JUST IN: State Department Holds Press Briefing As Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu Visits U.S.

3 months ago

On Tuesday, State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller held a press breifing.

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Transcript

00:00Good afternoon.

00:12I don't have anything at the top.

00:13I see Matt's not here.

00:14Who wants to do the honors?

00:15Go ahead.

00:16All right.

00:17Thanks.

00:18China's foreign ministry said that Hamas and Qatar agreed to end their divisions and form

00:22an interim national unity government during negotiations in China that ended today.

00:27What's your take on this agreement?

00:29So we have not yet reviewed the text of the so-called Beijing declaration.

00:32Of course, we will do that.

00:36But as we have made clear for months, Hamas is a terrorist organization, something that

00:42we obviously made clear before October 7th.

00:43But when it comes to governance of Gaza at the end of the conflict, there can't be a

00:49role for a terrorist organization.

00:52Hamas has long been a terrorist organization.

00:54They have the blood of innocent civilians, both Israeli and Palestinian, on their hands.

01:00And so when you look at the post-conflict governance of Gaza, we do see – as we have

01:08made clear, we want to see the Palestinian Authority governing a unified Gaza and the

01:15West Bank.

01:16But no, we do not support a role for Hamas.

01:19Blinken is set to speak with Wang Yi in Laos.

01:22Will he raise this?

01:23And what's your evaluation of China's role in these talks?

01:26Is it helpful in trying to reach a ceasefire deal?

01:28So I don't have any – as I said, I don't want to pass judgment on this declaration

01:32that came out today beyond what I just said because we haven't reviewed the full text.

01:35I want to be – us to be able to look at it and give a more thoughtful response, which

01:41of course we will do.

01:43But when it comes to China's role, I think as you know, the Secretary has talked to Wang

01:46Yi a number of times about playing a constructive role in Middle East diplomacy since the outbreak

01:53of the conflict.

01:54He called Wang Yi from Saudi Arabia on our very first trip to the Middle East just a

01:57week after October 7th, and he's – spoke to him on the phone a number of times and

02:01spoke to him when we've had the occasion to travel to China and when Wang Yi has had

02:05the occasion to travel here.

02:07And what we have generally encouraged China to do is to use their influence with countries

02:13in the region, especially countries with whom they have a relationship with where we

02:17don't, to discourage any escalation in the conflict.

02:23So for example, Iran, which has – continues to finance and support proxies that have launched

02:29attacks on Israel, or in the case of the Houthis, have launched attacks on commercial shipping.

02:34We have used China to use its influence to try to bring those attacks to an end, and

02:39we'll continue to do that.

02:40And then Israel's foreign minister said that instead of rejecting terrorism, Abbas

02:45embraces murderers and rapists of Hamas.

02:47Are you concerned that this could complicate reaching a ceasefire deal, this response from

02:51Israel?

02:52We don't think that anything related to this declaration should in any way have an

02:57impact on the ongoing discussions to reach a ceasefire.

03:00As you've heard us say, we think it's – an agreement is in sight.

03:05We think it's achievable.

03:06It doesn't mean we'll get there, but we have made progress in the talks.

03:09And no, I don't think either this announcement or the reaction to it should play a role in

03:14making the – making a conclusion of those talks more difficult.

03:18Thanks.

03:19Yeah.

03:20Thanks.

03:21Just on what Daphne just asked.

03:25So you're saying that it doesn't matter whether Hamas actually has a unity government

03:31with this, let's say, Fatah and the other groups and so on.

03:35And basically announced that they adhere to the principles enunciated by this group,

03:42by the PLO, and so on.

03:43So they have no role to play whatsoever?

03:45So Said, they have not announced that they accept the principles of the PLO.

03:49That is an important point that you make.

03:52Hamas has not renounced terrorism.

03:54It has not renounced the use of violence to achieve its political aims.

04:00It has not renounced the destruction of the State of Israel, something the PLO has done.

04:05It remains a terrorist organization.

04:07It remains committed to killing civilians.

04:09It remains committed to bringing about the destruction of the State of Israel.

04:12So no, we do not see an organization that believes in those tactics and believes in

04:17carrying out terrorism as a suitable organization to govern the Palestinian people.

04:21Okay.

04:22So in fact, in their statements and so on, in their discussions, in their interviews

04:26– and we have seen those spokesmen engage on Arab satellite TV all the time, and they

04:32actually say that they will go along with the principles of the PLO, they accept the

04:38two-state solution, they accept whatever agreement that can come about, they are focused on the

04:43ceasefire and achieving a ceasefire.

04:47You don't think there is anything positive in these gestures, the fact that they most

04:52recently spoke about a two-state solution as a solution to the conflict?

04:58They have not in any way committed to a two-state solution.

05:00And I would – just to make clear, they could have in the context of this declaration

05:05today signed on to the principles of the PLO, and they did not.

05:08So maybe their spokesman makes statements from time to time, but Hamas as an organization

05:12has not renounced its support for violence, its support for terrorism, or its commitment

05:15to the destruction of the State of Israel, and that's an important point.

05:18So just – I don't want to belabor the issue, but looking at how much influence Hamas

05:25has had in Gaza over the past – for a very, very long time, 17, 18 years and so on – do

05:32you see a situation where they actually can be completely taken out or can be decapitated

05:39as the Israelis – just to use the Israeli term and so on – from the political scene?

05:44I mean, they have – they are embedded in the society itself.

05:48So a few things about that.

05:50As you've heard us say before, we of course believe that Israel can achieve military aims

05:54when it comes to the defeat of Hamas, but that is different, as you make clear in your

05:58question, to political aims.

05:59And we think that ultimately the best way to ensure that Hamas does not regain strength

06:05and reassert its position inside Gaza is to offer a different political path forward for

06:10the Palestinian people, and that's what we are committed to doing.

06:13That's what we have been trying to work on with all of our partners in the region.

06:16But I do think that there's another point that deserves to be made here, Said, which

06:21is the Palestinian people in Gaza ought to have a say in this as well, ought to have

06:30the foremost say in choosing who their leaders are.

06:34And I obviously can't speak for the Palestinian people, but if you look at the death and destruction

06:39that Hamas's decision to launch the attacks of October 7th has brought on Gaza, they have

06:47– there's no one that has brought more pain and suffering to the people in Gaza than

06:51Hamas through their decisions first to launch the attacks of October 7th, and then their

06:56ongoing decision, which continues today, to hide among civilian communities and use civilians

07:03as human shields.

07:04So that's ultimately something that the Palestinian people have to speak to and speak

07:11to through their representatives, but I will say on behalf of the United States, we do

07:14not see it in any way as acceptable for a terrorist organization to play a role in governance,

07:19because you would see what you have always seen from Hamas, which is attacks on civilians,

07:24terrorism, and a further continuation of the conflict that has plagued the people of Israel

07:32and Palestinians for decades.

07:34QUESTIONER 2

07:35Well, I agree 100 percent with you that the final say ought to be for the Palestinian

07:40people and nobody else. I agree with you with that.

07:43Let me ask you about prospects for the ceasefire. Are you inclined to believe that the Israeli

07:52prime minister may surprise everybody and announce that he agrees to the term ceasefire?

07:58What is your reading of what's going on? Because I mean, we are probably at the point

08:02where every little detail has been discussed, every iota or every i has been dotted and

08:07every t is crossed and so on.

08:09So I don't know what the prime minister will say either in his speech to Congress or in

08:14any of his other public remarks. I'll leave that to him. But the discussions continue,

08:18and there are a number of issues at play that we're still working to reach a conclusion

08:24on that we have not yet reached a conclusion.

08:27My final question is on – there was a report that Israel bombed a tent of journalists.

08:32I wonder if you know about this report. And of course, there have been something like

08:37160 Palestinian journalists that have been killed thus far. Why is there no outrage on

08:45the fate of journalists in Gaza?

08:47So I think there is a great deal of outrage about the deaths of journalists. You have

08:51heard us speak to this – not just me, but the Secretary has spoken to this a number

08:55of times and made clear the importance we place on the work that journalists do in conflict

09:01zones around the world, and of course, especially in Gaza, where we – in many cases, the world

09:08only knows about what's happening inside Gaza because journalists who risk their lives,

09:14put their lives on the line to bring us the news, are there every day reporting it. And

09:18so we mourn the death of any journalist just as we mourn the death of any civilian. And

09:24it is why, again, we are working so hard to try to reach a ceasefire. It's why the President

09:28has put his own political muscle behind this. It's why the Secretary has worked on it.

09:32It's why others in the Administration have worked on it, because we believe ultimately

09:36the only way to stop the suffering of civilians – all civilians in Gaza, journalists, others

09:45who – other aid workers, others who do important work, as well as just people trying to go

09:52about their lives – the only way to alleviate that suffering in the daily death toll is

09:56to reach a ceasefire.

09:58Yeah.

09:59Thank you. Republicans are criticizing Vice President Harris for not attending or not

10:04planning to attend Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's speech to a joint meeting of

10:08Congress tomorrow. She'll be campaigning in the Midwest, but Republicans say she's

10:13boycotting the speech. Of course, there's also no public meeting right now between Secretary

10:18Blinken and Netanyahu. Can you say if this is a boycott or if there are any concerns

10:23on behalf of the Administration about the optics of meeting with Netanyahu publicly?

10:27So Republicans are going to say what Republicans are going to say. I don't have to – I

10:31don't spend much time worrying about that, nor do I spend much time worried about optics

10:36or worried about substance in reality. And the reality is the Vice President's office

10:41has made clear that she had a pre-scheduled trip before the prime minister announced this

10:47date, which is a date he decided in consultation with Congress, not with the Administration.

10:51So she had pre-announced travel.

10:53And I would just ask, what is more important, being there for a speech or meeting with the

10:58prime minister and talking about how we can work together to address our concerns? I would

11:03posit that a meeting is more important.

11:05Have Israeli officials reached out with any concerns? This is the first time this has

11:08happened, the Vice President not attending a speech before a joint meeting of Congress

11:12in over three decades, I believe.

11:13Not that I'm aware of.

11:14Just one chance.

11:15Yeah.

11:16Will there be any meeting with other members of the delegation that will come with Netanyahu?

11:22I don't know who's accompanying him, but let's say at the State Department.

11:26I don't have anything to announce, but typically when you have a head of state or head of government

11:30meeting to the United States, there are always meetings that happen on the sidelines of that

11:34visit, and I would expect that to be the case here.

11:39Yeah.

11:40Thank you, Matt. Switching to topic, can you give a sense of where things stand in terms

11:43of implementation of the REPO Act after yesterday's presidential memorandum, which passes some

11:50of those, such as the Secretary of State and the Treasurer?

11:52Yeah, we are working hard on it here at the State Department. There are other agencies,

11:56the Treasury Department, who have pieces that they have to implement as well. I don't have

12:01details to announce today, but we're working very hard to execute the details as – and

12:07execute the responsibilities delegated to us by the President.

12:09Do you have a timetable?

12:10No.

12:11You know, get it in action, all this over?

12:12No, no.

12:13No, as quickly as possible.

12:14As quickly as possible.

12:15As quickly as possible.

12:16There's important work we have to do, and we want to get that work done as quickly as

12:18possible. We want to get it right and be thorough.

12:21Japan decided to pass 3 billion from proceeds from frozen Russian assets. Do you support

12:27that decision?

12:28Of course we do.

12:30Moving to Ukraine, the Ukrainian foreign minister is in Beijing today. Do you hold any hope

12:36in terms of any behavior change when it comes to China's supporting Russia in Ukraine?

12:41So I'm not going to make any assessments about what might happen or try to gauge expectations

12:47of what might happen, but I do think it's important that China hear directly from Ukraine

12:54about the toll that Ukraine has suffered through Russia's war of aggression, which we know

13:02China is doing a great deal to fuel through their support for reconstituting Russia's

13:07defense industrial base. We have always made clear that it is important that every country

13:13in the world recognize that in this conflict there's an aggressor and there's a victim.

13:17And we shouldn't treat the two parties as if they bear equal responsibility or as if

13:23this is some war that just magically popped out from nowhere without one side being responsible,

13:28and that when it comes to looking at how this war can end, it's important to remember those

13:32core principles.

13:33And so we have made that clear when we have engaged with China on the topic of the war

13:38in Ukraine. I know that other members of NATO and European countries have also made

13:44that clear to Russia, and we think it's important anytime that any country – and of course

13:49that includes China – hear directly from Ukraine.

13:55Do you expect an engagement between the Secretary and Mr. Kluge about how to secure his own

13:59meeting with China's own minister?

14:01Well, I do not believe that Ukraine is coming to ASEAN. They're not a member of ASEAN,

14:06so he does – so, I mean, I don't quite understand the question. He does speak with

14:10Foreign Minister Kaleva all the time, and of course that will continue.

14:13Do you expect any call between –

14:14I don't have any calls to announce today, Alex.

14:16And a final topic. Russian forces conducting second nuclear missile launcher drills in

14:22less than two months. What do you think they are doing there, and what is the reaction?

14:26I don't have any assessment for that from here.

14:28Go ahead.

14:29Thank you. I have two questions. One on Sudan. You just released a statement on the talks

14:34that will be held in Switzerland next month. Why did the U.S. move the talks from Jeddah,

14:41Saudi Arabia, to Switzerland, and what do you expect from these talks?

14:47So first of all, I wouldn't frame it as the United States. These are talks that we

14:52hope will take place that will be co-hosted by the United States, the Government of Switzerland,

14:56and Saudi Arabia. And the goal of these talks is to build on the work that has already taken

15:02place in Jeddah and to try to move them to the next phase. We continue to believe there

15:07is no military solution to the conflict in Sudan, and we believe that convening these

15:14national ceasefire talks and making clear that they are backed by key international

15:18stakeholders is the only way to end the conflict in Sudan, to prevent the famine that exists

15:24there now from spreading, and to create space to restore the civilian political process.

15:29So we hope that the SAF and RSF will accept this invitation that we've extended to them.

15:34And as I said, it is not just from us. It's from the Government of Switzerland, the Government

15:39of Saudi Arabia. And I would note that these talks, should they go forward, will be joined

15:43by observers from the African Union, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Nations.

15:48Did you receive any response from the Sudanese parties?

15:51The invitation just went today, so we have not yet, but we are certainly hopeful that

15:54they will accept. We think it's important that they use this opportunity to negotiate

15:59a ceasefire to stop this horrific conflict and help ensure humanitarian access gets to

16:06the Sudanese people who need it.

16:08And on Iran, the Iranian president has said today that Iran stands ready for all negotiations

16:15on nuclear program. What's your reaction?

16:19So we have long made clear that we support diplomacy. We see that as the chief route

16:23to dealing with Iran's nuclear program. But we're a long way from that right now, especially

16:33when you see the steps that Iran has taken to flagrantly flout the requirements of the

16:41IAEA. And so we would hope that as a first step, Iran would come back in compliance with

16:46the demands of the IAEA that they have been, as I said, flouting here today.

16:50Does it mean –

16:51Sorry, go ahead.

16:53Does it mean that you're not ready for talks with the new president?

16:56So let me back up and say, while we certainly saw the comments from the new president, I

17:02do think it is important to remember that ultimately these decisions are decisions that

17:05are made by the supreme leader, and we have not made any assessment that Iran is yet changing

17:10its overall strategic approach to these issues.

17:13And finally on this, that means you're waiting to hear from Khamenei, not from the president?

17:20I don't have anything to add beyond what I just said on that.

17:23Thanks.

17:23Sorry, just to follow up on Sudan. The JEDA talks have been unsuccessful so far. What

17:29makes you think that this format will be more successful in reaching a deal?

17:33So we – the way to answer that is I can't give you any assessment on the likelihood

17:38of a deal, but we just want to get the parties back to the table. And what we determined

17:46is that bringing the parties, the three host nations, and the observers together is the

17:53best shot that we have right now at getting a nationwide cessation of violence and getting

17:59a ceasefire that would allow humanitarian actors to surge humanitarian assistance in,

18:08and get back to this place where we can find a mechanism to restore the democratic transition

18:15that Sudan was on.

18:17And so we are looking – this is the – the Secretary spoke to this on Friday. Sudan right

18:24now unfortunately doesn't get all the attention it should from, I believe, the world. It certainly

18:30gets attention from us here. We know it gets attention from others in the region and others

18:33in the international community. But there is a horrific human tragedy taking place there

18:38right now, these two parties that continue to fight each other and put civilians at risk

18:44and bring civilians not just through direct harm but harm through the humanitarian crisis

18:48that has been created. So we're looking for anything we can do to get these talks restarted

18:54and try to get a ceasefire. And so if we can bring the weight of the United States to bear

19:03and our partner nations, Switzerland and Saudi Arabia, can do so as well, we think it's

19:08important to do that.

19:09And aside from the location, obviously, are there any changes to the format being made

19:13that you hope will help move this forward?

19:15I don't want to talk about the details of the – of details of how the talks would

19:20proceed. I think it's something that we ought to hold and discuss with our partners

19:24before making those public. But ultimately, these are decisions the SAF and the RSF have

19:30to make. They're the parties to the fight. They're the parties that are putting their

19:32own countrymen in such grave danger and costing the lives of so many of their innocent countrymen.

19:39And so we're going to do all we can to get these talks restarted with our partners, and

19:42we'll hope that the SAF and the RSF will come to the table for talks. They've committed

19:49to make various steps in the past and have blown through them time and time again. And

19:56so we're hopeful that this would be an opportunity to finally get our way to a ceasefire.

20:01Yeah.

20:02Matt, thanks. Donald Trump's confirmed that Netanyahu is going to go to Mar-a-Lago tomorrow.

20:10Do you have any concerns that this meeting is happening ahead of his Congress address

20:15and also meeting with the President? And I have one more after that.

20:20I don't. Look, obviously, we have one president at a time, and I think it's always important

20:25that everyone remember that. But at the same time, it's fairly common that heads of state

20:31and heads of government in foreign countries meet with political parties while they're

20:35here in the United States and meet with nominees for president while they're here in the United

20:39States, and we do the same thing. The Secretary has met with opposition leaders and opposition

20:43candidates a number of times in his visits around the world, so that in itself is a fairly

20:49routine event, both on behalf of other countries and on behalf of the United States.

20:54And one, just going back to the region, there's a report about this. It's described as a secret

20:59meeting with the UAE about the Gaza Day After plan, and the report – the reporting is

21:06that State Department Counselor Tom Sullivan attended. Can you confirm whether that meeting

21:10took place? And if yes, whether you can give us any more information about it?

21:16So that did – meeting did take place. Tom Sullivan was in the UAE at the end of last

21:21week to advance our plans around a ceasefire and advance our plans around the day after.

21:27But as often happens – I know people will portray these meetings as secret, but oftentimes

21:33these meetings involve pretty delicate, sensitive discussions and sensitive negotiations, and

21:39there's a reason we don't make the topics of those discussions public, and I think I

21:44will decline to do so here.

21:45Just one more, because there's an op-ed coming from the Emiratis as well. Their special

21:52envoy wrote about this. She said that the plan involves deploying a temporary international

22:00mission to Gaza. Can you comment at all on whether that's accurate or –

22:05No. I have not read the op-ed that you're referring to. Obviously, we have been in discussions

22:10with our partners about what security inside Gaza would look like, both during a ceasefire

22:17and at the end of the conflict, but I don't want to comment on the particulars of those

22:21discussions from here.

22:22Follow-up?

22:23Just a follow-up on that?

22:24Yeah, go ahead.

22:25On the day-after plans, can you give us an understanding as to how far along those plans

22:35actually are, if you guys have agreements in terms of the countries that would partake

22:41in this international force to stabilize Gaza?

22:44You're stipulating – you're stipulating something as fact that I have not said is

22:49fact from here, but go ahead.

22:51Okay. Well, if you would like to describe it in your own words, have at it. But just

22:58– are these agreements still in the works? Are they almost done? Are they ready to roll

23:03out day two after a ceasefire? Just give us an understanding of where that stands.

23:07So the – it really does vary when you look at each – at different aspects of what's

23:14required for Gaza. We have had a number of discussions, including fairly advanced discussions,

23:21with countries in the region about the security situation, how to address the security situation

23:27and ensure security in Gaza, and the same is true for governance. And there are proposals

23:31that we have put forward to our Arab partners. There are proposals that they have put forward

23:36to us, and we have been working through various differences. And it's – and when I say

23:41it's not the case that every country in the region is signed up to the same plan either,

23:46right? People have different views about what the best way would be to accomplish this and

23:50people have different political imperatives that they need to be responsive to.

23:53So we are working through that. It has been a high priority. Barbara Leaf was in the region

23:59last week meeting with foreign ministers and other leaders. As I said – as I noted, Tom

24:04Sullivan was there on Friday. The Secretary has had a number of phone calls over the past

24:07couple of weeks to talk about these plans. And I don't want to put a timetable on them

24:14other than to say it is critical that the work move forward, and that's what we are

24:19working to do.

24:20Okay. And then just one question on the previous question she had about Trump meeting with

24:25Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday. Are you guys concerned at all about the former

24:34president trying to influence the prime minister at a moment when there are these tense high-stake

24:41negotiations to come to a ceasefire and hostage agreement?

24:45I don't know what the former president will do, just as I don't know what any private

24:50citizen will do in a meeting with the prime minister or other officials with the Government

24:54of Israel or any government. I would just say, speaking generally, that we would hope

24:58every American would –

25:01But there are certain things he's allowed to do and not allowed to do.

25:04Yeah, sure. But I'm just saying – I'll just say we would hope that every American

25:07would find it in the interest of the United States to work towards a ceasefire, to work

25:12to get a ceasefire over the line, to work to get the American hostages home. Remember,

25:16there are still Americans who are held hostage, not just Israeli citizens, but Americans as

25:20well. And so we believe it's in the interest of everyone in the United States to try and

25:23reach a ceasefire that gets our hostages home as well as ends the suffering of Palestinians

25:29– and of course, that includes Palestinian Americans who are in Gaza – and helps us

25:33build better, broader security and stability for the region.

25:37And can I just ask one clarifying question on that? The Hatch Act prevents citizens who

25:42don't have authority from the United States from directly or indirectly having correspondence

25:51with foreign governments to try and influence the measures or the conduct of those foreign

25:57governments.

25:58I think that's the Logan Act. Is that the Hatch Act or the Logan Act?

25:59I mean, sorry, it's the Logan Act.

26:00The Logan Act.

26:01Yeah.

26:02Yeah.

26:03I'm picking Hatch Act.

26:04My old DOJ hat on here.

26:05Yeah.

26:07I'm picking Hatch Act somewhere.

26:08How would you guys know if the Logan Act was violated here, given you're not going to

26:14have any U.S. official in these meetings? Maybe you have a plan for getting a readout.

26:19Can you just explain to us how you know in a situation like this?

26:23I think when it comes to any question about enforcement of U.S. law, I would defer entirely

26:28to the Justice Department. I don't think it's appropriate for me to comment in any

26:31way.

26:32Okay.

26:33Can I just –

26:34Yeah, I'll come to you next, but go ahead, Said.

26:35Yeah.

26:36Very quickly, I mean, you know, we have witnessed before – I'm old enough to remember the

26:40Reagan campaign, and they actually did influence the hostage negotiations and so on, and they

26:46delayed it. I mean, you know, there are examples in history where actually this happened, where,

26:51you know, certain contenders do not believe that we have one president at a time. I think

26:56it's a situation that is probably, you know, kind of critical for you guys to deal with.

27:02Look, I'm not going to speak to a meeting between the former president and the prime

27:06minister, but as I said, we would hope that no American citizen of any party would do

27:11anything to jeopardize the work to bring home American hostages who have now been held in

27:15captivity for over nine months.

27:17Go ahead.

27:19On the topic of presidents, with President Biden being done in six months, does the administration

27:26thereby extension the State Department, Antony Blinken? Are they at risk of losing any leverage

27:31of ending the war in Gaza or in freeing the hostages?

27:35So the President is the President and brings in his conversations the full weight and authority

27:43and credibility and influence of the United States, and that has not changed and that

27:49is not going to change as long as he's president, and the same goes for the Secretary of State.

27:52And so when we have conversations with foreign governments, we always make clear our position

27:59and the things that we are willing to do to stand by our position, and that will be

28:04the case.

28:05If I may, Mr. Secretary, if you'll indulge me, please, on Nicaragua. I know it's totally

28:08separate, but can I –

28:09Yeah.

28:10Okay, thank you. Religious freedom in Nicaragua. A couple questions. USURF – I'm sure you're

28:15familiar with it, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. They say religious freedom

28:20conditions in Nicaragua are getting worse, deteriorating. In fact, USURF is holding a

28:25virtual hearing tomorrow to discuss the situation in Nicaragua, religious freedom. First question,

28:30will the State Department be in attendance at that virtual meeting?

28:33I don't know the answer to that. I'm happy to check and get back to you.

28:38Two, USURF said recently, quote, Nicaragua's government continues to repress the Catholic

28:44Church for its human rights advocacy by arbitrarily arresting, imprisoning, and exiling clergy

28:51and laypeople and shuttering and seizing the property of Catholic charitable and educational

28:56organizations. In fact, just recently Ortega shut down Radio Maria Nicaragua. That all

29:02said, what more can the U.S. do right now, this moment, to help those in Nicaragua being

29:07persecuted for their faith?

29:09So you have seen us on a number of occasions speak out about the persecution of religious

29:13figures in Nicaragua and call for the release of religious figures, and we will continue

29:20to do that.

29:21Is Ortega listening?

29:22I will say that it's not just something that we speak out on, but that we work with our

29:27partners in the region to accomplish. It is a high priority for us, the exercise of freedom

29:33of religion both in Nicaragua and all around the world.

29:37Yeah.

29:38Thank you, Matt. Today, Secretary Blinken met with the Yazidi society leaders here at

29:42the State Department. And the Yazidi communities, since 10 years ago when they faced the genocide,

29:49they are – they never been so vulnerable as they are now, unable to go back to their

29:54homes, and also they are living in a dire situation in IDP camps in the Kurdistan region.

29:59The so-called Shingal Agreement has not and no longer been implemented. What's the U.S.

30:04firm position on the Yazidi situation in the region and also the Shingal Agreement? Do

30:10you still have the faith in that agreement?

30:13So we do believe that the Sinjar Agreement was an important start for supporting those

30:17targeted in the 2014 genocide committed by ISIS. But as you note, the agreement has not

30:24yet been fully implemented, which must be done in partnership with local communities,

30:28including the Yazidis. We continue to encourage the Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional

30:33Government to implement the tenets of the Sinjar Agreement, including security, governance,

30:37and reconstruction in Sinjar.

30:39The upcoming 10th anniversary of the ISIS genocide represents an important moment to

30:44demonstrate meaningful progress, and that's what the Secretary discussed with those with

30:48whom he met today.

30:49And I think you know that the Shingal is a disputed area between two governments, Erbil

30:53and Baghdad, and there are several militia groups have control over the area. And this

30:59has – political infighting has prevented the reconstruction of the city. So what roles

31:05the U.S. can play in bringing the situation to an end and also give a relief to the Yazidi

31:11communities?

31:12So protection for vulnerable ethnic and religious communities in Iraq has always been a priority

31:16for the State Department. Since 2018, the United States has provided over $500 million

31:22in assistance to religious and ethnic minority communities that were targeted for genocide.

31:27We provide a significant amount of U.S. humanitarian assistance on the basis of need, regardless

31:31of ethnic or religious affiliation, in addition. And we continue to advocate for the security

31:36of Sinjar to be in the hands of federal police and Iraqi security forces, including the local

31:40police force established under the Sinjar agreement.

31:43Yeah.

31:44QUESTION. Thank you, sir. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is here, and there's a big protest

31:49planned for tomorrow outside the Capitol Hill. At the same time —

31:52MR. RATHKE. Outside which building?

31:53QUESTION. Hill.

31:54MR. RATHKE. The State Department?

31:55QUESTION. Yeah. Hill, not the State Department.

31:56MR. RATHKE. Oh, the Hill.

31:57QUESTION. Yeah, yeah.

31:58MR. RATHKE. Oh, it's on Hill, yeah.

31:59QUESTION. At the same time, there are large groups expected in favor of Netanyahu also.

32:03The local media reports that there is a possibility of clash and disturbance on the streets of

32:07D.C. tomorrow. What are your thoughts on that? What is your message to the protesters coming

32:11here from different states?

32:12MR. RATHKE. So look, we – as you hear us say, when we talk about protests around the

32:15world – and typically, we from the State Department don't talk about domestic matters.

32:18There are other agencies inside the U.S. Government that do so. But of course, we think all protests

32:24should be held peacefully. We support the right of Americans to protest. It's one

32:28of the things that makes America great and strengthens our democracy. And so it's people

32:36speaking their minds, either to the United States Government – to United States Government

32:42officials or to foreign government officials who are in town. We support people's right

32:46to do that. But of course, those protests in any event should remain peaceful.

32:49QUESTION. The Pakistani Government was reporting millions of Afghan refugees, but on the intervention

32:54of UN and United States, Pakistani Government extended their stay for one more year. What

33:00are your thoughts on this decision? And what is your comment on the situation of Afghan

33:05refugees in Pakistan?

33:06MR. RATHKE. Let me take that back and get you an answer.

33:08QUESTION. So one last question, if I may.

33:10MR. RATHKE. Yeah.

33:11QUESTION. So Pakistani – on the direction of Pakistani Government, the police raided

33:14the offices of a political party and arrested the spokesperson. They're also trying to

33:19ban this political party. You spoke about it last week. But what is your reaction on

33:24the raids on the offices of the political party and arrest of their spokesperson?

33:27MR. RATHKE. So we have seen the reports of the arrests of PTI leaders. We are always

33:32concerned when we see arrests of opposition leaders. I'm always personally concerned

33:36when I see the arrest of a spokesperson. We support the peaceful upholding of constitutional

33:41and democratic principles, including the rule of law, equal justice under the law, and respect

33:46for human rights like freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly, and we urge

33:50that these principles be respected in accordance with Pakistan's constitution and laws.

33:54Go ahead. Yeah.

33:55QUESTION. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Thank you, everyone. And good afternoon, listen, everyone

34:02who are listening here. My name is Nirunira. I'm from Bangladesh, and I'm proud Bangladeshi

34:08American living in this country last 24 years. I live in New York. I come here to talk one

34:15thing – the running president in my country, what he is doing, the way we speak every time

34:23thousand of students are killing, and especially women students, they got raped, killed under

34:32that prime minister we call illegal, which is true. He is illegal, unelected prime minister

34:41Hassina Sheikh, what he is doing in my country right now. It's my concern. I know that concern

34:48of USA and always we believe is superpower, and I live in this country. And my – what

34:58I say, what I can help from you for my country, Bangladesh. I only see my country, Bangladesh,

35:07live, and everything is smooth. Thank you.

35:10So we continue to closely follow developments in Bangladesh and call for calm and de-escalation.

35:18And as I said yesterday, we condemn any acts of violence, whether they be acts of violence

35:23committed against peaceful protesters or they be acts of violence committed by people who

35:28are protesting the actions of the government. We support peaceful assembly. We support peaceful

35:33protests. But in all cases, they ought to be carried out peacefully, and the government

35:40should refrain from acts of violence against peaceful protesters. But I would say that

35:45when it comes to Bangladesh, we also remain deeply concerned by reports of ongoing telecommunications

35:49disruptions across the country, which limit the ability of people in Bangladesh, including

35:53American citizens there, to access critical information. That's something we have spoken

35:58out against in other countries, and we speak out against it when it comes to Bangladesh

36:02as well, and we'll continue to make those concerns known.

36:04QUESTION. A follow-up on Bangladesh, if I may.

36:06MR. RATHKEEVER. Yeah.

36:07QUESTION. Yesterday, I informed you that there's thousands of people are getting killed under

36:11the direction of Hasin Hasek, the illegal prime minister of Bangladesh. Last night I

36:15learned the tank and vehicle with the logo of United Nations are being used, and they

36:24are firing from those UN-carrying logo vehicle and killing innocent student. Also, there's

36:31a helicopter on the sky, they're also killing innocent civilians. It's like country is going

36:36into a civil war, number one. And number two, some public figure named Nurul Haq, the president

36:42of Gano Dikar Parishad, and there is another leader, Tarek Rahman, then another leader,

36:48Junaid Saki, then another leader, Abu Adnan Toha. Everyone is getting kidnapped by the

36:54government forces, and they're taking advantage because there is no internet, there is no

36:59telephone communication, and prime minister is sitting down at Gonovobon and directing

37:03police, army, RAB, and other law enforcement agencies just keep killing because world cannot

37:11watch what is going on. I know Europe satellite and American satellite cannot take the picture

37:16because there is no internet. And I have third question, if you allow me. America is the

37:22proponent of democracy and institute of democracy in all over the world. We respect that. But

37:27under the direction of General Ashif Mounir of Pakistan and the chief justice of Poise

37:33Issa, they are destroying every single democratic institution in Pakistan. There is no reflection

37:40of the people's choice in Pakistan. Do you think America, other than showing concern

37:45and expect something, do you think that country is on the right direction?

37:48MR. RATHKE. So I think that the – what we as the United States have always done – and

37:54I should say what we have always done when we are at our best is to speak out for democratic

37:59values around the world and make sure that – and make clear that countries are strongest

38:05when they uphold democratic values, countries anywhere in the world, and that's what we're

38:09going to continue to do. That's our greatest strength, and it's what will continue to

38:12guide our approach.

38:13MR. RATHKE. Do you think Hasina Sheikh and the authorities in Pakistan, they are listening

38:18what American and European governments are asking them to do?

38:21MR. RATHKE. So we will continue to make our priorities clear. We will continue to make

38:26our values clear. Does every country in the United States – or in the world do exactly

38:30what the United States or any country in Europe or any other country around the world thinks

38:36they ought to do or thinks they – how they ought to handle the – every situation? Of

38:39course not. Sovereign countries make their own decisions. They always have. They always

38:43will. What we can do is impress upon countries what we believe are the right way to approach,

38:51questions of fundamental freedom, questions of democratic values, questions of human rights,

38:58and bring all the influence we can to bear to urge them along that path. And that's

39:05what we'll continue to do.

39:06QUESTION. Would you like to make a comment that they're using United Nations logo on

39:12a Humvees and tank, and they are firing from that vehicle into the civilian, and thousands

39:19of people are getting killed? Why they are using United Nations logo?

39:23MR. RATHKE. So I'm not aware of that specific report. You should address that to the United

39:26Nations, I would think. But I would say, as I have made clear, we condemn any violence

39:32against peaceful protests. Protesters should be allowed to carry out their fundamental

39:38freedom of expression, their fundamental freedom of speech. And at the same time, we urge that

39:43all protests be peaceful.

39:44QUESTION. Thank you.

39:45MR. RATHKE. Yeah.

39:46QUESTION. Thank you, Matt. I have a different topic. How would you describe Secretary Blinken's

39:50relationship with Vice President Harris?

39:52MR. RATHKE. He has an extremely close working relationship with the Vice President. He's

39:58actually known her for more than 10 years, worked with her before she became Vice President,

40:03before he became Secretary of State. He spoke to some of this this morning when he talked

40:08about how he's seen her inside the Oval Office, inside the Situation Room, and overseas, asking

40:14tough questions about difficult issues and really getting to the heart of some of the

40:18difficult foreign policy choices that we face, and that he has been impressed by her both

40:26command of various foreign policy issues, but just as importantly, her insights into

40:35getting at what really can be the nub of an issue and trying to determine how we as a

40:41nation can move forward in a way that serves the American people.

40:43QUESTION. And would he be interested in continuing to serve under a potential Harris administration?

40:49MR. RATHKE. Let's not get ahead of ourselves here. There's an election that's going to

40:52take place. I'm not going to comment on the election. I think we should take things one

40:55day at a time.

40:56Yeah.

40:57QUESTION. Thank you. I don't claim to be an expert on this, but there's a British musician

41:02called Charlie who has described Kamala Harris as brat. She did give an interview to the

41:08BBC saying – explaining what that term means. She said, he feels like – talking

41:15about Kamala here – feels like herself, but maybe also has a breakdown, but kind of

41:19like parties through it, is very honest, very blunt, a little bit volatile, like does dumb

41:24things, but it's brat, you're brat, that's brat. Just wondered if you had any comment

41:28on that as the possible future president, whether that affects you as well.

41:31MR. RATHKE. My comment is I think I am officially aged out of participating in this conversation,

41:36and I'm trying to think of anything I could say that wouldn't make me look worse for

41:42having – saying it, and I'm coming up with nothing. So I think some things are better

41:46left to a younger generation to comment on, and I'm certainly not that.

41:49QUESTION. Thank you so very much. I'm not sure if someone already asked about this,

41:55but it's about the U.S. troops withdrawal from the Iraq, as a number of media reports

42:00suggest that Iraqi officials, Iraqi Government, they want complete withdrawal of U.S. forces

42:06and we have seen months before U.S. hosted top Iraqi official regarding this. So the

42:12question is, with this intense and panic situation in Middle East, U.S. is ready to do this,

42:19and there is specific quantities, specific numbers, U.S. have to keep their – with

42:24this withdrawal process?

42:25MR. RATHKE. So I would refer you to the Department of Defense to comment on that in detail. But

42:30as we have said before, we are committed to the Higher Military Commission, which is a

42:34process that is taking place in Baghdad to determine how and when the coalition's military

42:39mission will transition. We've spoken this before – to this before, and nothing has

42:42changed.

42:43QUESTION. Secondly, the Pakistani recent military spokesperson highlighted three things I asked

42:49before and my senior colleague, Mr. Afridi, asked many times. That is regarding the digital

42:55terrorism that Pakistani military spokesperson is mentioning again and again, and that is

43:00all about the – all those vocals who are supporting Imran Khan and his party narrative

43:05and all that. Secondly, he highlighted the number of operations Pakistani military is

43:09doing per day in 24 hours. That is between hundreds – 60 to 80 operations he mentioned.

43:17So there are two questions. So I already asked before that the firewall Pakistani government

43:22used to curtail media freedom, social media freedom. And secondly, the Pakistani officials,

43:29the security officials, they are again hinting more U.S. military assistance or something

43:34like that. So you have anything on that?

43:36MR. RATHKE. So with respect to the first question, as I've spoken to with respect to other

43:41countries, we support media freedom in Pakistan, just as we support it around the world. And

43:47with the second, I don't have any announcements to make today. With that, I think we'll

43:50wrap for today. Thanks, everyone.

JUST IN: State Department Holds Press Briefing As Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu Visits U.S.

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