http://www.salon.com/politics/feature/2001/04/02/mcclellan/index.html
The Bush-China monologues
The White House takes questions: A drama in multiple acts.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
By Jake Tapper, with White House transcripts
April 2, 2001 | WASHINGTON --
The Characters:
Scott McClellan, the kid-brother-like White House deputy press secretary
Mary Ellen Countryman, spokesperson for the National Security Council
Reporters, ravenous
The Setting
It's 1:35 p.m. EST in the in the James S. Brady briefing room in the White
House's west wing, and the boyish White House deputy press secretary (played
by the understudy, McClellan) comes before the press corps to discuss
President George W. Bush's meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
But that feisty press corps instead wants to talk about something else: the
fact that American diplomats had been refused permission to visit the 24
American crew members of the U.S. Navy spy plane who have been detained by
Chinese officials for more than 32 hours -- not to mention reports that
Chinese officials have boarded the plane.
They want answers. But are they going to get them from McClellan? Does he
have them, but prefer a droll game of cat-and-mouse instead? Such questions
come alive in the uniquely enjoyable thrust-and-parry of the Bush White
House.
Act 1 "No it wasn't, Scott" (McClellan leads a discussion as to whether the
U.S. plane was boarded.)
McClellan: Good afternoon. I only have one announcement today. At 3:15 p.m.,
here in the press briefing room, a senior administration official will give a
readout on the meeting between President Bush and President Mubarak. It will
be a background briefing.
And with that, I am happy to take questions.
Reporter: Scott, does the president have a reaction to the fact that the
Chinese have apparently boarded the spy plane?
McClellan: I don't have any information on that.
Reporter: Well, U.S. officials say it happened, so does the president not
know that that's the case or --
McClellan: I'm not aware of that.
Reporter: Scott, the president said further, when he talked about the matter,
he referred to further tampering, which indicated that he knew something had
happened.
Countryman (jumping in): No, he said, "further damage."
Reporter: Pardon?
Countryman: He said, "further damage."
Reporter: No. No.
Reporter: No, he said, "further tampering." Scott, has the plane been
tampered with? Or, to what extent has the plane been tampered with?
McClellan: Well, I think the president's statement was very clear.
Reporter: No, it wasn't, Scott. He didn't even address this.
McClellan: Again, I have no information on whether or not the plane has been
boarded by Chinese officials ...
Reporter: I'm sorry, do you not have information about whether the plane was
boarded, or does the United States not have information about whether the
plane was boarded?
McClellan: I do not have that information.
Reporter: You're not saying it doesn't exist, you just don't have it?
McClellan: I have no information to that effect. So I think I've addressed
it. I think I've addressed it, though.
Reporter: But you're not disputing it?
McClellan: Well, I don't know where your reports are coming from. I'd refer
you to State Department or the Pentagon on that.
Reporter: Well, can't we get some reaction from the president on this?
McClellan: Well, again, I think what he said earlier was that it's very
troubling by the lack of speed in allowing us the diplomatic access to the
crew.
Reporter: That's not the issue, Scott.
McClellan: I understand that, but I think I addressed it --
Reporter (interrupting): No, you haven't.
McClellan: -- that I have no information about what you're referring to.
Act 2 "You said that the president was fully engaged." (An exploration of the
larger foreign policy implications)
Reporter: Did the plane fly on a special mission? It was reportedly on a
routine flight.
McClellan: This is a routine mission over international airspace, as we
indicated earlier.
Reporter: Scott, in any of the conversations that the administration has had
with Chinese officials, have they indicated that the Chinese response to this
-- I don't want to call it a foreign policy crisis, but foreign policy
challenge -- may impact the U.S. decision to sell four Arleigh Burke class
destroyers to Taiwan?
McClellan: I think right now the focus is on getting access to the crew. And
that's the focus, and that's the issue we're focused on right now, immediate
access to the crew.
Reporter: Right. But in those conversations, has anybody from the
administration said to the Chinese, how you respond to this, how quickly you
give us access to the crew, how quickly you let the crew go may have some
impact on our decision to sell these arms to Taiwan?
McClellan: I'll see if I can find out more for you ...
Reporter: Scott, does the United States have an obligation toward the
Chinese, who was downed, reparations or apology or anything of that sort?
McClellan: Well, I think the president addressed that in his statement. He
said that -- at the end of his statement this morning, he said we have
offered to provide search and rescue assistance to help the Chinese
government locate the missing aircraft, and the pilot, as well.
Reporter: Is there an obligation on the part of the United States?
McClellan: Well, we've offered our assistance, so --
Reporter: Did they ever accept the offer?
Countryman (jumping in): No, they have not.
McClellan: No, they have not.
Reporter: Scott, this morning you said the president was fully engaged. He
met with his secretary of state. He's met with his Defense ... And yet you,
speaking for him, cannot tell us whether he has any knowledge or you have
knowledge of whether the plane has been boarded. They report to the
president. He's been meeting with them all day. Unless he's fully engaged or
not, don't you know whether the plane has been boarded?
McClellan: Well, again, I'd refer you to the State Department. I've addressed
the question, and if I have more information for you I'll give it to you
later.
Reporter: The State Department doesn't have any information. I just came back
from the briefing, and they don't have information on this either.
McClellan: I'm sorry, on the what?
Reporter: Richard Boucher just answered several questions on this very issue,
and he didn't have much information.
McClellan: Well, if we have more information to provide, we will, and I'll be
glad to check on it.
Act 3 "That's their time, Chinese." (Further inquiries into the status of the
American crewmembers)
Reporter: Has the Chinese government indicated that consular officials would
be given access to the detained crewmembers by a certain time -- like, by
tomorrow? Is that accurate? Is that good enough?
McClellan: Actually -- well, it's still troubling by the lack of speed of
their response. They have indicated, Chinese officials told Ambassador
Preuher that, late morning D.C. time, that consular officials may have access
late Tuesday night.
Reporter: "May" or "will"?
McClellan: That they may have access late Tuesday night.
Reporter: Have they said why they haven't given us access up to this point?
Have they given us a reason why?
McClellan: I'd refer you to -- I mean, State Department just had a briefing.
Reporter: Tuesday night there, or here?
McClellan: That's their time, Chinese.
Reporter: Is that in response to the president's appeal just a little while
ago?
McClellan: I'm sorry?
Reporter: Is that in response to what the president -- his statement a few
minutes ago, this commitment to have access Tuesday night?
McClellan: Well, again, we find it very troubling about the lack of speed in
responding, and we continue to press for prompt access -- that is, as early
as possible -- without any further delay.
Reporter: Scott, we're trying to get the sequence of events. Did the
notification that consular officials could see them by late Tuesday night
their time, did that notification come after the president's statement here,
do you know? We're just trying to establish a sequence of events.
Countryman (jumping in): It was around the same time frame.
McClellan: I'll try and get you a readout on that afterwards.
Reporter: So they're saying we may not -- if we see them at all, it won't be
for another 20 hours?
McClellan: That's the indication from the Chinese government.
Reporter: What have we said back to them?
McClellan: Well, we continue to express what the president said earlier
today, that we would like immediate access to the crew ... our first priority
is the crew, and the aircraft, as well.
Reporter: Is there a time frame in this quickness? Is the immediacy a time
frame?
McClellan: We're discussing that right now with Chinese officials, and saying
that we would like that access as quickly as possible.
Reporter: Or what?
Reporter: Scott, you just said, though, that [getting] to the people is most
important, but also the plane. If that's true, then what about this report
that the plane has already been boarded?
McClellan: Well, again, I've already addressed that question ...
Act 4 "What's the other shoe?" (Probing and inquiries as to whether we're
about to go to war)
Reporter: Do the Chinese consider this is a spying mission from the United
States to their land, and that's why they act this way?
McClellan: This was a routine surveillance mission by U.S. Navy aircraft.
Reporter: Let me follow up and let me reverse the situation for a moment. How
would President Bush feel if the Chinese -- if Chinese spy aircraft would be
routinely flying just off the shore of San Francisco?
McClellan: Well, you're getting into a hypothetical situation ... I'm not
going to get into a hypothetical situation right now.
Reporter: Scott, immediate access to the crew or what?
McClellan: I'm sorry?
Reporter: I said, you're demanding immediate access to the crew.
McClellan: To the crew, and to the aircraft.
Reporter: Or what? What's the other shoe?
McClellan: I'm sorry?
Reporter: What's the other shoe?
McClellan: Well, that's what we're continuing to discuss with Chinese
officials.
Reporter: When do you stop discussing and start acting?
McClellan: Well, again, when we have more information for you, I'll get that
to you ...
Act 5 "Does the White House know where (the members of the crew) are?" (A
simple question. Or is it?)
Reporter: At the State Department, Richard Boucher was asked whether we knew
where the crew was, physically -- whether it was in the plane, on the base,
wherever it was. He said he didn't know.
Does the White House know where the crew is, physically?
McClellan: If I have more information, I'll get that to you. But State
Department would be --
Reporter: There are reports that they're in some kind of guesthouse, what
they call a guesthouse.
McClellan: Well, what the Chinese government had indicated to us is that they
are providing humanitarian assistance to the crew. But that's the information
I have at this time.
Reporter: He didn't ask you where -- the question back here wasn't where they
are, he was just asking, "Does the White House know where they are?" I think
it's a yes or a no.
McClellan: Well, the Chinese government has indicated that they're safe and
that they're providing humanitarian assistance to them. So I think you can
assume from that --
Reporter (interrupting): -- that we know where they are right now? Because --
McClellan: That the Chinese government is, like I said, providing
humanitarian assistance.
Reporter: Does the White House know where they are right now, physically?
Reporter: Meaning they've been taken off the plane?
Reporter: So we don't know?
McClellan: I'm sorry?
Reporter: Meaning they've been taken off the plane?
McClellan: I'll get back to you on that.
Act 6 "Do you have something to bring to my attention?" (A contemplation of
the media-age Cold War)
Reporter: Scott, last week, the president said that the U.S. is not a threat
to China. How about if China is a threat to the U.S.? No. 1. And No. 2, if
the Chinese are spying on the U.S.?
McClellan: Do you have something to bring to my attention? ...
Act 7 "If China what?" (Further ruminations on China and the balance of
power)
Reporter: The president said that the U.S. is not a threat to China; how
about if China is a threat to U.S. security?
McClellan: If China what?
Reporter: If China is a threat to the United States?
Reporter: Is China a threat to the United States?
Reporter: It's about the same question, that if they are flying off the shore
of San Francisco, do they do that?
McClellan: I'd refer you to the Defense Department on that question. I'm not
aware of any --
Reporter: What's the explanation for the different interpretation of
international law?
McClellan: Let me come back ...
Reporter: Couldn't these missions be conducted by -- or satellite? Do we have
to have people on the plane to conduct these dangerous missions?
McClellan: I think that's a question for the Pentagon ...
Reporter: The president said our Embassy officials are on the ground. Does
that mean they're actually on the island?
Countryman (jumping in): They're on Hainan Island.
McClellan: OK, they are there.
Reporter: Scott, let me put my question in a different way. The president
said last week that the U.S. is not a threat to China. He meant a security
threat or military threat. How about if China is a threat to the United
States, as far as military threat is concerned?
McClellan: I'm sorry?
Reporter: Scott, you have said several times that this was a "routine
mission." I presume you are aware of just how routine, and could you give us
some information about how often these flights are undertaken, and how close
they come to the shore?
McClellan: We don't provide that information from here, but --
Reporter: Then how do you know they're "routine"?
McClellan: The Pentagon, if you want to refer that question to them.
Reporter: Now, wait a minute. If you're going to stand at the podium and tell
the American people these are routine missions, I believe we expect you to
know something about how routine they are.
McClellan: And that's why I would refer you to the Pentagon, so they can talk
in more detail about what that entails. I think the Pentagon is the
appropriate place to refer that. We had a question back here in the back ...
Reporter: Have the Chinese given us any indication of why we cannot have
access to the crew? I asked the same question at the State Department, and
they directed me to China.
McClellan: No, I don't, I don't have any information.
...
Lights down.
