Evasion 101: How to Answer Journalists' Questions

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Transcript: State Department Noon Briefing, May 6, 2002

(UNHCR/Lubbers Washington visit, Announcement/Foreign Service Exam,
UN/Iraq, Israel/Palestinian Authority, Burma, Treaties, Cuba) (4180)

State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher briefed.

Following is the State Department transcript:

(begin transcript)

U.S. Department of State
Daily Press Briefing Index
Monday, May 6, 2002
12:40 p.m. EDT

Briefer:  Richard Boucher, Spokesman

[...]

QUESTION: Without going beyond what he said about your fears about --
I mean, is Cuba now on the "axis of evil"? Is there -- do you
consider
-- when you talk about potential action in the war against
terrorism/weapons of mass destruction of other countries, is Cuba now
on that list?

MR. BOUCHER: I think you're mixing about a dozen things there, and
the simple answer is what the President said about the axis of evil
stands. He said it in his State of the Union. He listed the countries
that are of greatest concern, and I'd leave it at that.

QUESTION: And again on Cuba, I don't know what Mr. Bolton said about
Cuba in his speech, but I do know that --

MR. BOUCHER:  Good.  Then I'll refer you to --

QUESTION: -- Assistant Secretary Reich did have some things to say
about Cuba this morning before the Council of the Americas. And among
his comments were that there is some indication that Cuba may have
been involved in the fiasco in Venezuela, talking about gunmen and
planes in Venezuela. Can you elaborate a little bit on what he was
talking about?

MR. BOUCHER: I didn't have those comments, so I'll have to check on
them and see.

QUESTION: You don't have anything in -- forget about Reich. In
general, do you have any evidence that might lead you to think that
Cuba was somehow involved in the Chavez debacle?

MR. BOUCHER: I don't have any information like that, but it's not
something I've checked on. I'll be glad to check for you.

You're don't have to think up questions.  You can stop --

QUESTION: Can you give us anything on Cuba? We weren't at the -- with
cameras at the other --

MR. BOUCHER: No, I'm not going to try. It was very carefully done,
and I'm going leave it at what he said.

QUESTION:  Okay.

MR. BOUCHER:  Okay.

(The briefing was concluded at 1:10 p.m. EDT.)

(end State Department transcript)

(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs,
U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

 
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