. The United States pavilion will feature the work of American artists Annabel Daou, Dahlia Elsayed, Rheim Alkadhi and Nadia Ayari. Ranya Husami, an independent curator, will curate the exhibition.

The four artists will exhibit work that examines issues of time, place, and identity. Daou will create a site-specific, time-based paper installation piece entitled from where to where. Elsayed will show diptych-styled conceptual maps, text-driven paintings that serve as records of internal and external geographies. Alkadhi’s work will consist of photographs, some digitally altered and reformatted, and an installation piece entitled Love in unusual times. Ayari’s paintings are visual narratives that explore form or depict surrealist characters in non-specific landscapes. The exhibit explores the relationship between physical location—or the lack thereof—and subjective state of mind, and seeks to convey a sense of each.

ECA’s Cultural Programs Division supports and manages the official U.S. participation at the Cairo Biennale. U.S. representation at this global event ensures that the excellence, vitality and diversity of the arts in the United States are effectively showcased abroad and provides an opportunity to engage foreign audiences to increase mutual understanding.

Media Contact: Elizabeth Murphy, 202-632-9366, MurphyEA2@state.gov

Briefing on Flood Relief Efforts in Pakistan

Dan Feldman
Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan 

Carol Chan, Deputy Director of the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance

Washington, DC

MR. CROWLEY: Good afternoon and welcome to the Department of State. To lead us off this afternoon, we thought we would once again bring in our intrepid briefing team to update you on the U.S. and international response to the flooding in Pakistan. Dan Feldman is the Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, and Carol Chan is the Deputy Director of OFDA. I think we’ll start off with Dan and then we’ll talk about other things.

MR. FELDMAN: Thanks very much, P.J. Thanks very much for having me here. I just wanted to give a quick update about the current status of the floods and as well as the USG response to it, and then highlight three particular areas: One is the status of the international contributions; the second is the private sector contributions, particularly from the USG; and the third is the strategic communications initiatives that have been launched, and particularly those launched in the last week or so.

Currently, the flood crest from the Indus River is finally entering the Indian Ocean. The good news at this point is that in most places, waters are no longer rising but are finally receding, including in Punjab. There are still enormous concerns, though, particularly on the health front about stagnant water, on shelter issues, and the situation is still deteriorating in some parts of the country, particularly in Sindh, where 6 million people have been displaced and 4.5 million need humanitarian assistance.

In terms of the USG response, we’ve kept you updated on the heavy airlift capability that we’ve undertaken. U.S. military and civilian aircraft continue to support flood relief operations. They’ve been flying sorties over the last few days. And to date, these aircraft – USG aircraft, both civilian and military, have now evacuated close to 9,000 people – it’s over 8,800 – and delivered more than 2.5 million pounds of relief supplies.

We estimate that the civilian and military in-kind assistance – the operations transporting halal meals, the temporary bridges – is now at approximately $15 million. We haven’t yet added that into our fact sheets. That’s in addition to the $150 million in relief assistance that the Secretary announced at the UNGA special session and in addition to the $50 million in early recovery assistance from Kerry-Lugar-Berman funds that Dr. Shah announced in Pakistan last week.

To assist in the continuing needs on heavy lift, there was also an announcement over the weekend that we would come close to doubling the amount of lift capacity of USG helicopters. Right now, we’ve got about 15 helicopters in theater. We are deploying another 18 additional helicopters. We’ll be rotating some out that are currently there. But altogether, we aim to get close to 30 operating USG helicopters into the region in the next 10 days to two weeks or so. So the needs there are still very, very dramatic, and we are continuing to try to meet those as aggressively and robustly as possible.

Let me move on to the three areas I outlined, the first on international assistance. Thus far, over 60 nations have committed more than $700 million, including the $200 million I just referenced, the 150 relief and the 50 early recovery. We now calculate that the UN response plan, the initial plan of $460 million, is about two-thirds funded. It’s about 64 percent right now. But obviously, as the crisis response moves from this relief phase to the early recovery, and then recovery and reconstruction phases, we calculate that the needs are going to be absolutely vast. We are going to continue to look, do our own assessments. There’s also going to be ongoing assessments by the World Bank, ADB, the damage and needs assessments, and as we get more and more of that data, we will continue to work very actively with the international community to ensure that we try to meet those needs as best as possible.

We’ve highlighted some specific contributions in the past on the lift side which is so critical right now. As we’ve noted, Afghanistan has provided four helicopters. Japan now has three helicopters on the ground, three more en route. The UAE has dispatched three helicopters as well as a C-130. Turkey has contributed a C-130. And NATO, very significantly, has started flying missions to deliver food, relief supplies, using NATO-owned trainer cargo aircraft. They delivered – NATO delivered 8 million metric tons of relief supplies donated by Slovakia last week. They’ve augmented this and had several – I think two more flights in the last few days. NATO’s now delivered – and this has been facilitated through German Government contributions and others. And we continue to work closely with them to make sure that these relief supplies get there as quickly as possible.

Notable contributions just over the last week, not only from EU, Australia, Canada, Germany, but from other OIC members. Algeria, Jordan, Uzbekistan, all announced new contributions – China, Russia. So the international community continues to come together and will next meet on the margins of UNGA on September 19^th as a follow-up to the session that was held about 10 days ago.

Second of all, on the private sector update, the U.S. business sector, coordinated by the Business Civic Leadership Center and the U.S.-Pakistan Business Council, has provided over $8 million now in relief assistance to Pakistan. Some 50 major companies have contributed either with direct funding or in-kind contribution. We have a list available, but some of the larger contributions include a million dollars from Coca-Cola, a million dollars in direct food items from Sheraton, a million dollars from BP, $600,000 in cash and in-kind from Proctor & Gamble, including water purification tablets, $500,000 from PepsiCo. Many companies have established employee contribution drives, matching donations by their employees. And we continue to welcome and encourage contributions by the corporate sector. This will also be working with the Pakistan Relief Fund, as announced by the Secretary at the UNGA special session about 10 days ago, which that fund will serve as a platform to raise the profile of fundraising efforts, bring together as many disparate parties, making contributions as possible, and continue to amplify contributions. We’re looking at a range of high-profile events, including some celebrity events, which we’ll have more information on in the coming days and weeks.

Lastly, on the strategic communications front, we’ve had a very, very aggressive effort to promote communications, not only here in the U.S. but in Pakistan, use media to better disseminate information. When Dr. Shah was there last week, he helped launch a new nationwide SMS initiative for flood updates. There are 99 million mobile users in Pakistan. Many of the flood victims have only access to mobile, and so he invited people to share the latest information and updates on Pakistan flood recovery by SMS texting the word “FLOODS” in Pakistan to a number, 7111. The Embassy is now using that to send information on relief and recovery efforts to these new subscribers, and it connects them to the latest news information alerts.

This is building on the Secretary’s initiative which she launched last October called Humari Awaz, which is another social media platform which, since she announced it, has – over 350 million messages have been sent in both Urdu and English. He also did – conducted the first ever live one-hour radio broadcast by a USG official with both public and private radio, so very actively using radio, which is such a great means of communications with many – in many parts of the country. We’re continuing to work on strengthening the signal and reach, working actively with the Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation, which is now providing 24/7 coverage of the floods and looking at a variety of other initiatives to profile needs, documentary filmmakers, other news outlets, and trying to build and grow the information dissemination, which is, lastly, being done through more traditional media. Dr. Shah brought 13 reporters with him to Sukkur last week. We’re continuing to try to get both Pakistani and international journalists out on as many flights as possible so they can observe firsthand what the needs are, report back. And this growing media engagement is certainly helping to provide greater information to the general public, which is, in turn, feeding interest and contributions to flood relief.

So my colleague, Carol Chan, will speak more from USAID OFDA, and we’re happy to take questions.

MS. CHAN: Thank you. Well, as mentioned before, USAID – USG’s pledge has been $200 million. And what we’ve been doing with that money has basically been providing assistance to the flood-affected populations, which include food, nutrition programs, potable water and sanitation facilities, blankets, plastic sheeting to construct temporary shelters, as well as other relief commodities, logistical support, and other information services.

In terms of the weather, as previously mentioned, the water is receding. There doesn’t appear to be storms in the near future. But while the waters are receding in the Punjab, the high crest on the Indus River is beginning to flow into the sea. The situation in Sindh Province continues to deteriorate, although the Pakistani Meteorological Department reported that water flowing to the Koshi Barrage has been reducing and authorities expect flooding to continue in the Sindh.

And some recent developments – international relief organizations are beginning to expand, gradually moving to Sindh and Punjab from bases to – in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and that Sindh Province is now becoming one of the major areas of greatest need. USAID DART is actively targeting local NGOs to conduct the relief programs in Southern Pakistan through the Rapid Response Fund.

In terms of shelter, emergency shelter remains a critical priority for the flood-affected population. To date, USAID OFDA has delivered 5,063 rolls of plastic sheeting, which is sufficient to provide temporary shelter for nearly 152,000 people. USAID has plans for additional shipments of plastic sheeting as the needs become known.

In terms of health, the Pakistani National Disaster Management Authority, also known as NDMA, said a growing concern is the number of large pools of standing water throughout Pakistan. Particularly as peak mosquito season breedings occur over the next two to four weeks, USAID will be continuing to look at disease early warning systems, which actually were implemented after the 2005 earthquake.

Thank you.

MR. CROWLEY: Questions?

MR. FELDMAN: Yes.

QUESTION: Yeah. With the 38 helicopters, what percentage of the total lift capacity does that provide once they’re on board, and what geographic area do they cover? Will they cover most of the flooded areas?

MR. FELDMAN: The overall number is constantly changing as other nations also provide some lift and per the needs of the Pakistani Government. At this point, we’re aware of the other helicopters from other nations as I noted, so four from Afghanistan, up to six from Japan, three from UAE. The UN also has about four helicopters on the ground right now, but going up perhaps to eight or even ten. And that’s in addition, obviously, to everything the Pakistani military is doing.

We are trying – we are doing this, obviously, in very close cooperation with the Pakistani military at their request and in the areas they’ve asked us to. We are expanding regionally in some areas. They’re not all going to be based out of Ghazi. So we’re trying to cover the areas that have the greatest need, but in conjunction with the Pakistani military.

QUESTION: I mean, what impact does it have? Does it cover, like, half of Pakistan’s needs or – I’m sure not. I’m sure it’s probably much less than that.

MR. FELDMAN: I think they’re still trying to assess. Obviously, we’re still getting people displaced in areas like Sindh. The needs in terms of where helicopters are best positioned, obviously, in the north, where the bridges have been damaged, in the less urban areas. And so you’re reaching to some people that need it quite a bit there. You’ve got many, many more numbers in the – in Punjab and Sindh. But in terms of what those helicopters can provide, it’s kind of evolving on a day-by-day basis, so I can’t really answer that with that degree of specificity.

QUESTION: Hi, I’m Kirit Radia with ABC News. I just wonder if I could ask you about some of the reporting last week about threats against aid workers in Pakistan, how that’s affected any of your implementing partners, what steps are being taken to protect them, and if this is an ongoing threat, if you think that.

And on a related note, there was also some reporting over the weekend about an apparent threat against Dr. Shah’s visit that was reported in The Washington Times about him having to leave prematurely. What can you tell us about that?

MR. FELDMAN: In terms of the planning altogether, we are continuing to do things that we always do. We’re working with partners that we’ve worked with for a very, very long time, that are very reputable, very credible in country that have long experience, many local hires, and we’re trying to mitigate any concerns. Obviously, the concerns are always going to be there given some of the statements by some of these extremist organizations. But we’re going to continue to do what we’ve always done and try to deliver the humanitarian assistance that we can as efficiently as possible.

In terms of Dr. Shah’s particular visit, I’m not sure if Carol has more to add on that. I was at the FPC last week when he said that he had to leave quite suddenly. I think that was misinterpreted in some of the press as a particular threat. He did not say that in the state – in the conference that I was at. He just said that they got some information about some actors there and left quite quickly. So I don’t know if that’s the same as you’ve been briefed or not.

MS. CHAN: Right, that’s the same. I mean, essentially, he was visiting a food distribution and has – he was doing other visits in his trip to Pakistan. So I think that that was a misinterpretation of him leaving. I mean, he was on a very tight schedule, so that’s not true.

QUESTION: Well, I wasn’t there, but I certainly watched it on – I watched the briefing at the Foreign Press Center and he did leave because there were some suspicious people, that he said DS told him that there were some suspicious people around and that maybe they better leave, and he didn’t want to leave, that he wanted to continue to talk to the women who were waiting in line. So --

MR. ANDERSON: Yeah, this is --

QUESTION: -- I don’t know if there’s a specific threat or not, but I mean --

MR. FELDMAN: Lars Anderson.

MR. CROWLEY: Lars Anderson from USAID.

MR. ANDERSON: I was actually there. There was no specific threat made, but there were some suspicious people in the area, and so the RSOs on the ground decided that we should leave.

QUESTION: That isn’t the genesis of the threat that – I mean, that – is that – was that at all related to the warnings that went out after?

MR. ANDERSON: No. This --

QUESTION: That was something else?

MR. ANDERSON: Two separate things.

MR. CROWLEY: Charley.

QUESTION: Charley Keyes, CNN. Please, sir, can you give us – to go back to the 30 helicopters expected in the next 10 days, how much U.S. personnel are involved in the support of those choppers? How many U.S. personnel are on the ground? And is the Pakistan Government asking for additional U.S. aid?

MR. FELDMAN: In terms of personnel, I’d have to send you over to the Pentagon for those numbers. I – we don’t have those. And I think they – obviously, it will depend on the size of the helicopters and what the capacity is, so they could help provide that.

In terms of the actual numbers requested, that is in very, very close conjunction with General Nadeem, who’s been running this effort through NDMA, through General Kayani and others. And we are meeting the needs that they identify. And so getting the – up to the – up to 30 there is something that’s been done at their request and in close cooperation with the Pakistanis.

QUESTION: And is the Pakistan Government asking for additional U.S. aid?

MR. FELDMAN: Additional U.S. aid or --

QUESTION: Or additional U.S. assistance?

MR. FELDMAN: Assistance in terms of?

QUESTION: Of flooding – in response to the flood disaster.

MR. FELDMAN: Civilian – the civilian assistance?

QUESTION: Yes.

MR. FELDMAN: Yes, absolutely. I mean, they are – they recognize that the needs are going to be absolutely vast, staggering. And so everyone agrees that this initial flood response plan that the UN has put out – it was only meant for 90 days, it’s only for relief efforts – that’s the 460 million number. But everyone – and Foreign Minister Qureshi is visiting countries around the world, trying to start raising money. And we’re working closely with the foreign ministry and with others to help meet those needs. What we don’t have yet are some estimated numbers as the damage is still ongoing.

But given the requests by the World Bank – or for the World Bank and the ADB to conduct these damage and needs assessments, which hopefully we’ll have by the beginning of October, we will start using that as a baseline for the international community to try to meet those needs for recovery and reconstruction purposes.

QUESTION: (Inaudible) the question on providing any additional security for workers. Is that happening, or is there any plans to do that?

MR. FELDMAN: I’m not aware of anything that’s currently happening that’s different from what we would normally provide. So that’s always factored into the calculus, and obviously, that was done from the very outset here. But other than giving a public sense of that potential threat, I’m not aware of anything different.

QUESTION: Thank you.

QUESTION: Thank you.

MR. FELDMAN: Thanks.

Media Arrangements for September 2 Direct Talks at Department of State

Washington, DC

August 30, 2010

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will host the re-launch of direct negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians, at the Department of State (Harry S Truman building) on Thursday, September 2, 2010.

Registration/Access: Media representatives who plan to attend any related events or use State Department facilities to cover this event, and who do not have a State Department building pass, are asked to pre-register with the Department of State. A registration form is available at: https://press.state.gov. The form should be completed, then click “submit.” If technical problems arise with electronic submission, the completed form can be faxed to the Office of Press Relations at (202) 647-0422.

Media representatives who do not have a State Department building pass should enter the building through the 23^rd Street entrance, between C and D Streets, NW.

The following forms of identification will be accepted:
(1) U.S. Government-issued identification card (Department of State, Foreign Press Center, White House, Congress, or Department of Defense);
(2) media-issued photo identification card, accompanied by an official photo identification card (driver's license, passport); or
(3) original letter from their employer on letterhead verifying their employment as a journalist, accompanied by an official photo identification card (driver's license, passport).

Filing Center: A filing center will be established in the Loy Henderson Conference Room for media representatives covering this meeting, providing computer charging stations and workspace. Computer connectivity is still to be determined. Members of the media may access this workspace beginning at 6:00 a.m. on Thursday, September 2. Open press events will be broadcast into the press filing center, barring technical difficulties. Light refreshments will be available nearby for purchase.

Broadcast Satellite Trucks: Recent changes in the perimeter of the Department of State building, especially 23^rd Street, have resulted in extremely limited satellite truck access. Broadcasters are encouraged to contact APTN or Eurovision for live transmission origination and stand-up support outside of the Harry S Truman building. Portable, “fly pack” uplinks are under consideration, but the quantity allowed will be limited, users will share space on 23^rd Street near reporter stand-up locations, and media must provide their own portable generator power. The deadline for submitting requests for uplink fly packs is no later than Wednesday, September 1, at 12 noon to murphymj2@state.gov and kielmj@state.gov.

Stand-up Positions for Broadcasters: The Bureau of Public Affairs is coordinating access to several locations in the Main State building for television organizations to use for stand-ups and interviews. These positions are being set-up and managed based on applications, such as live, live-to-tape, and taped stand-ups and interviews.

For 2^nd floor mezzanine live and live-to-tape requirements, interested broadcasters should arrange support through their contacts at domestic broadcasters ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, and FoxNews, as well as international broadcasters APTN, Eurovision, Reuters and VOA.

Other taped stand-ups and interview locations include the 23^rd Street sidewalk row for external shots, the press briefing room for shots with the podium and stage background, the Loy Henderson filing center, the Dean Acheson Auditorium, and, for stand-ups only, the courtyard adjacent to the C Street Lobby. Information regarding use of these locations will be available on September 2 from the Information Desk adjacent to the Loy Henderson filing center.

Further details on press coverage will be provided once the event schedule is confirmed.

30th Anniversary of the Polish Solidarity Movement

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State

Washington, DC

August 30, 2010

When the brave men and women of the Gdansk shipyards stood up against an oppressive regime and demanded their right to form an independent trade union 30 years ago, their courage gave birth to Solidarity. What started as a union of workers became an extraordinary social movement for individual liberty, dignity, and human rights that ignited a democratic revolution. Solidarity’s uncontainable messages of hope and freedom in Poland spread throughout Central Europe and helped speed the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.

We honor those who stood against tyranny 30 years ago and all who followed in their wake. The heroes of Solidarity knew that the Polish people desired and deserved more from their country, and they laid the foundation for the Poland we see today. Thanks to their valor and their commitment to liberty, Poland is now a key NATO ally, a thriving democracy, and a beacon of hope to many who still suffer oppression. Poland is a leading voice in the Community of Democracies and a valued partner with the United States to advance our shared goals of freedom and human dignity. Poland’s work promoting stability, security, and prosperity in Afghanistan is further evidence of this strong commitment. We thank the people of Poland for your partnership and honor your historic dedication to liberty. On behalf of the people of the United States, I send my warmest regards to the Polish people as you commemorate the 30th anniversary of the birth of the Solidarity movement.

Expansion of E-Mentor Corps

Office of the Spokesman

Washington, DC

August 30, 2010

Today the U.S. Department of State announced the expansion of E-Mentor Corps, a Web-based platform to match mentors in the U.S. business community with aspiring entrepreneurs from developing countries around the world. During his speech in Cairo, the President emphasized strengthening ties on issues like entrepreneurship and connecting people in the U.S. with people around the world, including through online platforms. On April 27, at the Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship, Secretary Clinton outlined the structure of the E-Mentor Corps to fulfill these objectives. This initiative to promote the Web-based platform by U.S. Embassies and partners aims to expand the number of users – both mentors and entrepreneurs – from hundreds to thousands.

E-Mentees will be recruited through the U.S. Department of State's existing network of thousands of alumni from exchange programs focusing on entrepreneurship, and others who express serious interest in entrepreneurial guidance. E-Mentors have been initially solicited from among participants in the Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship, and the U.S. Department of State has already received Statements of Intent from leading U.S. organizations signifying their commitment to provide E-Mentors. These include: Accenture, AMIDEAST, Babson College, Business for Diplomatic Action, Ernst & Young, Endeavor, Financial Services Volunteer Corps, Global Business School Network, IBM, Intel, The Kauffman Foundation-Global Entrepreneurship Week and TechWadi.

Through the E-Mentor Corps platform, mentors are able to request connection to mentees, while mentees can also reach out to potential mentors. This networking platform is currently available in English and Arabic, but is meant to serve entrepreneurs in developing countries worldwide.
E-Mentor Corps can be reached at http://www.imagine-network.org/about/e-mentor-corps.
It is directed by the U.S. Department of State’s Global Entrepreneurship Program (GEP) and managed through a partnership with ImagineNations Network.

Any questions about the overall E-Mentor Corps program may be directed to the Global Entrepreneurship Program Team at entrepreneurship@state.gov.

Republic of Uzbekistan's Independence Day

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State

Washington, DC

August 30, 2010

On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I congratulate the people of Uzbekistan as you celebrate nineteen years of independence on September 1.

Over the past several years, we have worked together to strengthen the relationship between our countries, and today the United States is proud to cooperate with the people of Uzbekistan on many areas, from science and education to building civil society and improving trade. We look forward to expanding this work as we further deepen our bilateral relationship. An increasingly robust partnership between Uzbekistan and the United States will help promote stability, security, and prosperity throughout Central Asia.

I have fond memories of the beauty and the hospitality of Uzbekistan from my visit in the 1990s. On this celebratory occasion, I once again send my best wishes for peace, health, and happiness to all the people of Uzbekistan.

Reaction to Remarks by Rabbi Ovadia Yosef

Philip J. Crowley
Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Public Affairs

Washington, DC

August 29, 2010

We regret and condemn the inflammatory statements by Rabbi Ovadia Yosef. We note the Israeli statement that the Rabbi's comments do not reflect the views of the Prime Minister. These remarks are not only deeply offensive, but incitement such as this hurts the cause of peace. As we move forward to relaunch peace negotiations, it is important that actions by people on all sides help to advance our effort, not hinder it.

 

Kyrgyz Republic's Independence Day

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State

Washington, DC

August 29, 2010

On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I congratulate the people of the Kyrgyz Republic on your Independence Day on August 31. The United States was among the first nations to recognize the Kyrgyz Republic’s independence 19 years ago, and our friendship and partnership have grown steadily.

The people of the Kyrgyz Republic have faced many challenges this year that will require great determination to resolve. During these difficult times, the partnership between our countries is all the more crucial as we work together to return stability, democracy, and national unity to the Kyrgyz Republic in the months ahead.

I wish all the people of the Kyrgyz Republic a safe and joyous day of national celebration with the sincere hope that the coming year will bring peace, progress, and national reconciliation.

U.S. Representation at ASEAN Trade Conference in Da Nang

Office of the Spokesman

Washington, DC

Question Taken at the August 26, 2010 Daily Press Briefing

August 27, 2010

QUESTION: Why is there no U.S. representation at the ASEAN trade conference in Da Nang?

ANSWER: Leading representatives of the U.S.-ASEAN Business Council met with ASEAN representatives at the conference in Da Nang. U.S. Government economic and trade officials maintain constant and active dialogue with their ASEAN counterparts, and we consider the U.S.-ASEAN economic relationship to be a high priority. We look forward to continuing these contacts going forward.

Special Envoy Hussain to Travel to Afghanistan

Office of the Spokesman

Washington, DC

August 27, 2010

U.S. Special Envoy to the Organization of the Islamic Conference, Rashad Hussain, will travel to Afghanistan next week, where he will meet with high-level Afghan Government officials and civil society representatives. He will also meet with Afghan university students and travel outside of Kabul. This is the Special Envoy’s first trip to Afghanistan.

Mr. Hussain was appointed by President Obama on February 13, 2010 as Special Envoy to the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC). As Special Envoy to the OIC, Mr. Hussain seeks to deepen and expand the partnerships that the United States has pursued with Muslims around the world.

Republic of Kazakhstan's Constitution Day

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State

Washington, DC

August 27, 2010

On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I congratulate the people of Kazakhstan as you celebrate the 15th anniversary of your constitution this August 30. The respect and interests our countries share are the basis of a strong partnership that enhances the security and prosperity of both our peoples.

The United States honors Kazakhstan’s constitution and its essential tenets: the right to life and liberty under a secular and democratic government, elections that are free and fairly administered, and a system of checks and balances that divides power among three branches of government. These concepts have been critical to the success of the United States and our democracy, and they helped secure Kazakhstan the chairmanship of the OSCE this year. In December, the people of Kazakhstan will have the opportunity to further underscore your commitment to democratic progress when you welcome the world to the OSCE summit in Astana. Your constitution is a strong foundation for the continued success of the Kazakhstani people, and it will ensure a long and meaningful relationship between our two countries.

I send all the people of Kazakhstan my best wishes on this special anniversary. Today we reaffirm our commitment to working together to build a peaceful and prosperous future.

Release of Aijalon Mahli Gomes

Philip J. Crowley
Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Public Affairs

Washington, DC

August 26, 2010

We welcome the release of Aijalon Mahli Gomes and are relieved that he will soon be safely reunited with his family. We appreciate former President Carter’s humanitarian effort and welcome North Korea’s decision to grant Mr. Gomes special amnesty and allow him to return to the United States. We also want to express our gratitude to the Swedish Government for their tireless consular services and efforts on the U.S. Government’s behalf in their role as our Protecting Power in North Korea.

President Carter’s trip was a private, humanitarian, and unofficial mission solely for the purpose of bringing Mr. Gomes home and reuniting him with his family. The former President traveled at the invitation of the DPRK Government. The U.S. Government did not propose or arrange the trip. Based on our assessment that Mr. Gomes’ health was at serious risk if he did not receive immediate care in the United States, the U.S. Government concurred with former President Carter’s decision to accept the North Korean proposal.

The U.S. and North Korea do not have diplomatic relations and as the case of Mr. Gomes illustrates, travel to North Korea is not routine or risk-free. We are issuing a Travel Warning for American citizens warning U.S. citizens against travel to North Korea.

Update: U.S. Response to Pakistan's Flooding Disaster

Office of the Spokesman

Washington, DC

August 26, 2010

The United States has responded immediately and generously to Pakistan's call for assistance following the tragic and devastating floods that began July 29. This includes $150 million to support immediate relief efforts in Pakistan, through the Pakistan National Disaster Management Authority, the UN’s emergency response plan, and many other local and international organizations. An additional $50 million has been allocated for initial recovery efforts to assist with rebuilding communities impacted by the floods. Therefore, the United States is now providing $200 million to assist with relief and recovery efforts, which does not include considerable in-kind and technical assistance specifically to address the impact of these floods.

We are also expanding pre-existing programs in flood-affected areas, providing temporary bridges, and mobilizing significant U.S. military and civilian resources to rescue victims of the disaster and deliver needed supplies. U.S. military and civilian aircraft continue to support flood relief operations. Through August 25, these aircraft have evacuated 8,010 people and delivered more than 1,800,000 pounds of relief supplies.

American business and private citizens are also making generous contributions to assist the people of Pakistan.

Latest Developments:

• USAID Administrator Dr. Rajiv Shah visited Pakistan August 24-26 to consult with the government and relief organizations on ways to expand and improve flood relief efforts. He announced August 25 that the U.S. is providing $50 million to support early recovery programs, such as rehabilitation of community infrastructure and livelihood recovery activities. This $50 million will be provided from funds as authorized under the Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act of 2009, known as the Kerry-Lugar-Berman Act.

• People in Pakistan are invited to share information and updates by SMS texting the word FLOODS to 7111. People using the country’s active Humari Awaz (“Our Voice”) cell phone network are able to update each other about the latest flood news, valuable NGO grant and business opportunities and to make new announcements of support by SMS texting the word FLOODS to 7111. The Humari Awaz social network was launched by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at Government College Lahore during her visit to Pakistan in October 2009. Since the launch, the network’s subscribers collectively have sent over 350 million messages. To learn how to use Humari Awaz mobile users need only SMS the words "HELP" or "MADAD" to 7111

Significant U.S. Contributions To Date:

• An additional 1,000 rolls of plastic sheeting have been delivered to Pakistan, bringing the total of the shelter materials to 5,063 rolls. The plastic sheeting will provide temporary shelter for approximately 152,000 people.

• Three additional mobile water treatment units from arrived today, bringing the total to 9 now in Pakistan. U.S. water treatment units have produced more than 5.4 million liters of clean water since August 8.

• The US brought in an additional 40 Zodiac inflatable rescue boats, bringing the total to 58.

• On August 25, U.S. Air Force C-130 aircraft, based from Afghanistan, delivered 53,430 pounds of food and relief supplies from Rawalpindi to Sukkur and Rajanpur.

• By August 24, the World Food Program (WFP) had provided almost 1.9 million flood-affected beneficiaries with more than 22,300 metric tons of life-saving food.

• The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), which is partially funded by USAID, is providing 4.2 million packets of oral rehydration salts and 2.1 million zinc doses to female health workers conducting community-based management of diarrhea in children under five years of age in flood-affected areas.

• By August 24, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which the United States is supporting through the State Department, had assisted over 335,000 flood-affected beneficiaries with the provision of 20,000 tents, 78,000 plastic tarpaulins, 105,000 blankets, 75,500 sleeping mats, 43,000 jerry cans, 36,000 plastic buckets, 23,000 kitchen sets, 26 metric tons of soap, and 42,000 mosquito nets.

• USAID has committed $3.9 million to an NGO to support logistics and relief commodities, economic recovery and market systems, and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) activities for flood-affected people in KPk and Sindh provinces.

• A total of 440,928 halal meals were delivered to civilian and military officials in Pakistan via U.S. Air Force airlift.

• Emergency relief items were delivered to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). In addition to the 58 Zodiac rescue boats, the items include: 9 water filtration units, 10 water storage bladders, 30 concrete-cutting saws, 12 pre-fabricated steel bridges and a 25kw generator which was provided to the Frontier Scouts-KPk to support their flood relief efforts.

Private Sector Response:

• Working with mGive, Americans are also contributing to Pakistan flood relief by texting the word “SWAT” to 50555. The text results in a donation of $10 to the UNHCR Pakistan Flood Relief Effort. Every $10 helps provide tents and emergency aid to displaced families.

• The Government of Pakistan and the Pakistan cellular phone industry are inviting Pakistanis to contribute to the Prime Minister’s Fund for Flood Relief beginning August 5 by texting the amount of their donation to “1234.” A number of NGOs and companies have announced the establishment of trust funds or donations to the Prime Minister’s Fund.

• As Secretary Clinton announced August 18, the U.S. government, through the Department of State, has established the Pakistan Relief Fund for all to join in the tremendous relief, recovery and reconstruction effort. Individuals, corporations, and other organizations can send much needed help to the people of Pakistan by contributing to this fund at www.state.gov. In the U.S., individuals can send $10 through mobile phones by texting “FLOOD” to 27722.

• American Business Council members in the U.S. and Pakistan have announced contributions to flood relief efforts: Abbott Labs, Agility Logistics, AT&T, Becton Dickinson, Chevron Pakistan, Cisco Foundation, Coca-Cola Export Corporation & Coca-Cola Beverages Pakistan Ltd., DuPont, EMC, Feros Sons Laboratories, Hadayat Sons, Johnson & Johnson, MDS Foods, Proctor and Gamble, Pfizer Pakistan, Silver Star Enterprises, 3M, Visa and Wackenhut Pakistan (Pvt.) Ltd.

• The Lahore-based American Business Forum has collected donations from: Coca-Cola, Environment Consultancies & Options, Levi Strauss Pakistan, Kabani & Company, General Electric, Monsanto AgriTech, Al-Bario Engineering, and Netsol Technologies.

Public Donation Information:

• The most effective way people can assist relief efforts is by making cash contributions to humanitarian organizations that are conducting relief operations. Cash donations allow aid professionals to procure the exact items needed (often in the affected region); reduce the burden on scarce resources (such as transportation routes, staff time, warehouse space, etc); can be transferred very quickly and without transportation costs; support the economy of the disaster-stricken region; and ensure culturally, dietary, and environmentally appropriate assistance.

• A list of humanitarian organizations that are accepting cash donations for flood response efforts in Pakistan can be found at www.interaction.org. Information about organizations responding to the humanitarian situation in Pakistan may be available at www.reliefweb.int.
• More information can be found at:

• www.state.gov/pakistanflooding
• USAID: www.usaid.gov/pakistanflooding
• The Center for International Disaster Information: www.cidi.org or (703) 276-1914

Department of State and Peace Corps Together Tackle Energy and Climate Issues at the Grassroots Level

Office of the Spokesman

Washington, DC

August 26, 2010

The U.S. Department of State is providing $1 million to support Peace Corps volunteer efforts that increase rural access to energy, mitigate the effects of climate change, and support the use of renewable energy and energy efficient technologies in Central and South American communities, in support of the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas (ECPA).

With this funding, Peace Corps volunteers will work with international experts, local organizations, businesses, and community members on the ground to create efficient and green solutions to energy challenges in the Americas.

Under the partnership, Peace Corps volunteers will work with members of local communities to build infrastructure to support environmentally-friendly energy and to educate communities on climate change and energy conservation. Volunteers will train host-country citizens in the use of alternative fuels and to install, operate, and maintain energy-efficient technology, including biodigesters, solar water heaters, photovoltaic devices, solar and fuel-efficient stoves, and wind or mini hydroelectric power generators. These efforts will make clean energy more accessible to rural communities, reduce carbon emissions, improve public health, and provide opportunities for individuals and small businesses to generate income.

In April 2009, at the Fifth Summit of the Americas, President Obama invited all countries in the Western Hemisphere to join ECPA to promote collaboration on renewable energy, energy efficiency, cleaner fossil fuels, and energy poverty. Peace Corps’ initial ECPA-related efforts will be implemented in Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Guyana, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, and Suriname.

Assistant Secretary Robert O. Blake, Jr. Travels to Tajikistan and the Russian Federation

Office of the Spokesman

Washington, DC

August 26, 2010

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Robert O. Blake, Jr. will travel to Dushanbe, Tajikistan August 31-September 1, and Moscow, the Russian Federation September 1-3, 2010.

In Tajikistan, Assistant Secretary Blake will conduct a six-month review of the annual bilateral consultations with the Government of Tajikistan, and meet with government officials and civil society representatives.

In Russia, Assistant Secretary Blake will meet with his counterparts in the Foreign Ministry and other government officials to discuss issues of common interest.

Moldova's National Day

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State

Washington, DC

August 26, 2010

On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I congratulate the people of Moldova on your country’s 19th anniversary of independence this August 27.

The United States is committed to working with the Moldovan people as you continue building a prosperous and democratic nation. The Millennium Challenge Corporation Compact we signed earlier this year is a testament to the progress Moldova has made in advancing transparent governance, human rights, and economic reform. The United States supports Moldova’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, and we look forward to helping Moldova advance along the path toward European integration.

I wish the Moldovan people a safe and festive celebration, and hope to continue strengthening and deepening the cooperation between our countries in the years ahead.

Allegation of Mass Rape in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Washington, DC

August 25, 2010

The United States is deeply concerned by reports of the mass rape of women and children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo by the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) – an armed, illegal rebel group that has terrorized eastern Congo for over a decade – and elements of the Mai Mai, community-based militia groups in eastern Congo. This horrific attack is yet another example of how sexual violence undermines efforts to achieve and maintain stability in areas torn by conflict but striving for peace.

The United States has repeatedly condemned the epidemic of sexual violence in conflict zones around the world, and we will continue to speak out on this issue for those who cannot speak for themselves. Less than a year ago, I presided over the UN Security Council session where Resolution 1888 (2009) was unanimously adopted, underscoring the importance of preventing and responding to sexual violence as a tactic of war against civilians. Now the international community must build on this action with specific steps to protect local populations against sexual and gender-based violence and bring to justice those who commit such atrocities.

Sexual violence harms more than its immediate victims. It denies and destroys our common dignity, it shreds the fabric that weaves us together as humans, it endangers families and communities, it erodes social and political stability, and it undermines economic progress. These travesties, committed with impunity against innocent civilians who play no role in armed conflict, hold us all back.

When I visited the DRC last year, I learned an old proverb -- “No matter how long the night, the day is sure to come.” In the depths of this dark night of suffering and pain, my thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. The United States will do everything we can to work with the UN and the DRC government to hold the perpetrators of these acts accountable, and to create a safe environment for women, girls, and all civilians living in the eastern Congo.

OAS, State Department Host Renewable Energy Meeting, Tour for Central America and Caribbean Energy Ministers

Office of the Spokesman

Washington, DC

August 25, 2010

The Organization of American States (OAS), through its Department of Sustainable Development, will co-host with the Department of State and the Government of Brazil the Renewable Energy Meeting and Site Visit for Energy Ministers from Central America and the Caribbean in South Florida on August 26-28, 2010.

The site visit is an activity of the U.S. – Brazil Bilateral Memorandum of Understanding to Advance Cooperation on Biofuels. The State Department and Brazil’s Ministry of External Relations are the lead for the MOU, which makes possible the exchange of experiences between the U.S. and Brazil on sustainable biofuels, while enabling the exchange of information to several third-party countries in Central America and the Caribbean which have unique opportunities for the development and local use of biofuels. The OAS serves as an institutional partner to the Agreement, supporting technical assistance and policy reform activities in each of the third-party countries, including: the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, Guatemala, Jamaica, and St. Kitts and Nevis. Ministers with responsibility for energy and other senior officials from the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, Guatemala and Jamaica will participate in this Tour.

The site visit will facilitate the sharing of experience and information on several alternative energy solutions, including biofuels and solar power. It will also enable an exchange among the authorities on innovative programs and policies that encourage the development and use of clean energy alternatives. Participants in the site visit will join in a series of visits on Friday, August 27, including tours of the Concentrated Solar Power Facility of Florida Power and Light (Indiantown, Fla.), the USDA Agricultural Research Service Sugarcane Field Station (Canal Point, Fla.), and the Florida Crystals Cogeneration Facility (Okeelanta, Fla.). A final meeting and strategy session has been scheduled for all participants on Saturday, August 28th at the Hotel Intercontinental West Miami.

Media representatives are invited to meet with the tour participants at one or more of the facilities and at the meeting on Saturday morning. For more information, or to make arrangements to meet with the tour participants please contact Mr. Mark Lambrides, Chief of the OAS Energy Section by phone at +1 (202) 341-8397 or by email at mlambrides@oas.org.

State Department Press Contact: Economic, Energy & Business Affairs Office of Public Diplomacy, (703) 647-0677, EPPDMediaRSVP@state.gov.

Ambassador Princeton N. Lyman to Lead Sudan Negotiation Support Unit

Philip J. Crowley
Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Public Affairs

Washington, DC

August 25, 2010

On behalf of Secretary Clinton, I am pleased to announce that retired United States Ambassador Princeton N. Lyman will serve as a part of an expanded United States negotiation team being dispatched to Sudan. Ambassador Lyman and his team will augment and complement the efforts of the U.S. Embassy in Khartoum and U.S. Consulate General in Juba as our diplomatic mission to Sudan assists in the final elements of implementing Sudan’s North-South Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).

Ambassador Lyman joins a robust U.S. leadership team deeply committed to improving the security and humanitarian situation in Sudan. His efforts will directly support those of U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan Major General (Retired) Scott Gration, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Johnnie Carson, Chargé d’Affaires Robert Whitehead in Khartoum, and Consul General Barrie Walkley in Juba.

Ambassador Lyman departed for Sudan yesterday evening, where he will join Special Envoy Gration in Sudan for meetings this week with the Sudanese National Congress Party (NCP), the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), the UN Special Representative of the Secretary General for Sudan Haile Menkerios, Chairman of the African Union High Level Implementation Panel Thabo Mbeki, and representatives of the Sudan Troika (United Kingdom and Norway).

Uruguay's Independence Day

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State

Washington, DC

August 24, 2010

A video message is available here: http://www.state.gov/video/?videoid=588268558001

A Spanish version is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgayZZ-d6Ac

Happy Independence Day, Uruguay. On August 25th, the United States joins you in celebrating your many accomplishments this past year, and in honoring your leadership in our region and across the world.

During my visit to Montevideo in March, I had the privilege of meeting with your President and discussing the many ways in which our nations are working together to address common challenges. And I certainly got a taste of Uruguayan warmth and hospitality, and of the friendship that exists between our peoples. The United States is proud of our partnership with Uruguay – a partnership deeply rooted in our common commitment to democratic ideals and individual freedoms. Uruguay’s elections earlier this year, and your success in forming a unified government, are models of democratic pluralism that can and should be emulated around the world.

Your country is a leader in advancing peace and social justice, both at home and abroad. And you have made important contributions to the ongoing recovery efforts in Haiti, and to peacekeeping missions all across the globe.

I wish all of you a safe and happy Independence Day celebration. We look forward to continuing the close relationship between our countries in the coming years, and expanding our cooperation into new areas as we work together toward a safer, more peaceful, more prosperous world.

Release of the U.S. Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Report

Office of the Spokesman

Washington, DC

August 24, 2010

On August 20, the United States submitted to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights a report on the U.S. human rights record, in accordance with the UN Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process.

The report’s submission is one step in the UPR process. The next step will be a formal presentation by the U.S. government to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva in November. The report stands as just one element of the U.S. effort to engage broadly and constructively with the UN and other international organizations.

The review, which has featured an unprecedented level of consultation and engagement with civil society across the country, provides an opportunity to reflect on our human rights record and we hope will serve as an example for other countries on how to conduct a thorough, transparent, and credible UPR presentation. It involved support and assistance from the Department of Justice as well as over ten other federal departments and other offices, and the White House.

The United States is proud of its record on human rights and the role our country has played in advancing human rights and fundamental freedoms around the world.

The report and more information about the UPR process can be found at: http://www.state.gov/g/drl/upr/index.htm

Briefing on Pakistan Flood Relief

Dan Feldman
Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan 

Mark Ward, Acting Director of the USAID Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance; William McGlynn, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement

Washington, DC

MR. TONER: Good afternoon. Welcome to the State Department. I’m very happy to have with us today for an update on Pakistan flood relief efforts Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Dan Feldman, as well as Acting Director of the USAID Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance Mark Ward, and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement William McGlynn.

We’re going to begin with Special Representative Feldman, who’s going to give us an update on his recent trip to Pakistan and then hand it over to Deputy Assistant Secretary McGlynn.

Go ahead, Dan.

MR. FELDMAN: Thanks, Mark. Thanks very much. Good to see many of you again. I just want to give a very quick readout of the trip I took last week. I was part of Senator Kerry’s CODEL showing the very close working relationship between the executive and legislative branches; there were four or five of us traveling as part of that.

We – during our time in Pakistan, we visited the Ghazi Air Base, the staging area for the U.S. helicopters, and talked to troops there. It really demonstrated to us the very, very close and joint coordination between the U.S. and Pakistani military. We had some briefings by both U.S. and Pakistani military leadership, talked to troops. And this is the area that we’ve got a number of both military and civilian helicopters now staging from, rescuing people, providing aid and supplies.

Bill will talk about the INL contribution of helicopters to that effort. And as you know from past briefings, we are working up to the full complement of 19 U.S. military helicopters coming off the Peleliu. Through last night, I think the total sum of U.S. helicopters has evacuated close to 8,000 people and delivered more than 1.6 million pounds of relief supplies.

Along with Senator Kerry, we then flew to Multan in Punjab, south of FATA and KPK, where we met President Zardari on the ground in Multan. We then took several helicopters up and spent several hours looking at and surveying the flood damage from the air, including landing at a government-run IDP camp. As you likely know from news accounts, Punjab is a very densely populated area of Pakistan. It produces much of Pakistan’s agricultural output and food, and the extent of the damage just visually was every bit as epic and devastating as you would imagine – just miles and miles and miles as far as you could see for the whole several hours as we were flying around: agricultural fields under water, roads and bridges under water, roads continuously disrupted by water, so impossible to move people or food or supplies out; power plants literally under water, the swollen banks of the river – both rivers actually – just going, stretching as far as you could see, reinforcing for us, obviously, not only the degree of immediate relief that will be needed as the UN and other international donors have focused on, but longer term the recovery and reconstruction efforts which will take many, many months if not years. And the sheer impact still needs to be assessed but will certainly be staggering.

To kind of highlight some of the key issues that the U.S. is doing per the Secretary’s announcements at the UNGA special session last week, we’ve been very proud that the U.S. response has been both first and most among contributors, showing the generosity both of the American people and the USG.

As the Secretary announced, we’re now providing up to $150 million to support relief efforts, including some of that earmarked towards the UN flood response plan, so we’re at just over the 20 percent threshold of the UN plan for $460 million. This money is going towards local and international NGOs, towards UN agencies, towards operations for NDMA through the Government of Pakistan.

We’re also, as we’ve briefed before, providing millions of dollars of in-kind and technical assistance, including the temporary bridges, expanding preexisting programs in flood-affected areas, the halal meals, and a range of other things. We’re looking at ways that we can redirect already existing funds through Kerry-Lugar-Berman and others to meet the needs of flood victims as soon as possible, so programs for livelihood, for clinics, rebuilding schools, infrastructure that we had already planned, which can be redirected to get to flood victims as quickly as possible.

This is also in addition to the high-impact, high-visibility projects that the Secretary announced while in Pakistan just last month which will continue to come out of Kerry-Lugar-Berman funding.

The Secretary also announced at UNGA the establishment of the Pakistan relief fund. So for everyone, both Americans and members from the international community, to join in the relief, recovery, reconstruction efforts. This was accompanied by another text campaign in addition to the one which the Secretary announced several weeks ago, the text SWAT to 50555 that where $10 goes to the UNHCR, she announced the text FLOOD to 27722 which will donate $10 to this emergency relief – to this Pakistan relief fund.

We’re looking at a series of follow-on meetings from the UNGA special session, multilateral in nature, over the next few months to continue to gauge and assess what the needs will be and how we can best meet those as we shift from relief efforts to reconstruction and recovery.

The size of the endeavor is still – is remarkable: Ambassador Holbrooke and others have said it. This is – we’re talking about an area affected the size of Italy or Florida. The NDMA reported on Sunday that over a million homes have now been destroyed. Deaths are still thankfully relatively low – about the 1,500-1,600 mark. And we will have to continue to see what happens in terms of the forecast for rain. Water level at some barrages remain quite high; a few others are starting to recede a little bit, but there have been some broken dikes which have really aggravated flooding in some areas, including Balochistan.

The World Health Organization is very focused right now on cholera as well as malaria. And the international community – we’ve seen the UNGA event last week as a real galvanizing moment in terms of contributions from other countries. By our count, we’ve seen over $700 million pledged, including our own $150 million commitment, from over 30 countries, and an additional $300 million in as-yet-undefined commitments from a range of other countries. So countries are working both through the UN fund as well as bilaterally, and we’re trying to continue to gauge that and make sure that this all gets channeled and coordinated in as effective a manner as possible. But you’re certainly seeing additional assets, including helicopters from the first tranche of helicopters from Japan – I believe three are on route now with potentially another three coming quite soon; the Afghan helicopters that we talked about, potentially from other countries, and a continued civilian assistance in a range of ways as well.

So we will continue to be closely monitoring this working with the international community to coordinate this. But why don’t I turn this over to Bill to talk about the particular INL role on the helicopter, and then to Mark Ward to talk about where we are in relief efforts altogether.

MR. MCGLYNN: Thanks, Dan. Thank you very much. I think on behalf of all of us, let me express our deepest sympathies for those affected by the tragic flooding in Pakistan. Many of you know that the Department of State and the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs has a long and close cooperation with the Government of Pakistan for border security and for counternarcotics and development in the North-West region. As part of that, the United States has provided a number of helicopters, and the Government of Pakistan has provided pilot and other technical support in order to conduct these programs.

Since the flooding, those helicopters and aircraft have been used for relief efforts. Let me get right to what the specifics of that is. Seven helicopters operating out of Peshawar and Multan have rescued and transported approximately 1,400 individuals and Government of Pakistan officials and delivered nearly 200,000 pounds of equipment and supply cargo. This includes doctors with medical supplies, which, as Dan has mentioned, is an important priority. Two of INL’s Cessna Caravan airplanes with Government of Pakistan crews from the Ministry of Interior are being utilized for flood relief, shuttling maintenance crews between operating locations, and flying reconnaissance missions to survey flood-ridden areas of the country.

Those of you who follow Pakistan and U.S.-Pakistan relations are very aware of our Strategic Dialogue led by Secretary Clinton and Pakistani Foreign Minister Qureshi. An important part of that has been a group regarding law enforcement, which met in Islamabad in July. It’s been a very productive effort, and I particularly want to point to the effort between the Government of Pakistan and the United States to reach agreement on some technical issues relating to visas which helped make the technical support needed for this operation possible.

I would also – there’s some other efforts aside from our aviation effort. The United States and my bureau has made available 12 steel suspension bridges in Pakistan to replace those washed out by the flooding in Kyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. One of the bridges has already been installed in Chakdara, Dir. Six bridges will be deployed to the Kyber Pakhtunkhwa districts of Dir and Swat, and one has been sent to South Waziristan.

MR. WARD: Hello again. Let me give you some developments since the last time we spoke. The weather – expecting some isolated thunderstorms in the north over the next couple of days. As Dan mentioned, we’re concerned about flooding in Sindh. The government has been evacuating some people from low-lying areas of the lower Indus near Hyderabad.

Some good news up north. We’ve got the first signs of people going home. And this allows us, then, to get in with some of the organizations we’re working with to provide some cash-for-work opportunities, to start clearing away some of the debris, obviously some of the mud, and provide some credit so that people can start to put their lives back together.

On food, we’re now delivering food – all of the international community together – to getting close to 2 million people. We’re adding 140,000 beneficiaries a day in the food distribution. So getting – again, I think this is showing signs that the access is getting a little bit easier, at least up in the north, if we’re able to get the food in.

On health, we’ve been able to get around and consult with and treat 1.5 million patients all over the country, and we’ve been with – helping WHO, we’ve been distributing essential medical kits to over 2 million people.

As Dan also mentioned and I’ve mentioned before, we’re very concerned about cholera and other water-borne diseases. USAID has worked with WHO to set up 55 acute treatment centers all over the country so that if somebody cannot be treated in a local community district facility or a local hospital, we can get them to one of these treatment centers so that we can keep any concerns about cholera in check.

Dan also mentioned malaria is getting to be a concern and – just because of the time of year and so much water. So we’re providing 700,000 mosquito nets for families, particularly as they start to go home.

Clean water is still a huge issue, maybe the most important issue in the relief effort. We’ve got seven more of these giant water treatment machines arriving this week. That’ll get us up to 13. And there, the ones we’ve already provided are churning out over 4 million liters of safe drinking water this month since this began.

We’ve got relief flights coming in this week. They’ll be delivering, as I said, more of these giant water filtration units, water containers to go with them, lots – tens of thousands of blankets because we still have many, many people evacuated, not able to go home yet. And we’re also bringing in 40 more inflatable boats, because we’ve still got issues with certain communities being cut off. We’ve got to get the people out of there. We can also start to use these boats in the areas where we have a little bit more access now to get in there and do better assessments than we’ve been able to do before about what the needs are as we start getting into the recovery phase.

I think that’s enough.

MR. TONER: Great. We have time for some questions, if you’d like. Go ahead.

QUESTION: You had some news reports happening in Pakistani newspapers when – about the discrimination in the aid distribution, which is more concentrated on Punjab and Sindh province and not towards the Kyber Pakhtunkhwa. Do you have any comments on that?

And secondly, is there any special meeting of (inaudible) of those countries that you have on the Pakistani flooding issues?

MR. FELDMAN: I haven’t seen any special reports of kind of discriminatory behavior. I think there’s so much that has to be done in so many different provinces and districts that we’re just trying to make sure that aid gets out there as effectively as possible and in as coordinated a way as possible. And obviously, we’ve seen the areas most impacted kind of change as the water continues to flow south and ultimately empties into the sea, that that may also have – provide some kind of inland flooding. And then we’ll have to see what the – where the second tranche or third tranche comes from.

But I think that in our work and certainly the NDMA’s work and coordinating with a range of international organizations, UN agencies, and Pakistan domestic organizations, they’ve tried to target it as best as possible to those in most critical and dire need. And so it’s been in each of those provinces.

In terms of the multilateral meetings, there are a range that are already scheduled for this fall. Preexisting this, there was a Friends of Democratic Pakistan meeting planned for August 14^th and 15^th, which will obviously address the flood issues as one of the critical issues now in addition to --

QUESTION: August?

MR. FELDMAN: October. October 14^th and 15^th. This will be held in Brussels and it’s something that Special Envoy Ripert has been helping to spearhead. But the flooding will be a central component of that now and as well as some of the other needs.

The next meeting of the special representatives is also planned for October, and I’m sure that Pakistan will be a key part of that schedule and agenda.

In following up from the special session last week, there’s been talk about having another meeting on the margins of the upcoming UNGA in September, which we’ll see, and then there’s a range of other potential initiatives. So there will be a variety of forums of multilateral organizations to continue this dialogue and make sure that the international community is as coordinated as possible.

QUESTION: Thank you.

QUESTION: Sir, thank you. As far as U.S. efforts are concerned, it’s very much appreciated by the Pakistan Government, but if you have seen the reports by the Pakistani media and many Pakistanis are telling me if so much money and food supplies and other things are going to Pakistan, it’s not reaching to the people. People are still crying for help and for food and for shelters and all that. So where all these things are going?

MR. FELDMAN: I think that, again, the scope of the problem is so immense that we’re trying to meet it as best as possible. But this is with a Pakistani lead and working through Pakistani organizations, UN organizations, and other international organizations. Certainly, I bore witness to the fact that there was a – the IDP camp that I saw run by the Government of Pakistan is certainly getting to some people. But the needs are so vast that I’m sure that everything is being done to try to meet those as best as possible. Much of our funding is going to international NGOs and to UN agencies, but also trying to help the NDMA operate.

QUESTION: One more quick – just quick follow. In a similar way, what they are saying is that now, Pakistan has applied – or is getting $2 billion from the Asian Development Bank and $10 billion from the IMF. What the Pakistanis are saying, really that in the past, billions of dollars was received by Pakistani Government, but still no accounting and it has not reached, again, to the people of Pakistan. Because what they are saying – U.S. has to focus now more on the Pakistanis – the people, not the government – if they want to have a real, really good image – U.S. – better image in Pakistan.

MR. FELDMAN: We’re not doing this to improve our image; we’re doing it as a response to a humanitarian crisis, and we’re working with the organizations that are best equipped to handle that humanitarian crisis. And that’s – much of our funding is going through these very proven, credible organizations that are getting aid and assistance to the people as quickly as possible. There are ongoing issues. Obviously, these issues are so immense in terms of the economic infrastructure, so the ongoing conversations with IMF and ADB and how that much – how that money will be used towards recovery and reconstruction efforts will still be hammered out over the next coming weeks.

QUESTION: And Pakistan’s finance minister is going to be in town this week, I’m wondering – for discussions with the IMF. I’m wondering if he’s going to have any discussions with the SRAP’s office or anybody else in this building. Is there any talk about debt relief as one possible avenue to help them carry the financial burden? And I was also hoping you could talk a little bit more, if there has been any more progress – I’m thinking about Kerry-Lugar-Berman – as to how some – how much of that money may need to be repurposed. Is there any sense that the overall sum might have to be increased or front-loaded so you can get more of the money to them faster? Where are we on that one?

MR. FELDMAN: As I understand, on the IMF meetings, these were already previously scheduled meetings and they’re going forward. But obviously, the flood issues are going to be central to them at this point. And I believe that there will be meetings with State Department representatives as well as Treasury and others, but would have to confirm that.

On the Kerry-Lugar-Berman process, this is something that our Embassy and others are still assessing at this point. What we’ve tried to do is identify funding that was already going to be used that can just be redirected as quickly as possible. So already, livelihoods programs, clinics, immunization programs, rebuilding schools, that was already on the books, much of it in these areas already which we can just try to facilitate as quickly as possible. But that process is ongoing, and obviously, we also don’t want to detract from the core mission of Kerry-Lugar-Berman, which was looking at these five or six key sectors on infrastructure, agriculture, water, health, education, and making sure that we have the right balance of kind of the high-impact, high-visibility projects with the ongoing, kind of day-to-day programs that we’ve already been funding. So that assessment will continue to go on as we see what evolves on the ground.

QUESTION: So it’s really more a question of sequencing rather than kind of actually adding new projects to the mix?

MR. FELDMAN: We’ll have to see. We have to really see what the needs are. The Kerry-Lugar-Berman money will overwhelmingly be used for recovery and reconstruction as opposed to the immediate relief issues. And so as the scope and nature of the recovery and reconstruction needs are known, we can – we have a better sense of how we can redirect some of that money.

QUESTION: Yes, sir. (Inaudible) VOA Pashto Service. We broadcast the region which is mostly affected by the floods. When we talk to people there, we hear from them that some (inaudible) organizations are involved in distributing flood relief items, and also, it comes at a time that the Provincial Information Minister Mian Iftikhar yesterday told a briefing that the militant organization are taking advantage of the situation and they are regrouping in the area. So I just wonder how you would respond to that and you would like to comment on that?

MR. FELDMAN: I know Mark has addressed questions in the past about the vetting processes for how U.S. aid is distributed and what organizations are used. We are working with – last count that I saw – about 17 international organizations, UN agencies that we’ve worked with for many, many years that have the infrastructure in place to get this assistance out as quickly and efficiently as possible. And we continue to do that and there’s rigorous vetting about where those – which organizations we’ve worked with and what their histories are.

As we’ve discussed in past briefings, there’s always been stories about extremist charities operating. We think that in a situation like this where there’s a lot to be done, there may well be an opportunity for some of those organizations to operate. But there’s – again, the needs are so vast, there’s so much money now flowing in to some of the international organizations, their work is so well known and credible in these communities that I think that far outstrips the relatively narrow amounts that we’ve seen from the – from extremist organizations.

MR. CROWLEY: Any more questions? Go ahead.

QUESTION: Any update on the ability of the Palestinian Government to continue in its fight in the war on terror given its distractions with this flooding?

MR. FELDMAN: The Pakistani? (Laughter.)

QUESTION: I mean – I’m sorry.

MR. FELDMAN: We’re all focused on what the humanitarian needs are at this point, and obviously, the military in many of these areas – particularly since there were also areas that were already subject to the kind of security needs – are being currently focused on the relief efforts. We’ll have to, again, continue to assess. This is not – this hasn’t yet even peaked in many ways, and so, we’ll have to see what happens with the Pakistani military’s own plans and how that continues to shape the continued campaigns.

MR. TONER: Thank you.

Update: U.S. Response to Pakistan's Flooding Disaster

Office of the Spokesman

Washington, DC

August 23, 2010

The United States has responded immediately and generously to Pakistan's call for assistance following the tragic and devastating floods that began July 29. To date, the United States is providing approximately $150 million to support relief efforts in Pakistan, including funding for the operations of the Pakistan National Disaster Management Authority, the UN’s emergency relief plan, and the many local and international organizations responding to this disaster. These funds are also being used to provide critical supplies to flood affected populations.

The U.S. also is providing millions of dollars of additional in-kind and technical assistance. We are expanding pre-existing programs in flood-affected areas, providing temporary bridges, and mobilizing significant U.S. military and civilian resources to rescue victims of the disaster and deliver needed supplies. U.S. military and civilian aircraft continue to support flood relief operations. Through August 22, these aircraft have evacuated 7,835 people and delivered more than 1,600,000 pounds of relief supplies.

As Secretary Clinton announced August 18, the U.S. government, through the Department of State, has established the Pakistan Relief Fund for all to join in the tremendous relief, recovery and reconstruction effort. Individuals, corporations, and other organizations can send much needed help to the people of Pakistan by contributing to this fund at www.state.gov. In the U.S., individuals can send $10 through mobile phones by texting “FLOOD” to 27722.

Latest Developments:

· On August 22, U.S. Air Force C-130 aircraft, based from Afghanistan, delivered 79,000 pounds of food and relief supplies yesterday.

· The World Food Program (WFP) has reached more than 1.3 million flood-affected beneficiaries with almost 16,000 metric tons of food assistance, supported by U.S. assistance.

· The United States, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), has provided WFP with an additional contribution for local and regional procurement of food, bringing the U.S. total contribution to WFP for Pakistan to more than $51 million.

Significant U.S. Contributions To Date:

· Since August 8, U.S. water treatment units have provided approximately 4.8 million liters of safe drinking water.

· A total of 440,928 halal meals were delivered to civilian and military officials in Pakistan via U.S. Air Force airlift.

· Emergency relief items were delivered to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). The items include: 18 Zodiac rescue boats, 6 water filtration units, 10 water storage bladders, 30 concrete-cutting saws, 12 pre-fabricated steel bridges and a 25kw generator which was provided to the Frontier Scouts-KPk to support their flood relief efforts.

Private Sector Response:

· Working with mGive, Americans are also contributing to Pakistan flood relief by texting the word “SWAT” to 50555. The text results in a donation of $10 to the UNHCR Pakistan Flood Relief Effort. Every $10 helps provide tents and emergency aid to displaced families.

· The Government of Pakistan and the Pakistan cellular phone industry are inviting Pakistanis to contribute to the Prime Minister’s Fund for Flood Relief beginning August 5 by texting the amount of their donation to “1234.” A number of NGOs and companies have announced the establishment of trust funds or donations to the Prime Minister’s Fund.

· American Business Council members in the U.S. and Pakistan have announced contributions to flood relief efforts: Abbott Labs, Agility Logistics, AT&T, Becton Dickinson, Chevron Pakistan, Cisco Foundation, Coca-Cola Export Corporation & Coca-Cola Beverages Pakistan Ltd., DuPont, EMC, Feros Sons Laboratories, Hadayat Sons, Johnson & Johnson, MDS Foods, Proctor and Gamble, Pfizer Pakistan, Silver Star Enterprises, 3M, Visa and Wackenhut Pakistan (Pvt.) Ltd.

· The Lahore-based American Business Forum has collected donations from: Coca-Cola, Environment Consultancies & Options, Levi Strauss Pakistan, Kabani & Company, General Electric, Monsanto AgriTech, Al-Bario Engineering, and Netsol Technologies.

Public Donation Information:

· The most effective way people can assist relief efforts is by making cash contributions to humanitarian organizations that are conducting relief operations. Cash donations allow aid professionals to procure the exact items needed (often in the affected region); reduce the burden on scarce resources (such as transportation routes, staff time, warehouse space, etc); can be transferred very quickly and without transportation costs; support the economy of the disaster-stricken region; and ensure culturally, dietary, and environmentally appropriate assistance.

· A list of humanitarian organizations that are accepting cash donations for flood response efforts in Pakistan can be found at www.interaction.org. Information about organizations responding to the humanitarian situation in Pakistan may be available at www.reliefweb.int.

· More information can be found at:

o www.state.gov/pakistanflooding

o USAID: www.usaid.gov/pakistanflooding

o The Center for International Disaster Information: www.cidi.org or (703) 276-1914

Information on relief activities of the humanitarian community can be found at www.reliefweb.int

# # #

Under Secretary of State Judith A. McHale Travel to Argentina, Uruguay, and Chile

Office of the Spokesman

Washington, DC

August 23, 2010

Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Judith A. McHale will travel to Argentina, Uruguay, and Chile August 24 - September 2. This is Under Secretary McHale’s first visit to Argentina, Uruguay, and Chile as Under Secretary.

During her visit to Argentina, Under Secretary McHale will meet in Buenos Aires with government officials, alumni of U.S. Government youth and professional exchange programs, and Argentine social media entrepreneurs. She also will speak at the Americas Society/Council of the Americas and Argentine Chamber of Commerce’s August 26 conference on “Argentina: Economic and Political Perspectives.” In the province of Córdoba, Under Secretary McHale will meet with provincial officials, local entrepreneurs, and officials of the University of Córdoba, one of the oldest universities in Latin America.

In Uruguay, Under Secretary McHale will meet with high-level government representatives and business leaders, science students at the Alianza Cultural Uruguay-Estados Unidos binational center, and members of the Embassy’s online community. She will also speak in Montevideo at the Americas Society/Council of the Americas and Chamber of Commerce Uruguay-USA’s August 31 conference on “Innovation and Social Development.”

In Chile, Under Secretary McHale will meet with Chilean government representatives, university officials, and top media figures. She also will meet with Chilean academics and students to discuss ways to expand English language instruction and scientific exchanges. At the American Academy of Science and Technology in Santiago, Under Secretary McHale will inaugurate "ViewSpace," which provides Hubble telescope and NASA-related imagery through online educational presentations. In Valparaíso, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Under Secretary McHale will meet with Chilean women legislators and visit cultural sites.

Xe Services LLC Enters Civil Settlement of Alleged Violations of the AECA and ITAR

Office of the Spokesman

Washington, DC

August 23, 2010

On August 18, 2010, Xe Services LLC entered into a civil settlement with the Department of State for alleged violations of the Arms Export Control Act (AECA) and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) (22 C.F.R. Parts 120-130). Per the Proposed Charging Letter, Xe allegedly committed 288 violations of the ITAR involving the unauthorized export of defense articles and provision of defense services to foreign end-users in multiple countries between 2003 and 2009. These violations did not involve sensitive technologies or cause a known harm to national security. The Department notes that many of the alleged ITAR violations occurred while Xe was providing services in support of U.S. Government programs and military operations abroad between 2003 and 2009.

Under the four-year term Consent Agreement, Xe will pay in fines and in remedial compliance measures an aggregate civil penalty of $42 million to complete settlement of civil violations. $12 million of this amount will be suspended for pre-and post-Consent Agreement remedial compliance measures.

The Department has determined that an administrative debarment is not appropriate. It is also rescinding the general policy of denial on license applications with respect to Xe because the Department is satisfied that the company has taken the necessary steps to address the causes of its ITAR violations, identify compliance problems, and resolve these violations. Xe replaced senior management; established, in October 2008, an independent Export Compliance Committee to oversee its remedial compliance efforts; improved ITAR compliance procedures; conducted various ITAR training; and conducted a targeted ITAR audit to confirm the effectiveness of its compliance measures. Also, Xe has entered into a civil settlement with the Department to resolve outstanding allegations, institute external compliance oversight, and continue and improve compliance measures. Based on these and other conditions imposed under the Consent Agreement, the Department has determined that the policy of denial is no longer necessary.

The Consent Agreement and related documents will be available to the public at the State Department Reading Room (515 22^nd Street NW) or on the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls website at http://www.pmddtc.state.gov/compliance/consent_agreements.html.

Ukraine's Independence Day

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State

Washington, DC

August 23, 2010

A video message is available here: http://www.state.gov/video/?videoid=587663945001 and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfkK9ylB-5Q

Congratulations, and happy Independence Day to all Ukrainians. This August 24th, you celebrate 19 years of independence for Ukraine, and you honor the democratic values that not only Ukrainians, but also Americans, share.

I had the privilege of visiting Ukraine in July. I met with your President, Foreign Minister, university students, so many others eager to share their ideas and talents with your country. It is a testament to the determination, persistence, and spirit of the Ukrainian people that your country has made such remarkable progress in a short time. The United States is proud to be your partner. We know you will continue working with the same energy and diligence to protect and strengthen your democratic institutions, advance civil society, promote transparent markets to lay the basis for a future of stability and prosperity.

In the coming year, our Strategic Partnership will enhance cooperation between our countries across a broad range of issues were we are already working -- trade, investment, economic growth, energy cooperation, political dialogue, the rule of law, regional security, and territorial integrity. We will also explore ways to expand our people-to-people exchanges.

The United States has stood by Ukraine and the people of Ukraine since Independence, and we will continue to support you as you work to achieve the full benefits of democracy and all of the blessings that go with it.

Special Press Briefing: Pakistan Flood Relief Update

Office of the Spokesman

Washington, DC

August 20, 2010

Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Dan Feldman, Acting Director of the USAID Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance Mark Ward, and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement William McGlynn will brief the press on Monday, August 23, at 1:00 p.m. in the Carl T. Rowan Press Briefing Room (# 2209) of the U.S. Department of State.

The briefing will include:

• A read-out of Deputy Special Representative Feldman’s recent trip to Pakistan
• An update of the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement’s contribution to flood relief efforts and assistance.
  

This event is open to the press.

Press should use the 23rd Street entrance to the State Department and must be processed through security by 12:35 p.m.

Media representatives may attend this event upon presentation of one of the following: (1) a U.S. Government-issued identification card (Department of State, White House, Congress, Department of Defense or Foreign Press Center), (2) a media-issued photo identification card, or (3) a letter from their employer on letterhead verifying their employment as a journalist, accompanied by an official photo identification card (driver's license, passport).

PRESS CONTACT:
Press Office
U.S. Department of State
(202) 647-2492

Amended Letter of Agreement Signed with Belize

Office of the Spokesman

Washington, DC

August 20, 2010

U.S. Ambassador to Belize Vinai K. Thummalapally and Belizean Prime Minister, the Honorable Dean Barrow, signed an amendment to the Letter of Agreement implementing the Mérida Initiative (now known as the Central American Regional Security Initiative - CARSI), on August 19, 2010. This is the third signing in a multi-year regional effort to combat organized crime, gangs and the trafficking of narcotics and firearms. The signing provides $2,065,000 for the second year of the Initiative.

Under this agreement, the Government of Belize and the U.S. Government will continue to be partners in projects funded in part or fully by the U.S. Government. Mérida/CARSI funding to be used among these projects includes: Central America Finger Print System $50,000; Improved Border Inspection $65,000; Improved Policing/Police Equipment $925,000; Vetted Units $300,000; Capacity Enhancement $425,000; and Prison Management $300,000.

Representatives of the Government of the United States and the Government of Belize will meet quarterly to review qualitative and quantitative progress towards achievement of the project goals and objectives. These evaluations are in addition to the ongoing monitoring of the programs and activities conducted by each government.

Briefing on Middle East Peace Process

Hillary Rodham Clinton
   Secretary of State

George Mitchell
   Special Envoy for Middle East Peace 

Washington, DC

August 20, 2010

MR. CROWLEY: Good morning and welcome to the Department of State. We have Secretary of State Hillary Clinton here along with our Special Envoy George Mitchell to tell you about the most recent developments in our pursuit of Middle East peace. The Secretary will begin with a brief statement. George Mitchell will stay behind to answer your questions. And we are joined today by your colleagues in the White House Press Corps up in Martha’s Vineyard and we’ll be sharing the – they’ll be sharing the Q&A duties with you.

But we’ll start with Secretary Clinton.

QUESTION: I don’t like that idea. They’re in Martha’s Vineyard. (Laughter.)

SECRETARY CLINTON: I will appoint a negotiator to deal with that. (Laughter.)

Since the beginning of this Administration, we have worked with the Israelis and Palestinians and our international partners to advance the cause of comprehensive peace in the Middle East, including a two-state solution which ensures security and dignity for Israelis and Palestinians. The President and I are encouraged by the leadership of Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Abbas and fully share their commitment to the goal of two states – Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security.

After proximity talks and consultations with both sides, on behalf of the United States Government, I’ve invited Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Abbas to meet on September 2^nd in Washington, D.C. to re-launch direct negotiations to resolve all final status issues, which we believe can be completed within one year.

President Obama has invited President Mubarak of Egypt and King Abdullah of Jordan to attend in view of their critical role in this effort. Their continued leadership and commitment to peace will be essential to our success. The President will hold bilateral meetings with the four leaders followed by a dinner with them on September 1^st. The Quartet Representative Tony Blair has also been invited to the dinner in view of his important work to help Palestinians build the institutions of their future state, an effort which must continue during the negotiations. I’ve invited Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Abbas to join me here at the State Department on the following day for a trilateral meeting to re-launch direct negotiations.

As we move forward, it is important that actions by all sides help to advance our effort, not hinder it. There have been difficulties in the past; there will be difficulties ahead. Without a doubt, we will hit more obstacles. The enemies of peace will keep trying to defeat us and to derail these talks. But I ask the parties to persevere, to keep moving forward even through difficult times, and to continue working to achieve a just and lasting peace in the region.

As we have said before, these negotiations should take place without preconditions and be characterized by good faith and a commitment to their success, which will bring a better future to all of the people of the region.

George. Thank you all.

QUESTION: Madam Secretary, are you traveling to Pakistan (inaudible) concern, Madam? Thank you, Madam.

MR. MITCHELL: I’ll be pleased to respond to any of your questions.

QUESTION: As tempted as I am to ask you about Roger Clemens, I’d rather – or P.J. perhaps. (Laughter.)

MR. CROWLEY: I predicted that.

QUESTION: Can you tell us what was the turning point here? What was it that got the – that overcame the final snags to get them to come back to direct talks?

MR. MITCHELL: We believe it’s the recognition by the parties themselves, by their leaders – Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Abbas – that the best outcome is an agreement which results in two states living side by side in peace and security, and that the only way that can be achieved is through direct negotiations between the parties in which the United States will be an active and sustained participant, and with the full support of our many friends and allies around the world, including, of course, specifically, the Quartet.

QUESTION: But what was it that got them to – I mean, you’ve been trying to do this for months now.

MR. MITCHELL: Yeah.

QUESTION: And why – so why – how is it that today, you’ve gotten to this point, whereas three days ago, you weren’t at this point?

MR. MITCHELL: Yeah. I think it’s the cumulative result of the efforts made over that time and the recognition by the parties that this is the right time. We will be active participants and there is broad support, as you know, by members of the Quartet and others around the world. But in the end, these decisions will be made by the parties themselves.

MR. CROWLEY: And (inaudible) Senator Mitchell ---

QUESTION: Senator Mitchell, could you --

MR. MITCHELL: I’ll let – why don’t I let P.J. --

QUESTION: Could you talk about the sequencing of the talks? Will they discuss territory, refugees, or Jerusalem first, or will this all be in parallel?

MR. MITCHELL: All permanent status issues will be on the table. It will be for the parties themselves to decide the manner by which they should be addressed.

QUESTION: Senator Mitchell --

QUESTION: Yes. Madam Secretary mentioned without doubt there will be more – without doubt, there will be more obstacles. What will these obstacles be? What are the main sticking points that are going to be going forward?

MR. MITCHELL: We are all well aware that there remains mistrust between the parties, a residue of hostility developed over many decades of conflict, many previous efforts that have been made to resolve the conflict that had not succeeded, all of which takes a very heavy toll on both societies and their leaders. In addition, we all know that, as with all societies, there are differences of opinion on both sides on how best to proceed, and as a result, this conflict has remained unresolved over many decades and through many efforts. We don’t expect all of those differences to disappear when talks begin. Indeed, we expect that they will be presented, debated, discussed, and that differences are not going to be resolved immediately.

But we do believe that peace in the Middle East, comprehensive peace, including, but not limited to, an end to the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, is very much in the interests of Israelis and Palestinians, of all people in the region; it’s in the national security interests of the United States, and therefore, we are going to continue to pursue that objective with patience, perseverance, and determination. We know that will be difficult. We know, as the Secretary said, there will be obstacles. But we’re going to proceed, as I said, with patience, perseverance, and determination.

MR. CROWLEY: Go ahead.

QUESTION: Senator Mitchell, sir, the Palestinians, the Israelis, and the United States have been down that road many times before. Now, what is in your opinion, sir, this time around that engenders – or should engender hope and optimism to get these talks into its intended end? And what kind of incentive did you offer President Abbas to entice him into the direct talks?

MR. MITCHELL: I don’t want to repeat everything I said in response to prior questions, but I will say that I believe that it is very much in the interest of people in both societies that there be an end to this conflict enabling both to live in peace and security. And I believe that their leaders believe and understand that, and therefore, notwithstanding the many difficulties that they face – and we recognize those difficulties – this is the best course for them.

On the question of past efforts in failing and succeeding, I’ll return, if I might, to my experience in Northern Ireland. I chaired three separate sets of discussions in Northern Ireland, spanning a period overall of five years. The main negotiation lasted for 22 months. During that time, the effort was repeatedly branded a failure. I was asked at least dozens, perhaps hundreds, of times when I was leaving because the effort had failed.

And of course, if the objective is to achieve a peace agreement, until you do achieve one, you have failed to do so. In a sense, in Northern Ireland, we had about 700 days of failure and one day of success. And we approach this task with the same determination to succeed notwithstanding the difficulties and notwithstanding the inability to get a final result so far, including past efforts. But past efforts at peace that did not succeed cannot deter us from trying again, because the cause is noble and just and right for all concerned.

MR. CROWLEY: Let’s take Michele and then Kirit and then we’ll go up to Martha’s Vineyard and come back.

Michele.

QUESTION: I wanted to get a sense of this timeline, this 12 months that the Secretary talked about. Do you see that as a deadline or is that – or is it looser than that? And also, just following up on this other question. I mean, what makes this peace process any different from all other peace processes?

MR. MITCHELL: We will only know the answer to your second question when it is completed. But I believe that, as I said in response to the previous question, that the cause is so important, so right, so just, that our continued effort is the right thing to do, and we are going to pursue it with determination. I believe that the two leaders themselves, President Abbas and Prime Minister Netanyahu, are sincere and serious and believe that it can be done, and we will do everything humanly possible to help them see that it is done.

With respect to your first question, Prime Minister Netanyahu said in a public appearance in this country on his most recent visit to Washington that he believed it could be done within a year. President Abbas has expressed similar sentiments to me, and I hold strongly to that belief, having now been involved for some time in the region. So, we believe it can be done within a year and that is our objective.

QUESTION: But it’s not a deadline then?

MR. CROWLEY: Kirit, one more and then we’ll go up to Martha’s Vineyard.

QUESTION: It took you about nine months to get to the point where these guys were willing to sit down and talk to each other. What makes you think that you can get them to agree to peace in one year? At what point during this process is the U.S. willing to put its own ideas on the table to help move this forward? And after the initial set of talks here in D.C., where do you expect the talks to take place?

MR. MITCHELL: I’ll take your questions in reverse order. One of the subjects to be discussed in the meeting on September 1^st and 2^nd, and also in preparatory meetings that have been occurring on a regular basis and will continue between now and then, will be the timing and location of subsequent meetings, and we certainly expect some of those meetings to occur in the region.

With respect to the timing and nature, how long it took to get here and how long will it take to get in, I don’t think one is a necessary determinant of the other. It’s – I liken it to the first time I owned a house and had it painted. It took the painters seemingly forever to prime the building and the walls. I kept asking myself, “When are they going to start painting? We’re paying by the hour and we want some progress.” (Laughter.) And after this seemingly endless priming, they painted it very quickly.

Now, I don’t want to suggest one year is quickly, but I don’t think that events leading up to the negotiations are themselves decisive in terms of the negotiations themselves. We believe that the statements by the prime minister regarding within one year are credible and appropriate. We believe that President Abbas shares a similar view, as do we. And that’s what we’re going to pursue.

QUESTION: And at what point does the U.S. put its own ideas on the table in this process?

MR. MITCHELL: We will be active and sustained partners, although we recognize that this is a bilateral negotiation and we have indicated to both parties that, as necessary and appropriate, we will offer bridging proposals. But I repeat: This is a direct bilateral negotiation between the parties with our assistance and with the assistance of our friends and allies. And although nobody has asked it, I do want to take a moment to acknowledge and recognize the enormous support and assistance we have received from many of our friends and allies: Egypt, under President Mubarak; Jordan, under King Abdullah; many of the other Arab states; the other members of the Quartet; the United Nations under Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who has been extremely helpful in this process; the European Union, with Lady Ashton as the foreign minister; and the – Russia, with Foreign Minister Lavrov, have all been active and very helpful along with other European states.

So it’s important to understand that while the United States is playing an important and active and sustained role, we do so with full participation, full input, full consultation, full discussion, and we hope full support, from a wide variety of allies whose efforts have been extremely important getting us to this phase and will be extremely important in reaching a conclusion.

MR. CROWLEY: Operator, we’ll go to take two or three questions from White House press corps.

OPERATOR: Thank you. Our first question comes from Philip Hartley with Washington Today. Please ask one question.

QUESTION: Good morning. Actually, it’s two; I apologize. Have all the invited parties accepted the United States’ invitation to weigh in next month? And the Secretary had mentioned references to peace in the world, and as an envoy of peace, I wanted to know what your thoughts are on whether the proposed mosque be built at the Ground Zero site.

MR. MITCHELL: I’m sorry, I didn’t understand.

MR. CROWLEY: We’re not here to talk about that latter subject. We’ll take the next question. What was the question?

QUESTION: Wait --

QUESTION: The first part was --

MR. CROWLEY: Have they accepted.

MR. MITCHELL: What was the first question?

MR. CROWLEY: Have they accepted the invitation?

MR. MITCHELL: We have been in consultation with both. We expect to hear from them shortly, but it will be their decisions on whether to accept.

MR. CROWLEY: We’ll take the next question, Operator.

OPERATOR: Thank you. Our next question is from Jonathan Broder with Congressional Quarterly.

QUESTION: Yeah. Do both parties have to ask for the U.S. to step in with its bridging proposals, or is it enough for one party to ask for that bridging proposal?

MR. MITCHELL: We’re getting a little bit ahead of the game now to be speculating on what may or may not occur well into the process. As I stated earlier, this is a direct bilateral negotiation with the active and sustained support of the United States. And we will make bridging proposals at such time as we deem necessary and appropriate. But I don’t want anyone to have the impression that we are somehow going to supplant or displace the roles of the parties themselves, nor do we have any view other than that this must, in the end, be an agreement by the parties themselves.

MR. CROWLEY: We’ll take one more, Operator, then we’ll come back here to this.

OPERATOR: Thank you. Ron Kampeas with JTA.

QUESTION: Thank you. One technical question and then a real question. On September the 2^nd – is that – are they actually – are you actually launching direct talks on September the 2^nd, or are the leaders getting together with the Secretary to discuss the re-launching of direct talks? And the other thing: What role, if any, does Hamas have in this process?

MR. MITCHELL: The first question is yes, we are launching direct negotiations beginning on September 2^nd. And the second question is: None.

QUESTION: Senator, is re-launching the direct negotiations without preconditions means that we are re-launching the direct negotiations without terms and references?

MR. MITCHELL: Only the parties can determine terms of reference and basis for negotiations, and they will do so when they meet and discuss these matters. As you know, both we and the Quartet have previously said that the negotiations should be without preconditions.

QUESTION: Thank you. Can you tell us whether they’re going to start from scratch, or will they build on what talks that – during the Olmert period? And the second question is whether Israel is expected to continue the freeze. Do you think that they’ll continue the freeze? Do you think the Palestinians will continue their boycott of settler goods?

MR. MITCHELL: The parties themselves will determine the basis on which they will proceed in the discussions, in response to your first question. In response to the second, our position on settlements is well-known and remains unchanged. We’ve always made clear that the parties should promote an environment that is conducive to negotiations. And as the Secretary said in her statement a few moments ago, it’s important that actions by all sides help to advance our effort, not hinder it.

MR. CROWLEY: Charlie.

QUESTION: Senator, just to follow up on that and a previous question, your position is well-known on settlements, but the Israelis, when they’ve chosen to, have ignored it and gone ahead with settlement construction as they’ve seen fit to do. Do you have any understanding from them that they will not do that this time?

And referring to the earlier question on Hamas and your quick answer that they will have no role, how do you get around the fact, even in the best of all circumstances that you negotiate an agreement, how do you get around the fact that Hamas is playing a huge role in Gaza?

MR. MITCHELL: With respect to the first question, let’s be clear that the declaration of the moratorium itself last November was a significant action, which has had a significant effect on new housing construction starts in the West Bank. And as I said, our position on settlements is well-known, remains unchanged, and we expect both parties to promote an environment conducive to negotiations.

With respect to Hamas, let’s be clear. Hamas won a legislative election. They acknowledge the continued executive authority of President Abbas and his team, and it is entirely appropriate that we negotiate with the executive head of that government. When Democrats regained control of the Congress in 2006, that didn’t end President Bush’s tenure as president, and others who wanted to negotiate with the United States negotiated with the legally elected and then-chief of our executive branch of government. And that is the situation here.

QUESTION: So you expect Hamas to accept any decision made by President Abbas at these negotiations?

MR. MITCHELL: It is not for me to make decisions for others.

MR. CROWLEY: We’ll take one more here, then we’ll go back up to the phones.

QUESTION: Senator Mitchell, is it your understanding that this would be a shelf agreement, something to take effect at a later date when political conditions in the Palestinian territories allow, or is it your understanding that this is something that would take effect in a very short period after it was agreed?

MR. MITCHELL: That’s obviously subject to the results of the negotiations. We are not creating limitations or restraints upon what the parties may agree to. Our hope is that there will be an agreement that will end the conflict for all time and will result in the establishment of a viable, democratic, and independent state of Palestine living side by side in peace and security with Israel.

MR. CROWLEY: Operator, we’ll take one or two more from the phones.

OPERATOR: Thank you. Our next question on the phone is Margaret Talev with McClatchy newspapers.

QUESTION: Hi, thanks for taking our questions. The Palestinian press has reported that the U.S. put the harshest pressure to date on the Palestinians to get them into the talks. What I want to know is why did the U.S. feel that this was the time, in the Palestinians’ view, to bully the Palestinians into talking, considering the politics of the Israeli administration right now?

MR. MITCHELL: The United States position has been well-known from the time that this administration entered office. We have and we do favor direct negotiation between the parties to resolve the conflict and to produce an agreement that results in two states living side by side in peace and security. We have encouraged the two parties to enter into such negotiations and they have now agreed. And we are – we believe it’s the right thing to do, we think that both of the leaders believe it’s the right thing to do, and we believe it’s in the best interests of the people they represent.

MR. CROWLEY: We’ll take one more, Operator, from the phone.

OPERATOR: Thank you. Susan Garraty with News Talk Radio.

QUESTION: Hello, Senator Mitchell. You harkened back to the Northern Ireland peace process, and as you certainly recall, the President then played a very intimate role in that. Considering that many Americans themselves are even confused about President Obama’s religious affiliation, do you feel like the people of the Middle East on both sides of this issue will see President Obama as an honest broker and someone that they can actually reach out to in that same intimate fashion?

MR. MITCHELL: Yes, I do believe that they do and will continue to regard President Obama in that fashion. I will say that from the outset, both he and the Secretary of State have played an important, indeed critical, role in this effort. Both are deeply involved on a regular basis and deeply, personally committed to the cause of a comprehensive peace in the Middle East. I think that is not only widely recognized throughout the region and the world, but very much appreciated, and in particular, throughout the region.

MR. CROWLEY: We’ll take a couple of wrap-ups. Go ahead.

QUESTION: Yes. Senator Mitchell.

MR. CROWLEY: Yes.

QUESTION: The total settlement freeze never happened, so I was wondering, how can these talks be considered authentic in the region when that demand was never met?

MR. MITCHELL: We believe that there is a basis for proceeding and achieving a successful result, and we’re going to pursue that. We do not take the position that if you don’t get everything you want the first time you ask for it, you pack up your bags and go home. If that had been the standard applied in South Africa, there would never have been peace there; in Northern Ireland, there would never have been peace there; in Bosnia, there would never have been peace there.

It takes patience, persistence, a willingness to go back again and again, to not take the first no as a final no, to not take the 50^th no as the final no or the 100^th no. We are patient, we are persevering, and we are determined, and we believe there is a basis for concluding a peace agreement in the region, and that’s what we’re going to pursue.

MR. CROWLEY: Samir.

QUESTION: Senator, do you understand that – you expect Abbas to accept entering these talks without preconditions?

MR. MITCHELL: Both the United States and the Quartet have said that we believe there should be direct talks without preconditions. And we also have said many times that we think that these talks should be conducted in a positive atmosphere in which the parties refrain from taking any steps that are not conducive to making progress in the discussions, that negotiate seriously and in good faith. And in all of these respects, we think that there is a basis for making progress.

QUESTION: So the talks won’t be based on the Quartet statement of March 19?

MR. MITCHELL: The parties are the only ones who can determine what the basis of their discussions are, and that is the case.

QUESTION: Yes, thank you. Senator, so many Palestinians, as you know, and Arabs believe peace with the actual Israeli Government is practically impossible because of its nature, past statement regarding refugees, Jerusalem, et cetera. Aren’t you concerned that by setting this one-year deadline, you’ll probably be raising expectations just like a la Camp David and all what happened after that?

MR. MITCHELL: The reality is, of course, that there are some in both societies who do not believe that the other side is serious, who do not trust the other side, who do not wish to proceed with the other side. And if we accept the premise that because some in one or both societies hold these views that we cannot proceed, then of course, what we are doing is consigning all of those people to never-ending conflict, never-ending difficulties. We simply don’t believe that’s a proper basis for any country, and certainly not ours, the United States, on which to base its policy.

We believe that the best course of action is the direct negotiations that result in a peace agreement ending this conflict and resulting in two states living side by side in peace and security. We believe the only way to achieve that is through direct negotiations. We believe that if those negotiations are conducted seriously and in good faith, they can produce such an agreement within 12 months. And that is our objective. We acknowledge, we recognize, as you have just stated, that there are many who don’t believe that, many who don’t want that, many who will act to prevent that.

But their lack of belief, their contrary views, their contrary actions cannot serve to prevent us from trying to deal with this conflict, nor can it prevent the leaders of those countries who both recognize that the interests of their people, the future of their societies rests upon resolving this conflict and achieving the kind of peace and stability and security from which they will all benefit.

MR. CROWLEY: Last question, Mark Landler.

QUESTION: Senator, this Administration believed from the early days that its Middle East strategy and its Iran strategy were linked in the sense that if you could make progress in one, you might help make progress in another and vice versa. You now are moving into a period of less engagement and more confrontation with Iran. I’m wondering whether you think that is an added hurdle to a peace agreement or is it something that could actually help in the sense that the Israelis may feel that the U.S. is going to be tough on Iran and it allays their fears somewhat in that regard.

MR. MITCHELL: That extends somewhat beyond the area of my involvement in this process, and so I would defer for a more full and thoughtful answer to those who are directly engaged on the broader issues. I will simply say that if you look at the Middle East and review its history over just the past half century, never mind several millennia, you will conclude that there is no really, quote, “right time” to do this, that there always have been and always will be issues external to the immediate parties that have an effect upon what is occurring.

And in my judgment, what is occurring in the – throughout the region, not just in Iran but in other areas, all add compelling, cumulative evidence to the need to act with respect to this conflict. That is to say, whether or not the circumstance you describe produces the result you describe, it still remains a compelling argument that it is very much in the national security interest of the United States, in terms of dealing with other conflicts, to assist, to do all we can with the help and support of our allies, to bring about a resolution of this conflict. It helps in so many ways, and most importantly, it’s the best thing for the Palestinian people and for the people of Israel. And it is in our national security interest and in that of others.

Thank you all very much. It’s been a pleasure to be with you.

Statement by the Quartet

Office of the Spokesman

Washington, DC

August 20, 2010

The following statement was issued today by the Middle East Quartet (United Nations, Russian Federation, United States, and European Union).

BEGIN TEXT:

The representatives of the Quartet reaffirm their strong support for direct negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians to resolve all final status issues. The Quartet reaffirms its full commitment to its previous statements, including in Trieste on 26 June 2009, in New York on 24 September 2009, and its statement in Moscow on 19 March 2010 which provides that direct, bilateral negotiations that resolve all final status issues should "lead to a settlement, negotiated between the parties, that ends the occupation which began in 1967 and results in the emergence of an independent, democratic, and viable Palestinian state living side by side in peace and security with Israel and its other neighbors."

The Quartet expresses its determination to support the parties throughout the negotiations, which can be completed within one year, and the implementation of an agreement. The Quartet again calls on both sides to observe calm and restraint, and to refrain from provocative actions and inflammatory rhetoric. Welcoming the result of the Arab Peace Initiative Committee in Cairo on July 29, the Quartet notes that success will require sustained regional and international support for the negotiations and the parallel process of Palestinian state-building and the pursuit of a just, lasting and comprehensive regional peace as envisaged in the Madrid terms of reference, Security Council resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative. The Quartet Principals intend to meet with their colleagues from the Arab League in September in New York to review the situation. Accordingly, the Quartet calls on the Israelis and the Palestinians to join in launching direct negotiations on September 2 in Washington, D.C. to resolve all final status issues and fulfill the aspirations of both parties.

New York, 20 August 2010

One-Year Anniversary of Release of Abdel Basset Mohamed al-Megrahi

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State

Washington, DC

August 20, 2010

Regrettably, today is the one-year anniversary of the release of Abdel Basset Mohamed al-Megrahi, who was convicted and sentenced to life in prison for his role in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Scotland on December 21, 1988, claiming the lives of 270 innocent people, including 189 U.S. citizens.

The United States continues to categorically disagree with the decision made by the Scottish Executive to release al-Megrahi and return him to Libya last year. As we have expressed repeatedly to Scottish authorities, we maintain that al-Megrahi should serve out the entirety of his sentence in prison in Scotland. We have and will continue to reiterate this position to the Scottish and Libyan authorities.

We extend our deepest sympathies to the families who lost loved ones and share their desire for justice to prevail.

Hungary's National Day

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State

Washington, DC

August 20, 2010

On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I congratulate the people of Hungary as you celebrate Saint Stephen’s Day and the founding of the Hungarian state over 1,000 years ago on August 20.

Hungary’s cultural contributions – from the music of Bartók to the poetry of Petőfi – have enriched the world for centuries. And a vibrant community of more than 1.5 million Hungarian-Americans continues to strengthen the United States.

As we join in honoring your long history of statehood, we also celebrate 20 years of free elections in Hungary. And we look forward to continuing our work together to advance democracy and human rights through Hungarian initiatives such as the International Center for Democratic Transition and the planned Tom Lantos Institute in Budapest. We are proud to count Hungary as a close friend and key ally in NATO, and we appreciate Hungary’s partnership in Afghanistan as we promote and defend shared interests and values.

On this occasion, I wish all Hungarians a happy national day and look forward to continuing the strong alliance between our countries.

Secretary Clinton Special Press Briefing

Office of the Spokesman

Washington, DC

August 20, 2010

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will brief reporters ON THE RECORD, ON CAMERA on the Middle East Peace Process. Secretary Clinton will be joined by Special Envoy for Middle East Peace Talks Senator George Mitchell. The briefing will take place on Friday, August 20, at 11:00 a.m. in the State Department Press Briefing Room.

Media representatives may attend this event upon presentation of one of the following: (1) A U.S. Government-issued identification card (Department of State, White House, Congress, Department of Defense or Foreign Press Center), (2) a media-issued photo identification card, or (3) a letter from their employer on letterhead verifying their employment as a journalist, accompanied by an official photo identification card (driver's license, passport).

Remarks on Flooding in Pakistan

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State

UN Headquarters

New York City

August 19, 2010

Good afternoon, Secretary General Ban, President Treki. I listened with great interest and concern as Foreign Minister Qureshi detailed with somber eloquence and painful specificity what the people and Government of Pakistan are facing today.

We are here at the request of the Government of Pakistan to help them respond to the worst natural disaster in their history. As Foreign Minister Qureshi pointed out, the flooding which has affected more than 20 million Pakistanis, more than the population of New York State is so enormous that it is almost hard to fathom and the rain continues to fall. So the extent of the devastation is difficult to gauge. This flooding has already affected more people than the Indian Ocean tsunami, the Haiti earthquake, and the 2005 Pakistan earthquake combined. And as we meet, we fear that a new wave of water may be about to sweep through areas that have already been devastated and reach to those yet untouched.

Our thoughts and prayers are with those who lost loved ones, who have been displaced from their homes, left without food and water. The United States has and continues to take swift action to help. And on behalf of President Obama and the American people, I want to state our resolve to help Pakistan meet the immediacy of this crisis and then to recover from it. I want the people of Pakistan to know that the United States will stand with you during this crisis. We will be with you as rivers rise and fall. We will be with you as you replant your fields and repair your roads. We will be with you as you meet the long-term challenges to build a stronger nation and a better future.

Under the direction of the Government of Pakistan and the National Disaster Management Authority, the United States has been working since the earliest days of the flooding to provide assistance to those it can reach and who need it most. Our civilian helicopters began assisting in relief efforts almost immediately. American military helicopters were redirected to rescue Pakistanis within hours of the Pakistani Government’s request for help. Less than a day later, American military aircraft began delivering 400,000 halal meals from storehouses in Dubai. These efforts continue. And to date, U.S. aircraft have carried more than 6,000 Pakistanis to safety and distributed more than a million pounds of relief supplies.

We’ve also provided enough heavy-duty waterproof sheeting to construct temporary shelters for more than 100,000 people. And we have supplied the Pakistani Government with rescue boats, concrete cutting saws, water filtration units, and a dozen prefabricated bridges.

The initial response by the Pakistani Government and people, the United States, and the international community has helped to alleviate suffering and save lives. But the combined efforts so far pale against the magnitude of the challenge.

It is difficult to overstate the scope of this catastrophe and unfortunately we believe it is likely to get worse before it gets better. More than 800,000 homes have already been damaged or destroyed. Two million people have been forced to flee. Hundreds of bridges have been washed away, cutting off communities from relief supplies. As the foreign minister said, so much of this year’s agricultural production has been wiped out, and farmers’ submerged fields cannot be re-planted this season. And many communities face shortages of clean drinking water and are vulnerable to cholera and other epidemics.

Experts predict that the flooding will not recede until mid-September. And if the monsoon rains continue, the devastation will spread to new areas, driving yet more people from their homes.

So we know we face a humanitarian disaster of monumental proportions, and it is creating economic and security problems. And here at the United Nations, we often speak of a desire to forge a more humane fellowship with humankind. And today, we must match that aspiration with action.

Now, I realize that many countries, including my own, are facing tough economic conditions and very tight budgets. And we’ve also endured an unrelenting stream of disasters this year – from the earthquake in Haiti to the wildfires in Russia. But we must answer the Pakistani request for help.

On August 11th, the United Nations issued a $459 million emergency flood response plan and asked for the international community to respond. At the outset of this conference today, existing pledges of assistance put us halfway toward this goal. That is a solid start, but we must close the gap.

With a new pledge that I am making today of $60 million, the United States will be contributing more than 150 million toward emergency flood relief. Approximately 92 million of that total is in direct support of the UN relief plan. These funds are being used to provide critical supplies and support operations of the Pakistan National Disaster Management Authority and other organizations inside Pakistan. The United States is providing technical assistance and mobilizing military and civilian resources as well.

Today, I want to call on the American public and American corporations to support these relief efforts. Every dollar makes a difference, and Americans can send help to Pakistan by contributing to the Department of State’s Pakistan Relief Fund. Please go to www.state.gov/pakistanrelief or make a $10 contribution through your mobile phone by texting the word “FLOOD” to the number 27722.

Beyond our immediate response, the United States is committed to the long-term goal of working with Pakistan to improve conditions in the country. We demonstrated that commitment with the multi-year, $7.5 billion non-military assistance package authorized by the Congress and agreed to by the President. We will now take some of those funds that were directed to initiatives that I announced just last month in Islamabad to support Pakistan in its reconstruction efforts.

In all of our work, we are seeking to strengthen Pakistan’s democratic institutions. Our approach to relief and rebuilding will be based on the same foundation of partnership that we believe is important between our country and Pakistan. It will be up to Pakistan’s elected leaders to head up this effort. And those elected officials, in turn, will be accountable to the citizens of Pakistan.

In my visits to Pakistan since becoming Secretary of State, I have spoken often about our desire to build an enduring partnership. And today, we are once again, reaffirming that commitment. I believe Pakistan will come through this crisis because of the strength, resilience, and courage of the people. As we meet today during the holy month of Ramadan, we must all embrace a spirit of compassion and make it our mission to provide that relief.

A few days ago, an American helicopter rescued a pregnant woman who was about to give birth. They were able to carry her to safety. Her home was under water. She was facing complications that could have claimed her life and the life of her child. Like all Pakistanis affected by the floods, this mother and baby still face many difficulties in the months and years ahead, but they will have an opportunity to rebuild their community and to contribute to a strong, secure, prosperous Pakistan. I believe in that baby’s future.

Civilization has thrived on the banks of the Indus River for more than 5,000 years. It will continue. And if we come together now, we can meet this challenge and ensure that future generations in Pakistan will have the opportunity to realize their own God-given potential.

Thank you.

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Information on the U.S. Department of State’s Pakistan Relief Fund is available at: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2010/08/146108.htm