WEBVTT

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Good afternoon . Yeah we have with us

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today a very special guest . I'm

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pleased to say . Someone who is no

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stranger to this briefing room .

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Someone who is no stranger to many of

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you are under Secretary of State for

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Political Affairs Toria Nuland will

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offer some remarks at the top and then

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she will look forward to uh taking your

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questions and then we'll proceed with

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our regularly scheduled programming

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from there . So without further ado

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undersecretary . Yeah

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thanks ned

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It is uh an experience to be back in

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this in this room again with old

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friends and new . Uh I want to just

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start today by offering a heartfelt

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welcome home to our diplomat who along

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with their military intelligence

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colleagues have just recently returned

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home from Kabul to Ambassador john Bass

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who I had a chance to greet at Dulles

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yesterday to Ambassador Ross Wilson

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who's returning today after serving as

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our Charge d'affaires since january of

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last year and to the hundreds of other

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U . S . Diplomats , military colleagues

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and intelligence colleagues who helped

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on the ground . We thank you for your

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courage for your sacrifice and for your

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service . I also had the chance when I

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was at Dulles yesterday to see the

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receiving center for are afghans

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coming off planes from the various

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reception centres overseas . And I have

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to tell you seeing these incredible

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families and beautiful Children being

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warmly received by volunteers at Dulles ,

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it really makes you enormously proud to

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be an american . And while our

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diplomats have returned from Kabul as

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you know and we've officially suspended

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our presence there . Our ongoing

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intensive diplomatic work with partners

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and allies in Afghanistan continues .

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First of all , as you know , it is this

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department and the secretary's top

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priority to continue to evacuate any

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american citizen who wishes to leave

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Afghanistan . We believe there are

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between 100 and 200 Americans who

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remain in Afghanistan who may have some

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interest in leaving . And the secretary

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is leading our diplomatic efforts to

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ensure safe passage for them and for

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any Afghan partners and foreign

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nationals who still want to leave

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Afghanistan . And as the president said ,

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there is no deadline on the effort to

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ensure safe passage for those who want

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it within this building . The Afghan

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task force continues to work 24 7 on

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evacuation efforts . And since august

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of august 14th the task force has been

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engaging american citizens in

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Afghanistan . They've made more than

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55,000 phone calls , sent more than 33

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1000 emails and this outreach continues

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today and will in the days and weeks

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ahead . As long as there is a need and

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from the region , hundreds and hundreds

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of U . S . Diplomats are coordinating

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with third countries , specifically

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those with active diplomatic presences

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in Kabul to discuss safe passage

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options and other consular services .

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And as you know , more than 100

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countries signed on to a joint

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statement earlier this week expressing

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our expectation that the taliban will

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honor travel authorizations by our

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countries and on monday , the U . N .

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Security Council adopted a very strong

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resolution that calls on the taliban to

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honor their own commitment to allow

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safe and secure and orderly departure

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for from Afghanistan for afghans and

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all foreign nationals .

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As this ongoing evacuation and

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relocation operation continues to date .

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As you know , 100 and

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23,000 people have been

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enabled to leave Afghanistan including

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6000 american citizens and tens of

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thousands of at risk afghans Are

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temporary residents , locations in the

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Gulf have the capacity to process some

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37,000 people on a rolling basis and

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more than 65,000 Afghans and others

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have transited through the Gulf , with

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gutter being the largest evacuation

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site And our temporary transit

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locations and joint bases in Europe

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have the capacity to process 28 1000

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people on a rolling basis . And all of

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them have been very active as well .

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Total of six countries and I think it's

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10 locations overseas for processing

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and each transit center offers

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humanitarian support , including meals ,

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medical care . Other necessities are

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diplomats work their hand in hand with

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service members and uniformed officers

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from CBP from T . S . A . From all of

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the other agencies who are working

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round the clock first to get american

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citizens home as soon as they land and

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then to run biometric and biographic

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screening on the afghan evacuees before

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they are brought to the United States

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or process for a third country and

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we're enormously grateful to the huge

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network of countries that have provided

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critical assistance for our evacuation

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efforts . Partners and allies bahrain ,

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Denmark , Finland France Germany

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Georgia . Hungary italy Kosovo kuwait

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Pakistan gutter spain Switzerland ,

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Turkey Ukraine . The United Arab

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Emirates the United Kingdom and others

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who have helped transit americans and

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others to safe to safety are close

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coordination with our allies and

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partners remains critical both on

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evacuation and relocation . But also as

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we begin to scope our ongoing

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relationship with the Afghan people and

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uh with the taliban in the last few

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weeks . As you know , Secretary Blinken

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has made more than 50 bilateral calls

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to foreign leaders and met virtually

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with both his G seven and NATO

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counterparts and on monday he convened

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a virtual ministerial that included

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Canada France , Germany , Italy Japan ,

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the UK EU and NATO as well as gutter in

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Turkey to discuss the facilitation of

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safe travel out of Afghanistan

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including reopening Kabul civilian

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airport . And we expect that in uh

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coming days and weeks that intensive

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multilateral effort will continue .

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Deputy Secretary Sherman's made dozens

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of calls and convened conversations on

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a regular basis with deputy foreign

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ministers and political directors from

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more than 20 seven allied and partner

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governments sharing updates , sharing

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information . I've been burning up the

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phone lines as well , including uh with

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political directors and my G7

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counterparts And as you heard the

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secretary announced earlier this week

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while we've suspended our diplomatic

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presence in Kabul . We have set up our

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afghan office in Doha . Led by Ian

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MacKaye very . To manage diplomacy and

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all of its aspects with Afghanistan and

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to work with allies and partners who

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have also relocated uh their operations

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to Doha . This will include consular

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affairs providing humanitarian

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assistance , working on

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counterterrorism issues , working on

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political insecurity issues . So Just

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as somebody who spent almost 33 years

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in this department , I will say that

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this is one of the most difficult and

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certainly the most enormous efforts

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that I've been involved with stretching

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all across the department , all across

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the inter agency and all across the

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globe . Uh and I am personally , I know

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the secretary is enormously proud of

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our people but we've got a lot of work

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still to do over to your questions .

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How are you ? Welcome back to Thank you .

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I'm sure you missed . Yeah , I won't

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say I'll say I missed you too .

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Uh huh . Without a doubt that

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seeing what your what you described

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yesterday when you went to Dulles and

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seeing the Afghan families getting off

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the plane . Everyone I think

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understands that but I think everyone

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in this room either has personally

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spoken to or has colleagues who have

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personally spoken to U . S .

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Citizens particularly or NPR's lean

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green card holders who were being

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assure who are still in Kabul who did

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not get out , Who were being assured up

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until the very last minute that hey we

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know where you are . You're not going

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to be stranded and now they've been

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stranded . So what are you telling them

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now ? Presuming that you're still in

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contact with these people particularly

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as reports start to increase about the

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taliban doing exactly what they said

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they wouldn't do which is exacting

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revenge on people . And I'll let

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someone else ask about the S . I . V .

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S . But that's what what is the message

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right now to us passport holders and

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families who are like all green card

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holders who were not able to get out .

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Well matt as I said these efforts did

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not end on august 31st and they will

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not end until uh we have secured the

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evacuation of any american citizens and

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L . P . R . S . And folks who worked

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with us and serve the american people

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who want to get out . So we've been in

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contact with them In the last 24 hours

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to tell them that we are looking at all

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possible options . Air routes land

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routes uh to continue to find ways for

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them to help evacuate and to support

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them in that we're trying to ascertain

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who precisely still wants to leave who

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they're dependent family members or

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what routes uh may or may not feel

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comfortable to them . We're also

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working intensively as you know with uh

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country's on the ground who are trying

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to get the civilian airport open . Uh

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We're also looking at land routes

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talking to our allies about how that

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might work and how that has worked . So

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we're looking at all possible options ,

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but we're also conveying to them that

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their safety and security is of

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paramount concern to us and as as you

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have said , and as we saw during the

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military phase of the evacuation , we

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have profound security concerns . It's

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a very volatile situation and the

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taliban have to demonstrate that they

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can maintain security for the rest of

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this . Confidence in the United States

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has been shaken perhaps irrevocably

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by the fact that they were being told

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as recently as over the weekend that

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you knew where they were and they

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weren't going to be stranded and yet

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they were . So what precisely are you

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telling them other than we're doing

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everything that we can to try to get

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you out , even though it's clear that

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you don't have a way to do it yet . The

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messages are being tailored depending

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upon who they are and where they are .

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I'm not going to get into the specifics

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of that . But the first thing we have

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to do is ensure that we can get air

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routes and land routes secured and

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that's what we're working on . But what

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we mostly need to understand is to

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continue to evaluate who is where who

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they have with them so that we can , on

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a case by case basis , do what we can

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to to tailor evacuation routes for

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them . Thank

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you madam undersecretary . So I have

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two questions . One is basically

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following up on that , but I want to

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expand it to the CVS as well and

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I understand you may not be able to

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share precise plans that for example

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one of the people that matt mentioned

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is somebody that I spoke to in his

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first story that we put out today and

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this is a U . S . Passport holder and

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he has six daughters . None of them are

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american citizens and basically he was

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assisted but he was told to come to the

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airport alone too and that was the only

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way for him to get out . So for someone

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like this , what is the guidance at the

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moment ? Are you giving any guidance

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about overland routes ? And my second

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question is a little bit wider and

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that's about taliban recognition . Um I

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just want you to talk a little bit

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about the U . S . Strategy on how to

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deal with the taliban because the focus

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has so far been on the evacuation .

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Where is the United States with that ?

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We see that europe coming to maybe

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accept the reality that they have to

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deal with the taliban a little bit

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earlier than the United States . If you

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could just update us on where you're

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thinking on that . And what are you

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talking about that with your allies ?

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Thank you . Well first of all , be

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interested after this about any

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information you have about this

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specific american as you know the

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guidance to americans throughout has

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been that we were eager to assist them ,

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their spouses and their minor Children .

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So I'm not sure about this report that

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you have but it doesn't track with the

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way we have been dealing with these

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cases . As I said , we are working on

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trying to get that uh supporting those

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partners on the ground who are trying

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to get that airport open . And we are

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also looking at land routes . I think

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on land routes . I don't want to be any

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more specific because as you know , it

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is a long journey with lots of dangers

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and we don't want to further endanger

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folks who might be involved in that

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under recognition . On the question of

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recognition . You know , we have

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obviously had contacts with the taliban .

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We had it during the effort that we

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were trying to the midwife and

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negotiation . Those conversations have

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continued intensively to enable the

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evacuation of that we undertook and to

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try to get the kinds of guarantees of

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safe passage etcetera and tolerance .

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And to talk about the standards set in

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the U . N . Security Council resolution

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to talk about the terrorist threat as

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well . Because the expectation is that

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they claim to be able to control the

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security of Afghanistan . We'll see if

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that if that is the case that is a far

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cry from formal recognition . We will

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continue to have conversations that

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serve our interest as well , our allies

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and partners . But the first thing we

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want to see is them live up to the

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obligations that they have under the U .

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N . Charter as well as the public

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statements that they themselves have

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made about their expectations for and

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Afghanistan that respects human rights ,

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respects international law allows

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international citizens and afghans who

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wish to to leave . Okay all right thank

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you . Um Has the number of american

15:08.550 --> 15:10.717
citizens still on the ground changed ?

15:10.717 --> 15:12.883
For example have any of the people who

15:12.883 --> 15:15.106
were on the fence about leaving or said

15:15.106 --> 15:17.161
they were going to stay change their

15:17.161 --> 15:17.110
mind in the last few days since the U .

15:17.110 --> 15:19.332
S . Withdrawal was completed . And then

15:19.332 --> 15:21.290
realistically what is the earliest

15:21.290 --> 15:23.179
timeline we could see the airport

15:23.179 --> 15:25.401
reopened ? Do you have firm commitments

15:25.401 --> 15:27.568
from anyone to help with the operation

15:27.568 --> 15:29.679
of that airport ? Um so just to say I

15:29.679 --> 15:31.734
don't have information about the how

15:31.734 --> 15:33.957
the phone tree calls have gone over the

15:33.957 --> 15:36.068
last 24 hours . I would say that as a

15:36.068 --> 15:38.160
general matter um

15:39.730 --> 15:42.550
the messages we get from some of these

15:42.550 --> 15:44.460
americans who have not yet left

15:44.940 --> 15:48.280
sometimes vary over the course of time .

15:48.290 --> 15:50.980
You know they have differing situations .

15:50.980 --> 15:54.240
They may have um elderly relatives who

15:54.240 --> 15:56.462
don't want to leave and therefore their

15:56.462 --> 15:58.680
own decisions about leaving our um

15:58.680 --> 16:00.847
complex . Let's put it that way . They

16:00.847 --> 16:02.958
may have other reasons that they that

16:02.958 --> 16:05.520
they want to stay . So i without giving

16:05.520 --> 16:07.810
you specifics , I would say that what's

16:07.810 --> 16:10.050
most important is that we remain in

16:10.050 --> 16:12.770
constant contact with everybody on our

16:12.770 --> 16:15.620
list because needs are changing

16:15.630 --> 16:18.270
perceptions of um interests are

16:18.270 --> 16:21.290
changing as well as uh you know ,

16:21.300 --> 16:23.910
availability of how we would work with

16:23.910 --> 16:26.250
them . Um And with regard to the

16:26.250 --> 16:28.950
airport , you know the there are a

16:28.950 --> 16:31.172
couple of countries with representation

16:31.172 --> 16:33.283
in Afghanistan . I think we've talked

16:33.283 --> 16:33.270
about gutter , we've talked about

16:33.280 --> 16:35.770
Turkey who are working with the taliban

16:35.770 --> 16:37.881
to try to get the airport open . They

16:37.881 --> 16:39.937
have let them speak for themselves .

16:39.937 --> 16:41.714
They have relatively optimistic

16:41.714 --> 16:44.048
projections about when that will happen .

16:44.048 --> 16:46.103
Um But you know we we need to see it

16:46.103 --> 16:49.110
happen obviously . So thanks . Could I

16:49.110 --> 16:50.888
follow up a little bit humorous

16:50.888 --> 16:53.110
question recognition what's the message

16:53.110 --> 16:55.332
of the United States if any is given to

16:55.332 --> 16:57.054
other countries and whether to

16:57.054 --> 16:58.943
recognize as you know , there are

16:58.943 --> 17:01.054
reports that the taliban may announce

17:01.054 --> 17:00.720
some sort of government and in the

17:00.720 --> 17:02.720
coming days first of all , what are

17:02.720 --> 17:04.887
your what are the U . S . Expectations

17:04.940 --> 17:06.662
for the government ? Including

17:06.662 --> 17:08.884
inclusivity . And is there a message to

17:08.884 --> 17:10.773
other countries on whether not to

17:10.773 --> 17:12.996
recognize this government ? I think I'm

17:12.996 --> 17:14.996
not gonna go too far down this road

17:14.996 --> 17:17.218
other than to say that we stand by what

17:17.218 --> 17:19.218
was in the U . N . Security Council

17:19.218 --> 17:20.718
resolution . Those are the

17:20.718 --> 17:22.884
international community's expectations

17:22.884 --> 17:25.310
and the unsc s expectations for a

17:25.310 --> 17:27.540
taliban led government and the way it

17:27.540 --> 17:29.830
will govern in the way it will internet

17:29.840 --> 17:32.118
interact with the international system .

17:32.118 --> 17:34.284
I think we need to see them live up to

17:34.284 --> 17:36.340
their own commitments and live up to

17:36.340 --> 17:38.562
the standards set by the UNsc before we

17:38.562 --> 17:40.840
go very far down this road . Thank you .

17:40.840 --> 17:43.700
Good to see you . Good to see you very

17:43.700 --> 17:46.260
quickly . You the President second of

17:46.260 --> 17:48.427
state . They keep they all keep saying

17:48.500 --> 17:50.556
we expect the taliban to honor their

17:50.556 --> 17:52.667
commitment . What is in their history

17:52.740 --> 17:55.770
that actually points to the fact that

17:55.770 --> 17:57.992
they will honor these commitments . You

17:57.992 --> 18:00.159
know , that's quite a journey from the

18:00.159 --> 18:02.380
time they went in to obliterate them ,

18:02.380 --> 18:04.490
destroy them , blow them out of

18:04.490 --> 18:07.100
existence today when you are actually

18:07.110 --> 18:09.150
camping on them to honor their

18:09.150 --> 18:11.206
committee . Well , say , I think you

18:11.206 --> 18:13.150
just made our point that we're not

18:13.150 --> 18:15.261
gonna take them at their word , we're

18:15.261 --> 18:17.428
going to take them at their deeds . So

18:17.428 --> 18:19.428
they've got a lot to prove based on

18:19.428 --> 18:19.160
their old track record . As you know

18:19.630 --> 18:22.370
now they also have a lot to gain if

18:22.370 --> 18:26.090
they can run Afghanistan

18:26.090 --> 18:28.210
far far differently than they did the

18:28.210 --> 18:30.432
last time they were in power . And they

18:30.432 --> 18:33.610
have said that they want to be welcomed

18:33.610 --> 18:35.777
into the international community while

18:35.777 --> 18:37.610
we set that standard in the UNsC

18:37.610 --> 18:40.770
resolution on monday and it's really

18:40.770 --> 18:43.010
now up to them to form a government and

18:43.010 --> 18:45.010
manage the country in a manner that

18:45.010 --> 18:47.343
lives up to those standards . Thank you .

18:47.343 --> 18:49.750
Thank you . That from that , the

18:49.750 --> 18:52.760
secretary welcome to the podium . Thank

18:52.760 --> 18:55.370
you . I'm having a flashback here ,

18:55.380 --> 18:57.670
really know faces are the same . We'll

18:57.670 --> 19:00.550
come back to Britain room if I may

19:00.560 --> 19:04.490
uh If I may ask about S . I .

19:04.500 --> 19:07.180
P . S . It's a State Department

19:07.190 --> 19:11.130
advising Afghanistan . HIV applicants

19:11.140 --> 19:14.350
to transfer their cases to

19:14.740 --> 19:17.950
embassies or consular offices outside

19:17.950 --> 19:21.750
of Afghanistan . If so has the

19:21.750 --> 19:24.010
State Department received assurances

19:24.010 --> 19:26.020
from the taliban that they will be

19:26.020 --> 19:28.630
provided safe passage and necessary

19:28.640 --> 19:30.529
travel document . The reason that

19:30.529 --> 19:33.660
ethics just our sources on the ground

19:33.670 --> 19:37.450
who applicants received new

19:37.940 --> 19:40.210
advisory telling them to transfer the

19:40.220 --> 19:43.420
case to nearby embassy . But the

19:43.430 --> 19:45.652
difficulties they cannot get out of the

19:45.652 --> 19:47.730
country because they may need to get

19:47.740 --> 19:50.580
the passport from the taliban to leave

19:50.580 --> 19:53.090
the country . So if you like . Okay

19:53.090 --> 19:55.257
well I don't want to get too much into

19:55.257 --> 19:57.201
the complexities of counselor work

19:57.201 --> 19:59.380
because I will you know mess it up .

19:59.390 --> 20:01.410
But let me simply say that first we

20:01.410 --> 20:04.100
have a large number of S . I . V .

20:04.640 --> 20:06.990
Applicants or S . I . V . Eligible

20:06.990 --> 20:09.090
people who are currently being

20:09.090 --> 20:11.280
processed already for entry into the

20:11.280 --> 20:13.230
United States or they have already

20:13.230 --> 20:15.850
arrived . If they already had their S .

20:15.850 --> 20:17.850
I . V . Foil in their passport then

20:17.850 --> 20:19.961
they can come right in . If they were

20:19.961 --> 20:22.017
halfway through processing then that

20:22.017 --> 20:24.239
processing has to be continued wherever

20:24.239 --> 20:27.600
they are . Um And they are also

20:27.610 --> 20:30.830
on our priority list if they are still

20:30.830 --> 20:33.300
in Afghanistan to try to help them to

20:33.300 --> 20:35.560
evacuate if they so wish or if they are

20:35.560 --> 20:37.990
at risk now some S . I . V . S . Have

20:37.990 --> 20:40.670
found themselves or S . I . V .

20:40.670 --> 20:42.960
Eligible folk have found themselves at

20:43.140 --> 20:46.400
in countries other than where we have

20:46.400 --> 20:49.060
our transit centers and in that case

20:49.060 --> 20:51.660
they can appear at U . S . Embassies

20:51.660 --> 20:55.340
and consulates and make their claim

20:55.340 --> 20:57.300
known and we can receive them for

20:57.300 --> 20:59.467
processing there if that makes sense .

20:59.940 --> 21:02.700
Would you consider electronic ? I'm

21:02.700 --> 21:04.700
sorry . Would you uh what the State

21:04.700 --> 21:06.820
Department consider providing issuing

21:06.830 --> 21:10.690
electronic documents . So for

21:10.690 --> 21:13.840
those uh folks who are still in

21:13.840 --> 21:16.900
Afghanistan who have a claim to come

21:16.900 --> 21:19.380
and who we want to help evacuate . Part

21:19.380 --> 21:21.930
of this process will be to ensure that

21:21.930 --> 21:24.380
they have a document , a travel

21:24.380 --> 21:27.220
document from us that the taliban will

21:27.230 --> 21:29.720
recognize because they have said that

21:29.720 --> 21:31.660
they will allow folks who have a

21:31.660 --> 21:33.990
legitimate travel document to evacuate .

21:33.990 --> 21:36.240
So as I said , some already have that

21:36.240 --> 21:38.184
document . Some have an electronic

21:38.184 --> 21:41.410
document . Some we may need to work on

21:41.420 --> 21:44.260
building a named document and we're

21:44.260 --> 21:46.204
looking at all of those things And

21:46.204 --> 21:48.038
working on them . Take one final

21:48.038 --> 21:50.600
question . My colleagues questions

21:50.600 --> 21:52.980
about recognition . I know you said

21:52.980 --> 21:54.980
that you will monitor the taliban's

21:54.980 --> 21:57.370
deeds here . But less than a month ago ,

21:57.370 --> 22:00.080
Secretary of State Lincoln said from

22:00.080 --> 22:02.580
that podium that uh international

22:02.580 --> 22:04.636
recognition along with international

22:04.636 --> 22:06.636
aid , the lifting of sanctions , he

22:06.636 --> 22:08.580
said none of those are going to be

22:08.580 --> 22:10.691
possible if the Taliban seeks to take

22:10.691 --> 22:12.830
the country by force , they now have

22:12.830 --> 22:14.960
done so . So why aren't all of those

22:14.960 --> 22:17.016
things inherently off of the table .

22:17.016 --> 22:19.127
What does it say about America's word

22:19.127 --> 22:22.100
here that they are . I didn't say that

22:22.100 --> 22:24.267
recognition was on the table . Did I ?

22:24.267 --> 22:27.420
Uh you know , we we had what I said was

22:27.430 --> 22:31.030
uh our relationship with the taliban

22:31.030 --> 22:33.400
will be guided by what they do not by

22:33.400 --> 22:36.700
what they say . Uh Now that said ,

22:36.710 --> 22:40.550
there are some urgent questions uh like

22:40.560 --> 22:43.410
the humanitarian condition of the

22:43.410 --> 22:46.000
people of Afghanistan . So we are

22:46.000 --> 22:48.340
looking at those kinds of things how we

22:48.340 --> 22:50.790
can continue to provide humanitarian

22:50.800 --> 22:53.620
aid without benefiting any government

22:53.620 --> 22:55.787
that is formed . Those kinds of things

22:55.787 --> 22:58.300
are natural , but we have made no

22:58.300 --> 23:00.411
decisions about any of the rest of it

23:00.411 --> 23:03.180
and we certainly won't uh unless and

23:03.180 --> 23:05.930
until we see the kinds of behavior

23:05.940 --> 23:07.773
expected in the U . N . Security

23:07.773 --> 23:09.884
Council resolution . Great to be with

23:09.884 --> 23:12.550
all of you . Okay , thanks .

23:17.440 --> 23:21.320
Okay , before we resume

23:21.320 --> 23:23.542
taking questions , let me just speak to

23:23.542 --> 23:25.930
a couple issues . Uh First on Ethiopia ,

23:25.940 --> 23:27.970
nearly one month after Usaid

23:27.970 --> 23:30.370
Administrator Samantha power was on the

23:30.370 --> 23:32.280
ground there in Ethiopia , she

23:32.280 --> 23:34.640
emphasized the dire humanitarian

23:34.640 --> 23:38.620
catastrophe that faces over 5.2 million

23:38.630 --> 23:40.940
people . This situation on the ground

23:40.950 --> 23:43.172
has only gotten worse since then . From

23:43.172 --> 23:45.394
the beginning of the crisis in Northern

23:45.394 --> 23:47.617
Ethiopia , the United States has called

23:47.617 --> 23:49.339
for a negotiated ceasefire and

23:49.340 --> 23:52.740
unhindered humanitarian access . The

23:52.740 --> 23:55.290
truth is that access has been limited

23:55.300 --> 23:57.740
to but a trickle by the government of

23:57.740 --> 24:00.860
Ethiopia warehouses sit empty in Tigre

24:00.870 --> 24:02.703
because the government has put a

24:02.703 --> 24:05.520
stranglehold around the region trucks

24:05.520 --> 24:07.742
with life saving assistance continue to

24:07.742 --> 24:10.210
remain idle as administrator power

24:10.220 --> 24:12.530
herself lamented a month ago . While

24:12.530 --> 24:15.350
desperate Ethiopians slide closer to

24:15.350 --> 24:17.730
famine . While we are concerned about

24:17.740 --> 24:19.770
any and all reports of humanitarian

24:19.770 --> 24:22.280
assistance being diverted from , from

24:22.280 --> 24:24.058
those for whom it is intended ,

24:24.058 --> 24:26.350
humanitarian assistance must be allowed

24:26.360 --> 24:28.830
to reach populations in need by the

24:28.830 --> 24:31.260
government of Ethiopia and all parties

24:31.340 --> 24:34.240
that includes the TPLF . These parties

24:34.240 --> 24:36.260
must cease the violence . That only

24:36.270 --> 24:39.060
worse is worsens the current situation .

24:41.440 --> 24:44.500
Right ? So with that , I believe we

24:44.500 --> 24:47.990
have one additional uh topper . We

24:47.990 --> 24:51.140
remain deeply concerned over the

24:51.140 --> 24:53.307
continued detention of U . S . Citizen

24:53.307 --> 24:55.620
Danny fencer who was working as a

24:55.620 --> 24:57.900
journalist in Burma Yesterday , Danny

24:57.900 --> 25:00.960
marked his 100th day in detention .

25:01.540 --> 25:04.360
Journalism is not a crime . The family ,

25:04.370 --> 25:06.314
the detention of Danny finster and

25:06.314 --> 25:08.148
other journalists constitutes an

25:08.148 --> 25:10.037
unacceptable attack on freedom of

25:10.037 --> 25:13.130
expression in Burma . We continue to

25:13.130 --> 25:15.850
press Burma's military regime to

25:15.850 --> 25:18.660
release Danny immediately , we will do

25:18.660 --> 25:22.160
so until he's safely returns home to

25:22.160 --> 25:25.460
his family with that . Happy to resume

25:25.460 --> 25:28.170
your questions . Great . Thanks . Um ,

25:28.640 --> 25:30.807
I just want to drill down a little bit

25:30.807 --> 25:34.640
into this 100-200 that who remain

25:34.650 --> 25:36.780
US citizens . These are passport

25:36.780 --> 25:39.002
holders . Right ? This does not include

25:39.002 --> 25:41.280
L . P . R . S . That is correct . Well ,

25:41.280 --> 25:43.058
what's the , you must have some

25:43.058 --> 25:45.280
estimate of NPR's who are still there ,

25:45.290 --> 25:47.570
who who want to get out and if you

25:47.570 --> 25:51.230
don't , why not ? Well , that uh ,

25:51.240 --> 25:53.407
we let me let me first start with this

25:53.407 --> 25:55.880
issue of the 100 to 200 100 . And to

25:55.880 --> 25:58.130
reiterate a couple pieces that under

25:58.130 --> 26:00.570
Secretary Nuland said um we've been at

26:00.570 --> 26:03.110
this point of 100 to 200 over the past

26:03.110 --> 26:05.166
couple of days . You heard this from

26:05.166 --> 26:07.388
Secretary Blinken , You heard this from

26:07.388 --> 26:09.499
the President as well . But it's also

26:09.499 --> 26:11.721
true That over the past couple days and

26:11.721 --> 26:13.890
in fact overnight um we have been in

26:13.890 --> 26:17.250
touch with everyone in that remaining

26:17.250 --> 26:19.660
100-200 and we do have a little bit

26:19.660 --> 26:22.600
more fidelity on that group that we've

26:22.600 --> 26:24.489
been able to garner over the past

26:24.489 --> 26:26.489
couple days . We have said that the

26:26.489 --> 26:28.700
number is likely closer to 100 .

26:28.700 --> 26:31.300
Everything we have seen over the course

26:31.300 --> 26:33.820
of the past 48 to 72 hours indicates

26:33.820 --> 26:36.180
that is in fact the case . The number

26:36.180 --> 26:39.420
is likely closer to 100 perhaps

26:39.420 --> 26:43.310
considerably closer to 100 . Again ,

26:43.320 --> 26:46.460
this number is dynamic , it will go

26:46.460 --> 26:48.349
down and in fact we have received

26:48.349 --> 26:50.120
confirmation that some of the

26:50.120 --> 26:52.430
individuals we initially included in

26:52.430 --> 26:55.230
this range of 100 to 200 were in fact

26:55.240 --> 26:57.380
never in Afghanistan or were not in

26:57.380 --> 26:59.213
Afghanistan . We were doing that

26:59.213 --> 27:01.324
outreach or have safely returned home

27:01.324 --> 27:03.700
in recent hours . I'm asking about

27:03.700 --> 27:05.867
green card holders who you also have a

27:05.867 --> 27:08.144
responsibility to along with the S . I .

27:08.144 --> 27:10.560
D . S . And other as well . But now I'm

27:10.560 --> 27:12.727
just asking about green card holders ,

27:12.740 --> 27:16.260
was there a decision made at some point

27:16.740 --> 27:19.730
to forget about those people and only

27:19.740 --> 27:22.780
allow us passport holders

27:23.240 --> 27:26.090
in and onto into the airport through

27:26.090 --> 27:28.034
your checkpoints , not the taliban

27:28.034 --> 27:31.380
through your checkpoint and onto onto

27:31.380 --> 27:34.340
planes because a lot of them feel like

27:34.340 --> 27:36.610
they frankly got screwed here and that

27:36.610 --> 27:39.410
they were lied to because they had been

27:39.410 --> 27:41.960
told by people on the task force just

27:41.960 --> 27:43.904
what I mentioned Vitoria , we know

27:43.904 --> 27:46.370
where you are . We're not gonna let you

27:46.380 --> 27:49.040
were not gonna strand you . Don't worry

27:49.040 --> 27:52.410
stay tight , hold tight . And

27:52.420 --> 27:55.340
now you know what do they do I mean are

27:55.340 --> 27:58.390
you in touch also with the green card

27:58.390 --> 28:01.670
holders so that in the last 24 hours .

28:01.680 --> 28:03.950
So let let me start by saying we have a

28:03.960 --> 28:06.550
special responsibility to american

28:06.550 --> 28:08.661
citizens . Uh and that is spelled out

28:08.661 --> 28:11.870
in 22 U . S . Code section 48 02 . It

28:11.870 --> 28:14.190
is spelled out in some detail there the

28:14.190 --> 28:16.412
special responsibility . We have to U .

28:16.412 --> 28:18.380
S . Citizens . We also do have a

28:18.380 --> 28:21.960
commitment to LPR to lawful permanent

28:21.970 --> 28:24.081
residents . And we have been in touch

28:24.081 --> 28:26.810
with those with L . P . R . S . We had

28:26.810 --> 28:28.750
good reason at the time to be in

28:28.750 --> 28:32.200
Afghanistan uh as the evacuation

28:32.200 --> 28:34.710
operation was underway . So when we

28:34.710 --> 28:36.543
first started messaging american

28:36.543 --> 28:39.770
citizens S . I . V . S . Other at risk

28:39.770 --> 28:42.130
afghans . We absolutely did uh and

28:42.130 --> 28:45.090
continue to message lawful permanent

28:45.100 --> 28:48.460
residents . Uh So let me let me just

28:48.470 --> 28:51.480
make another point here . We have been

28:51.480 --> 28:54.220
consistent in that messaging that we

28:54.220 --> 28:56.053
will do during the course of the

28:56.053 --> 28:58.109
evacuation . Everything in our power

28:58.109 --> 29:00.540
and space permitting too bring them to

29:00.540 --> 29:02.860
safety on a US military airplane . Now

29:02.860 --> 29:04.693
of course our commitment has not

29:04.693 --> 29:06.980
expired . That commitment endures and

29:06.980 --> 29:09.800
now we remain committed to bringing

29:09.800 --> 29:12.710
them out of Afghanistan if they should

29:12.710 --> 29:15.150
choose to do so . When it comes to the

29:15.150 --> 29:18.800
number , We have gone to some pains to

29:18.800 --> 29:22.070
explain how we arrived at the figure of

29:22.080 --> 29:25.230
approximately 6000 . When it comes to

29:25.240 --> 29:27.400
American citizens . That is a figure

29:27.400 --> 29:29.511
where we have the greatest fidelity .

29:29.511 --> 29:30.956
Again , because our first

29:30.956 --> 29:33.178
responsibility and our first commitment

29:33.178 --> 29:35.230
in all of this has been to american

29:35.230 --> 29:37.508
citizens and american passport holders .

29:37.508 --> 29:39.730
The number when it comes to L . P . R .

29:39.730 --> 29:41.841
S . Is of course going to be larger .

29:41.841 --> 29:44.008
Uh It is going to be a more and it has

29:44.008 --> 29:45.786
been a more complex endeavor to

29:45.786 --> 29:48.160
determine with any specificity what

29:48.160 --> 29:50.327
that number . Maybe we've been able to

29:50.327 --> 29:53.590
refine it . We believe that we have

29:53.600 --> 29:56.720
effectively been able to message this

29:56.730 --> 29:58.897
universe of individuals but we're just

29:58.897 --> 30:02.120
not able at present to give you a firm

30:02.120 --> 30:04.231
figure as to how many L . P . R . S .

30:04.231 --> 30:06.509
Maybe in Afghanistan who wish to leave .

30:06.509 --> 30:08.453
But again , our commitment to them

30:08.453 --> 30:11.170
remains . If there is an LPR in

30:11.170 --> 30:14.230
Afghanistan who indicated a desire to

30:14.230 --> 30:17.560
leave before or who changes his or her

30:17.560 --> 30:19.650
mind in the coming days , weeks ,

30:19.650 --> 30:22.440
months or beyond . We will help that

30:22.440 --> 30:24.329
person . We will help that person

30:24.329 --> 30:26.384
depart Afghanistan . The family that

30:26.384 --> 30:28.273
I'm referring to and possibly the

30:28.273 --> 30:30.760
family that might Romero's refrain . I

30:30.760 --> 30:34.270
mean they were told you guys do know it

30:34.270 --> 30:37.090
defies logic to think that you guys

30:37.090 --> 30:39.312
don't have even a rough estimate of the

30:39.312 --> 30:41.650
number of L . P . R . S . Who are who

30:41.650 --> 30:44.220
are out there . We have endeavored

30:44.230 --> 30:46.830
throughout this to provide only numbers

30:46.830 --> 30:48.719
in which we have a high degree of

30:48.719 --> 30:50.774
confidence . That is why many of you

30:50.774 --> 30:53.480
have asked about reports that the

30:53.490 --> 30:55.490
number of americans was much higher

30:55.490 --> 30:57.820
than it actually was . There have been

30:57.820 --> 30:59.820
a lot of numbers thrown around . We

30:59.820 --> 31:02.200
have done everything we can to provide

31:02.200 --> 31:04.160
you with information that is both

31:04.160 --> 31:06.370
timely but that is also accurate . Uh

31:06.380 --> 31:08.547
And given the complexities involved in

31:08.547 --> 31:11.100
boiling down a number like that . Not

31:11.100 --> 31:13.410
only taking the number of of L . P . R .

31:13.410 --> 31:15.680
S . But then boiling it down to how

31:15.680 --> 31:17.847
many of those L . P . R . S . May wish

31:17.847 --> 31:19.736
to leave the country . Uh That is

31:19.736 --> 31:21.958
something that will take time for us to

31:21.958 --> 31:23.902
offer publicly with some degree of

31:23.902 --> 31:27.540
precision . There's actually a story

31:27.540 --> 31:30.360
that's just out there from politico

31:30.940 --> 31:33.270
citing three people familiar with the

31:33.270 --> 31:36.070
matter that ross Wilson charged affair .

31:36.080 --> 31:38.080
Former charged affair . The U . S .

31:38.080 --> 31:39.913
Embassy in Kabul recently tested

31:39.913 --> 31:42.270
positive for Covid and that he

31:42.280 --> 31:44.447
currently has only very mild cold like

31:44.447 --> 31:46.502
symptoms . Can you confirm , deny or

31:46.502 --> 31:48.760
say anything about this ? You , I hope

31:48.760 --> 31:50.871
you're not surprised to hear me say .

31:50.871 --> 31:52.982
We of course are not in a position to

31:52.982 --> 31:54.950
speak to anyone's private health

31:54.950 --> 31:57.510
records . What I will say is that when

31:57.520 --> 32:00.790
our officers come out of Kabul and they

32:00.800 --> 32:02.856
spend time in a transit point , they

32:02.856 --> 32:05.170
are tested for Covid as a matter of

32:05.170 --> 32:07.890
course . Uh And so we are taking all

32:07.890 --> 32:10.112
appropriate precautions for individuals

32:10.112 --> 32:12.112
who are coming out of Afghanistan .

32:12.112 --> 32:14.168
Look , I don't have to tell you that

32:14.168 --> 32:17.980
individuals who are being relocated who

32:17.980 --> 32:20.550
recently left Kabul have been involved

32:20.740 --> 32:23.980
in um uh one of

32:23.980 --> 32:27.860
the most ambitious um

32:27.870 --> 32:31.730
one of the most intense operations

32:31.740 --> 32:33.962
this department and this government has

32:33.962 --> 32:37.460
ever undertaken . They have been around .

32:37.470 --> 32:39.560
I would presume quite a few people .

32:39.640 --> 32:43.140
The social distancing may have been

32:43.150 --> 32:45.640
difficult at times . And so that is why

32:45.640 --> 32:47.640
we are taking these precautions for

32:47.640 --> 32:50.090
anyone who is , who has recently come

32:50.090 --> 32:52.257
out of Kabul just traveled on a flying

32:52.257 --> 32:55.020
though so I can assure you that if we

32:55.020 --> 32:57.200
knew someone had tested positive for

32:57.200 --> 32:59.410
Covid , we would take appropriate

32:59.410 --> 33:02.130
precautions to relocate anyone like

33:02.130 --> 33:04.241
that back to United States . Okay , I

33:04.241 --> 33:06.463
have one more on your favorite which is

33:06.463 --> 33:08.760
numbers in the briefing earlier today .

33:08.770 --> 33:10.603
Senior State Department official

33:10.603 --> 33:12.437
basically said a majority of the

33:12.437 --> 33:14.381
Afghanistan of the applicants were

33:14.381 --> 33:16.603
still in Afghanistan . So based on your

33:16.603 --> 33:18.910
commitment to get them out . Surely you

33:18.920 --> 33:22.750
do have an estimate or a number

33:22.760 --> 33:25.480
how many people they are . Can you give

33:25.480 --> 33:27.536
a rough number , tens of thousands .

33:27.536 --> 33:30.630
Thousands . Close to 100,000 . So I can

33:30.630 --> 33:32.686
give you a little more specificity .

33:32.686 --> 33:34.870
But let me just explain why we're not

33:34.880 --> 33:36.880
yet in a position to provide a firm

33:36.880 --> 33:39.770
number . As we've said during the

33:39.780 --> 33:42.610
evacuation process , our first priority ,

33:42.610 --> 33:45.140
our priority was putting as many people

33:45.150 --> 33:47.990
on as many planes as quickly as we

33:47.990 --> 33:50.290
could . And of course we brought to the

33:50.290 --> 33:52.390
United States or to third countries

33:52.400 --> 33:56.170
about 124,000 individuals

33:56.240 --> 33:59.230
of those individuals . Most of them

33:59.230 --> 34:01.610
have not yet arrived to the United

34:01.610 --> 34:03.870
States or to the third countries where

34:03.870 --> 34:06.740
they will undergo processing . And so

34:06.740 --> 34:09.070
we are not yet in a position to have

34:09.070 --> 34:11.320
specificity because they are not yet in

34:11.330 --> 34:14.790
most cases in our system to

34:14.800 --> 34:17.560
determine how many may have been S . I .

34:17.560 --> 34:20.600
V . S . How many may have been are

34:20.610 --> 34:22.777
locally employed staff . How many have

34:22.777 --> 34:24.999
may have fallen into the P . One uh M .

34:24.999 --> 34:28.230
P two category . But in terms of a bit

34:28.230 --> 34:31.330
more specificity , Dhs is processing

34:31.330 --> 34:33.770
individuals back in the United States

34:33.780 --> 34:36.350
as you know . And we do have some

34:36.350 --> 34:39.240
preliminary data based on that dhs

34:39.250 --> 34:42.170
processing since august 17th and

34:42.170 --> 34:44.550
through august 31st at midnight Eastern

34:44.550 --> 34:46.670
time , 31,000

34:47.040 --> 34:50.930
107 people have arrived at

34:50.940 --> 34:53.460
to the US as part of this operation .

34:53.590 --> 34:56.720
So of that subset which of course is

34:56.720 --> 35:00.320
just a small subset of the 124,000 .

35:00.490 --> 35:03.960
We understand that about 14% are us

35:03.960 --> 35:07.050
citizens or 4446 . About

35:07.050 --> 35:09.280
9% . R . L . P . R . S .

35:09.290 --> 35:12.430
2785 . And the remaining

35:12.430 --> 35:15.850
77% 23,000

35:15.940 --> 35:19.550
876 individuals are afghans at

35:19.550 --> 35:21.717
risk . And of course falling into that

35:21.717 --> 35:24.930
category . R . S . I . V . S . Other

35:24.940 --> 35:27.710
visa holders , P . One P . Two

35:27.710 --> 35:30.360
referrals and perhaps others as well .

35:30.370 --> 35:33.910
So it is fair to say that the vast

35:33.910 --> 35:37.510
majority of individuals who were

35:37.510 --> 35:40.960
evacuated as of august 31st fall

35:40.960 --> 35:43.920
into the category of afghans at risk .

35:43.930 --> 35:46.930
Uh And many of them will be S . I . V .

35:46.930 --> 35:50.420
S . I should also hasten to add that

35:50.430 --> 35:52.740
the U . S . Citizen figure here , the

35:52.740 --> 35:56.560
14% that's 4446 .

35:56.640 --> 35:58.800
As you know , we've we ourselves

35:58.810 --> 36:02.140
evacuated approximately 5500 and

36:02.140 --> 36:04.290
probably more U . S . Citizens . So

36:04.290 --> 36:06.623
that's the vast majority of us citizens .

36:06.623 --> 36:09.070
So these initial figures probably over

36:09.070 --> 36:12.000
count us citizens because our first

36:12.000 --> 36:13.889
priority , as we've said as I was

36:13.889 --> 36:16.490
telling that earlier was and is to us

36:16.490 --> 36:18.657
citizens , to US passport holders . So

36:18.657 --> 36:20.768
as additional individuals come to the

36:20.768 --> 36:23.230
United States we expect the proportion

36:23.240 --> 36:25.407
of other categories of L . P . R . S .

36:25.407 --> 36:27.830
And afghans at risk to to rise

36:27.840 --> 36:31.690
august 17th 17 31 . That's

36:31.690 --> 36:35.180
right . Uh can I ask you about the

36:35.190 --> 36:38.190
issue of uh journalists from Radio

36:38.200 --> 36:40.422
Radio Azzedine . There's of course been

36:40.422 --> 36:42.970
a lot of concern about uh first of all ,

36:42.970 --> 36:44.914
there are estimates of the numbers

36:44.914 --> 36:47.137
issue of their estimates about how many

36:47.137 --> 36:46.440
are there ? There's estimates of

36:46.450 --> 36:48.506
hundreds . Do you believe the United

36:48.506 --> 36:50.672
States has done everything they can to

36:50.672 --> 36:52.728
to help these people get out if they

36:52.728 --> 36:54.894
choose to and what's the game plan now

36:54.894 --> 36:57.117
for helping journalists from radio to ?

36:57.190 --> 36:59.710
We will continue to do everything we

36:59.710 --> 37:01.932
can we're not talking about this in the

37:01.932 --> 37:04.190
past tense because our efforts have not

37:04.200 --> 37:07.460
ended , our efforts will endure . We

37:07.460 --> 37:09.460
have made a commitment to those who

37:09.460 --> 37:11.682
have served the U . S . Government , to

37:11.682 --> 37:13.516
those who have served the US the

37:13.516 --> 37:16.230
american people to of course american

37:16.230 --> 37:18.452
citizens and lawful permanent residents

37:18.452 --> 37:20.452
as well . So , you heard from Under

37:20.452 --> 37:22.090
Secretary Nuland that we are

37:22.100 --> 37:24.860
considering all possible options to

37:24.870 --> 37:27.660
facilitate the departure of individuals

37:27.670 --> 37:30.210
in these categories from Afghanistan as

37:30.210 --> 37:32.810
a predicate for that . We have worked

37:32.810 --> 37:34.940
with the international community more

37:34.940 --> 37:36.773
than half the country , half the

37:36.773 --> 37:39.840
world's countries . Uh The all of the

37:39.850 --> 37:43.020
most important stakeholders have signed

37:43.020 --> 37:46.220
on to the idea that the taliban must

37:46.230 --> 37:48.063
uphold their commitments of safe

37:48.063 --> 37:50.480
passage . That was job one to

37:50.480 --> 37:52.591
underscore that predicate and to make

37:52.591 --> 37:54.702
clear to the taliban that should they

37:54.702 --> 37:56.580
not uphold that commitment , the

37:56.590 --> 37:59.630
international community would be in a

37:59.630 --> 38:01.686
position to hold them accountable to

38:01.686 --> 38:04.530
that . Number two is working on these

38:04.540 --> 38:07.680
uh potential routes for departure . Uh

38:07.690 --> 38:10.023
And I mean routes literally , and we've ,

38:10.023 --> 38:12.079
we've talked about overland routes ,

38:12.079 --> 38:13.857
but also pathways like civilian

38:13.857 --> 38:17.000
airports Well before the military , the

38:17.010 --> 38:19.330
last military plane left , We had

38:19.330 --> 38:21.670
engaged in diplomacy with countries in

38:21.670 --> 38:23.837
the region to include Qatar to include

38:23.837 --> 38:26.003
Turkey , brought in the private sector

38:26.003 --> 38:28.080
as well to do an assessment of the

38:28.080 --> 38:31.110
airport . And our goal is to support of

38:31.110 --> 38:33.610
safe reopening of this airport just as

38:33.610 --> 38:36.150
soon as we can for two reasons . # one

38:36.410 --> 38:39.160
to allow the provision of humanitarian

38:39.160 --> 38:41.540
supplies to the Afghan people , you

38:41.540 --> 38:43.707
need a functioning civilian airport to

38:43.707 --> 38:45.873
do that . But number two , of course ,

38:45.873 --> 38:48.850
is to provide a means by which those to

38:48.850 --> 38:51.580
whom we have a special commitment to

38:51.590 --> 38:53.757
depart the country . That's what we're

38:53.757 --> 38:55.979
working on as quickly as we can . We're

38:55.979 --> 38:58.090
working to support the efforts of our

38:58.090 --> 39:00.146
partners on the ground and this is a

39:00.146 --> 39:02.368
priority for all of us site . I want to

39:02.368 --> 39:04.534
change topics if I may , let me just ,

39:04.534 --> 39:06.646
let's take a couple more questions in

39:06.646 --> 39:08.757
Afghanistan and then , and then we'll

39:08.757 --> 39:10.979
uh , we'll come back . Yes . So just to

39:10.979 --> 39:12.979
drill down a little bit , I've been

39:12.979 --> 39:15.312
speaking with an american citizen today .

39:15.312 --> 39:17.368
His parents , sister and grandmother

39:17.368 --> 39:19.423
are stuck in Kabul . They try to get

39:19.423 --> 39:21.368
out of the chaos that couldn't and

39:21.368 --> 39:23.423
state departments telling them today

39:23.423 --> 39:25.590
that it could be days and they haven't

39:25.590 --> 39:27.701
communicated a plan for them . And so

39:27.701 --> 39:30.420
my question is what assurances , what

39:30.420 --> 39:32.950
confidence can you give them because it

39:32.950 --> 39:35.117
seems to them that you're telling them

39:35.117 --> 39:37.339
you don't have a plan . And then in the

39:37.339 --> 39:39.450
larger sort of numbers category since

39:39.450 --> 39:41.561
we're doing numbers , have you gotten

39:41.561 --> 39:43.783
any american citizen out since the last

39:43.783 --> 39:46.840
flight left in august started ? So what

39:46.840 --> 39:50.300
I will say is that we are exploring all

39:50.310 --> 39:54.030
possible options to bring americans to

39:54.030 --> 39:56.640
bring L . P . R . S . To bring those to

39:56.640 --> 39:58.751
whom we have a special commitment out

39:58.751 --> 40:00.973
of Afghanistan if they should choose to

40:00.973 --> 40:03.870
do so when we have options for these

40:03.880 --> 40:06.102
individuals . And I say when because we

40:06.102 --> 40:08.120
are we have a commitment and we are

40:08.120 --> 40:10.231
going to continue to do everything we

40:10.231 --> 40:13.220
can to support their desire to leave

40:13.230 --> 40:15.850
the country . Uh We will communicate

40:15.860 --> 40:19.710
directly to them . Uh personalized

40:19.720 --> 40:22.700
instructions on what they should do

40:22.710 --> 40:24.850
when they should do it and how the

40:24.850 --> 40:27.072
United States Government feels , we are

40:27.072 --> 40:29.239
best positioned to help them do that .

40:29.239 --> 40:31.294
So I can't speak to specific cases .

40:31.294 --> 40:33.239
But what I can say broadly is that

40:33.239 --> 40:36.550
specific individuals in Afghanistan to

40:36.550 --> 40:38.606
include american citizens and others

40:38.606 --> 40:41.470
who may have recently decided they wish

40:41.470 --> 40:43.720
to leave the country or were unable to

40:43.720 --> 40:45.942
leave the country during the evacuation

40:45.942 --> 40:48.109
or might decide tomorrow or next month

40:48.109 --> 40:50.164
or next year that they wish to leave

40:50.164 --> 40:51.942
the country . They will receive

40:51.942 --> 40:54.620
specific tailored messages from us as

40:54.620 --> 40:56.787
we develop and start to operationalize

40:56.787 --> 40:58.787
these plants . Yes . Did you have a

40:58.787 --> 41:00.842
number for many americans gotten out

41:00.842 --> 41:03.380
since that last flight , I don't have I

41:03.380 --> 41:05.324
don't have data to provide on that

41:05.324 --> 41:08.640
front one . The Taliban had showed

41:08.640 --> 41:10.751
interest that the US would continuous

41:10.751 --> 41:13.290
diplomatic presence in Kabul . What are

41:13.290 --> 41:15.250
the reasons for why you moved your

41:15.260 --> 41:17.316
diplomatic presence from Kabul to do

41:17.316 --> 41:19.149
her ? Was it because of security

41:19.149 --> 41:21.038
reasons ? Or secondly , you don't

41:21.038 --> 41:23.550
recognize Taliban As of now it's not an

41:23.550 --> 41:26.430
either or our first priority is the

41:26.430 --> 41:28.820
safety and security of the american

41:28.820 --> 41:30.820
people . We've talked about this in

41:30.820 --> 41:32.653
different context today but that

41:32.653 --> 41:34.820
certainly applies to our diplomats and

41:34.820 --> 41:36.653
other professionals who would be

41:36.653 --> 41:38.542
serving in any diplomatic mission

41:38.542 --> 41:40.487
around the world . And we made the

41:40.487 --> 41:42.376
judgment for I think reasons that

41:42.376 --> 41:44.431
should be understandable to everyone

41:44.431 --> 41:47.340
that it was not a appropriate for us to

41:47.340 --> 41:49.830
maintain a diplomatic mission in

41:49.830 --> 41:52.010
Afghanistan at this time . Given the

41:52.010 --> 41:54.330
security environment now on top of that

41:54.340 --> 41:57.540
there are other issues of recognition

41:57.540 --> 42:00.410
and what our diplomacy towards any

42:00.410 --> 42:02.980
future government in Afghanistan might

42:02.980 --> 42:05.036
look like . We feel that we are best

42:05.036 --> 42:07.120
equipped to approach any future

42:07.120 --> 42:09.780
government in Afghanistan from the team

42:09.780 --> 42:11.891
we have on the ground that is already

42:11.891 --> 42:14.650
operating on the ground in Doha . We

42:14.650 --> 42:16.817
are aided in that endeavor by the fact

42:16.817 --> 42:19.039
that a number of other countries around

42:19.039 --> 42:21.810
the world have offices in Doha where

42:21.810 --> 42:23.754
they have engaged with the Taliban

42:23.754 --> 42:25.532
previously , where much of this

42:25.532 --> 42:28.200
multilateral diplomacy has taken place .

42:28.200 --> 42:30.422
So we came to the judgment as have many

42:30.422 --> 42:32.756
other countries that approach from Doha .

42:32.756 --> 42:34.478
Was the appropriate setting to

42:34.478 --> 42:36.478
undertake this one more question on

42:36.478 --> 42:38.589
former President Ashraf Ghani , thank

42:38.589 --> 42:40.700
you . You call him a former now he he

42:40.700 --> 42:43.370
has said that in his talks with

42:43.370 --> 42:45.592
President biden last conversation which

42:45.592 --> 42:47.537
was reported today That there were

42:47.537 --> 42:50.580
10-15,000 Pakistani soldiers in the

42:50.580 --> 42:52.960
Taliban group . He's using the word

42:52.960 --> 42:55.890
invasion of Afghanistan . Do you see

42:55.890 --> 42:58.020
the foreign troops within the Taliban

42:58.020 --> 43:00.890
foreign forces in the Taliban Who have

43:00.900 --> 43:03.020
one or rule in Kabul in Afghanistan ?

43:03.400 --> 43:06.000
I'm just not in a position to comment

43:06.000 --> 43:08.810
on that to confirm those reports . Um

43:08.810 --> 43:10.921
If we have anything more will provide

43:10.921 --> 43:12.866
it . Yes . Kind of on the issue of

43:12.866 --> 43:14.977
landlords and I didn't want to give a

43:14.977 --> 43:14.890
lot of operational details . But can

43:14.890 --> 43:17.057
you just say whether or not that would

43:17.057 --> 43:19.168
involve any U . S . Government assets

43:19.168 --> 43:21.390
helping people get out of the country ?

43:21.390 --> 43:21.390
You are right that I do not wish to

43:21.390 --> 43:23.612
provide any more details there . Yeah .

43:23.612 --> 43:25.723
Just another fellow . Yeah . Um There

43:25.723 --> 43:27.834
was a Qatari flight that landed today

43:27.834 --> 43:30.080
at Kabul airport um was the U . S . At

43:30.080 --> 43:32.247
all coordinating with the guitarist on

43:32.247 --> 43:34.302
that . Have you made any progress in

43:34.302 --> 43:36.302
terms of reopening the airport ? So

43:36.302 --> 43:38.413
this is something that the Turks that

43:38.413 --> 43:41.750
the qataris that together with forces

43:41.750 --> 43:44.760
on the ground are working as quickly as

43:44.760 --> 43:47.220
they can to reopen the civilian airport .

43:47.220 --> 43:49.331
This was an endeavor that we continue

43:49.331 --> 43:52.020
to support in every way we can because

43:52.020 --> 43:54.187
we believe it is important for our own

43:54.187 --> 43:56.830
interests . Again that includes the

43:56.840 --> 43:59.173
potential to bring additional americans ,

43:59.173 --> 44:01.062
L . P . R . S . And others out of

44:01.062 --> 44:03.284
Afghanistan if they should choose to do

44:03.284 --> 44:05.340
so . But also as a means by which to

44:05.340 --> 44:07.507
provide humanitarian assistance to the

44:07.507 --> 44:09.284
people of Afghanistan . We have

44:09.284 --> 44:11.451
coordinated closely with the countries

44:11.451 --> 44:14.430
with the Turks . We had worked uh

44:14.440 --> 44:17.850
again from a pragmatic basis with the

44:17.850 --> 44:20.690
Taliban on this question as well . But

44:20.690 --> 44:22.579
I'm not in position to comment on

44:22.579 --> 44:24.579
specific flights that mainland Mark

44:24.660 --> 44:26.716
Allen , who apparently tried to make

44:26.716 --> 44:30.020
his way to Afghanistan , contacted the

44:30.020 --> 44:32.187
U . S . Ambassador in Tajikistan . Can

44:32.187 --> 44:34.298
you speak to what context he may have

44:34.298 --> 44:36.464
had with the State Department and with

44:36.464 --> 44:38.798
that he successfully got to Afghanistan .

44:38.798 --> 44:41.020
As you know , the State Department does

44:41.020 --> 44:43.020
not routinely comment on the travel

44:43.020 --> 44:45.131
plans of private american citizens or

44:45.131 --> 44:47.450
members of Congress for that matter .

44:47.490 --> 44:51.140
But we have made it abundantly clear

44:51.150 --> 44:54.890
that travel to Afghanistan is not

44:54.890 --> 44:57.030
safe . And it is something that we

44:57.030 --> 44:59.670
certainly do not recommend , we have a

44:59.670 --> 45:03.560
level for travel advisory issued for

45:03.570 --> 45:06.370
Afghanistan , we have issued a series

45:06.380 --> 45:09.470
of increasingly urgent warnings to the

45:09.470 --> 45:11.526
american people and by extension the

45:11.526 --> 45:13.414
broader public Over the course of

45:13.414 --> 45:15.637
months and in fact , over the course of

45:15.637 --> 45:17.470
20 years regarding the potential

45:17.470 --> 45:20.610
dangers of travel to Afghanistan when

45:20.610 --> 45:23.620
it comes to our missions abroad . Every

45:23.620 --> 45:25.509
single embassy of ours . And this

45:25.509 --> 45:28.440
includes our embassy in Dushanbe a has

45:28.450 --> 45:31.880
a foremost responsibility to look after

45:31.890 --> 45:34.270
the welfare of American citizens . Uh

45:34.270 --> 45:36.970
And our team has been intensely focused

45:36.980 --> 45:40.980
on assisting americans who who may

45:40.980 --> 45:43.580
have been exiting Afghanistan into

45:43.580 --> 45:46.200
Tajikistan in in recent weeks . But um

45:46.210 --> 45:48.154
I will leave it at that . Yes , we

45:48.154 --> 45:50.160
follow up to the embassies . Um the

45:50.160 --> 45:52.160
undersecretary of saying you are in

45:52.160 --> 45:54.327
contact with countries that have still

45:54.327 --> 45:56.216
a presence in Kabul , what do you

45:56.216 --> 45:58.438
expect from european countries like the

45:58.438 --> 46:00.160
UK or Germany or what are your

46:00.160 --> 46:02.216
expectations in general there ? What

46:02.216 --> 46:04.216
can they do that you can't ? Well ,

46:04.216 --> 46:06.710
before we get into the dynamics of what

46:06.720 --> 46:08.720
engagement with any future Afghan

46:08.720 --> 46:10.720
government might look like a couple

46:10.720 --> 46:12.942
things need to happen first . There has

46:12.942 --> 46:15.053
to be on the next afghan government .

46:15.053 --> 46:16.920
And of course that has not been

46:16.920 --> 46:19.440
formally formed just yet . More

46:19.440 --> 46:21.384
importantly , uh the international

46:21.384 --> 46:23.610
community needs to get a sense not only

46:23.610 --> 46:26.200
for what that government is in name ,

46:26.210 --> 46:30.150
but what it does indeed , before we

46:30.150 --> 46:32.410
are able to make any judgments about

46:32.410 --> 46:34.730
what is in our national interest ,

46:34.730 --> 46:36.910
what's in our shared national interest

46:36.910 --> 46:39.077
for any potential practical engagement

46:39.080 --> 46:41.780
or not with any such future government .

46:41.780 --> 46:43.891
So what we're doing now , rather than

46:43.891 --> 46:45.947
talking about , well who is going to

46:45.947 --> 46:48.950
have a presence on the ground or who is

46:48.950 --> 46:51.390
going to engage practically in what way

46:51.400 --> 46:54.980
right now , we're establishing a set of

46:54.990 --> 46:58.640
shared expectations for any

46:58.650 --> 47:00.817
future government in Afghanistan . And

47:00.817 --> 47:03.039
you have seen those shared expectations

47:03.039 --> 47:04.950
emerge in any number of forms ?

47:04.990 --> 47:06.823
Secretary Under Secretary Nuland

47:06.823 --> 47:08.990
mentioned the U . N . Security Council

47:08.990 --> 47:11.810
resolution , we have spoken

47:11.820 --> 47:15.700
collectively and singularly as G seven

47:15.710 --> 47:18.900
NATO has spoken to this as well . The

47:18.900 --> 47:21.660
secretary convened a ministerial with

47:21.660 --> 47:23.382
some of the region's important

47:23.382 --> 47:25.438
stakeholders and some of our closest

47:25.438 --> 47:27.604
allies . So there have been any number

47:27.604 --> 47:29.827
of opportunities , any number of for uh

47:29.827 --> 47:32.530
for us to establish this shared set of

47:32.540 --> 47:35.300
expectations . This shared set of

47:35.300 --> 47:38.530
criteria for what we collectively may

47:38.530 --> 47:40.840
or may not do vis a vis any future

47:40.840 --> 47:42.896
afghan government . But I understand

47:42.896 --> 47:44.951
that undersecretary was referring to

47:44.951 --> 47:46.951
the point that you still try to get

47:46.951 --> 47:49.118
american citizens out of the country .

47:49.118 --> 47:51.284
That so practically what can countries

47:51.284 --> 47:53.284
like UK and Germany do right now to

47:53.284 --> 47:55.340
help you there ? Well , uh we are in

47:55.340 --> 47:58.130
this together uh and I know that the

47:58.140 --> 48:00.084
british government that the german

48:00.084 --> 48:01.696
government , there are other

48:01.696 --> 48:03.696
governments who are doing precisely

48:03.696 --> 48:05.807
what it is that we are doing . Uh and

48:05.807 --> 48:09.600
that is conceiving of plans to help

48:09.610 --> 48:11.610
our citizens to help those who have

48:11.610 --> 48:13.777
helped our governments and our peoples

48:13.777 --> 48:15.943
over the years to depart Afghanistan ,

48:15.943 --> 48:18.370
should they choose to do so for obvious

48:18.370 --> 48:20.314
reasons , we're not detailing what

48:20.314 --> 48:22.890
those plans might entail just yet , but

48:22.900 --> 48:25.140
it is something that it is a shared

48:25.140 --> 48:27.240
priority across governments and in

48:27.250 --> 48:30.170
every one of those multilateral

48:30.170 --> 48:31.892
engagements , there has been a

48:31.892 --> 48:34.500
discussion of the priority we attach to

48:34.500 --> 48:37.020
helping our citizens depart Afghanistan .

48:37.020 --> 48:39.440
Should they choose to do ? So take a

48:39.450 --> 48:42.110
final question maybe on Afghanistan on

48:42.110 --> 48:44.290
the 102 100 figure net . Is that

48:44.290 --> 48:46.346
exclusively based on people who have

48:46.346 --> 48:48.512
registered with the State Department ?

48:48.512 --> 48:50.623
Are you working with any , you know ,

48:50.623 --> 48:52.734
hill folks are outside groups who are

48:52.734 --> 48:52.590
in touch with NPR's and american

48:52.590 --> 48:54.701
citizens on the ground and one more .

48:54.701 --> 48:56.757
So it's an inclusive figure . In the

48:56.757 --> 48:58.812
first instance , it was put together

48:58.812 --> 49:01.034
based on individuals who had registered

49:01.034 --> 49:02.757
with us uh and that there were

49:02.757 --> 49:04.923
individuals who had registered with us

49:04.923 --> 49:06.979
prior to august 14th . And of course

49:06.979 --> 49:09.210
this was a large and expansive number

49:09.220 --> 49:11.310
because again , people register and

49:11.310 --> 49:13.421
don't unregistered . Sometimes people

49:13.421 --> 49:15.532
register who are never in Afghanistan

49:15.532 --> 49:18.700
to begin with . Uh So we whittled that

49:18.710 --> 49:20.870
universe down . But then we've also

49:20.880 --> 49:24.070
issued subsequent messages to

49:24.080 --> 49:26.790
americans that they should follow these

49:26.790 --> 49:28.846
steps to ensure that they are in our

49:28.846 --> 49:31.720
system . So that is how we arrived at

49:31.720 --> 49:34.930
the ultimate figure of some 6000 and

49:34.940 --> 49:37.840
the remaining 100 to 200 that's likely

49:37.840 --> 49:40.790
closer to 100 . But anytime someone

49:40.790 --> 49:43.150
comes to us and says , I know of a U .

49:43.150 --> 49:45.710
S . Citizen who is here and these are

49:45.710 --> 49:49.440
the contact details . Those are details

49:49.450 --> 49:52.950
that we very much welcome . And so

49:52.960 --> 49:55.182
everyone of you who raises a case of an

49:55.182 --> 49:57.460
american citizen here , uh It's one

49:57.460 --> 49:59.404
thing to raise it here . It's very

49:59.404 --> 50:02.000
important uh that you also ensure that

50:02.000 --> 50:04.440
those details are provided to us so

50:04.440 --> 50:06.440
that we can ensure that we're doing

50:06.440 --> 50:08.440
everything we can as appropriate to

50:08.440 --> 50:10.496
help these american citizens Special

50:10.496 --> 50:12.773
representative Julio dot is he in Doha ?

50:12.773 --> 50:14.884
What's his role going forward ? So my

50:14.884 --> 50:14.810
understanding is that he has returned

50:14.820 --> 50:17.310
from Doha . As you know , we have a

50:17.310 --> 50:20.000
team in Doha that has now led by Ian

50:20.000 --> 50:23.350
mccurry , our former Dcm in Kabul who

50:23.350 --> 50:27.210
will continue to lead that office

50:27.220 --> 50:30.470
as is often the case . However we do

50:30.470 --> 50:32.840
have a there are some cases in which we

50:32.840 --> 50:35.062
have a diplomatic mission but we have a

50:35.062 --> 50:37.396
special envoy or special representative .

50:37.396 --> 50:39.451
So just because we have an office in

50:39.451 --> 50:41.396
Doha doesn't necessarily mean that

50:41.396 --> 50:43.340
there is not the need for another

50:43.340 --> 50:46.210
position associated with it . Will he

50:46.210 --> 50:48.440
still be at the State department ? Is

50:48.440 --> 50:50.384
he going to remain as that special

50:50.384 --> 50:52.551
representative ? He's returning here .

50:52.551 --> 50:54.329
He's a special representative .

50:56.460 --> 50:58.516
We haven't announced any changes the

50:58.516 --> 51:02.160
titles or personnel . It's appropriate

51:02.170 --> 51:05.070
to have a special envoy for peace that

51:05.080 --> 51:07.260
handle well matt you're you're using

51:07.260 --> 51:09.482
some data information my friend , it is

51:09.482 --> 51:11.482
a special representative for afghan

51:11.482 --> 51:13.538
reconciliation that's too long . I'm

51:13.538 --> 51:15.760
talking about his twitter handle Okay ,

51:15.760 --> 51:18.093
I don't know what his twitter plans are .

51:18.093 --> 51:20.820
Yes , thank you . So Taliban , the

51:20.820 --> 51:23.780
taliban in china during Secretary of

51:23.780 --> 51:26.002
State's Lincoln's conversation with the

51:26.002 --> 51:29.050
chinese foreign Minister wang yi On

51:29.050 --> 51:31.810
August 29 and August 16 did the

51:31.820 --> 51:34.430
secretary asked china not to recognize

51:34.440 --> 51:37.860
the taliban bilaterally . And was there

51:37.860 --> 51:40.380
any discussion on who live in

51:40.390 --> 51:43.640
Afghanistan ? Because there are fears

51:43.640 --> 51:46.840
and concerns they may be deported back

51:46.840 --> 51:50.260
to china . And if you could entertain

51:50.270 --> 51:53.840
um preview secretary will will he be

51:53.850 --> 51:56.000
next Saturday ? Which is the 20th

51:56.010 --> 51:59.120
anniversary of September 11 ? I fully

51:59.120 --> 52:01.064
expect the Secretary will mark the

52:01.064 --> 52:02.787
solemn anniversary of the 20th

52:02.787 --> 52:04.731
anniversary of of september 11th .

52:04.731 --> 52:06.898
We'll have more details on that as the

52:06.898 --> 52:08.953
date approaches when it comes to our

52:08.953 --> 52:11.176
engagement with the P . R . C . This is

52:11.176 --> 52:13.231
Afghanistan is an issue that we have

52:13.231 --> 52:15.342
discussed at high levels with the PRC

52:15.342 --> 52:17.509
for some time . Now it was not only in

52:17.509 --> 52:19.620
the most recent conversations between

52:19.620 --> 52:22.260
the secretary uh and Foreign minister

52:22.260 --> 52:24.980
wang or prior to that Director Young uh

52:24.990 --> 52:27.212
that this was brought up . But in other

52:27.212 --> 52:29.212
senior level engagements to include

52:29.212 --> 52:31.379
Deputy Secretary Sherman's engagements

52:31.379 --> 52:33.540
with her counterparts . Uh This was

52:33.540 --> 52:35.540
raised as well . I wouldn't want to

52:35.540 --> 52:38.060
characterize beyond that . The

52:38.070 --> 52:40.380
substance of those discussions . I

52:40.380 --> 52:43.170
would note however that in order for a

52:43.170 --> 52:45.410
U . N . Security Council resolution to

52:45.410 --> 52:47.880
emerge from the U . N . Uh no country ,

52:47.880 --> 52:49.936
no permanent member can stand in the

52:49.936 --> 52:51.880
way . And in fact a resolution did

52:51.880 --> 52:53.713
emerge from the U . N . Security

52:53.713 --> 52:55.936
Council and I'll leave it at that . Yes

52:56.550 --> 52:58.606
another china related questions . So

52:58.606 --> 53:01.800
today there's a chinese order that goes

53:01.800 --> 53:04.770
into effect as a maritime order stating

53:04.770 --> 53:07.550
that all international vessels must

53:07.550 --> 53:11.340
report to chinese maritime authorities

53:11.750 --> 53:14.300
their cargo and another relevant

53:14.310 --> 53:17.620
information . And so I'm wondering if

53:17.620 --> 53:19.840
the State Department has any response

53:19.840 --> 53:22.900
to this . Uh We got word from the D . O .

53:22.900 --> 53:25.370
D . That they're saying unlawful and

53:25.370 --> 53:27.830
sweeping maritime claims , including in

53:27.830 --> 53:29.941
south china sea pose a serious threat

53:29.941 --> 53:32.108
to the freedom of the seas , including

53:32.108 --> 53:34.274
freedom of navigation and overflight .

53:34.450 --> 53:36.820
Uh and so being that the State

53:36.820 --> 53:39.310
Department has made quite an issue of

53:39.320 --> 53:41.720
maintaining free and open indo pacific

53:41.730 --> 53:44.400
region , wondering what sort of

53:44.410 --> 53:46.577
reaction the State Department is going

53:46.577 --> 53:50.270
to have , What sort of uh discussions

53:50.270 --> 53:53.390
they may have with china or have there

53:53.390 --> 53:55.610
been any connections with china or

53:55.610 --> 53:57.832
discussions with china about this edict

53:57.832 --> 54:00.400
that goes into effect today . So at the

54:00.400 --> 54:02.567
core is the principle of a rules based

54:02.567 --> 54:05.190
international order uh and our um

54:05.200 --> 54:09.020
our steadfastness uh in

54:09.020 --> 54:12.140
standing by the principle that there

54:12.140 --> 54:15.970
should be a universal set of rules for

54:15.970 --> 54:18.250
all countries large and small to

54:18.250 --> 54:20.520
include in the maritime domain . This

54:20.520 --> 54:22.520
is something that we have discussed

54:22.520 --> 54:24.520
with our partners and allies in the

54:24.520 --> 54:26.576
region . It has been a staple of our

54:26.576 --> 54:29.130
discussions in the indo pacific . It

54:29.130 --> 54:30.797
has also been a staple of our

54:30.797 --> 54:32.910
discussions with the PRC and we have

54:32.910 --> 54:35.930
not been shy about lodging our protests

54:36.260 --> 54:38.260
and together in many cases with our

54:38.260 --> 54:41.000
partners and allies standing up to

54:41.010 --> 54:44.590
unlawful excessive maritime claims

54:44.600 --> 54:47.380
of the PRC . We will continue to do

54:47.380 --> 54:49.380
that site . Sorry , can I ask , has

54:49.380 --> 54:51.547
there been any connection with respect

54:51.547 --> 54:53.491
to the edict that goes into effect

54:53.491 --> 54:55.602
today . If we have a reaction to that

54:55.602 --> 54:57.213
out , we'll get that for you

54:59.140 --> 55:01.880
issues last year . Last week there was

55:01.880 --> 55:03.547
an agreement in this building

55:03.547 --> 55:06.660
apparently on allowing Israel into the

55:06.660 --> 55:10.070
visa waiver program . Not when the law

55:10.070 --> 55:13.860
was passed back during the 113th

55:13.860 --> 55:15.749
congress , I believe , you know ,

55:15.749 --> 55:19.600
public law 1 13 to 96 it's it

55:19.600 --> 55:21.878
stated clearly the version that passed ,

55:22.240 --> 55:24.250
that Israel must sees its

55:24.260 --> 55:27.720
discriminatory action against

55:27.720 --> 55:29.942
Palestinian americans . You know , they

55:29.942 --> 55:32.276
they were always denied entry and so on .

55:32.276 --> 55:34.220
And my question to you because the

55:34.220 --> 55:37.030
version of the past clearly stated that

55:37.040 --> 55:40.030
Israel must satisfy , you know , the

55:40.040 --> 55:42.450
requirements and and the primaries that

55:42.450 --> 55:44.617
you guys said . And my question to you

55:44.617 --> 55:46.672
will the biden administration ensure

55:46.672 --> 55:49.310
that this law is followed , that Israel

55:49.310 --> 55:52.890
remains ineligible to join as long as

55:52.890 --> 55:54.946
it continues to discriminate and its

55:54.946 --> 55:56.890
entry policies towards Palestinian

55:56.890 --> 55:58.890
americans . So when it comes to the

55:58.890 --> 56:01.057
visa waiver program in Israel and this

56:01.057 --> 56:03.310
I believe was mentioned in the readout

56:03.320 --> 56:05.320
of the President's meeting with the

56:05.320 --> 56:07.580
Prime Minister as well . We support

56:07.580 --> 56:09.680
steps in the bilateral relationship

56:09.690 --> 56:12.030
that would be beneficial to both of our

56:12.030 --> 56:14.750
peoples . And one such step is working

56:14.750 --> 56:17.940
together towards Israel fulfilling the

56:17.940 --> 56:20.162
requirements of the program of the visa

56:20.162 --> 56:22.051
waiver program . The Secretary of

56:22.051 --> 56:24.218
Homeland Security in consultation with

56:24.218 --> 56:26.440
the Secretary of State is authorized to

56:26.440 --> 56:28.551
designate countries to participate in

56:28.551 --> 56:31.010
this program . The VWP provided that

56:31.010 --> 56:33.232
the countries meet all the requirements

56:33.232 --> 56:35.530
are experts have been in talks .

56:35.530 --> 56:37.641
Obviously in recent days , there have

56:37.641 --> 56:39.530
been higher level talks and we're

56:39.530 --> 56:41.760
prepared to enhance consultations as

56:41.770 --> 56:43.500
Israel works on addressing the

56:43.500 --> 56:45.980
program's requirements . Just a good

56:46.010 --> 56:48.177
job on the Palestinian issue , but you

56:48.177 --> 56:50.130
still hold Israel responsible to

56:50.130 --> 56:52.463
fulfilling these requirements , correct ?

56:52.463 --> 56:54.730
There is a set of requirements that any

56:54.730 --> 56:56.952
and all countries must fulfill in order

56:56.952 --> 56:59.008
to join the visa waiver program . In

56:59.008 --> 57:01.230
the past few days , there were meetings

57:01.230 --> 57:03.700
between the meeting between the Israeli ,

57:03.700 --> 57:05.790
Defense Minister Gas and the

57:05.800 --> 57:07.856
Palestinian Authority President . In

57:07.856 --> 57:09.911
the past there was a meeting between

57:09.911 --> 57:11.856
Abbas and and see see there's talk

57:11.856 --> 57:15.490
about a meeting between Bennett and and

57:15.500 --> 57:17.389
President Sisi of Egypt . Are you

57:17.389 --> 57:19.444
involved in any of these talks ? Are

57:19.444 --> 57:22.160
you , you know , whether directly or

57:22.160 --> 57:24.240
indirectly , are there any talks

57:24.240 --> 57:27.840
between this administration and any of

57:27.840 --> 57:30.330
these ? Uh the Palestinian Israeli in

57:30.340 --> 57:32.340
the Egyptian on this issue ? Well ,

57:32.340 --> 57:34.800
when it comes to Israel's engagements

57:34.810 --> 57:37.340
with its neighbors with other regional

57:37.340 --> 57:39.180
stakeholders or the Palestinian

57:39.180 --> 57:41.540
Authority's engagements or meetings ,

57:41.730 --> 57:44.960
um we would refer you to those entities

57:44.970 --> 57:47.380
to detail that . But what I can say

57:47.380 --> 57:50.780
broadly is that we applaud the party is

57:50.780 --> 57:53.770
doing whatever they can to maximize

57:53.770 --> 57:57.160
productive communications that we hope

57:57.170 --> 57:59.337
throughout the region with Israel with

57:59.337 --> 58:01.448
the Palestinian Authority will reduce

58:01.448 --> 58:03.559
tensions and improve the situation on

58:03.559 --> 58:05.392
the ground . This administration

58:05.392 --> 58:07.490
believes that a negotiated two state

58:07.490 --> 58:10.390
solution is the best way to resolve the

58:10.390 --> 58:12.501
Israeli . Palestinian conflict and we

58:12.501 --> 58:14.223
have made clear on a number of

58:14.223 --> 58:16.380
occasions that Israel Israelis and

58:16.380 --> 58:19.270
Palestinians alike deserve to share

58:19.280 --> 58:22.210
equal measures of safety of security ,

58:22.220 --> 58:24.480
of prosperity and dignity . And that is

58:24.480 --> 58:26.702
what we continue to work towards . I'll

58:26.702 --> 58:29.400
take a final question Short Small one

58:29.400 --> 58:32.990
on India . Uh oh be brief of the

58:33.000 --> 58:36.170
european union has has

58:36.180 --> 58:38.970
recommended or taking a step towards re

58:38.970 --> 58:40.748
imposing travel restrictions on

58:40.748 --> 58:42.859
americans . Especially non vaccinated

58:42.859 --> 58:44.970
americans . Uh The United States have

58:44.970 --> 58:46.914
any stance on this . Is the United

58:46.914 --> 58:49.137
States accept this if it or would would

58:49.137 --> 58:48.970
be upset if this were to go forward .

58:48.980 --> 58:50.890
Does this at all affect american

58:50.900 --> 58:53.910
thinking on On reducing travel

58:53.910 --> 58:56.077
restrictions for Europeans ? Well , we

58:56.077 --> 58:58.430
are following this issue closely . We

58:58.430 --> 59:01.630
do appreciate the transparency and

59:01.630 --> 59:03.519
concerted efforts of our European

59:03.519 --> 59:05.920
partners and allies to combat this

59:05.930 --> 59:08.710
epidemic . Um as the conditions evolve ,

59:08.720 --> 59:12.130
we regularly update us travelers and

59:12.130 --> 59:14.330
encourage all travelers to visit our

59:14.330 --> 59:16.441
website for the latest information on

59:16.441 --> 59:19.600
COVID-19 . We as a as a broad

59:19.600 --> 59:21.489
proposition , look forward to the

59:21.489 --> 59:23.660
resumption of travel travelers between

59:23.660 --> 59:25.882
United States and Europe travel between

59:25.882 --> 59:27.882
the United States and all regions .

59:27.882 --> 59:30.410
Just as soon as it is scientifically

59:30.420 --> 59:33.400
advisable . As you know , the europe ,

59:33.410 --> 59:36.090
the EU announcement also distinguished

59:36.090 --> 59:38.140
between vaccinated and unvaccinated

59:38.140 --> 59:40.510
travellers , it continues to be the

59:40.520 --> 59:43.930
position of this administration that

59:43.930 --> 59:46.580
vaccines are safe and effective and in

59:46.580 --> 59:48.747
this case they are effective effective

59:48.747 --> 59:50.858
for facilitating the travel to the Eu

59:50.858 --> 59:54.750
as well . Just did you see

59:54.760 --> 59:56.871
Israeli Foreign Minister , Yair lapid

59:56.960 --> 01:00:00.310
said biden administration plan to

01:00:00.310 --> 01:00:02.088
reopen the U . S . Consulate in

01:00:02.088 --> 01:00:04.310
Jerusalem is a bad idea because the U .

01:00:04.310 --> 01:00:06.820
S . Have a response to that . Um and

01:00:06.820 --> 01:00:09.042
the second one is about Danny finster .

01:00:09.042 --> 01:00:11.042
I think you guys have said that you

01:00:11.042 --> 01:00:13.264
lost contact because of the protests in

01:00:13.264 --> 01:00:15.431
prison , Have you been able to see him

01:00:15.431 --> 01:00:17.709
or um reestablished contact since then ,

01:00:17.709 --> 01:00:20.340
when it comes to our CG in Jerusalem ,

01:00:20.350 --> 01:00:22.610
Secretary Blinken has addressed this on

01:00:22.610 --> 01:00:24.960
a number of occasions in May , He said

01:00:24.960 --> 01:00:26.849
quote , the United States will be

01:00:26.849 --> 01:00:28.793
moving forward with the process to

01:00:28.793 --> 01:00:30.960
reopen our consulate in Jerusalem , we

01:00:30.960 --> 01:00:33.182
don't have any updates to share at this

01:00:33.182 --> 01:00:35.310
time when it comes to Danny finster .

01:00:35.310 --> 01:00:38.600
Yes , we have been in more

01:00:38.640 --> 01:00:41.940
recent contact , Let me

01:00:41.940 --> 01:00:45.630
uh the uh as you know , Danny

01:00:45.630 --> 01:00:48.810
marked his 100th day in detention on

01:00:48.820 --> 01:00:52.310
August 31 yesterday . We continue to

01:00:52.310 --> 01:00:54.420
seek regular contact with Danny and

01:00:54.420 --> 01:00:56.940
spoke with him by phone . Most recently

01:00:56.940 --> 01:00:59.700
on August 27 were also regularly in

01:00:59.700 --> 01:01:02.740
touch with a finster family as well .

01:01:03.110 --> 01:01:05.443
Just on the seat on the council General .

01:01:05.443 --> 01:01:07.666
So you're aware of this argument that's

01:01:07.666 --> 01:01:09.777
being made by some in Israel that you

01:01:09.777 --> 01:01:12.520
guys need to have specific permission

01:01:12.910 --> 01:01:16.870
agreement from the Israeli government

01:01:16.880 --> 01:01:19.450
to reopen the consulate building as a

01:01:19.460 --> 01:01:22.880
consulate , there is a counter argument

01:01:22.880 --> 01:01:24.324
and I want to know if the

01:01:24.324 --> 01:01:26.547
administration agrees with that , which

01:01:26.547 --> 01:01:28.720
is that since this consulate general

01:01:28.720 --> 01:01:30.942
was actually is actually older than the

01:01:30.942 --> 01:01:34.200
state of Israel itself , and

01:01:34.290 --> 01:01:36.730
although the building was closed as a

01:01:36.730 --> 01:01:38.970
consulate , its staff was moved into

01:01:38.970 --> 01:01:40.970
the Palestinian affairs unit at the

01:01:40.970 --> 01:01:43.290
embassy , that it is not technically

01:01:43.300 --> 01:01:47.060
opening a new consulate or

01:01:47.060 --> 01:01:49.910
even actually reopening a closed

01:01:49.910 --> 01:01:52.640
conflict . Is that is that the argument

01:01:52.640 --> 01:01:55.540
that this is the this administration is

01:01:55.550 --> 01:01:57.330
uh matt , as you just hopefully

01:01:57.330 --> 01:01:59.552
demonstrated , I don't think it does me

01:01:59.552 --> 01:02:02.950
or us any favors to weigh in on what is

01:02:02.950 --> 01:02:06.270
a complex legal and historical issue .

01:02:06.270 --> 01:02:08.492
But as the secretary has said , we will

01:02:08.492 --> 01:02:10.603
be moving forward with the process to

01:02:10.603 --> 01:02:12.770
reopen our consulate in Jerusalem . It

01:02:12.770 --> 01:02:14.937
is our that's what the Schindler is in

01:02:14.937 --> 01:02:17.090
town . You know , if he has if he has

01:02:17.090 --> 01:02:19.201
any meetings in the building tomorrow

01:02:19.201 --> 01:02:21.950
or day after , we will update you with

01:02:21.950 --> 01:02:25.210
any uh meetings , uh any updates to the

01:02:25.210 --> 01:02:27.321
schedule uh and will provide those as

01:02:27.321 --> 01:02:29.488
we're able . Thank you all very much .

01:02:29.488 --> 01:02:28.740
Thank you