= N E W S B R I E F I N G
=
= OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
= (PUBLIC AFFAIRS)
= WASHINGTON, D.C. 20301
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DoD News Briefing
Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen
Sunday, September 17, 2000
(Aboard USS Germantown, Sembawang Pier, Singapore)
Moderator: We welcome you aboard the USS Germantown, which is here in Singapore doing
a series of bilateral navy exercises in Southeast Asia. We are very pleased to
welcome on board the U.S Ambassador to Singapore, Steven Green, and we are especially
pleased to welcome our U.S. Secretary of Defense, William Cohen, who will make some
opening remarks and will then open the floor for questions afterwards. This press
conference will end by 3:25 or so. Mr. Cohen --
Secretary Cohen: Ambassador Green, distinguished guests. I wanted to hold my press
conference aboard the USS Germantown because the presence of the U.S. ships here
illustrates how well the U.S. and Singapore work together for security and stability
in the Asia-Pacific region. Singapore hosts nearly 100 ship visits every year and is
the headquarters for our naval logistics operations in the West Pacific. In addition,
Singapore is building a new pier at Changi to accommodate U.S. aircraft carriers, and
I expect the first carrier to visit early next year.
Singapore's support is a sign of the strength of our security relationship. This
year, as you know, marks the 50th anniversary of the beginning of the Korean War and
the 25th anniversary of the end of the war in Vietnam. Today, the Asia Pacific region
is more secure, and stable, peaceful and prosperous than at any time in history. And
one reason is the forward presence of nearly 100,000 American troops in the region and
the strong bilateral, military, diplomatic and economic relations between the United
States and the countries in the region.
The Germantown and four other U.S. ships are currently participating in what we call
the Cooperation Afloat Readiness And Training, known as CARAT, with other navies in
the region. Singapore is one of the six countries participating in the bilateral
CARAT exercises this year. These exercises enable participating navies to train
together, understand each other's operations and prepare to work together on disaster
relief and also to provide humanitarian aid. During the current exercise, U.S.
sailors and Marines have performed eye examinations and dental work in Indonesia,
they've built schools in the Philippines and donated books and medicines to Thailand.
The United States is working with Singapore and other countries in the region to
maintain stability and the rule of law. With Singapore and other partners, we are
determined to continue our work for a stable and secure Asia. We want the Asia
Pacific region to be known for its peace and prosperity, and not its problems.
Yesterday, as many of you know, I attended the 77th birthday celebration of Senior
Minister Lee Kuan Yew. He talked at some length about the stabilizing role that the
United States plays in the region. And I think it is clear that more people today
enjoy freedom and security as a result of the commitment of the United States to this
region.
With that, let me entertain your questions.
Q: Secretary, Charlie Aldinger of Reuters. Can I ask what message, what direct
message you are going to carry to the leaders of Indonesia tomorrow when you speak
with them?
Cohen: As I have indicated during the past two days, the message I will carry is that
we support President Wahid's effort and determination to manage the transition to
democratic rule, to support that democratic rule in Indonesia. We support his effort
to bring about change and reformation. We support his effort to bring about economic
prosperity. We also support a united Indonesia. But we want to see the militias
eliminated, we want to see the violence stop in East Timor, we want to see a
commitment on the part of the Indonesian government to the safety and security of
those refugees who are currently in West Timor, and compliance with the U.N. Security
Council Resolutions. So, we are there to encourage President Wahid and his leadership
to bring about those goals.
Q: Just one additional question. The Indonesian Defense Minister issued a statement
yesterday. He said that the people of East Timor were fed up with UN rule and were
ready to return to Indonesian rule. What answer do you give to that?
Cohen: Well, I have seen no evidence of that. I think that's something we can
certainly discuss tomorrow, but what I think the people of East Timor want is
security, stability and an opportunity for self-governance to which they are entitled
and would expect that the leadership in Indonesia would help them achieve that. So I
have no basis to comment on his assessment that the people in East Timor do not want
the independence that they have voted for.
Q: Thank you. Mr. Secretary, I'm Asad Latif from the Straits Times here. Yesterday,
at the launch of his memoirs, the senior minister did make a point that the results of
the U.S. elections this year, and particularly what the new president would do in
managing ties with China and Taiwan, would be critical in determining both your
relations with the "western seaboard of the Pacific," as he called it, and of course
the stability of East Asia itself. What are your comments on that view of his? And
in fact he did say that it was his hope that East Asia would not have to choose
between the United States and China. Do you think that is a fear that would come true
some day?
Cohen: Well, as you know, I have enormous respect for the judgement of Senior Minister
Lee Kuan Yew in terms of his analysis of political affairs, particularly in this
region. And I have discussed this subject with him during the course of the many
years that I have known him, and it is clear that how the United States manages its
relationship with China will have major implications for the security, stability and
prosperity of the entire Asia Pacific region.
I have spent time travelling to China, most recently in July, to meet with Zhang XeMin
and other members of the Chinese leadership to discuss ways in which a peaceful
resolution of the situation with Taiwan can be brought about. We are certainly
dedicated to that proposition. We support the one China policy. We support the
communiqu�s that have been signed, but we also support the Taiwan Relations Act, which
means that China should not seek through the use of arms or force to bring about that
reconciliation.
Hopefully, diplomacy will prevail and there can be a peaceful resolution of the
situation -- of the tension -- between China and Taiwan, but I agree that much will
depend on how we manage that relationship. And I thhink whoever is elected, we will
see a determined effort to continue the policy of seeking a peaceful resolution of the
situation, rather than one through conflict.
Q: My name is Oka from Asahi Shimbun. Did you talk with the Philippines and/or
Singapore about the enhancement of cooperation in peacekeeping operations, and what is
the benefit for U.S. to stay in such a cooperation? And second question, did you
discuss about the realization of multilateral exercises, like Team Challenge, in this
region?
Cohen: We did have discussion yesterday about ways in which we can continue to
intensify our bilateral cooperation. The new pier is certainly going to make it even
more available for our ships -- our aircraft carriers -- to visit. We will see, I
think, in the coming year, even greater participation on the part of ourr militaries,
in terms of exercises to promote the kind of peaceful stabilizing forces in the
region, and so I would expect that to increase in the future.
With respect to the multilateral exercises, one thing that we have tried to promote is
greater multilateral activity on the part of the nations in the region. We believe
that the Asia-Pacific regional initiative that we have spoken of will be beneficial to
all countries in the region. The greater the participation, the greater the
exchanges, the greater the interoperability, then the chances for having successful
humanitarian missions and peacekeeping missions will increase. That will not come
from the expense -- I should this point this out -- the effort to have greater
multilateral exercises does not mean there will be any diminutioon or reduction in the
bilateral relationship that United States has with Singapore or with any participating
nations in the region. What we think are strong bilateral relationships, obviously,
we will continue, we will have to continue, but we also want to encourage as much
multilateral activity as we can.
Q: Jim Mannion, AFP. Mr. Secretary, do you have any word on the fate of the American
hostage in the Philippines or the other hostages since the attack and any update on
what's going on there?
Cohen: Jim, I don't have any additional information in terms of whether the hostages
are safe or have been harmed. There is something of a news blackout at this point. I
am told that President Estrada is planning to make a statement sometime late this
afternoon or early this evening. Then we will have more information at that time, but
we have had no further information.
Q: Dean Visser from Associated Press. Iraq's recent rumbling in the past week has
kind of resembled its rhetoric just before its previous invasion of Kuwait, and there
were some warnings, I think, from Secretary Albright and indirectly from President
Clinton. Is another invasion a possible contingency that you are looking at it now --
the U.S. is looking at? And how is the U.S. defense side prepared to handle this
challenge, something that is a big concerrn right now? Is the U.S. prepared to go all
the way again?
Cohen: Well, we have made it very clear to Saddam Hussein that he should not seek to
pose a threat to his neighbors or to his own people as he has done in the past. We
have forces in the Gulf. We have forces that are fully prepared to not only deter,
but to defeat any effort on his part to repeat the kind of activity that took place
back in the last decade. So, our forces stand ready. We are enforcing the no-fly
zones in the north and the south. We are watching very carefully, and I think that he
should understand that United States and our British friends are fully prepared to
take whatever action is necessary to prevent him from trying to repeat his past
actions.
We should also take this occasion to point out that he continues to be in violation of
the Security Council resolutions. He continues to inflict pain and suffering upon his
own people. He continues to ignore the international community. And, so, until such
time as there is full compliance with the Security Council resolutions there should be
no relief from the sanctions, and any one who suggested should be relief at this
point, I think, undercuts the significance of the resolutions passed by the Security
Council.
Q: Sorry, just to follow up, I was going to say -- in the past week, has there been
any increase in readiness in that area -- in Iraq? Are you stepping up?
Cohen: We have been fully ready, and continue our readiness in the Gulf. There has
been no need to intensify that. We have sufficient forces on station with
pre-deployed forces. We can certainly handle Saddam, should be choose to take any
kind of aggressive action. It would be a mistake on his part, if he should seek to
repeat today what he did in the past.
Q: Jason Sherman with the Defense News. Mr. Secretary, on the issue of multilateral
exercises and increased cooperation in the region. How would you characterize the
response or the reception of your counterparts in the region to U.S. proposals for
increased cooperation along these lines?
Cohen: I think that there is an openness to this concept. I think it is also a
concern to make sure that this is not interpreted by China in any way trying to
isolate China. In fact, we have invited China to participate in these activities. We
think that we have learned from other areas of the world that the greater the
cooperation, the greater the participation, the more effective humanitarian types of
missions and peacekeeping missions can be. And that is precisely why we are
recommending it for this area.
So I think the countries have two concerns: number one, will be result in any
reduction in the nature of the bilateral relationship that have with the United
States? The answer to that is a categorical "no." The next question would be, will
this in any way be interpreted -- structured in a way to cause the Chinese to feel
that this is designed to isolated them, and the answer there, again, is a categorical
"no."
Q: How important is this issue, is this something you are discussing with all the
defense ministers?
Cohen: Yes, I raised this, this is not the first time I have raised this. This is
something that Admiral Blair also has discussed, and frankly, it makes good sense --
common sense -- to seek this kind of cooperation. I think that the more comfortable
the countries become with the strengthh of our own relationships -- that bilateral
relationship -- and they see the benefits of a peacekeeping role or a humanitarian
rescue type of mission where there has been an environmental catastrophe or a similar
kind of disaster. East Timor is another example of where there is a need for
cooperation. You see the kind of activity there. So I think, over a period of time,
there will be a greater participation on the part of the countries in the region.
Q: Asad. Mr. Secretary, if I could ask a follow-up question to what that gentleman
has just asked. U.S. defense and other officials have spoken about "security
communities" emerging in this part of the world. Do you see China at some point being
confident enough in its relationships with this part of the world to want to be part
of such a "security community," in which of course the United States will play a
critical rule?
Cohen: Well, it would be presumptuous of me to make a determination as to if and when
China will feel confident enough to want to participate with other nations. But let
me say that the Chinese government has made it clear that they would like to have a
better relationship with the United States on a military to military basis.
When I traveled to China in July, they certainly welcomed me. They made it clear
that they would like to build that military to military relationships, to make it
stronger. To the extent that we have a stronger and more positive
military-to-military relationship with China, I think that also enhances the strength
of the countries in the region with our bilateral relationships, and it makes it more
comfortable for all parties concerned to start to look to ways in which there can be
greater cooperation. So I think it is beneficial -- always beneficial -- when we have
good relations with China on a military basis, and I think that will, ultimately,
prove bbeneficial on a multilateral with China participating.
Q: Thank you.
-END-
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