State Department Noon Briefing

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
DAILY PRESS BRIEFING
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2000 12:40 P.M. (ON THE RECORD UNLESS OTHERWISE
NOTED)

Q: Can I go back to Yemen for a second? Can you give us a status on
the cooperation between the US and the Government of Yemen and whether
or not you are any closer to an agreement, written or otherwise, of
cooperation?

MR. BOUCHER: Okay, quick answers. Cooperation we consider productive
and positive in the investigation. There are, of course, differences
in our investigative procedures and legal systems that will have to be
worked on on an ongoing basis. It will be an ongoing dialogue.

As far as identifying the more specific modalities that we need to use
to continue the process, we are making progress in those discussions,
but we don't have anything particularly finished yet. But there is an
ongoing process where we are working out things as we go along. We are
also, as you know, working on an understanding on the overall
arrangements. That's not done, but we are making progress in those
discussions as well.

Q: On the particular question of arrangements for interrogations, have
you come to - you say you're making progress. Have you come to any
preliminary agreement on those aspects?

MR. BOUCHER: I think I said we don't have a conclusion or an agreement
on those issues yet.

Q: So how do you know you're making progress, then?

MR. BOUCHER: Because we're making progress.

Q: Maybe you're getting fairly friendly. I don't know how you can make
progress unless you've actually achieved something already.

MR. BOUCHER: Are you guys just out here to give me a hard time today?
What's up? (Laughter.)

Look, we can make progress in discussions without reaching a
conclusion. I'd like to be making progress in this briefing room and
also reach a conclusion. But the point is, we're discussing this issue
with the Yemeni Government; we need to work out the arrangements; we
are making progress in terms of working out the arrangements, but we
haven't pinned down all the details yet, and we can't say that we have
--

Q: You've pinned down some?

MR. BOUCHER: We've pinned down some of it. We've got some
understandings on it. We're making progress, but we haven't reached a
conclusion. That's kind of what I said before, and I'll say it again.


(The briefing was concluded at 1:20 P.M.)