State Department Noon Briefing, October 18, 2000

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
DAILY PRESS BRIEFING
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2000  1:45 P.M.
(ON THE RECORD UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED)




Q: Can we talk about the travel advisory? And what indications do you
have that terrorist attacks are being planned on the United States?


MR. REEKER: You will all have noted that, first of all, in the context
of the Public Announcement we issued last week on the 12th, which was
a Worldwide Caution noting that the Department of State is extremely
concerned about the possibility for violent actions against United
States citizens and interests throughout the world, today we have
issued another Public Announcement highlighting the Persian Gulf, the
Arabian Peninsula and Turkey, noting that we have received indications
of the possible planning for terrorist actions in the Persian Gulf,
the Arabian Peninsula and Turkey.


The information we have, however, is non-specific as to timing, type
of attack, or any exact location. And obviously I'm unable to provide
any additional details on that, but we did want to highlight that
region based on additional information that we have.


Q: Some officials outside of this building were saying that there had
been specific threats in Turkey. Can you just say a little --


MR. REEKER: What I can tell you is that we have received indication
about possible planning for terrorist actions in those three regions
that we highlighted today. As you know, as I mentioned and reminded
you, there is a Worldwide Caution out there. We have highlighted those
three regions, including Turkey, as you mentioned, because of
indications of possible planning.


However, the information that we have is non-specific as to timing,
type of attack, or any exact location. The specificity would refer to
those regions described in this, but I'm not able to provide
additional details and there was no further specificity. Obviously I'm
not in a position to discuss intelligence, as you know.


Q:  The missions stay closed or open -- the US missions?



MR. REEKER: The missions that closed over last weekend all reopened,
and I'm not aware of any closures at this point. But we continue to
try to monitor that for you whenever we get news of one.


Q: You raise this information, the receipt of this information. Can
you tell us how exactly you would describe this information in the
sense of obviously you see lots of information. What is it about this
information which persuades you that we have to take it seriously, or
that you have to take it seriously?


MR. REEKER: Well, I think obviously, Jonathan, there is a judgment
that is made. As you said, we do receive lots of information. We had
information that led us last week to issue the Worldwide Caution and
to advice Americans of that, to remind people that they should
consider some of these factors when making their travel plans or in
planning their day-to-day activities if they are traveling or residing
abroad.


As you indicated, we receive lots of information through a variety of
sources, which obviously I can't go into any detail on, but that
information is obviously analyzed and reviewed, and judgments are made
as to when it is of a nature and significant to augment or supplement
any other Public Announcements that we have made. So that is what has
happened today: We have received indication of possible planning for
terrorist actions in those three areas noted. As I said, that
information is non-specific in terms of timing or the type of attack,
or the exact location, but a judgment was made that it was important
to supplement our Worldwide Caution, noting this caution, and that is
what we have released today.


Q: In that part of the world, only Pakistan was the one where you
closed your missions. Do you have any idea why you took that action?
Were there any specific --


MR. REEKER: We covered this extensively last week when we discussed
that, and I would be happy to refer you back to that. All those
missions are reopened. There were four missions in Pakistan, in the
South Asia region, that was in light of the Worldwide Caution that we
put out on the 12th, which I have been discussing here. I think the
decision to instruct those posts to close was based on a variety of
factors. There were a number of posts. All the posts in the Near East
region closed. There were a number of posts in Africa and these posts
in South Asia.


Q:  Did you share this information with Turkish officials?



MR. REEKER: I'm not familiar with what direct contacts we would have
had with Turkish officials. Obviously we have issued this as a Public
Announcement, and so I would be happy to try to check for you exactly
what point --


Q:  And also --



MR. REEKER: But we have a regular dialogue obviously with Turkish
officials, both here in Washington and in Ankara and at our Consulate
in Istanbul.


Q: Also, this threat coming from the extreme religious groups, which
they are active, very active in Turkey right now?


MR. REEKER: I just don't have any further details for you on the
specifics. I am just not able to go into that, other than to note what
we have already noted as outlined in the Public Announcement.

....

Q: I guess this is back to the whole issue of the travel warning. Are
these specific threats or -- there hasn't been any specific threat,
but the threats of this nature, have any of them made you think that
it might be the same group or groups responsible for the --


MR. REEKER: I just don't have any more information than what I have
gone through now. I just am not in a position to discuss that any
more. I can't discuss the investigation, and I can't provide any
additional details on the Worldwide Caution or the specific Public
Announcement that we released today.


Q: But certainly there is a correlation between a terrorist attack on
a US ship last week and now that the US is receiving a lot more
threats in the region.


MR. REEKER: Well, I think if you look back at the Worldwide Caution
from October 12th, it specifically mentions several American citizens.
We now know that to be 17 were killed, and many more injured in an
incident involving a US Navy ship in port in Aden, Yemen. And so that,
in and of itself, was included in the language of the Worldwide
Caution issued last week.


(The briefing was concluded at 2:35 p.m.)