WEBVTT 00:00.972 --> 00:02.305 - Hey everybody. 00:02.633 --> 00:03.800 Happy Monday. 00:05.830 --> 00:07.997 - [Reporter] Happy Monday. 00:08.511 --> 00:10.635 - Welcome to the State Department. 00:10.635 --> 00:11.468 A couple things at the top 00:11.468 --> 00:14.468 and then I’ll get to your questions. 00:15.180 --> 00:16.847 First of all, Libya. 00:17.638 --> 00:20.155 The United States expresses its deep concern 00:20.155 --> 00:22.315 over the escalation of violence 00:22.315 --> 00:24.623 between armed groups in Tripoli 00:24.623 --> 00:27.338 and calls on all the parties to immediately heed 00:27.338 --> 00:29.566 the Government of National Accord’s appeal 00:29.566 --> 00:31.066 to cease fighting. 00:31.099 --> 00:33.817 We urge all parties to de-escalate tensions 00:33.817 --> 00:35.712 in the capital and respect the terms 00:35.712 --> 00:37.937 of the Libyan political agreement, 00:37.937 --> 00:39.673 including security arrangements 00:39.673 --> 00:42.145 for the withdrawal of armed groups 00:42.145 --> 00:45.478 from Libyan cities and their replacement 00:45.627 --> 00:47.787 with government army and police units. 00:47.787 --> 00:51.251 We reiterate our support, our strong support 00:51.251 --> 00:53.878 for Prime Minister Fayiz al-Saraj 00:53.878 --> 00:56.295 and the GNA and for the quick 00:56.364 --> 01:00.497 restoration of order and security for the people of Libya. 01:00.497 --> 01:02.165 Also, just a brief update. 01:02.165 --> 01:03.320 As many of you are aware, 01:03.320 --> 01:05.635 Secretary Kerry is in Berlin today. 01:05.635 --> 01:09.485 Earlier, he met with a group of young German professionals 01:09.485 --> 01:11.653 involved in deepening and expanding 01:11.653 --> 01:14.236 the transatlantic relationship. 01:14.622 --> 01:16.872 They had a good discussion. 01:17.116 --> 01:18.764 He also met with his counterpart, 01:18.764 --> 01:21.371 Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier. 01:21.371 --> 01:23.162 At a ceremony following the meeting, 01:23.162 --> 01:24.803 the foreign minister presented the Secretary with 01:24.803 --> 01:28.751 the Grand Cross First Class of the Order of Merit 01:28.751 --> 01:30.971 of the Federal Republic of Germany, 01:30.971 --> 01:33.070 and this is the highest award Germany can bestow 01:33.070 --> 01:34.987 on a non-head of state. 01:36.563 --> 01:38.611 Right now, Secretary Kerry, I believe, 01:38.611 --> 01:42.778 is having dinner with Foreign Minister Steinmeier. 01:42.806 --> 01:44.785 And tomorrow, he’ll travel to Brussels 01:44.785 --> 01:46.962 to attend the NATO foreign ministerial. 01:46.962 --> 01:49.624 It’s his last one as Secretary of State. 01:49.624 --> 01:51.763 And he’ll discuss there, he’ll meet there 01:51.763 --> 01:54.764 and discuss with allies and partners efforts to further 01:54.764 --> 01:56.915 strengthen NATO’s security, 01:56.915 --> 01:59.499 project stability to the alliance’s east and south, 01:59.499 --> 02:02.080 and enhance NATO-EU cooperation. 02:02.080 --> 02:02.913 Brad. 02:03.169 --> 02:06.644 - Can we start on the call the president-elect had 02:06.644 --> 02:09.061 with the Taiwanese president? 02:09.564 --> 02:11.731 - Yeah, sure. - Last week? 02:12.495 --> 02:14.382 Just to go over some of the logistics, 02:14.382 --> 02:17.465 you guys were not informed beforehand 02:18.611 --> 02:20.291 that this call might happen. 02:20.291 --> 02:21.576 Is that correct? 02:21.576 --> 02:22.737 - That’s correct. 02:22.737 --> 02:26.904 - And has there been any contact with the president-elect 02:27.427 --> 02:31.594 or his team or anyone from the transition apparatuses 02:32.266 --> 02:33.516 since the call? 02:34.796 --> 02:36.472 - Not that I’m aware of. 02:36.472 --> 02:37.588 Since the call took place, 02:37.588 --> 02:40.054 have we gotten any kind of readout or anything like that? 02:40.054 --> 02:41.301 - Exactly. - No, we have not. 02:41.301 --> 02:42.733 To my knowledge, we have not. 02:42.733 --> 02:44.865 - Have you had any contacts with, 02:44.865 --> 02:49.032 has the Chinese Government had any contact with you 02:49.816 --> 02:51.894 particularly about this call? 02:51.894 --> 02:54.611 - So in that regard, and I can’t, it’s for them. 02:54.611 --> 02:58.778 I’ll let them read out what that contact entailed, 02:59.399 --> 03:03.392 but my understanding is that Chinese vice foreign minister 03:03.392 --> 03:06.103 did speak with Ambassador Baucus on the issue, 03:06.103 --> 03:08.020 I believe, on Saturday. 03:09.826 --> 03:11.576 - On Saturday? - Yes. 03:11.771 --> 03:15.188 - And without getting, then, into exactly 03:16.531 --> 03:19.198 the substance of what they said, 03:19.716 --> 03:22.633 what did you tell them in response? 03:23.611 --> 03:27.247 - Well, I wasn’t privy to the phone conversation. 03:27.247 --> 03:29.997 Certainly, what I can say is that 03:30.118 --> 03:32.088 there’s no change to our longstanding policy 03:32.088 --> 03:34.455 on cross-strait issues, which, 03:34.455 --> 03:35.877 as all of you know in this room, 03:35.877 --> 03:38.364 is based on the fundamental interest 03:38.364 --> 03:41.946 in peaceful and stable cross-strait relations, 03:41.946 --> 03:44.296 and obviously we remain firmly committed 03:44.296 --> 03:46.232 to the “one China” policy, 03:46.232 --> 03:48.803 and that’s based on the three joint communiques 03:48.803 --> 03:50.496 and the Taiwan Relations Act. 03:50.496 --> 03:52.496 So from our perspective, 03:53.132 --> 03:55.879 there’s been no change in our longstanding policy 03:55.879 --> 03:57.208 with regard to Taiwan. 03:57.208 --> 03:59.862 - And you’re speaking on behalf of the Obama Administration? 03:59.862 --> 04:02.075 - I’m speaking on behalf of the present Administration, yes. 04:02.075 --> 04:04.635 - The current Administration? - And that is all I can do. 04:04.635 --> 04:05.468 - [Brad] Right. 04:05.468 --> 04:07.635 So you don’t know exactly, 04:08.916 --> 04:12.741 one, you don’t know what the phone conversation between 04:12.741 --> 04:16.483 the president-elect and the Taiwanese entailed? 04:16.483 --> 04:17.316 - No. 04:17.500 --> 04:20.036 - [Brad] And you don’t know exactly what their plans are 04:20.036 --> 04:22.275 for this “one China” policy that you say. 04:22.275 --> 04:23.654 - No, I’d have to refer you to them, obviously, 04:23.654 --> 04:24.602 to speak to it. 04:24.602 --> 04:25.976 - All right, thank you. - Yeah, sure. 04:25.976 --> 04:26.809 Please, go ahead. 04:26.809 --> 04:27.642 - [Reporter] A follow-up? 04:27.642 --> 04:28.907 - Oh, sure, did you want to follow up on, 04:28.907 --> 04:30.347 are you gonna go, let’s finish this 04:30.347 --> 04:31.622 and then we’ll go over to you, sure. 04:31.622 --> 04:33.369 - [Reporter] So from the State Department perspective, 04:33.369 --> 04:36.460 how will you suggest or advise the transition team 04:36.460 --> 04:38.293 for this kind of call? 04:40.028 --> 04:40.861 - How would we? 04:40.861 --> 04:42.628 - [Reporter] How will you advise or suggest 04:42.628 --> 04:44.295 the transition team? 04:44.627 --> 04:46.077 - Well, broadly speaking, 04:46.077 --> 04:49.244 the Secretary spoke a little bit about 04:50.524 --> 04:53.594 this process yesterday when he was at the Saban Forum, 04:53.594 --> 04:55.177 and it is normally, 04:55.528 --> 04:59.028 and others have spoken about this as well, 04:59.396 --> 05:01.896 in the past, president-elects, 05:02.880 --> 05:05.365 presidents-elect, rather, excuse me, 05:05.365 --> 05:08.698 have consulted with secretaries of state 05:10.500 --> 05:13.528 or subject matter experts within the State Department 05:13.528 --> 05:16.445 before making these kinds of calls. 05:17.086 --> 05:20.336 It’s not necessary, it’s not mandatory. 05:25.221 --> 05:29.002 It does allow them to get perspective on policy issues 05:29.002 --> 05:32.607 by people who have been intimately involved in these issues 05:32.607 --> 05:34.607 for some period of time. 05:34.786 --> 05:36.293 And I think the Secretary made the point that 05:36.293 --> 05:37.960 that can be helpful. 05:39.638 --> 05:42.045 - Chinese, the Chinese foreign ministry 05:42.045 --> 05:45.475 characterized this incident as a petty maneuver 05:45.475 --> 05:46.892 on Taiwan’s part. 05:47.472 --> 05:51.389 How would you suggest that Taiwanese president, 05:52.681 --> 05:55.985 would you encourage her to reach out more 05:55.985 --> 05:57.902 to the transition team? 05:59.593 --> 06:01.428 - Look, I’m certainly not, 06:01.428 --> 06:05.095 not my job to advise the president of Taiwan 06:07.722 --> 06:10.222 or how she should conduct her, 06:10.771 --> 06:13.692 or their relations with other countries. 06:13.692 --> 06:15.972 All I can speak to is what our current policy is 06:15.972 --> 06:17.321 with regard to Taiwan 06:17.321 --> 06:20.676 and with regard to cross-strait relations. 06:20.676 --> 06:23.035 Our primary interest, as I just said, 06:23.035 --> 06:26.868 is in stable, peaceful cross-strait relations. 06:28.263 --> 06:31.284 And the, one of the ways in which we pursue this, 06:31.284 --> 06:34.129 and we’ve done so since, I think, 1979, 06:34.129 --> 06:36.962 is that we remain firmly committed 06:37.118 --> 06:39.451 to this policy of one China. 06:41.132 --> 06:44.049 And as I said, that has not changed 06:45.678 --> 06:49.845 previous to or since the phone call by the President-elect. 06:50.876 --> 06:51.709 Please. 06:52.045 --> 06:54.177 - This is obviously a transition period 06:54.177 --> 06:56.841 and policies have not been articulated yet, 06:56.841 --> 07:01.008 policy teams haven’t even completely been formed, but is, 07:01.195 --> 07:04.351 what is your sense in terms of the impact of the call 07:04.351 --> 07:06.440 for U.S.-Chinese relations? 07:06.440 --> 07:08.190 Has it been damaging? 07:12.450 --> 07:14.914 - I mean, I’d really, again, I’d have to say 07:14.914 --> 07:18.405 that the Chinese are probably best positioned 07:18.405 --> 07:20.925 to characterize their reaction to the phone call. 07:20.925 --> 07:22.092 No, of course. 07:22.123 --> 07:24.384 I mean, they clearly, they clearly used 07:24.384 --> 07:27.799 established diplomatic channels to engage 07:27.799 --> 07:30.314 and to express their feelings about the phone call 07:30.314 --> 07:32.879 or their position on the phone call. 07:32.879 --> 07:34.229 Again, I don’t want to characterize it. 07:34.229 --> 07:36.646 It’s not up to us to do that. 07:37.431 --> 07:39.979 What our, what I can say is that our 07:39.979 --> 07:42.599 response back to them has been that 07:42.599 --> 07:44.766 our policy has not changed 07:44.782 --> 07:47.493 and it’s going to remain that way, 07:47.493 --> 07:50.389 at least for the balance of this Administration. 07:50.389 --> 07:53.557 Now, we cannot speak to the incoming administration 07:53.557 --> 07:56.644 and what their priorities and what their policies might be 07:56.644 --> 07:57.677 and how they might change. 07:57.677 --> 07:59.512 We just aren’t able to do that at this point. 07:59.512 --> 08:01.764 - And what do you see as the benefit of 08:01.764 --> 08:04.020 the policy you’ve had since ’79? 08:04.020 --> 08:08.187 I mean, if it was changed, what would be the impact of that? 08:09.153 --> 08:09.986 Why would you-- 08:09.986 --> 08:11.462 - Well, again, it’s allowed us, I mean, 08:11.462 --> 08:13.777 there’s a number of reasons, but by establishing 08:13.777 --> 08:17.360 this “one China” policy, it’s allowed us to 08:19.626 --> 08:23.339 develop relations, frankly, closer relations with Beijing 08:23.339 --> 08:27.506 and also to deepen our unofficial ties with Taipei. 08:28.170 --> 08:32.337 So in our estimation, it’s been a productive policy 08:33.216 --> 08:37.126 to pursue given Beijing’s very serious concerns 08:37.126 --> 08:38.209 in this case. 08:38.439 --> 08:42.308 Again, it’s allowed us, in a sense, to, as I say, 08:42.308 --> 08:46.332 deepen our cooperation with China on many different aspects, 08:46.332 --> 08:49.706 including economic, but certainly security and others, 08:49.706 --> 08:51.567 but also, as I said, at the same time, 08:51.567 --> 08:55.157 we’re able to still pursue relations with Taipei. 08:55.157 --> 08:56.282 - [Reporter] Change of topic? 08:56.282 --> 08:59.308 - Mark, you said that there’s been no contact whatsoever, 08:59.308 --> 09:02.808 diplomatic contact with Taiwan since 1979. 09:04.532 --> 09:05.549 None whatsoever, right? 09:05.549 --> 09:07.144 - Well, we’ve had informal contacts. 09:07.144 --> 09:09.672 I mean, I, what I think I was responding to is-- 09:09.672 --> 09:11.184 - Okay, so how do you conduct your relations 09:11.184 --> 09:13.180 with Taiwan in this case? 09:13.180 --> 09:16.597 I mean, much as the President-elect said, 09:16.663 --> 09:18.715 you sell them arms, you do a lot of trade 09:18.715 --> 09:20.254 and all these things. 09:20.254 --> 09:21.087 - Well, right. 09:21.087 --> 09:23.851 I mean, again, I mean, we have informal contacts 09:23.851 --> 09:27.768 with the leadership in Taipei, and as you note, 09:29.401 --> 09:33.068 we do have fairly strong relations with them 09:33.357 --> 09:36.357 that includes arms sales and other-- 09:38.297 --> 09:40.679 - [Said] Trade, they’re the ninth trading partner, I think. 09:40.679 --> 09:42.001 - Trade, exactly, trade is another important issue. 09:42.001 --> 09:45.001 I mean, look, we, again, this policy 09:45.045 --> 09:48.295 is predicated on the belief that we can 09:49.200 --> 09:52.812 pursue closer relations with Taipei at the same time that, 09:52.812 --> 09:56.812 as we are cognizant of China’s security concerns 09:57.553 --> 10:00.886 and political concerns regarding Taiwan. 10:01.771 --> 10:02.654 - [Reporter] President Tsai Ing-wen-- 10:02.654 --> 10:04.381 - Sure, one more, and then we’ll-- 10:04.381 --> 10:07.396 - President Tsai Ing-wen will be in New York next month 10:07.396 --> 10:10.563 on transit to Nicaragua early January. 10:14.036 --> 10:16.101 Can we expect any exchanges between 10:16.101 --> 10:18.032 the State Department and her team? 10:18.032 --> 10:21.244 - I certainly don’t have anything to announce at this time. 10:21.244 --> 10:24.744 You do point out that these, periodically, 10:26.211 --> 10:30.378 the president will transit through U.S. territory. 10:31.584 --> 10:33.724 What I can say about that is that 10:33.724 --> 10:37.891 that kind of transit’s based on longstanding U.S. practice 10:38.033 --> 10:39.970 and it’s consistent with the unofficial nature 10:39.970 --> 10:42.302 of our relations with Taiwan. 10:42.302 --> 10:44.719 And frankly, they’re, reflect 10:46.810 --> 10:48.537 or they’re done out of consideration, I think, 10:48.537 --> 10:52.704 for the safety, comfort, and convenience for the travelers. 10:54.009 --> 10:55.977 - So will the State Department provide any 10:55.977 --> 10:58.977 safety, comfort, assistance to the-- 11:00.853 --> 11:02.987 - Again, I mean, there’s a certain protocol here, 11:02.987 --> 11:04.141 an informal protocol. 11:04.141 --> 11:07.308 We usually allow them to transit here, 11:08.289 --> 11:11.085 if nothing else, for their comfort and convenience. 11:11.085 --> 11:14.226 But it’s in keeping, it’s consistent with 11:14.226 --> 11:16.044 longstanding practice. 11:16.044 --> 11:17.845 But I can’t say whether we’ll have any meetings with them. 11:17.845 --> 11:19.155 I just don’t have that in front of me 11:19.155 --> 11:21.507 at the time to announce or to confirm. 11:21.507 --> 11:24.582 - So is, this phone call will give any influence for, 11:24.582 --> 11:28.582 about President Tsai’s transit stop in New York? 11:28.651 --> 11:30.559 - I just, it’s just hard for me to predict. 11:30.559 --> 11:32.582 Again, it’s several weeks off, I believe, 11:32.582 --> 11:34.332 or a month or so off. 11:35.435 --> 11:39.102 Look, we have ongoing relations with Taipei, 11:39.394 --> 11:41.561 with the leadership there. 11:43.212 --> 11:44.621 That hasn’t changed. 11:44.621 --> 11:47.101 What I can just say is that there has been no change yet 11:47.101 --> 11:49.684 in our policy regarding Taiwan, 11:49.731 --> 11:52.324 and it’s an important point to make because, 11:52.324 --> 11:54.709 as we say, that policy has allowed us 11:54.709 --> 11:57.974 to improve relations with Beijing, with China, 11:57.974 --> 12:00.557 at the same time as engaging in 12:02.015 --> 12:03.771 strong bilateral relations with, 12:03.771 --> 12:07.938 or strong relations, informal relations, with Taipei. 12:08.549 --> 12:10.573 - So can I say that-- - Yeah, go ahead, go ahead. 12:10.573 --> 12:11.406 It’s okay. 12:11.406 --> 12:13.093 - Can I say, so did the State Department 12:13.093 --> 12:16.426 treat this phone call like not improving 12:16.573 --> 12:18.897 the relationship between Taipei and-- 12:18.897 --> 12:19.977 - I just, I’m sorry, 12:19.977 --> 12:22.053 and I know what you’re trying to ask me. 12:22.053 --> 12:24.044 I’m not going to characterize it one way or another. 12:24.044 --> 12:26.332 This, he is the President-elect. 12:26.332 --> 12:28.057 He is making his own decisions. 12:28.057 --> 12:29.912 He’s getting his own advice and counsel 12:29.912 --> 12:31.763 from his transition team. 12:31.763 --> 12:33.096 We respect that. 12:33.959 --> 12:37.423 We certainly are, stand by, we being the State Department, 12:37.423 --> 12:39.585 but indeed the entire Obama Administration 12:39.585 --> 12:43.335 stands ready to brief them, consult with them 12:43.653 --> 12:45.387 before they make not just this phone call, 12:45.387 --> 12:47.655 but other phone calls to leaders around the world. 12:47.655 --> 12:49.554 But it’s by no means, as I said, mandatory. 12:49.554 --> 12:51.054 It’s not required. 12:51.379 --> 12:53.523 So it’s really up to them to 12:53.523 --> 12:55.556 make their own decisions with regard to 12:55.556 --> 12:56.916 who they’re going to speak to, 12:56.916 --> 12:57.933 who they’re going to engage with, 12:57.933 --> 13:01.008 and the ramifications or consequences of those actions. 13:01.008 --> 13:01.841 Please. 13:01.841 --> 13:03.499 - It sounds from, from what you’re saying, 13:03.499 --> 13:06.999 it sounds like this call doesn’t undermine 13:07.105 --> 13:09.271 the current “one China” policy that you have. 13:09.271 --> 13:11.952 - It doesn’t, I mean, that policy hasn’t changed, yes. 13:11.952 --> 13:14.619 - So why did American presidents 13:15.705 --> 13:18.433 avoid having conversations like this 13:18.433 --> 13:20.746 for the last 40 years if having, 13:20.746 --> 13:22.678 if the president-elect having one 13:22.678 --> 13:24.563 doesn’t seem to have any effect? 13:24.563 --> 13:26.269 You’re saying it’s not a big deal, 13:26.269 --> 13:27.792 everything goes on as before, 13:27.792 --> 13:29.084 and then at the same time you’re saying 13:29.084 --> 13:31.431 we’ve avoided this for 40 years because 13:31.431 --> 13:33.504 the “one China” policy is so great 13:33.504 --> 13:35.664 and it’s allowed us to do all these wonderful things 13:35.664 --> 13:37.400 with both China and Taiwan. 13:37.400 --> 13:38.684 So you’re having it both ways. 13:38.684 --> 13:41.434 - Sure, well, let’s be clear, is, 13:41.816 --> 13:45.816 and this is me speaking obviously, that Beijing, 13:47.441 --> 13:51.358 China’s position on Taiwan, is very well known, 13:53.315 --> 13:56.065 and it’s because of that position 13:57.109 --> 14:01.276 that we developed and adhere to this “one China” policy. 14:05.656 --> 14:09.823 So I’m not saying that one phone call, give or take, 14:12.021 --> 14:14.604 is going to upset that balance, 14:15.384 --> 14:18.195 but it is, it’s only through consistency 14:18.195 --> 14:19.812 in implementing this policy 14:19.812 --> 14:21.666 and standing by this policy that you have, 14:21.666 --> 14:25.083 as I said, stable cross-strait relations. 14:26.344 --> 14:27.177 Yeah, one more. 14:27.177 --> 14:28.597 One more, and then I promise I’ll get to you, I apologize. 14:28.597 --> 14:29.430 - Sorry, thank you. 14:29.430 --> 14:32.176 Has anyone talked to the Taiwanese Government 14:32.176 --> 14:34.498 regarding this call? - Since the phone call? 14:34.498 --> 14:35.331 - Yes. 14:35.331 --> 14:36.342 - It’s a fair question. 14:36.342 --> 14:37.601 I’m not aware we have. 14:37.601 --> 14:39.897 If that’s different, I just don’t think we have. 14:39.897 --> 14:41.322 I don’t think there’s been any calls. 14:41.322 --> 14:45.072 But if that’s changed, we do have, excuse me. 14:45.641 --> 14:49.474 We do have an unofficial relations, or rather, 14:53.171 --> 14:55.736 we have the American Institute in Taiwan, 14:55.736 --> 14:59.057 which is how we carry out our relations, 14:59.057 --> 15:01.724 informal relations, with Taiwan. 15:01.918 --> 15:02.978 I don’t know if they’ve had any contact 15:02.978 --> 15:05.799 with government officials since the call, 15:05.799 --> 15:07.354 so I’ll just have to check on that. 15:07.354 --> 15:09.217 - Thank you. - You look confused. 15:09.217 --> 15:10.620 I’m just saying I don’t have anything to read out. 15:10.620 --> 15:13.226 I don’t have anything to confirm. 15:13.226 --> 15:15.083 - [Reporter] I have, actually, a quick Taiwan follow-up 15:15.083 --> 15:16.182 and then Syria. - Sure. 15:16.182 --> 15:18.098 - So the president-elect said that 15:18.098 --> 15:20.917 the Taiwanese leadership had contacted him. 15:20.917 --> 15:23.060 Do you know if that’s a habit that they have 15:23.060 --> 15:25.838 of trying to contact whoever the U.S. president-elect is, 15:25.838 --> 15:28.506 and then it’s up to that president to answer or not? 15:28.506 --> 15:31.388 For example, did they try to call Obama in 2008? 15:31.388 --> 15:33.554 - Yeah, yes, and the answer is I don’t know. 15:33.554 --> 15:35.255 I don’t have that in front of me, I’m sorry. 15:35.255 --> 15:36.088 - [Reporter] Syria? 15:36.088 --> 15:36.921 - No, you were going to do Syria, and then I’ll do Syria. 15:36.921 --> 15:38.448 - Syria, Syria - Sorry. 15:38.448 --> 15:40.472 - Yeah, so the Russian Government said today 15:40.472 --> 15:42.875 that they would start talks with Washington 15:42.875 --> 15:46.292 on a rebel withdrawal from eastern Aleppo 15:47.169 --> 15:48.905 or from Aleppo this week. 15:48.905 --> 15:51.322 Do you have anything on that? 15:52.250 --> 15:53.709 - I’ve seen those comments. 15:53.709 --> 15:56.697 We don’t have anything to confirm at this point. 15:56.697 --> 16:00.697 Obviously, we’re very seized with the situation, 16:02.685 --> 16:05.518 the very dire situation in Aleppo. 16:06.128 --> 16:08.211 There was some discussion 16:12.341 --> 16:14.172 coming out of the meeting in Rome on Friday 16:14.172 --> 16:18.339 that there would be technical talks taking place this week, 16:19.012 --> 16:23.179 but we don’t have anything to confirm at this point. 16:23.352 --> 16:24.642 - [Said] Could I just follow up on, a follow-up, Mark? 16:24.642 --> 16:25.475 - Of course. 16:25.475 --> 16:28.759 So follow-up, you and then you, I promise. 16:28.759 --> 16:30.577 Don’t give me a look, Said. 16:30.577 --> 16:32.568 - On the technical talks, can you just characterize like 16:32.568 --> 16:34.889 what those specifically would be, 16:34.889 --> 16:37.353 would be concerning and what, would it be on 16:37.353 --> 16:41.286 the idea of withdrawal as the Russians are saying? 16:41.286 --> 16:45.203 - Well, I think it’s, I don’t want to get into, 16:45.720 --> 16:47.673 too much into the details. 16:47.673 --> 16:50.591 For one thing, they’re still being hashed out. 16:50.591 --> 16:53.591 But the basic challenge is the same, 16:54.424 --> 16:56.007 which is how do we, 16:58.958 --> 17:02.291 how do we meet Russia, and by extension, 17:02.538 --> 17:06.205 the regime’s concerns about Nusrah in Aleppo 17:07.640 --> 17:09.981 at the same time we bring about 17:09.981 --> 17:13.814 a credible cessation of hostilities in Aleppo, 17:15.631 --> 17:18.475 even a pause in the fighting, frankly, 17:18.475 --> 17:22.552 whereby we can get much-needed humanitarian assistance in. 17:22.552 --> 17:26.719 And by that I mean foodstuffs, medical care, et cetera. 17:27.257 --> 17:29.714 So I mean, the basic parameters are the same 17:29.714 --> 17:33.038 of what we’ve been discussing for many, many weeks, 17:33.038 --> 17:35.715 indeed months, but, so I don’t want to get too many 17:35.715 --> 17:37.421 into the, too much into the details. 17:37.421 --> 17:39.921 But the challenge is the same. 17:40.009 --> 17:42.009 I mean, it’s, you’ve got 17:42.970 --> 17:46.551 Russia very concerned about Nusrah’s presence. 17:46.551 --> 17:49.753 At the same time, we’re concerned about the effects 17:49.753 --> 17:51.857 and the constant bombardment on 17:51.857 --> 17:53.637 the civilian population of Aleppo, 17:53.637 --> 17:55.887 and we’re also adamant that 17:57.620 --> 18:00.154 while Nusrah is there and is an element of this, 18:00.154 --> 18:01.772 that there’s a moderate Syrian opposition 18:01.772 --> 18:03.462 that should not and does not 18:03.462 --> 18:05.864 deserve to be bombed into submission. 18:05.864 --> 18:06.697 Please. 18:06.697 --> 18:08.460 - Thanks, today, rebels in eastern Aleppo 18:08.460 --> 18:11.415 shelled a mobile hospital that Russia set up, 18:11.415 --> 18:13.808 killing two Russian medics, injuring another, 18:13.808 --> 18:16.475 as well as a number of patients. 18:16.648 --> 18:18.602 Do you condemn the attack? 18:18.602 --> 18:20.269 - So here’s what I know about that. 18:20.269 --> 18:21.616 I’ve seen the reports. 18:21.616 --> 18:24.146 We’ve not been able to confirm. 18:24.146 --> 18:25.999 It’s difficult to do, obviously, 18:25.999 --> 18:28.464 given the fighting and given our lack of access 18:28.464 --> 18:30.812 to what’s happening on the ground. 18:30.812 --> 18:33.764 But to answer your question, of course we condemn any attack 18:33.764 --> 18:36.931 on a hospital or health care facility. 18:37.265 --> 18:39.698 - Would you, actually, I have a few more, sorry. 18:39.698 --> 18:41.006 - [Mark] Okay, yeah, two more, please. 18:41.006 --> 18:43.297 - The U.S. is, the U.S. is known to have influence 18:43.297 --> 18:45.797 with some of the rebel groups. 18:46.073 --> 18:48.133 What is your message to them? 18:48.133 --> 18:50.966 Should they continue the shelling? 18:51.059 --> 18:54.537 - The shelling of, I think I just was very clear about 18:54.537 --> 18:57.934 we would condemn any shelling by anybody, 18:57.934 --> 19:02.101 opposition rebels or regime forces, what have you, 19:02.515 --> 19:05.286 on health care or hospitals, schools, 19:05.286 --> 19:07.481 civilian infrastructure, any of that. 19:07.481 --> 19:11.648 And we’ve been, I would hope we’ve been very consistent 19:11.942 --> 19:14.319 publicly as well as privately in conveying that message. 19:14.319 --> 19:15.152 Go ahead. 19:15.152 --> 19:17.126 - So this is happening in the context of these talks 19:17.126 --> 19:18.593 and responding to the talks that 19:18.593 --> 19:20.788 the U.S. and Russia are having, as I understand, 19:20.788 --> 19:23.219 on the withdrawal of the rebels from Aleppo. 19:23.219 --> 19:25.864 The rebels said they would not leave. 19:25.864 --> 19:29.364 What makes the U.S. think that they would, 19:29.776 --> 19:31.053 since you are having the discussions? 19:31.053 --> 19:32.741 - You mean leave Aleppo? - Yeah. 19:32.741 --> 19:34.432 - Yeah, I mean, those, again, 19:34.432 --> 19:36.210 this is part of the dynamic that we’re dealing with 19:36.210 --> 19:37.377 on the ground. 19:39.337 --> 19:40.504 Look, I mean-- 19:43.360 --> 19:45.078 - [Reporter] Can the U.S. really bow to them just because-- 19:45.078 --> 19:46.499 - Sure, let me, I’m just trying to, 19:46.499 --> 19:49.416 so one of the dynamics of the siege 19:50.870 --> 19:53.703 that’s been taking place on Aleppo 19:54.246 --> 19:57.849 is that, as much as Russia, as much as the regime 19:57.849 --> 20:00.599 says that oh, we need to separate 20:01.093 --> 20:05.260 and get Nusrah out and separate the opposition from Nusrah. 20:05.683 --> 20:08.589 It’s hard to conduct that kind of separation 20:08.589 --> 20:11.756 when you’ve got a civilian population, 20:11.828 --> 20:15.553 when you have these opposition forces under nearly 20:15.553 --> 20:18.720 constant barrage of bombs and assault. 20:22.338 --> 20:25.261 That’s hard to do in a combat situation. 20:25.261 --> 20:28.797 It’s hard to do if there was actually a ceasefire in place, 20:28.797 --> 20:31.660 difficult enough to do, let me put it that way. 20:31.660 --> 20:34.634 When you add the fact that there’s this 20:34.634 --> 20:36.661 siege taking place on Aleppo, 20:36.661 --> 20:40.828 that’s a harder nut to crack, if I can put it that way. 20:41.348 --> 20:43.681 That said, we recognize that 20:44.382 --> 20:46.954 part of the getting to a solution here, and by a solution, 20:46.954 --> 20:49.448 I mean an end to the violence, 20:49.448 --> 20:53.615 is finding a way to get Nusrah out of the equation, 20:55.481 --> 20:58.064 to separate them or to some way 20:58.969 --> 21:01.939 address our mutual concerns about Nusrah 21:01.939 --> 21:04.735 as a terrorist organization, but also end the fighting. 21:04.735 --> 21:05.610 And that’s the challenge. 21:05.610 --> 21:06.571 I don’t know how to put it other way. 21:06.571 --> 21:09.181 So these are all technical talks taking place. 21:09.181 --> 21:10.702 I don’t want to show too much of 21:10.702 --> 21:12.043 what we may be talking about. 21:12.043 --> 21:14.670 These are for these groups to hopefully address this week, 21:14.670 --> 21:15.708 but we don’t know at this point 21:15.708 --> 21:17.198 whether those talks are going to take place. 21:17.198 --> 21:18.340 - I guess my question-- - Mark, could I-- 21:18.340 --> 21:19.420 - Oh, sorry. - That’s okay. 21:19.420 --> 21:20.861 Why don’t you go, and then I’ll get back to you. 21:20.861 --> 21:23.140 - I just wanted to ask you about a statement made by 21:23.140 --> 21:26.504 the Russian deputy foreign minister, Bogdanov. 21:26.504 --> 21:30.671 He said that they received suggestions, American suggestions 21:31.375 --> 21:34.125 on how to, I guess to bring about 21:34.832 --> 21:36.999 a cessation of hostilities, 21:36.999 --> 21:39.618 or a total cessation of hostilities. 21:39.618 --> 21:42.904 And then they in turn gave them to the Iranians. 21:42.904 --> 21:44.224 Are you aware of that? 21:44.224 --> 21:46.330 Could you shed some light on this? 21:46.330 --> 21:48.079 Could you tell us some of the points that you may have-- 21:48.079 --> 21:49.058 - They in turn, that we gave them? 21:49.058 --> 21:51.011 I, so I’m not going to-- - You’re not? 21:51.011 --> 21:52.899 - So I’m, no, no, sorry, let me be very clear. 21:52.899 --> 21:56.448 I’m not going to talk about the substance of 21:56.448 --> 22:00.115 what we’re looking at in terms of proposals, 22:00.682 --> 22:03.249 in terms of ways to, we’re just not there yet. 22:03.249 --> 22:04.936 And you’ve seen that the Secretary’s also been 22:04.936 --> 22:07.568 very disciplined about not talking about 22:07.568 --> 22:10.493 the substance of these talks before we’ve had a chance to 22:10.493 --> 22:14.413 really develop them and to reach agreement on them. 22:14.413 --> 22:16.943 Your question was about sharing them with the Iranians? 22:16.943 --> 22:17.788 - Yeah, my question is, 22:17.788 --> 22:19.897 are you aware that whatever proposals 22:19.897 --> 22:21.289 you gave to the Russians, 22:21.289 --> 22:24.954 they say that they have in turn given them to the Iranians, 22:24.954 --> 22:28.127 I guess as party to the conflict in this case, 22:28.127 --> 22:29.150 and they are waiting on them? 22:29.150 --> 22:30.485 Are you aware of that? 22:30.485 --> 22:31.762 - I’m not aware of that particularly. 22:31.762 --> 22:32.761 - [Said] Did the Russians tell you, 22:32.761 --> 22:36.152 “We are going to share them with the Iranians” beforehand? 22:36.152 --> 22:37.402 - I don’t know. 22:37.439 --> 22:39.356 I mean, to some respect 22:39.872 --> 22:43.588 the Iranians are part of the ISSG, so I don’t, 22:43.588 --> 22:44.481 I just don’t know. 22:44.481 --> 22:46.577 I don’t have the-- - Does that impact, I’m sorry. 22:46.577 --> 22:47.410 - That’s okay. 22:47.410 --> 22:48.809 - Does that impact the ongoing talks 22:48.809 --> 22:51.076 that are ongoing now in any way, 22:51.076 --> 22:53.153 and do they cover just Aleppo? 22:53.153 --> 22:54.502 Are they for the whole of Syria? 22:54.502 --> 22:55.574 - So there’s still, obviously, there’s still 22:55.574 --> 22:57.203 the broader talks, and we’ve talked about this, 22:57.203 --> 22:59.813 the broader multilateral talks going on in Geneva. 22:59.813 --> 23:01.313 Those are ongoing. 23:02.558 --> 23:06.077 These technical talks would be a little bit different, 23:06.077 --> 23:08.073 more focused on some new ideas 23:08.073 --> 23:10.230 to stop the fighting in Aleppo. 23:10.230 --> 23:12.014 And those, we’re just not in a position 23:12.014 --> 23:13.607 to confirm those will take place yet. 23:13.607 --> 23:14.451 We’re just not there yet. 23:14.451 --> 23:16.701 - So they are dedicated to just Aleppo? 23:16.701 --> 23:17.534 - Yes. 23:17.534 --> 23:18.745 - [Reporter] And they’d be just U.S.-Russia? 23:18.745 --> 23:19.769 - That’s what I don’t know yet. 23:19.769 --> 23:21.698 We’re still trying to formalize all this. 23:21.698 --> 23:23.983 I’m sorry, we just, this is still in play. 23:23.983 --> 23:25.162 - So, um... - Go ahead. 23:25.162 --> 23:28.947 - If, at the Secretary’s news conference in Rome on Friday 23:28.947 --> 23:32.314 he said all the talks between the U.S. and Russia 23:32.314 --> 23:34.073 and the set of ideas that had been exchanged 23:34.073 --> 23:36.906 were about getting to a political, 23:37.530 --> 23:41.697 political talks, not about removing Nusrah forces, 23:42.697 --> 23:46.302 you know, surrender of the opposition in eastern Aleppo. 23:46.302 --> 23:48.382 He kind of painted it opposite. 23:48.382 --> 23:52.549 He said it was about getting to the intra-Syrian talks. 23:52.628 --> 23:56.711 How would a surrender of Nusrah plus opposition-- 23:57.813 --> 23:59.201 - So we’re not necessarily, yeah, go ahead. 23:59.201 --> 24:02.165 - [Brad] In eastern Aleppo, so they would lose everything, 24:02.165 --> 24:04.317 and then they would say, “Now we’re ready to talk”? 24:04.317 --> 24:05.842 I mean, explain to me the strategy. 24:05.842 --> 24:08.429 - Again, we’re not, I don’t want to get ahead 24:08.429 --> 24:11.805 of process here and what we’re talking about. 24:11.805 --> 24:14.540 And if I’ve given that impression that we’re talking about 24:14.540 --> 24:18.102 some kind of surrender, that’s not the case. 24:18.102 --> 24:21.769 We’re talking about an effort to de-escalate 24:25.104 --> 24:27.771 or pause the violence in Aleppo. 24:29.135 --> 24:32.213 Obviously, the Secretary is right in that 24:32.213 --> 24:35.319 our broader endgame here is to get the political talks 24:35.319 --> 24:36.292 back up and running. 24:36.292 --> 24:40.459 Because as the Secretary made clear when he was in Rome, 24:40.788 --> 24:43.257 Russia and the regime are deluded if they think, 24:43.257 --> 24:45.937 even if they do take Aleppo, that this is over. 24:45.937 --> 24:46.770 It’s not. 24:47.046 --> 24:49.078 The rebels, the opposition has shown 24:49.078 --> 24:52.661 that they’re not willing to simply give up. 24:53.119 --> 24:55.202 And so the only solution, 24:55.422 --> 24:56.787 credible, long-term solution 24:56.787 --> 24:59.426 to the fighting in Syria is a political one. 24:59.426 --> 25:02.810 - So the Russians and the Russian foreign minister said 25:02.810 --> 25:06.977 even last week that these should start immediately, now. 25:07.215 --> 25:09.465 And he actually criticized the United Nations 25:09.465 --> 25:11.896 for not setting them up immediately. 25:11.896 --> 25:13.813 So what is the impasse? 25:14.243 --> 25:16.394 His suggestion was it’s the United Nations 25:16.394 --> 25:19.124 isn’t setting it up and you guys aren’t pressuring 25:19.124 --> 25:21.630 the opposition to start these talks immediately. 25:21.630 --> 25:22.713 Is that fair? 25:23.104 --> 25:24.060 - I don’t think it is. 25:24.060 --> 25:26.290 I mean, I think the impasse is that the opposition 25:26.290 --> 25:29.955 would tell you that why should they go to Geneva 25:29.955 --> 25:32.051 and have talks when they’re fighting 25:32.051 --> 25:35.695 for their very existence in places like Aleppo. 25:35.695 --> 25:38.449 Look, in all, again, the basic strategy, 25:38.449 --> 25:42.120 as difficult as it, as it’s been has not changed, 25:42.120 --> 25:45.449 and fundamentally it’s cessation of hostilities, 25:45.449 --> 25:49.282 then you move to, when you’ve got some kind of 25:49.342 --> 25:52.405 credibility established, you can move, 25:52.405 --> 25:54.286 and some kind of trust, 25:54.286 --> 25:56.985 you can move to and have that become the basis 25:56.985 --> 25:59.758 for negotiations to resume in Geneva. 25:59.758 --> 26:01.368 We just haven’t been there in months. 26:01.368 --> 26:04.368 We had the Geneva in September 10th, 26:06.477 --> 26:07.660 but that fell apart quickly, 26:07.660 --> 26:10.199 and since then we’ve been nowhere close to that. 26:10.199 --> 26:13.346 - I have one more. - Yeah, please, go ahead. 26:13.346 --> 26:16.346 - Well, I’ll let your assessment go, 26:17.071 --> 26:18.963 which seems like we’re backwards, then, 26:18.963 --> 26:20.325 many months from where we were 26:20.325 --> 26:22.442 if we’re not even where we were in September. 26:22.442 --> 26:24.275 But be that as it may, 26:24.392 --> 26:26.411 I just want to ask you specifically on 26:26.411 --> 26:28.902 the Russian claim today by the defense ministry 26:28.902 --> 26:32.386 that you guys gave, you, the French, and the British 26:32.386 --> 26:36.553 may have given the coordinates of their hospital or 26:36.567 --> 26:40.734 clinic to the opposition in order to, for it to be bombed. 26:40.761 --> 26:41.594 Do you have a response-- 26:41.594 --> 26:43.244 - We’d never do that and it’s completely false. 26:43.244 --> 26:44.928 - [Brad] So you never give coordinates 26:44.928 --> 26:45.761 to the Syrian opposition? 26:45.761 --> 26:47.123 - No, we would never give coordinates 26:47.123 --> 26:48.843 to the Syrian opposition. 26:48.843 --> 26:49.914 - Mark, could you-- - Are we done, yeah. 26:49.914 --> 26:52.106 - Do you have anything on the UN Security Council 26:52.106 --> 26:55.313 meeting now, that is happening now and so on? 26:55.313 --> 26:57.627 Because the Russians seems to have dismissed it 26:57.627 --> 26:58.767 even before it began. 26:58.767 --> 27:01.761 They’re saying that the proposal does not meet, 27:01.761 --> 27:03.400 whatever, their requirements, 27:03.400 --> 27:05.309 which may lead to another veto. 27:05.309 --> 27:06.983 Are you, do you have any comment on that? 27:06.983 --> 27:10.566 - I don’t, I know they’re scheduled to meet 27:10.922 --> 27:13.672 later this afternoon, I believe. 27:16.266 --> 27:18.698 Look, I mean, we’ve been very clear 27:18.698 --> 27:20.532 that we welcome any chance to highlight 27:20.532 --> 27:22.865 the dire situation in Aleppo 27:24.269 --> 27:27.102 and those who are suffering there, 27:29.290 --> 27:32.114 so we would welcome and we do welcome 27:32.114 --> 27:34.614 this Security Council session. 27:34.923 --> 27:36.152 I’m not going to prejudge it 27:36.152 --> 27:38.819 or speak to where it may end up, 27:38.961 --> 27:41.636 but certainly, once that session is held, 27:41.636 --> 27:42.793 we’ll have more to say. 27:42.793 --> 27:45.118 - [Reporter] Russia and China vetoed the resolution. 27:45.118 --> 27:46.315 - Well, there you go. (laughs) 27:46.315 --> 27:48.040 - Do you have any reactions? - We’ll have more to say. 27:48.040 --> 27:51.019 We will, and I, the reason I don’t want to get ahead 27:51.019 --> 27:52.801 is we’ll have something more formal. 27:52.801 --> 27:56.508 I mean, I can certainly speak off the cuff about it, 27:56.508 --> 27:58.544 but we’ll have something more formal to say 27:58.544 --> 28:00.628 about it in the coming hours. 28:00.628 --> 28:02.985 - Yeah, a couple of different subjects. 28:02.985 --> 28:06.068 First of all, it’s been revealed that 28:07.467 --> 28:11.050 a fake U.S. embassy was shut down in Ghana. 28:13.494 --> 28:16.494 It apparently operated for 10 years. 28:18.255 --> 28:20.614 - Don’t say it like that. - A couple of questions. 28:20.614 --> 28:23.105 (reporters chatter over each other) 28:23.105 --> 28:24.272 Yes, how long, 28:27.119 --> 28:30.250 when did the State Department become aware of this, 28:30.250 --> 28:31.667 is one question. 28:31.904 --> 28:35.987 And the other is this embassy, so-called embassy, 28:37.226 --> 28:41.289 had access to blank forms that were deemed authentic, 28:41.289 --> 28:42.372 issued visas. 28:42.378 --> 28:46.275 And so how many people got into the United States 28:46.275 --> 28:47.692 from these visas? 28:47.823 --> 28:50.073 - Sure, all good questions. 28:50.296 --> 28:51.918 All right, there’s a lot to unpack here. 28:51.918 --> 28:55.238 I’ll do my best and then answer any follow-ups. 28:55.238 --> 28:58.433 So yes, the quote/unquote “fake embassy.” 28:58.433 --> 29:00.672 This was a criminal fraud operation 29:00.672 --> 29:04.839 masquerading as a fake U.S. embassy in Ghana, in Accra, 29:07.332 --> 29:10.165 and it was shut down, as you know. 29:11.300 --> 29:15.158 No visa obtained, no fake visa, and let’s be very clear, 29:15.158 --> 29:17.934 we’re talking about counterfeit visas, 29:17.934 --> 29:20.252 that no visa that was obtained through this fraud scheme 29:20.252 --> 29:23.669 was ever used to enter the United States. 29:26.620 --> 29:29.870 What happened was that the operators of 29:30.683 --> 29:32.350 this fraud operation 29:34.784 --> 29:38.096 were able to obtain real Ghanaian passports 29:38.096 --> 29:40.620 or even foreign passports that were either 29:40.620 --> 29:43.787 lost, stolen, or somehow sold to them. 29:45.078 --> 29:47.994 A handful, and I think it was fewer than 10, 29:47.994 --> 29:51.490 of the passports seized by law enforcement 29:51.490 --> 29:53.907 contained expired U.S. visas. 29:54.319 --> 29:57.736 So they then used these expired visas to, 30:01.303 --> 30:03.803 as, to counterfeit off of, to, 30:04.137 --> 30:06.251 as prototypes or whatever, as models 30:06.251 --> 30:09.584 to attempt to produce counterfeit visas. 30:09.842 --> 30:11.731 So the visas in question were not stolen 30:11.731 --> 30:13.564 from the U.S. embassy, 30:15.052 --> 30:18.802 and again, this operation, this fake embassy, 30:20.685 --> 30:22.346 made and printed counterfeit visas 30:22.346 --> 30:25.596 using the expired visas as a blueprint. 30:25.732 --> 30:27.763 So none of the individuals, as I said, 30:27.763 --> 30:29.057 who purchased these counterfeit visas 30:29.057 --> 30:32.214 were able to use them to travel to the United States. 30:32.214 --> 30:33.047 And why is that? 30:33.047 --> 30:35.380 Because it’s very, very hard 30:36.381 --> 30:39.464 to counterfeit U.S. visas these days. 30:40.612 --> 30:42.916 It’s a highly secure document. 30:42.916 --> 30:44.593 It’s got numerous security features 30:44.593 --> 30:47.927 designed to prevent successful counterfeiting, 30:47.927 --> 30:51.094 and so this operation failed basically 30:52.096 --> 30:53.770 because they couldn’t produce, please. 30:53.770 --> 30:56.513 - Were people nabbed coming into JFK or somewhere? 30:56.513 --> 30:58.583 Did actually anybody try to use these to get in? 30:58.583 --> 31:00.657 - My understanding is that no, 31:00.657 --> 31:03.895 is that no one was actually even attempted 31:03.895 --> 31:05.832 or caught at the border. 31:05.832 --> 31:08.991 Now, I, we’re still going through some assessment 31:08.991 --> 31:12.360 of this operation, but my understanding at this point 31:12.360 --> 31:14.437 is that no one was actually 31:14.437 --> 31:16.469 stopped at the border trying to enter 31:16.469 --> 31:19.439 into the United States using one of these fraudulent visas. 31:19.439 --> 31:23.606 My understanding is that, frankly, the counterfeits, 31:24.938 --> 31:27.564 visas were of pretty poor quality, 31:27.564 --> 31:29.111 so it may have been the fact that these people, 31:29.111 --> 31:30.750 once they paid for them and got them, 31:30.750 --> 31:32.297 realized they weren’t going to be able 31:32.297 --> 31:34.262 to use them to get into the United States. 31:34.262 --> 31:36.355 - And for how long did the State Department 31:36.355 --> 31:39.172 know that this operation was going on? 31:39.172 --> 31:42.208 - We only learned about this this year. 31:42.208 --> 31:43.703 - [Reporter] Even though it had been there for 10 years 31:43.703 --> 31:47.635 with a U.S. flag flying outside, three days a week? 31:47.635 --> 31:49.624 - So, yeah, I mean, look, I mean, I don’t want to, 31:49.624 --> 31:51.164 I’ll refer you to the Ghanaian authorities 31:51.164 --> 31:53.664 to speak to how this operation 31:55.399 --> 31:59.566 existed for so long without it coming to their notice. 32:00.839 --> 32:04.279 You can imagine the ways in which that could happen. 32:04.279 --> 32:05.785 - [Reporter] Yes, we can. 32:05.785 --> 32:09.285 - But yeah, we learned about it this year, 32:09.563 --> 32:12.227 and the extent of the counterfeiting and visa fraud 32:12.227 --> 32:13.977 only became apparent, 32:14.387 --> 32:17.031 I think we had an anti-fraud operation 32:17.031 --> 32:20.379 called Spartan Vanguard, and that helped, I think, 32:20.379 --> 32:24.212 bring the extent, as I said, of this to light. 32:25.657 --> 32:27.622 I think I’ve answered more or less all the-- 32:27.622 --> 32:28.640 - [Reporter] Did you learn about it 32:28.640 --> 32:31.571 and bring it to the Ghanaian officials’ attention, 32:31.571 --> 32:33.321 or they shut it down? 32:33.357 --> 32:35.209 - I believe it’s that we learned about it 32:35.209 --> 32:39.056 and brought it to the Ghanaian authorities’ attention. 32:39.056 --> 32:41.955 - Can you just answer this? - Yeah, I’ll try. 32:41.955 --> 32:43.783 - [Reporter] So you don’t believe that anyone ever tried 32:43.783 --> 32:45.873 to use any of these, that these-- 32:45.873 --> 32:47.555 - [Reporter] How did they operate for 10 years, then, if-- 32:47.555 --> 32:51.118 - These people who didn’t have the perceptive qualities 32:51.118 --> 32:54.295 to realize they were walking into a fake U.S. embassy 32:54.295 --> 32:56.075 and then pay that fake U.S. embassy 32:56.075 --> 32:59.242 then were able to discern on their own 32:59.327 --> 33:01.643 that the visas didn’t look good enough, 33:01.643 --> 33:04.226 and so they decided not to try? 33:04.399 --> 33:07.313 That just seems so wholly unrealistic, 33:07.313 --> 33:10.840 it cannot be possible in this universe to be true, 33:10.840 --> 33:12.570 on a universal level. 33:12.570 --> 33:13.816 That nobody tried, 33:13.816 --> 33:16.655 all these people who went to a fake U.S. embassy 33:16.655 --> 33:20.655 then realized, based on the quality of the visa, 33:21.109 --> 33:23.933 that it wouldn’t work and just gave up? 33:23.933 --> 33:27.633 Mark, that doesn’t pass the laugh test, seriously. 33:27.633 --> 33:28.466 - Well, no. 33:28.466 --> 33:30.299 Look, so first of all, 33:31.488 --> 33:35.488 many of the people who engaged in this activity, 33:36.819 --> 33:39.743 and I’m not talking about the people who ran the operation, 33:39.743 --> 33:43.160 but the people who tried to obtain visas, 33:44.405 --> 33:46.405 it was, they were duped. 33:47.555 --> 33:48.972 They were conned. 33:54.769 --> 33:56.156 And once they were conned, 33:56.156 --> 33:58.178 you don’t necessarily go running to the police and say, 33:58.178 --> 34:01.103 “I just obtained illegally a U.S. visa, 34:01.103 --> 34:04.058 "and oh, by the way, it looks terrible, doesn’t it? 34:04.058 --> 34:07.376 "I can’t use this to get into the United States.” 34:07.376 --> 34:09.361 Again, I didn’t say categorically that no one did. 34:09.361 --> 34:12.361 I thought I said “to our knowledge.” 34:13.250 --> 34:16.630 As of today, we do not believe that anyone 34:16.630 --> 34:19.099 actually used or was stopped at the border 34:19.099 --> 34:21.451 trying to use one of these fake visas 34:21.451 --> 34:23.484 to enter into the United States. 34:23.484 --> 34:26.181 I can’t speak to what their motivation was 34:26.181 --> 34:29.098 for not trying that, but it’s not-- 34:31.697 --> 34:32.530 - [Brad] If you didn’t stop anybody, 34:32.530 --> 34:36.447 how do you know that all of them didn’t get in? 34:37.450 --> 34:40.203 - Well, again, I mean, we, I’m sorry, I’m trying to-- 34:40.203 --> 34:42.557 - If everybody who, if you never stopped a single person 34:42.557 --> 34:44.346 with one of these fake visas, 34:44.346 --> 34:47.423 how can you plausibly say that you know 34:47.423 --> 34:50.756 that they didn’t all get in successfully 34:50.840 --> 34:52.757 into the United States? 34:53.399 --> 34:57.566 - Well, look, we, so whenever anybody applies for a visa, 34:58.732 --> 35:01.149 we collect the biometric data 35:01.704 --> 35:03.201 as part of their visa application. 35:03.201 --> 35:06.455 So when you come to the border and they look at your visa, 35:06.455 --> 35:09.813 they verify, there’s biometric data at the port of entry. 35:09.813 --> 35:12.612 So that’s right there, in a fake visa 35:12.612 --> 35:14.249 from a Ghanaian fake embassy, 35:14.249 --> 35:17.579 you’re not going to have that biometric data. 35:17.579 --> 35:19.385 It’s going to send up alarms. 35:19.385 --> 35:21.635 It’s going to not register. 35:22.195 --> 35:25.028 And so, as I said, to my knowledge 35:25.043 --> 35:29.210 we have not been able to say, although we may find out yes, 35:29.529 --> 35:30.894 there were two or three of these individuals, 35:30.894 --> 35:32.263 and we stopped them at the border. 35:32.263 --> 35:33.693 I just don’t have that in front of me right now. 35:33.693 --> 35:34.526 - Okay, all right. - Yeah. 35:34.526 --> 35:35.889 - [Reporter] Follow-up on this? 35:35.889 --> 35:37.586 - Sure, and then I’ll get to you, Margaret. 35:37.586 --> 35:39.599 - So do you have any reason to believe 35:39.599 --> 35:41.408 that there might be other operations 35:41.408 --> 35:43.082 in any other countries similar to this? 35:43.082 --> 35:44.666 - Well, we’re running this, as I said, I mentioned, 35:44.666 --> 35:48.833 it’s got a very cool name, Spartan Vanguard or something. 35:49.255 --> 35:50.535 Yeah, Spartan Vanguard. 35:50.535 --> 35:54.124 But it’s an anti-fraud operation, and that’s what this is. 35:54.124 --> 35:56.517 The intent of it is to kind of sniff out 35:56.517 --> 36:00.684 and find out where these fraudulent operations are ongoing. 36:02.774 --> 36:04.469 This is a longstanding practice, 36:04.469 --> 36:07.484 it’s just that now it’s awfully hard to do because, 36:07.484 --> 36:09.500 as I said, of the things that, 36:09.500 --> 36:13.289 the security that they’re able to build into these visas. 36:13.289 --> 36:14.317 I mean, we all have it. 36:14.317 --> 36:16.772 Whether it’s your credit card or whatever, 36:16.772 --> 36:19.130 it’s a lot harder to counterfeit that kind of stuff today. 36:19.130 --> 36:20.956 But I can’t speak to, say that 36:20.956 --> 36:22.746 I’m sure there’s other operations ongoing, 36:22.746 --> 36:25.230 and we’re going to keep, remain vigilant 36:25.230 --> 36:26.212 and try to stop them. 36:26.212 --> 36:29.685 - But are there any particular areas that you might 36:29.685 --> 36:30.799 see more of that activity? 36:30.799 --> 36:31.881 - You mean regions of the world? 36:31.881 --> 36:33.391 - Yeah. - I don’t have that. 36:33.391 --> 36:34.599 I don’t know that. 36:34.599 --> 36:35.776 Yeah, please, Margaret. 36:35.776 --> 36:37.566 - Mark, the House Oversight Committee 36:37.566 --> 36:40.134 has a report out here talking about 36:40.134 --> 36:43.200 what they say is the State Department taking too long 36:43.200 --> 36:45.053 and spending far too much 36:45.053 --> 36:48.069 to construct new diplomatic facilities abroad. 36:48.069 --> 36:51.559 Some very specific and big numbers in this report. 36:51.559 --> 36:53.808 Do you know what is leading to these delays, 36:53.808 --> 36:55.230 and is State upset? 36:55.230 --> 36:59.397 - Sure, Margaret, I, so a couple of points to make. 37:00.253 --> 37:03.177 One is the safety and security of U.S. personnel 37:03.177 --> 37:06.856 serving overseas is obviously at the forefront. 37:06.856 --> 37:10.523 It’s our top priority and the cornerstone of 37:11.110 --> 37:13.543 all the work that the bureaus of Diplomatic Security 37:13.543 --> 37:16.543 and Overseas Building Operations do. 37:17.771 --> 37:19.787 I’m aware of this report. 37:19.787 --> 37:22.954 We have not yet received a copy of it. 37:24.461 --> 37:26.288 I think we’ve been allowed what they call 37:26.288 --> 37:30.455 a limited camera use, in-camera review of a draft version 37:31.924 --> 37:32.757 of the report. 37:32.757 --> 37:35.393 So we haven’t even seen the final version of the report. 37:35.393 --> 37:38.128 So it’s hard for me to comment on all of the report’s 37:38.128 --> 37:41.849 allegations without reviewing the final report, 37:41.849 --> 37:45.174 and certainly we remain hopeful that the committee 37:45.174 --> 37:48.488 will revise its report based on some of the input 37:48.488 --> 37:51.258 and significant concerns that we’ve raised 37:51.258 --> 37:54.258 related to the accuracy and fairness 37:55.506 --> 37:57.174 and security sensitivities 37:57.174 --> 38:00.007 that were contained in the report. 38:03.176 --> 38:05.974 We’ve also requested that the committee 38:05.974 --> 38:09.057 submit its report for an interagency, 38:09.185 --> 38:10.744 internal, or rather, sorry, 38:10.744 --> 38:13.856 interagency security sensitivity review 38:13.856 --> 38:15.910 in advance of its publication 38:15.910 --> 38:19.410 to ensure that its release doesn’t, sorry, 38:20.208 --> 38:22.511 the release of sensitive information in the report 38:22.511 --> 38:26.678 doesn’t compromise any of our people serving abroad 38:28.094 --> 38:30.644 or any of our facilities serving abroad. 38:30.644 --> 38:33.144 So I understand your question. 38:35.105 --> 38:36.189 We want to be able, obviously, 38:36.189 --> 38:37.918 to address once that report’s gone public 38:37.918 --> 38:41.284 the concerns it raises, the allegations it makes. 38:41.284 --> 38:44.247 We work really hard in this building 38:44.247 --> 38:47.443 to ensure that our embassies, our consulates, 38:47.443 --> 38:49.481 our buildings overseas are protected. 38:49.481 --> 38:51.709 Obviously, that’s not easy in today’s world. 38:51.709 --> 38:55.209 It requires constant updating, innovation. 38:56.769 --> 39:00.446 We do so mindful always of the price of that. 39:00.446 --> 39:02.864 But I can’t speak to the contents of the report 39:02.864 --> 39:04.402 until we’ve received it. 39:04.402 --> 39:05.492 - To be clear, though-- - Of course. 39:05.492 --> 39:08.939 - When you said you looked at that draft already, 39:08.939 --> 39:11.405 are you saying that there was information in that draft 39:11.405 --> 39:13.580 that should not be released to the public? 39:13.580 --> 39:16.397 - So what we’ve asked is that they just submit this 39:16.397 --> 39:20.564 to what’s called an interagency security sensitivity review, 39:23.488 --> 39:26.794 obviously, not just State Department equities here, 39:26.794 --> 39:27.961 involved here. 39:28.364 --> 39:31.452 And just so every, so that these other agencies can review 39:31.452 --> 39:34.829 what’s in the report so that before it does go public, 39:34.829 --> 39:38.111 we can obviously address if there are any, 39:38.111 --> 39:42.114 if there is any information that’s deemed sensitive. 39:42.114 --> 39:44.959 - Because the report talks about Kabul, Jakarta, 39:44.959 --> 39:49.126 London, Mexico, significant U.S. diplomatic posts, 39:50.225 --> 39:54.392 and saying that while there are questions of security, 39:54.597 --> 39:57.397 it’s specifically the amount of taxpayer money 39:57.397 --> 40:00.147 that Congress is concerned about. 40:00.336 --> 40:02.250 I mean, do you have any kind of timeline 40:02.250 --> 40:06.417 as to when these embassies will be both secure and finished? 40:06.940 --> 40:08.596 And what’s leading to these delays? 40:08.596 --> 40:11.179 - Well, I can certainly, again, 40:12.100 --> 40:13.713 it would have to be on a case-by-case basis, 40:13.713 --> 40:15.775 try to get back to you with information about 40:15.775 --> 40:19.942 where we’re at in the status of each of these projects. 40:21.427 --> 40:23.534 But this is hard, as I said, 40:23.534 --> 40:26.367 and with any construction project, 40:27.762 --> 40:29.120 not just U.S. embassies abroad, 40:29.120 --> 40:33.287 there’s always inevitably some delays in the process. 40:35.249 --> 40:38.332 It’s just how building projects work, 40:38.561 --> 40:40.233 fortunately or unfortunately, 40:40.233 --> 40:43.760 as things need to be updated, need to be addressed. 40:43.760 --> 40:47.927 All I can say is that our Diplomatic Security Bureau 40:47.982 --> 40:50.806 and our Overseas Buildings Operations Bureau 40:50.806 --> 40:54.020 and our Management Bureau work hand in hand 40:54.020 --> 40:56.853 to ensure that safety is foremost, 40:57.690 --> 41:00.641 first and foremost for Americans living overseas, 41:00.641 --> 41:04.165 and also of course we look at the bottom line 41:04.165 --> 41:06.319 and what this costs the taxpayer. 41:06.319 --> 41:08.101 - So just to put a fine point on it, 41:08.101 --> 41:11.018 you fully reject the assertion here 41:11.413 --> 41:13.923 that the State Department is taking a risky approach 41:13.923 --> 41:17.423 of prioritizing architecture over security 41:17.765 --> 41:20.348 and over financial sensibility? 41:20.429 --> 41:23.534 - That we’re, take a risky approach in what, prioritizing-- 41:23.534 --> 41:25.682 - Prioritizing the way an embassy looks 41:25.682 --> 41:29.374 over just how much it costs or how secure it is. 41:29.374 --> 41:33.541 - I would, again, not having seen the report myself, 41:36.014 --> 41:38.347 security first and foremost, 41:38.579 --> 41:42.237 functionality of an embassy is also important. 41:42.237 --> 41:46.320 This is the face of the U.S. Government overseas, 41:46.548 --> 41:48.317 and that’s important as well, 41:48.317 --> 41:50.551 is how it presents American ideals 41:50.551 --> 41:53.134 and America to another country. 41:54.647 --> 41:57.050 There’s been, I can probably point you to 41:57.050 --> 41:59.082 many cases of criticism of, 41:59.082 --> 42:00.971 that U.S. embassies have become too fortress-like 42:00.971 --> 42:04.638 over the past decades, partly as a result of 42:05.049 --> 42:06.694 the security threats that we face. 42:06.694 --> 42:10.861 So we’re always mindful of aesthetics, but mostly security. 42:12.190 --> 42:14.396 - [Said] Can we go to the Palestinian-Israeli issue? 42:14.396 --> 42:15.358 - We can go to the Palestinian. 42:15.358 --> 42:18.337 - Okay, and the Secretary’s remarks yesterday. 42:18.337 --> 42:22.305 Yesterday Secretary Kerry at the Saban Forum gave, 42:22.305 --> 42:25.320 in his remarks gave a stinging rebuke 42:25.320 --> 42:27.182 of the settlement policy. 42:27.182 --> 42:30.387 But he also refrained from committing to a veto 42:30.387 --> 42:32.137 at the United Nations 42:33.442 --> 42:35.803 if a resolution on settlements will be forthcoming, 42:35.803 --> 42:38.476 only saying that if it is biased, 42:38.476 --> 42:42.023 an unfair resolution calculated to delegitimize Israel, 42:42.023 --> 42:43.982 only then would they veto. 42:43.982 --> 42:45.991 Does that, is that a departure from, 42:45.991 --> 42:47.845 let’s say, past American policy? 42:47.845 --> 42:48.678 - I don’t think so, Said. 42:48.678 --> 42:49.590 I mean, we’ve said that before. 42:49.590 --> 42:50.615 I’ve said it before. 42:50.615 --> 42:53.032 I know John’s said it before. 42:53.460 --> 42:56.860 And it’s consistent with always what’s been our approach. 42:56.860 --> 43:00.188 We also often will make the point as well, 43:00.188 --> 43:03.456 is we don’t believe that multilateral settings 43:03.456 --> 43:05.374 are necessarily the way to, 43:05.374 --> 43:08.791 the best way to pursue what we believe is 43:09.779 --> 43:13.183 the ultimate goal here, which is a two-state solution. 43:13.183 --> 43:15.266 That’s up to the parties. 43:15.406 --> 43:17.541 And we’ve said it before, whether it’s, 43:17.541 --> 43:19.085 when the UN Security Council or elsewhere, 43:19.085 --> 43:22.002 that we oppose any resolutions that 43:22.703 --> 43:26.870 seek to delegitimize or are biased against Israel. 43:27.075 --> 43:28.507 And that remains the case. 43:28.507 --> 43:29.838 - I just have a couple of follow-ups on that. 43:29.838 --> 43:30.798 - [Mark] Of course, yeah. 43:30.798 --> 43:34.490 - But earlier in the day, Prime Minister Netanyahu 43:34.490 --> 43:36.623 to the same forum basically said, look, 43:36.623 --> 43:38.109 we will continue with settlement. 43:38.109 --> 43:40.420 It doesn’t matter who is in power, 43:40.420 --> 43:42.741 whether it’s Obama or Trump or anyone. 43:42.741 --> 43:44.278 We will continue with this policy. 43:44.278 --> 43:47.267 So obviously, they are not heeding your call 43:47.267 --> 43:48.883 on the cessation of settlements. 43:48.883 --> 43:50.716 In this case, why not, 43:52.227 --> 43:56.394 what would be sort of contrary to U.S. principles and so on, 43:57.615 --> 44:01.232 on the issue of settlement by going to the United Nations? 44:01.232 --> 44:03.310 Why would that stand against your position, 44:03.310 --> 44:06.631 your principle position, against settlements? 44:06.631 --> 44:10.798 If you are unable to persuade the Israelis on your own, 44:10.860 --> 44:14.193 why not do it in an international forum? 44:14.700 --> 44:15.867 - Well, again, 44:16.834 --> 44:19.768 there’s, first of all, there’s been no decisions made 44:19.768 --> 44:22.780 either way about any kind of step we may, 44:22.780 --> 44:26.947 that may or may not be taken at the UN or elsewhere. 44:29.914 --> 44:32.831 I was there yesterday at the event. 44:33.653 --> 44:35.320 The Secretary spoke, 44:36.502 --> 44:40.669 I think, very frankly about and out of friendship, 44:41.489 --> 44:43.128 and he talked about some of the challenges. 44:43.128 --> 44:45.017 I mean, he got the same question that you just posed, 44:45.017 --> 44:47.275 which is Israel doesn’t seem to listen. 44:47.275 --> 44:51.309 And he acknowledged that on the case of settlements 44:51.309 --> 44:53.142 they often don’t listen, 44:53.142 --> 44:57.309 but that doesn’t make our message any less relevant. 44:57.659 --> 45:00.861 And I think the Secretary’s abiding point yesterday 45:00.861 --> 45:04.861 was you can’t have, and he was also, by the way, 45:05.232 --> 45:09.399 very quick to recognize this is not all on Israel, 45:10.615 --> 45:13.198 and frankly, settlements aren’t 45:14.632 --> 45:17.334 the only impediment to a two-state solution. 45:17.334 --> 45:19.410 The Palestinians need to take steps. 45:19.410 --> 45:21.518 - He said settlements were not the cause of the conflict-- 45:21.518 --> 45:23.274 - Exactly, not the cause of the conflict. 45:23.274 --> 45:25.857 But he said that as you look at 45:26.494 --> 45:29.366 the reality of settlements and the reality 45:29.366 --> 45:32.042 that they’re creating on the ground, 45:32.042 --> 45:33.544 it’s hard to imagine how you can get 45:33.544 --> 45:35.070 to a two-state solution. 45:35.070 --> 45:38.669 That was a very frank message to the Israeli Government, 45:38.669 --> 45:40.927 to Prime Minister Netanyahu, 45:40.927 --> 45:43.630 and it’s been a message we’ve been trying to convey to them. 45:43.630 --> 45:47.630 But ultimately, as we’ve said many times before, 45:49.171 --> 45:52.917 the U.S. can only try to play a mediating role 45:52.917 --> 45:54.792 to get the two sides or the two parties 45:54.792 --> 45:56.618 back to the negotiating table. 45:56.618 --> 45:58.706 We can’t force them, and they’ve got to both do it. 45:58.706 --> 46:00.622 And that’s true for Israel, it’s true for the Palestinians. 46:00.622 --> 46:04.789 - He also warned against a vote that might take place today, 46:04.869 --> 46:06.724 maybe it has taken place already, 46:06.724 --> 46:10.057 in the Knesset on legalizing a sort of-- 46:11.535 --> 46:12.771 - You’re talking about a legalization bill. 46:12.771 --> 46:13.759 Yeah, yeah, yeah. 46:13.759 --> 46:14.849 - Right, right, the legalization bill. 46:14.849 --> 46:18.099 Are you, did he follow his warning with 46:18.334 --> 46:20.284 any kind of a conversation with anyone 46:20.284 --> 46:22.195 in the Israeli Government, 46:22.195 --> 46:24.049 be it be the prime minister of Israel? 46:24.049 --> 46:26.886 He said he spoke with him like 975 times, 46:26.886 --> 46:28.073 so did he speak with him on this issue? 46:28.073 --> 46:30.031 - I’m not sure that, I’m not sure that there was a, no, 46:30.031 --> 46:31.673 I don’t believe there was a conversation after 46:31.673 --> 46:33.125 that event yesterday, 46:33.125 --> 46:35.125 but I’m sure his remarks 46:36.803 --> 46:38.215 were closely followed by 46:38.215 --> 46:41.715 those in the Israeli Government yesterday. 46:42.400 --> 46:44.483 On the legalization bill, 46:44.600 --> 46:48.767 we understand that there is a plan to vote on it tonight. 46:49.500 --> 46:51.047 We also understand there may have been some changes 46:51.047 --> 46:52.685 to the bill, so we’re, 46:52.685 --> 46:54.863 I’d refer you to the Israelis for more information. 46:54.863 --> 46:56.591 I don’t have what those changes might be. 46:56.591 --> 46:57.424 Steve. 46:58.424 --> 46:59.920 - We’ve had what appears to be the first 46:59.920 --> 47:03.420 real democratic transition in Central Asia 47:04.402 --> 47:07.902 with the election in Uzbekistan yesterday. 47:08.110 --> 47:10.261 But the OSCE Human Rights Office 47:10.261 --> 47:11.934 says the campaign was, quote, 47:11.934 --> 47:14.166 “devoid of genuine competition 47:14.166 --> 47:16.476 "and that the media covering the election was in 47:16.476 --> 47:19.419 "a highly restrictive and controlled environment, 47:19.419 --> 47:22.287 "and the state-defined narrative did not provide voters 47:22.287 --> 47:26.370 "the opportunity to hear alternative viewpoints.” 47:26.457 --> 47:30.398 How does the State Department assess this election? 47:30.398 --> 47:32.065 - So you’re correct, 47:32.965 --> 47:36.048 the OSCE did note some irregularities 47:36.231 --> 47:38.696 in the conduct of the December 4th vote 47:38.696 --> 47:42.613 and some shortcomings in the electoral process. 47:43.934 --> 47:45.672 They did, however, praise 47:45.672 --> 47:48.269 the election’s increased transparency. 47:48.269 --> 47:51.436 They praised access to disabled voters 47:54.230 --> 47:56.531 and, frankly, unfettered access to 47:56.531 --> 47:58.864 600 international observers. 48:00.400 --> 48:02.086 And the embassy I think did, 48:02.086 --> 48:06.164 our U.S. embassy did conduct its own observation mission. 48:06.164 --> 48:09.581 Overall, we congratulate acting President 48:09.606 --> 48:13.023 and Prime Minister Mirziyoyev, excuse me, 48:14.736 --> 48:17.381 I just really fractured his name, I apologize, 48:17.381 --> 48:19.214 Mr. Shavkat Mirziyoyev 48:21.427 --> 48:25.594 and his election as the new president of Uzbekistan. 48:26.738 --> 48:29.724 And as the country, as Uzbekistan transitions 48:29.724 --> 48:31.557 into this new chapter, 48:31.848 --> 48:34.099 we look forward to sustained regional stability 48:34.099 --> 48:37.217 and progress towards broad economic and political 48:37.217 --> 48:38.800 and social reforms. 48:39.194 --> 48:41.551 And just to highlight that ongoing engagement, 48:41.551 --> 48:45.425 there will be a meeting of these Central Asian countries, 48:45.425 --> 48:47.258 I think the third one. 48:49.471 --> 48:52.853 I was at the first one in Samarkand, I think, last year. 48:52.853 --> 48:56.317 And that’ll take place in Hamburg later this week. 48:56.317 --> 48:58.068 - Japan? - Yes, go ahead. 48:58.068 --> 48:59.909 - Prime Minister Abe-- - Where are we at? 48:59.909 --> 49:01.383 Oh, Japan, I’m sorry. 49:01.383 --> 49:03.651 - [Reporter] Prime Minister Abe will visit Pearl Harbor 49:03.651 --> 49:06.168 later this month and meet with President Obama. 49:06.168 --> 49:08.871 Do you have any expectations for this visit? 49:08.871 --> 49:10.442 - Do I have any expectations? 49:10.442 --> 49:11.679 - [Reporter] Mm-hmm, or what are your expectations? 49:11.679 --> 49:15.846 - No, I mean, I, honestly, I would just refer you to 49:16.775 --> 49:20.942 the statement, I believe, that the White House put out. 49:20.957 --> 49:22.338 You’re right, it’s going to take place on 49:22.338 --> 49:24.005 December 27th, 2016. 49:26.448 --> 49:27.856 But again, in the statement, they just said 49:27.856 --> 49:30.676 that it’s an opportunity for the two leaders to review 49:30.676 --> 49:33.070 joint efforts over the past four years 49:33.070 --> 49:34.490 to strengthen the U.S.-Japan alliance, 49:34.490 --> 49:37.990 which is a critical one for us, obviously. 49:40.480 --> 49:43.544 And poignantly, the President will also accompany 49:43.544 --> 49:47.015 Prime Minister Abe to the USS Arizona Memorial 49:47.015 --> 49:49.275 at Pearl Harbor to honor those who were killed 49:49.275 --> 49:50.608 on December 7th. 49:51.418 --> 49:52.793 - And specifically on-- - Please. 49:52.793 --> 49:54.008 - U.S.-Japan relations, 49:54.008 --> 49:55.864 what effect do you think it will have? 49:55.864 --> 49:56.697 - [Mark] I’m sorry? 49:56.697 --> 49:57.530 - What effect do you think it will 49:57.530 --> 49:59.947 have on U.S.-Japan relations? 50:00.501 --> 50:02.346 - You’re talking about the visit to the memorial 50:02.346 --> 50:03.858 or the visit to, just the visit in general? 50:03.858 --> 50:05.169 - [Reporter] To, yes, in general. 50:05.169 --> 50:08.212 - Okay, (laughs) sorry. 50:08.212 --> 50:12.262 It’s obviously the end of President Obama’s Administration, 50:12.262 --> 50:14.262 his tenure as President, 50:17.205 --> 50:19.122 and he, as we all know, 50:20.819 --> 50:23.152 has been at the forefront of 50:23.663 --> 50:26.580 our strategic pivot to Asia, and... 50:32.869 --> 50:34.108 - [Brad] Thought it was rebalancing. 50:34.108 --> 50:36.608 - Rebalancing, yes, thank you. 50:37.239 --> 50:41.239 I’m using first-term language here, I apologize. 50:41.820 --> 50:45.346 Rebalancing to Asia and I think it’s going to be 50:45.346 --> 50:49.387 a chance for them to take stock of what was accomplished, 50:49.387 --> 50:51.170 but also look to the future, 50:51.170 --> 50:53.337 and I think to just convey 50:56.109 --> 51:00.276 that the U.S.-Japan partnership alliance is a critical one 51:02.783 --> 51:05.866 to our ongoing engagement with Asia. 51:06.456 --> 51:08.355 - And do you think, sorry, one more. 51:08.355 --> 51:10.993 Do you think the U.S. Government will be expecting 51:10.993 --> 51:12.990 any sort of apology from Prime Minister Abe 51:12.990 --> 51:14.195 while he’s there? 51:14.195 --> 51:15.346 - Look, I’m not going to speak to that. 51:15.346 --> 51:18.263 That’s, I think it’s, it will be a, 51:21.182 --> 51:24.349 as I just said, a very poignant moment 51:27.246 --> 51:30.701 in the long process of reconciliation and partnership 51:30.701 --> 51:34.284 with Japan coming out of that terrible day. 51:34.587 --> 51:36.492 - But you’re not asking for-- - I’m not asking for. 51:36.492 --> 51:37.653 - [Brad] You’re not asking for an apology? 51:37.653 --> 51:38.921 - Not that I’m aware of, no. 51:38.921 --> 51:40.587 - Mark? - Please, in the back. 51:40.587 --> 51:43.259 - Mark, on North Korea? - Of course. 51:43.259 --> 51:46.176 - The North Korean foreign ministry 51:46.300 --> 51:49.633 has announced that North Korea will take 51:50.117 --> 51:53.700 strong actions against the new UN sanctions 51:55.624 --> 51:59.707 and the U.S. additional sanctions on North Korea. 51:59.978 --> 52:01.382 Do you have any comment on that? 52:01.382 --> 52:03.181 - I don’t, other than that we would hope that the action, 52:03.181 --> 52:07.348 the strong action that they would take would be to 52:08.366 --> 52:12.021 address the international community’s very serious concerns 52:12.021 --> 52:14.521 about their nuclear ambitions. 52:14.970 --> 52:16.903 That’s the actions that these sanctions 52:16.903 --> 52:18.820 are designed to prompt. 52:19.639 --> 52:20.676 - Do you have any-- 52:20.676 --> 52:22.482 - [Said] Can I just ask really quickly, 52:22.482 --> 52:23.360 a follow-up on my question? 52:23.360 --> 52:25.024 Because apparently, the Israeli Knesset 52:25.024 --> 52:27.637 just passed the first law regarding-- 52:27.637 --> 52:30.041 - I keep telling them we got to cut the Wi-Fi in here. 52:30.041 --> 52:31.626 I’ll never get out of here. 52:31.626 --> 52:32.973 - I wonder if you have any comment on that. 52:32.973 --> 52:34.485 Because yesterday, it was, 52:34.485 --> 52:36.924 the Secretary said it was very clear 52:36.924 --> 52:39.555 and warning against such a step, but apparently, today, 52:39.555 --> 52:41.138 that step is taken. 52:41.327 --> 52:42.413 So in light of that, 52:42.413 --> 52:44.736 would the United States pursue 52:44.736 --> 52:47.327 any kind of effort at the United Nations? 52:47.327 --> 52:48.335 - I don’t have any, 52:48.335 --> 52:51.002 certainly not going to speak to any actions we may pursue 52:51.002 --> 52:53.740 with regard to the United Nations. 52:53.740 --> 52:56.509 Our clear, our policy of settlements, 52:56.509 --> 52:58.632 I think, is crystal clear. 52:58.632 --> 52:59.715 Thanks, guys.