MR. BOUCHER: Good afternoon, everybody. It's good to be here with you. I think the Secretary answered most of your questions earlier, but I just couldn't let a day go by without spending some quality time here with my friends.

If I could, I'd like to take a minute at the top just to update you on some of the activity we have in terms of hurricane relief in the Caribbean. We are active in Grenada, where we've given more than $900,000 worth of emergency supplies. We've had four flights down there as of last week and there's additional money that's going in and being spent now on things like the electrical system and various transport and other assessments.

We provided more than $694,000 for relief in Jamaica. That's two flights of relief supplies that have gone, that went down there and then a lot of the money is being spent on water and on medical supplies. 284,000 for Bahamas, and 50,000 spent in the Dominican Republic.

The situation in Haiti has, as we all know, been made much worse by the flooding and the mudslides, and so there's been proportionally more money that we've spent in Haiti. We have teams now at Gonaives that are set up that are working with CARE and other agencies on things like food distribution. On Monday, I think, World Food Program was feeding something like, 200- or 22,000 people.

The amount that the United States has provided was about, I think we told you $2.6 million. As of yesterday, there's another over $2 million that's been allocated now specifically for rehabilitation and reconstruction in Gonaives, and another $5 million or so that's left to be specifically allocated there.

QUESTION: (Inaudible)?

MR. BOUCHER: No. The totals are basically -- let's see. Let me get you revised totals.

QUESTION: And why can we just add up 2.6 plus 2 plus 5 point whatever?

MR. BOUCHER: Because I have to find out if all adds up quite that way. I have to know exactly which money this came out of. There was $8 million to be allocated, I think.

QUESTION: Total for all the Caribbean?

MR. BOUCHER: For additional Caribbean money, yeah, beyond 4.2 that had been spent as of yesterday. So the total will come eventually to 12 million for the Caribbean spent already, and 50 million -- 12 million available spent or available for spending, and another 50 million that's been requested by the President from Congress in the emergency supplemental for hurricane relief.

QUESTION: Fifteen?

MR. BOUCHER: Fifty.

QUESTION: Fifty.

MR. BOUCHER: On request. The White House announced that the other day.

QUESTION: And that's 50 for the Caribbean or 50 for everything?

MR. BOUCHER: That's 50 for the Caribbean. That's on top of money for Florida, basically. Anyway, I'll get you updated daily totals on how much is actually spent in Haiti and then how much is awaiting allocation among the different countries.

But I think the important thing is we are, particularly in Haiti, we are on the ground with our assistance teams. We have people in Gonaives, which is the hardest hit area. They're working with NGOs on food distribution, reconstruction, rehabilitation. The Government of Haiti is there as well, and we've got money coming in and projects underway now.

Yeah. Okay. Sir.

QUESTION: USAID team?

MR. BOUCHER: Yeah, Disaster Assistance Teams from USAID.

Yeah. Okay. More on this?

QUESTION: No.

QUESTION: We've got -- just on the Caribbean (inaudible). Has there been any discussion about possible other stops? Any more -- is there any more information about any possible stops the Secretary --

MR. BOUCHER: There has been more discussion, yes. Don't have --

QUESTION: But no decision?

MR. BOUCHER: Don't have any more information at this point.

Okay. We're going to go on. George gets the first one.

QUESTION: The Russians took action toward ratification of the Kyoto Protocol today. Do you have any thoughts on the implications of that action?

MR. BOUCHER: Let me try to explain where we are. And just, first of all, to say that the United States' position on the Kyoto Protocols has not changed. We felt it just wasn't the right thing for the United States, but it's up to other nations to independently evaluate whether ratification is in their national interest. Our understanding is Russia has not ratified it at this point. The Government has decided to submit it to the Duma and it's not clear when the Duma would complete its role in the ratification process.

I would point out that the United States continues to participate actively under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. President Bush's support has reaffirmed our commitment to that treaty, and we are carrying out climate change initiatives. The Administration's focusing on carrying out the President's commitment to address the long-term challenges, posed by climate change, by advancing a comprehensive set of domestic and international activities.

These include domestic programs and incentives to meet the President's goal of reducing the nation's greenhouse gas intensity 18 percent by 2012; dramatically enhanced commitment to develop and move to the marketplace cleaner energy technologies that are the key to addressing climate change while promoting global prosperity; regional and bilateral agreements with major international partners to pursue research on global climate change and to deploy climate observation systems to collaborate on energy and sequestration technologies and explore methods for monitoring and measuring greenhouse gas emissions; and finally, innovative multilateral partnerships such as the Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum, the International Partnership for the Hydrogen Economy, the Methane-to-Markets Partnership, the Earth Observation Initiative, the Generation IV Nuclear Forum and the International Project to Harness Fusion Energy.

So we're working on all these efforts with other partners from both the developed and the developing world in order to make our own contribution to preventing climate change.

Yeah. Sir.

QUESTION: On Iraq? I understand that, of course, Saddam Hussein will go on trial. But Richard, what happened to his deputies and his prime ministers like Aziz and others, so where they do this then? Are they going to also trial, or where are they now?

MR. BOUCHER: Ultimately, who, exactly, faces trial will be a decision for the Iraqis to decide. They've set up a tribunal. These people are -- many of the ones you mentioned are in U.S., in our custody for the moment, will be transferred to Iraqi custody and then put on trial by the Iraqis, so they'll be tried at the appropriate time when the Iraqis feel it's -- they're ready.

QUESTION: The U.S. is not going to play any role as far as trial is concerned?

MR. BOUCHER: We're playing a role in terms of supporting the Iraqis, but the Iraqis have now set up a court, set up a statute for the court. They've started to organize the people and procedures for a court. We continue to provide advice and support, but how they proceed from here will be their -- they'll make the decisions.

Yeah, Nicholas.

QUESTION: Richard, there may be nothing new on this, but are you still hoping to get troops from some Muslim countries in the region -- troops to Iraq?

MR. BOUCHER: We have been discussing with other nations the provision of troops, particularly for the issue of protection for the United Nations, and that's a subject that first and foremost the Iraqis have approached a number of countries on.

It was a subject in various bilateral discussions last week at the UN, and I think the Secretary General has also been in contact with other nations, so it wouldn't be for me to announce, nor am I aware that anybody else is quite -- has any announcements today. But on the other hand, it's something that's still under discussion with various nations.

Yeah, sir.

QUESTION: Can you elaborate on what the Secretary told us about the status of the Yaser Hamdi talks with the Saudis and the impression that we had that there was a deal and now it's come undone?

MR. BOUCHER: Well, I don't think -- I don't, there was not a deal that's come undone. We have been working on this. We've been, as the Secretary said, talking to the Saudi Government about this. I don't think there's much I can elaborate on. He pretty much told you the status of it. I think at this point we are waiting for the final approval from the Saudi Government, but we'll keep in touch with them and hope, as the Secretary said, we think this can be worked out and we'll be moving.

QUESTION: I had a question on Haiti, too.

MR. BOUCHER: Yeah.

QUESTION: Well, before we move on --

QUESTION: Oh, sorry. Go ahead.

QUESTION: So is there a snag or is there not a snag? What's the right word to use?

MR. BOUCHER: There's a -- they're discussions going on to work it out, to work out the transfer of Mr. Hamdi. I wouldn't describe it as a snag at this point, there have just been some things we had to work out with the Saudis, and we'll see if they are, in fact, worked out at this point.

QUESTION: And this is between the State Department or other U.S. Government officials?

MR. BOUCHER: Sorry?

QUESTION: Who's involved in the discussions?

MR. BOUCHER: The State Department and our Embassy.

Yeah.

QUESTION: Is it fair to assume that whatever is still being discussed has to do with his status in Saudi Arabia?

MR. BOUCHER: I wouldn't make any statements on that at this point. I think those issues are things we're discussing with the Saudi Government at this point.

QUESTION: Do you -- are you concerned at all that this ongoing discussion may, in some way, jeopardize the deal that was reached between his lawyers and the Justice Department?

MR. BOUCHER: As I said, we're working on this. We're looking --

QUESTION: Is there any possibility that this whatever it is --

MR. BOUCHER: I don't know. You'd have to -- that'll be a decision the lawyers would have to make and I can't speculate on how they might act.

QUESTION: But the Saudis are wondering why conditions are being imposed on Hamdi when they say he hasn't done anything wrong.

MR. BOUCHER: Again, I can't answer your question or correct any erroneous assumptions that you're making there without getting into the details of our discussions with the Saudi Government, so I don't think I'm in a position to get in that at this point.

As I said, there were some -- we were having discussions with the Saudis about the transfer of Mr. Hamdi. We think that the issues that we've discussed can be worked out and, in fact, are looking to hear from them on a more or less final response.

Yeah.

QUESTION: Richard, can I follow on with this quick? As far as troops, as far as Saudi Arabia is concerned, as far as troops in Iraq is concerned, what are their rules are, you think?

MR. BOUCHER: You'd have to ask the Saudis. They've expressed themselves before.

QUESTION: And are you discussing with the Saudis?

MR. BOUCHER: The Saudis have expressed themselves before. You can go back and talk to them again.

QUESTION: Is there any thought, back to the Hamdi case, is there any thought being given to trying to bring the Saudis into the agreement that was done between -- as far as I can tell the agreement --

MR. BOUCHER: Again, that's a legal question about an agreement between lawyers and the Justice Department. I'm not going to get into that at all -- questions of the agreement.

QUESTION: Well, the agreement that was reached between his lawyers and the Justice Department sets out specific restrictions on what he can and cannot do while he is living in a country that, I believe, is not the United States and the United States doesn't have jurisdiction over, including requiring him to go to the Embassy, to inform them -- U.S. Embassy -- to inform them of any trip he may take outside the country; restrictions on him visiting Afghanistan or Pakistan forever, and for not leaving Saudi for a number of years at all.

Is it the State Department's position that this can be, that this kind of thing can be legally -- or should be enforced by Saudi authorities?

MR. BOUCHER: Again, I'm not in a position to get into the conditions or the issues that are being discussed. That is an agreement between Mr. Hamdi and the Justice Department. It does not involve the Saudi authorities. Does not involve, in this government, the State Department. So that is understandings that they have with him, and I'll leave it for them, for his lawyers or the Justice Department to discuss that if that's appropriate.

QUESTION: So in case of a violation of one of these restrictions, you would have no qualms about going into Saudi or whatever country he was and just picking him up? Richard, do you understand -- I mean, this is a --

MR. BOUCHER: I understand the question, Matt, but I think it's -- I'm not here to explain an agreement between Mr. Hamdi's lawyers and the Department of Justice.

QUESTION: Well, I'm not --

MR. BOUCHER: That agreement and how it will be implemented and how it will be abided by and how it will be respected is a matter for Mr. Hamdi's lawyers, Mr. Hamdi or the Justice Department to discuss. It's not a matter involving the United States, the State Department. It's not a matter involving the Government of Saudi Arabia.

QUESTION: Well, I'm -- I was under the impression that you, in fact, were involved in this -- in these talks that are going on in Saudi right now.

MR. BOUCHER: We are discussing the transfer of Mr. Hamdi to Saudi Arabia, but we're not negotiating or renegotiating the agreement that the Justice Department has with his lawyers.

QUESTION: Okay, I have -- on similar subject. Unfortunately I don't remember the name of the gentleman who was recently released from Guantanamo Bay and traveled back to Denmark, his home country, and now he is threatening to move to Chechnya to take part in, you know, jihad there. What are your thoughts on that? Do you find it disturbing? Will it somehow for other (inaudible) the procedures --

MR. BOUCHER: I don't know the name or the specific instance. If there is some question as far as his status or ability to travel or anything like that, you'd have to check with the Danish authorities, since he's now in their jurisdiction. Obviously, we don't want to see anybody --

QUESTION: Well, it was reported --

MR. BOUCHER: -- be they former residents of Guantanamo or anybody else, go to Chechnya and take up terrorism. But what this gentleman, who he is, what he may be planning to do and what his terms are in being there, would be a question the Danes would have to answer.

Yeah. Okay. You had another one?

QUESTION: Well, I just wanted to kind of split the difference at the Saudi end, as well. We've got the Justice Department and the State Department at this end. Is there some dissent between, let's say, the Foreign Ministry and the equivalent of the --

MR. BOUCHER: I can't speculate on that.

QUESTION: You won't go there, okay.

MR. BOUCHER: I have no reason to suspect anything other than the fact that we're dealing with the Saudi Government. We're working out some issues.

QUESTION: Thank you.

MR. BOUCHER: And we expect they can be worked out. That's where we are exactly right now.

QUESTION: Richard, this week at the United Nations, Secretary and also President met with the leaders from India and Pakistan. The Secretary met with the foreign ministers from both countries and the President met with high level -- I mean, General Musharraf and the Prime Minister. U.S. -- the declarations or joint statements were issued between the U.S. and India, U.S. and Pakistan, and Pakistan and India. So where do we stand as far as Kashmir issue is concerned?

MR. BOUCHER: We've got a lot of joint statements to stand on. You know, I think everybody talked about the issue last week. We were pleased with the statement that India and Pakistan issued, the leaders of India and Pakistan issued. We noted the fact that they are going to address the issue of Kashmir and also move forward in some other concrete ways in developing their relationship. We think that's a very positive development.

As you know, we have -- both of these nations are good friends and we have always encouraged them to move forward together and it's very pleased to see that they're -- they, themselves, are moving forward.

QUESTION: I spoke with both the leaders at the UN, Richard, and this is the first time that both avoided something like cross-border terrorism or accusing Pakistan. India did not accuse Pakistan or Pakistan did not raise the answer of -- I mean, the issue of Kashmir. Do you think this is telling some kind of message here that Kashmir issue is going to resolve, or what kind of role U.S. is playing now?

MR. BOUCHER: It's hard to predict exactly how and when these issues can be resolved. There are a number of things that they're discussing with each other. But I think the seriousness with which they have approached recent discussions, recent steps is a positive sign and one that we have certainly worked hard to encourage and will continue to encourage.

QUESTION: Another question on Nepal?

MR. BOUCHER: You’re allowed to leave if somebody wants to say good-bye.

QUESTION: One more on Nepal?

MR. BOUCHER: Matt.

QUESTION: Well, you can go with Nepal, first.

MR. BOUCHER: Nepal?

QUESTION: Yes, sir. Because of Nepal's help for the U.S., as far as Iraq or the troops in Iraq is concerned; the situation is really deteriorating. What kind of help the U.S. can provide because the situation is getting (inaudible), day by day, because the more they are taking advantage. They are against the government and people are also against, as far as troops are concerned. What kind of, you think, help U.S. can provide?

MR. BOUCHER: I don't have the whole list in my head, but we've been certainly very active there, both in terms of our statements, our activity encouraging dialogue wherever possible, but also our support for the government in its attempts to defend itself.

Yeah, Nicholas.

QUESTION: Richard, the Chinese Foreign Minister outside said that there were some complications in the discussions about six-party talks with the North Koreans. He didn't elaborate. But if you are aware of today's meeting and what they talked about, can you tell us what those complications might be?

MR. BOUCHER: Well, I think the complications are that the North Koreans didn't show up in September. It's -- September is over in Asia.

QUESTION: Right. (Laughter.)

MR. BOUCHER: So they're not -- I don't -- as far as I know, they're not -- there were no complications discussed with the United States today, other -- no complications from our side, as far as that goes.

QUESTION: On China, on the talks with Chinese.

MR. BOUCHER: Yeah, Charlie.

QUESTION: The Secretary said that he raised the issue with the New York Times journalist. But can you say whether the Chinese Foreign Minister gave the standard, "It's an internal matter," or what his reaction was to the question?

MR. BOUCHER: I'm not going to try to speak to the whole Chinese position. I think the Secretary's summary is very accurate. The Secretary said he promised to look into it.

Yeah, sir.

QUESTION: Question about Haiti (inaudible). Have the Haitian Government officials asked you to stand by for any security requests if the situation there deteriorates?

MR. BOUCHER: The UN forces that are there are very active in helping deal with the situation and helping actually on the relief side, as well as the security side. So I think that's where discussions of security would have to be -- would be held.

QUESTION: Richard, yesterday you guys put out your announcement about the annual Diversity Lottery -- Visa Diversity Lottery -- 50,000 --. And as with the year before, it's all -- has to be done by -- through the internet, no paper submissions. And as I asked last year, I'm just wondering if you guys have thought about the -- if you've noticed, thought about, and/or noticed any implications of this --

MR. BOUCHER: This is --

QUESTION: -- given the fact that a large number, a large segment of the world's population doesn't have access to the internet, or much less a computer. And in particular, don't you find it perhaps a bit cruel that you include North Korea as a country from where people can submit these applications when your own Human Rights Report says that internet access in North Korea is limited to high-ranking officials with "the need to know," and that the government monitors all kinds of electronic exchanges.

Are these the people that you're looking for from North Korea to come to this country?

MR. BOUCHER: Matt, where should I begin? (Laughter.) All right, number one, two months ago we put out the results -- maybe it was three or four months ago, how time flies.

QUESTION: That was the last one.

MR. BOUCHER: We put out the results of the last time -- of the last round. At that time, I think we made very, very clear that we had studied carefully the internet application process, and we had had very, very similar percentages of applicants from different countries and areas as we had with the paper process, that there was apparently no drop-off from developing countries or so-called disadvantaged areas in countries that we have had a, I think, a very sound number of applications and the same basic proportions of applications from different places as we had with the paper process; and overall, it was more secure and more convenient and more efficient for all of us to do it that way.

I think, as you know, many, many countries, even if there's not widespread internet access, that people that need to get a machine for some time can get to an internet café, which we've seen in our travels all around the world.

QUESTION: I don't recall any in Pyongyang.

MR. BOUCHER: I don't recall any in Pyongyang, either, so I'll deal with the question of North Korea as well.

You'll also remember, from your study of these lotteries over many years, that the identification of nations is the place of birth of the applicant, not necessarily his current place of residence, and there are many North Koreans who are -- no longer reside in North Korea who would be eligible under those conditions and we want to make sure that this lottery's available to them. We would certainly wish that people in North Korea still would have the opportunity as well, but the fact that it applies to North Koreans in practical terms this way means it applies -- that North Koreans who are still in their country, North Koreans who are out of their country have the ability to apply.

I know there are severe restrictions on the internet use in North Korea, but frankly, there are a lot of restrictions on people sending letters to the U.S. Government as well. So I'm not sure that the choice of medium would affect the inability of people in North Korea to apply.

QUESTION: And the results that you just talked about, you are -- you have them there? You will -- how many North Koreans applicants were there?

MR. BOUCHER: I don't know.

QUESTION: There were four.

MR. BOUCHER: Is that right?

QUESTION: Yes. According to what you posted up there. Now, unfortunately, the results for previous lotteries don't seem to be easily accessible on the website so I can't tell whether there is a -- whether that marks a -- if it stayed the same or if it's a noticeable decrease.

MR. BOUCHER: Well, as you know --

QUESTION: But certainly, I would think that there are probably, given the desperate situation in North Korea, more than four North Koreans who would like to apply for a U.S. lottery -- a visa --

MR. BOUCHER: I'm sure there are more than four North Koreans who would have liked to apply in previous years by letter, many of which were not able to. I don't know what the numbers are for previous years. But I think it's generally understood that given the conditions in North Korea that people inside North Korea will find it very difficult to apply by whatever means, and the choice of the means of application is not necessarily disadvantaging them; it's their government's policies and practices that's a disadvantage to them.

QUESTION: Thank you.

MR. BOUCHER: We've got one or two more.

Ma'am.

QUESTION: Within this year, if North Korea refused to return the favor, does the United States government have any contingency plan?

MR. BOUCHER: It's the same question you asked the Secretary outside and I'll stick with the answer that he gave you.

QUESTION: (Inaudible.)

MR. BOUCHER: It's a good answer.

QUESTION: Richard, as far as visa is concerned, an artist in India from Punjab, he was accused and arrested on the charges of that he’s human trafficking or bringing people with him to the U.S. whenever he brings his troops there for a show. And now again he is coming on a tour in the U.S., despite from the Punjab (inaudible). How this (inaudible) works in the U.S. Embassy, and he has physically (inaudible) surrendered himself to the Punjab government, Punjab police --

MR. BOUCHER: I don't know, but I suspect part of your information must be wrong because it doesn't make sense to me either. Let me double check, see if we know anything.

QUESTION: He is coming on a show – tour of the U.S. again this month.

MR. BOUCHER: Let me double check and see what we know.

QUESTION: Thank you.

(The briefing was concluded at 3:02 p.m.)