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MR PATEL: Good afternoon, everyone. Happy Friday the 13th for those who celebrate it.

QUESTION: Well, what did you save for us?

MR PATEL: So it’s Friday the 13th in January, so I really don’t know what’s really stirring that.

I have one quick thing above. So I would like to address the possibility of the imminent execution of dual Iranian-British national Ali-Reza Akbari. The United States echoed the British Government’s strong call for Iran not to proceed with these executions and to release Akbari immediately. The accusations against Ali-Reza Akbari and his execution sentence were politically motivated. The execution makes no sense.

We are deeply troubled by reports that Pak Akbari was drugged, tortured while in custody, interrogated for thousands of hours, and forced to make false concessions[1].

More broadly, Iran’s practice of arbitrary and unjust detention, forced confessions, and politically motivated executions is completely unacceptable and must end.

With that, Matt, if you want to start us off.

QUESTION: Sure, let’s start with that. I mean, besides this public call, are you able to do something about this?

MR PATEL: I don’t have any specific actions to preview, Matt, but as we’ve said before, we do have a number of tools at our disposal to hold the Iranian regime accountable. We have done so and taken action at various intervals over the last few months, whether it be sanctions, whether it is designation of entities and individuals, doing so in close coordination with our allies and partners.

QUESTION: But you will admit that it doesn’t work?

MR PATEL: Well, Matt, I — what I would say is that the actions we’re taking are having an effect. They have an effect in the sense that –

QUESTION: Well, they haven’t stopped these repressions or executions.

MR PATEL: I’m not trying to suggest that they have done that, but they did have the effect of further isolating the Iranian regime and making them more of a pariah on the national stage.

QUESTION: OK. And then I just have another completely unrelated one.

QUESTION: And it is – and I realize you guys have searched for this and you probably don’t have an answer – but do you have any further details on this agreement that the Secretary will sign this afternoon between NASA and Japan?

MR PATEL: Sure, Matt, let me share what I have.

MR PATEL: This is very similar to what Ned said today – yesterday – at today’s Secretary —

QUESTION: Well, okay. It was almost nothing, so—

MR PATEL: If you’ll permit me, Secretary Blinken and Japan’s foreign minister will sign an agreement at NASA this afternoon that will build on our decades-long cooperation and exploration and use of outer space. This agreement underscores the US and Japan’s commitment to safe and responsible space activities in Earth orbit, on the moon, and beyond. The US and Japan are two original signatories to the Artemis Accords demonstrating our extraordinary commitment to sustainable and transparent space exploration.

Now, for your specific questions yesterday about this signing and its potential impact on the upcoming Artemis mission and crew line-up and beyond, I’m going to let our NASA colleagues talk about that. I just don’t have any information about that part.

QUESTION: OK. Okay thanks.

MR PATEL: Good. Alex. Continue.

QUESTION: Thank you, Vedant. Happy Friday. Just before I dive into my question, to follow up on what Matt asked and based on your response you wouldn’t say you’ve run out of options would you? I mean there is still a tool in your device, it’s just that you haven’t used it yet.

MR PATEL: There’s always a tool in our arsenal, and I’m certainly not trying to suggest that we’ve run out of options. We continue to have the tools at our disposal to hold the Iranian regime accountable, and you’ve seen this administration take action from this department, from the Treasury, from other entities within the Executive Branch. We have done what we can to hold the Iranian regime accountable, and we will continue to do so through this government but also in close coordination with our allies and partners as well.

QUESTION: Does the supreme leader sanction for gross human rights violations already exist?

MR PATEL: I’m not going to — I’m not going to talk about what’s on or off the table. What I will say is that we have taken action, we continue to have the tools at our disposal, and we will continue to do what we can and do it in close coordination with our allies and partners to hold the Iranian regime accountable. egregious human rights violations, for the killing of its own people.

QUESTION: Thank you very much. Moving to Russia, the Secretary mentioned yesterday —

MR PATEL: Actually, can I – can we just stay on the subject, and then I’ll get back to you.

QUESTION: Thank you, Vedant. European Parliament – ​​members of the European Parliament are increasingly calling for the EU to designate the IRGC as a terrorist group. England, England, too – agree with this. Additionally, a member of the British Parliament today, for example, called for more action, such as recalling the ambassador from – or at least the British ambassador to Iran – to Iran, expelling Iranian diplomats, completely stopping JCPOA talks, snapbacks, and similar actions in this line. Does the Biden administration agree with the above action in downgrading diplomatic ties or is it a camp that thinks at least one channel of communication needs to be kept open?

MR PATEL: Well, let me say a few things, Guita. First and foremost, we have appointed the IRGC, and that is because we continue to believe that the Iranian regime and to a large extent through the IRGC have been taking part in malign and destabilizing activities, not only in the nearby region, but the world at large – activities that are harmful not only to regional and national security of the United States but also of our allies and partners. I’ll leave it to the other entities to speak to their own resolve and the own appointments they make in their own foreign policies.

Likewise, we will leave it to other countries to make their own decisions about their diplomatic relations with Iran and such. But what I would say specifically to your question about the JCPOA, Guita, is that for some time – and this is nothing new I’m saying – the JCPOA was not on the agenda at the moment.

QUESTION: Thank you. I have a few questions. China has suspended visas to South Korea and Japan. On the other hand, there are reports that China and the United States will increase flights between the two countries. How do you view China as a different – ​​different situation?

MR PATEL: Are you speaking in the context of COVID-19 or in public health?

MR PATEL: Understood. So I’m going to — I’m not going to talk about the public health measures that other countries are taking. What I will say is that the United States always makes its decisions – and our colleagues at the CDC can better talk about this – on – they base their decisions on science. And as you saw in December, at the end of December, we issued mandatory testing requirements for flights originating in the PRC.

I don’t have anything else to preview in terms of flight improvements or anything like that, but what I will say, Janne, again is that our decision-making has been rooted in science, rooted in transmission, in the prevalence of multiple variants, and I’ll let the CDC talk about that.

QUESTION: So do you think that the South Korean Government’s response to COVID-19 based on scientific reasons is justified?

MR PATEL: Again, I’ll let other countries talk about their own public health measures. My understanding of South Korea’s efforts is that those are similar testing requirements as the United States has imposed, but again, I’ll let the other countries talk about their own public health measures.

QUESTION: Finally – lastly, what is the position of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of South Korea which wants its own nuclear arsenal?

MR PATEL: Well, I think you saw President Yoon talk about this earlier this week, Janne. To step back a bit, the United States and the Republic of Korea are continuing to pursue what we consider a common goal, namely the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. And the Yoon administration is very clear that it is not pursuing a nuclear weapons program and is cooperating with the United States through an extended deterrence mechanism, and in fact, it is the DPRK that is pursuing unlawful nuclear arsenals, escalating nuclear tensions in the region, and taking part in the destabilizing action. So the US will continue to work with the ROK and we will continue to work together to strengthen this expanded deterrence program in the face of the DPRK’s destabilizing actions.

QUESTION: So yesterday the Pentagon and the White House said they wanted denuclearization – complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. So does the same page —

MR PATEL: That continues to be our goal, and the Yoon administration is very clear that they are not pursuing a nuclear weapons program.

MR PATEL: Back to you, Alex. Thank you.

QUESTION: Thank you very much. Yesterday the Secretary met with Ambassador Tracy before his departure for Russia. Just wondering how the Secretary envisions his mandate, his role over the next few months and weeks. It’s not business as usual – or I should say diplomacy as usual – with Russia, is it?

MR PATEL: Of course. Absolutely, and I talked about it a little bit when Ambassador Tracy was confirmed by the Senate. Look, Alex, Russia is a country we have a bilateral relationship with, and I know Ambassador Tracy for that – once she arrives in Moscow, she hopes to do what she can to be an advocate for issues that are important to the United States, and there are problems in the bilateral relationship that require that lines of communication remain open. And we want those lines of communication to remain open. That’s just as true in times of apostrophe/quote “normal”, but just as true – and perhaps more importantly – in times of conflict as it is today.

QUESTION: To make sure he gets there today, tomorrow –

MR PATEL: I don’t have a specific date. I don’t have a specific date, but I do – I’m sure he intends to get there soon. I can check if we have specifics, but I’m sure our embassy will be in touch as well.

QUESTION: Sticking to diplomacy, Ukraine has claimed that Russia is trying to reach out to European countries for some unfavorable deals on behalf of Ukraine. What is the level of confidence that Russia will not succeed in undermining European, trans-Eurasian unity?

MR PATEL: Sorry, I don’t understand your question.

QUESTION: The Russians are sending their diplomats to European countries and trying to snag some kind of, like, a no-win deal. That’s based on an assessment of Ukrainian intelligence. What is your level of confidence that they will not succeed in undermining your union?

MR PATEL: Yes, we have aligned with our allies and partners since this incident in February last year. During and during various rounds of this conflict, you have seen through multiple multilateral fora and otherwise the United States and its allies and partners in unison about Russia’s unjust, barbaric, unlawful violations of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. You’ve also seen our allies and partners, including those in Europe, play – an important role in supporting our Ukrainian partners through security assistance, through humanitarian assistance, through other actions, and I’m sure that will continue.

QUESTION: Thank you. My last on this: May I have your assessment of what happened in eastern Ukraine over the last 24 hours and how much this is subject to today’s phone call between the Secretary and his counterpart?

MR PATEL: I don’t have – and I assume you’re talking about Soledar? Yes. I don’t have anything extra – nothing extra to offer about Foreign Minister Blinken’s call with Foreign Minister Kuleba. But what I’d like to say is that we’ve seen the same reports, just as we’ve seen the same reports from Russia and just as we’ve seen Ukrainian reports that deny – that say fighting is continuing.

But in general, Alex, I don’t want to get into a particular battlefield assessment. But to widen the gap, it is clear that Russia’s months-long campaign appears to have resulted in extreme and overwhelming personnel losses. Thousands of unprepared and ill-equipped Russian conscripts have been killed, and the Kremlin itself has acknowledged that its decision to attack Soledar came at a cost. So we will continue to closely consult with our Ukrainian partners and assess the situation.

QUESTION: Thank you. Switch topics?

QUESTION: Okay, the Palestinian issue. There was a report today in The Washington Times about ghosts – how Palestinian children are being haunted by night attacks by Israeli occupation soldiers. I wonder if you saw this.

QUESTION: And if you have any comments on that.

MR PATEL: I saw the article, Said. And what I’m going to do — what I’m going to say is I’m going to point you back to what President Biden said last summer during his visit to Israel, and that he made very clear that we continue to support a two-state solution. And the President noted that the two countries coexisting remains the best way to ensure an equal future of freedom, prosperity and democracy for both Israelis and Palestinians.

QUESTION: This is fine, but for a while Palestinian children continue to be targeted and haunted. I mean, since the beginning of the year, 10 Palestinians have been killed – 10 in the last 13 days, including one today – 13 – and dozens more injured. What else can you do besides, I mean, talk about a two-state solution and so on? What can you do to provide protection for Palestinians and Palestinian children? They are for the most part—mostly innocent.

MR PATEL: Said, we’ve been very vocal, not only from this briefing room but in various other engagements that have been undertaken by the Secretary and other senior officials of this department, about our continued support for the two-state solution and our opposition to policies that jeopardize its survival . This includes – and we have – continued to provide deep support for the equal administration of justice for all people living in Israel.

QUESTION: Well, your envoy to Palestine, Mr. Hady Amr, was just there a day or two ago. What did he say to Palestinians and Israelis in this regard? What’s the message? I mean, he met all – I don’t know if he met any Israelis. But I mean, it’s – it’s clear that the Israelis are meeting it with accelerated aggression against innocent Palestinians.

MR PATEL: Saying, whenever we engage with Israel and the Palestinian Authority, we continue to reiterate that we continue to support the two-state solution and oppose policies that would jeopardize its viability. You’ve seen the Secretary talk about this; You’ve seen the President talk about this; it’s something that Ned and I have — have made pretty clear as well.

QUESTION: If you’d just bear with me.

QUESTION: The Palestinians are warning that Israel’s extremist policies and your lack of clarity on these extremist policies is only putting things in jeopardy. Are you ambiguous about this government and its behavior so far – the Government of Israel?

MR PATEL: We’re — I don’t believe we’re ambiguous at all, Said. As we have said many times since our inception, we look forward to working with Israel to advance the interests and values ​​that have long been at the core of our bilateral relationship. I would also point you back to what Secretary Blinken said in December, that our engagement and our assessment of the new Government of Israel will be rooted in the policies they pursue, not personality. And we’ve been clear once again, and I just said now again that we’ve been very clear, about our continued support for the two-state solution and opposition to policies that jeopardize its viability.

QUESTION: And lastly, I know maybe this isn’t your area or it’s not really under the auspices of the State Department, but Harvard canceled a scholarship for the former head of Human Rights Watch, Mr. Ken Roth, because he was critical of Israel. You would definitely have a position if Harvard denied fellowship to someone because he was critical of China, human rights abuses in China and elsewhere. Do you have any comments on this?

MR PATEL: Said, I’m not going to do it – I didn’t know this. I just heard this now. And obviously Harvard is a private institution, so I have nothing to offer there.

QUESTION: Yes. Do you have any comments on this report by The Wall Street Journal that the Biden administration is preparing to seek congressional approval, he says, for the sale of 20 billion new F-16 fighter jets to Türkiye along with a separate sale of the next generation of F-35 fighters to Greece? Any comments on this?

MR PATEL: As a matter of policy, the department will not comment on proposed defense sales or transfers until they are formally notified to Congress. But what I want to say is that Türkiye and Greece are both vital, vital NATO Allies and we have a history, of course, of supporting their security apparatus. But I’m not going to get ahead of the process here.

QUESTION: Do you have sanctions against Türkiye under CAATSA? Do you still have sanctions against Türkiye? Can you check?

MR PATEL: I have to double check, and we can – we can call you back.

QUESTION: A quick follow up on this?

QUESTION: The same article says that foreign minister Türkiye is expected to visit Washington next week. Do you have any announcements about that and potential meetings?

MR PATEL: As I just said, Türkiye is a vital and important NATO Ally, and Ned referenced that yesterday. We’ll have more to offer on the schedule in the coming days, but I have nothing to preview at this time.

QUESTION: Thank you. Taking off from today’s announcement that the government hopes to start taking extraordinary steps to avoid breaching the debt ceiling, I’m wondering if you can address how defaulting on it could impact State Department operations as well as roil the global economy in general. What kind of ripple effect would it cause?

MR PATEL: As for the economic impact, I’ll let my colleagues at the White House and other agencies talk about that. We certainly — what I would say broadly, and talk more specifically about our engagement with Congress, is that we engage with them on a variety of issues. I have no specific judgment to offer on this negotiation. But we engage with Congress on a number of issues. We have done it in the 117th Congress and we hope to do it with this Congress too.

QUESTION: Another topic, if I may. A few days ago, a statue of Turkey’s president was hung opposite the city hall in the Swedish capital. Even the prime minister of Sweden says that it is very serious and is a sabotage of their NATO application. From the same podium yesterday, your colleague Ned Price said that Sweden is ready to join NATO. This is what the United States believes. But don’t you think that with the latest developments Sweden still has a long way to go in eradicating terrorism in the country?

MR PATEL: Well, let me say a few things, and I would echo what Ned said yesterday, that of course Türkiye faces a very complex security environment. And as we have said before, Türkiye is one of our NATO Allies that has faced the most terrorist attacks. On this particular incident, I’m not used to it, so I’m going to — it’s obviously very unsettling. But what I would say is I would echo what Ned said, that we are certainly looking forward to the accession of Sweden and Finland to NATO, and we’re going to let that process work itself out.

QUESTION: And I have a follow up on that.

QUESTION: Because I want to learn what the United States believes right now because to an international audience it sounds like that – as if Türkiye is blocking it for some kind of entertainment. But like you said, even the Swedish Government admits they haven’t done their homework. What do you think about it? Because they still say that it is very serious and there are terrorist activities on their land, in their capital city. What is the position of the United States? Like, are they ready to join now or do they still have some tasks to complete before they can join?

MR PATEL: Our assessment is that we want Sweden and Finland to join NATO as soon as possible. But of course the United States is just one member state, and this is a process that needs to be done, and we’re going to let that process work itself out.

QUESTION: Can I ask a question about Cuba?

QUESTION: There is a high-level delegation that will be visiting Cuba soon, the US delegation. Does that suggest that perhaps relations with Cuba are becoming more normal or that we are on the verge of normalizing relations with Cuba?

MR PATEL: Are you talking about law enforcement —

QUESTION: Law enforcement, international law and all that.

QUESTION: But I’m sure they’ll probably have a discussion –

MR PATEL: Say, let me — if you’ll allow me to offer some broader thoughts. So for – for those who may be tracking, US and Cuban officials will be meeting as part of the US-Cuba Law Enforcement Dialogue in Havana next week to discuss topics of bilateral interest regarding international law enforcement issues, enhancing international law enforcement cooperation, and this is an opportunity to allow the U.S. protect U.S. citizens better and bring transnational criminals to justice.

The Departments of State, Justice, and Homeland Security will co-chair the dialogue for the United States. And generally speaking, Said, to your question, better law enforcement coordination between the United States and Cuba is in the best interest of the United States and the Cuban people. And during the dialogue, the US and Cuba will discuss topics of bilateral interest.

QUESTION: I have a question regarding human rights involving Azerbaijan and then also Georgia. Both you and Ned recently spoke about the recent arrests of prominent activist Bakhtiyar Hajiyev and politician Tofig Yagublu in Azerbaijan. We are receiving conflicting reports, but mostly about their health situation, which is deteriorating. My question is this: Ned was talking yesterday about a new initiative, and he said we’re going to use every tool at our disposal to get both prisoners out of jail. I know they are not subject to new initiatives. But Assistant Secretary Donfried called Azerbaijan two days ago. Did he raise the case?

MR PATEL: This is an issue that we continue to address and raise directly. The United States remains firmly committed to advancing respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and we again in this regard urge the government to respect the rights of its citizens, including the right to peaceful expression of views. I don’t have a specific subpoena reading to offer you, Alex, but like I said, this is something that we’re very concerned about, and I would echo what Ned said when this was first brought up, is that we are very disturbed by this arrest. and we urge the authorities to release them immediately.

QUESTION: Thank you. And to Georgia, Ukraine upheld —

MR PATEL: I’ll come to you after that, Leon.

QUESTION: Former President Saakashvili – now Ukraine asked the Government of Georgia to transfer him for medical treatment to Ukraine. Does the United States Government support this idea?

MR PATEL: I haven’t had any updates to offer since we last talked about it. We continue to be very concerned and concerned about this situation, especially his health condition.

QUESTION: Vedant, I just –

QUESTION: I am following up on a question about Cuba.

QUESTION: So you’re saying that this meeting on law enforcement matters is in the best interest of the United States of America. Do you think it is now in the best interest of the United States to actually normalize relations with Cuba?

And secondly, so there are meetings on issues of law enforcement, criminality, transnational, etc., but the United States still has Cuba on its list of supporters of terrorism, on its list of supporters – countries that support terrorism. How do you justify that meeting in Cuba while that country is still on your official list of sponsors of terrorism?

MR PATEL: Can you repeat the second part of your question, Leon? Sorry.

QUESTION: Basically how do you justify this kind of meeting especially on law enforcement issues in general while keeping the country on the terrorism list?

MR PATEL: Well, Leon, there are still human rights concerns and issues that exist. But I would say broadly, to broaden the gap a little bit, Leon, after the massive protests we saw last summer, President Biden directed the department to act in two key areas. The first is to promote accountability for human rights violations, for which we have previously announced several rounds of sanctions targeting individuals and entities with direct links to human rights violations.

Specifically in the context of this – this dialog, let me see if I have some more information for you. But as I said, engaging in these talks underscores our commitment to having constructive discussions with the Cuban Government if necessary to advance US interests.

Our belief is that building and enhancing channels of law enforcement cooperation to better address transnational threats is not at the expense of the serious human rights problems we continue to have. And we have integrated this concern for and protection of human rights into all of our interactions with the Government of Cuba.

QUESTION: Vedant, isn’t the real answer that this administration disagreed with the previous administration’s determination to return Cuba to the SSOT list, and that you have been looking for ways to repeal it since —

MR PATEL: I don’t have –

QUESTION: – entering the office –

MR PATEL: I don’t have the updates to offer that —

QUESTION: — and because of that, that law enforcement dialogue is inappropriate, given what you believe —

MR PATEL: Oh, law enforcement dialogue is inappropriate for many reasons, including the ones I just outlined.

QUESTION: Well, how much do you have with Iran? There is no.

MR PATEL: Those are slightly different circumstances.

QUESTION: How much do you – well, but in terms of SSOT. Anyway, I just wanted to check to make sure there weren’t any updates to Blinken’s special counsel, docs, and Secretary, right? There isn’t anything?

MR PATEL: I have no updates to offer beyond what Ned said yesterday.

QUESTION: I have a follow-up, if I can. As a general policy, do you sell weapons to any country subject to CAATSA sanctions?

MR PATEL: Excuse me, could you repeat your question?

QUESTION: I’m asking that as a general policy – ​​I’m not asking about Türkiye, okay – as a general policy, do you sell weapons – planes, any ships – to any country that is under CAATSA sanctions?

MR PATEL: What I would say broadly – ​​and I would look specifically at if there is a specific framework or definition to offer – is that we certainly support the security forces of a number of countries. But in general, as it relates to this particular situation – I know you didn’t ask about it right now, but you did before – we’re just not going to move forward from the process that we have with regards to congressional notifications.

MR PATEL: All right. Thank you to all of you.

MR PATEL: Have a great weekend, everyone, long weekend.

(Briefing ends at 14:36)

Begin the conference no later than 5 minutes after the set time. Introduce yourself, welcome everyone in the room, thank you for coming, and start the statement. Let some people talk.

What is another way to say brief?

short synonym

  • sudden.
  • blunt.
  • concise.
  • pithy.
  • concise.
  • short.
  • bluff.
  • crisp.

What does it mean to brief something? to give someone information about a situation, especially officially. tell someone about something: Committee members were notified of the plan last week. On the same subject : Blizzard, cold temperatures threaten to disrupt US travel ahead of Christmas. Synonyms and related words.

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& # xD; Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III and Deputy Prime…

Who are the guys on the roof of the White House?

The people you see on the roof of the White House are members of the Secret Service Countersniper Team, made up of specially trained Uniformed Division officers. Their mission is to prevent long-term threats to protected people. They are trained with specially made weapons and other sophisticated equipment.

Why are there people on top of the White House? That’s a US Secret Service Uniformed Officer. A separate group of plainclothes Special Agents is most commonly thought of. See the article : US-Canada Relations – Friends, Partners, Allies – US Department of State. The Marines you see are not there to “guard the White House”. There are four “Sentries” NCOs and they are the ceremonial guards for the West Wing. …

Are there always snipers on the roof of the White House?

They carried semi-automatic pistols, shotguns and machine guns. On the roof of the White House, a team of snipers stands guard. This may interest you : On Supporting a Peaceful Transition in Chad – US Department of State. The Secret Service says they are the best in the world and must qualify monthly to hit targets accurately at 1,000 yards.

Who smoked on the roof of the White House?

In the documentary “Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President,” the oldest living president reveals that his son Chip was the one who actually smoked “big fat Austin torpedoes” with Willie Nelson on the roof of the White House in 1980.

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What is briefing with example?

information given to someone just before that person does something, or a meeting where information is given: He discussed the report at a White House briefing on Tuesday.

How do I start a briefing? Begin the briefing by presenting a big picture outline of the information you will be presenting. It’s a good idea to refer to the main points in your briefing outline. The briefing body should refer to the objectives in the order they are presented in that outline.

What is the definition of briefing?

: the act or example of giving precise instructions or important information.

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