Briefing Skipper: Russia, Afghanistan, Guinea, Iran

Posted By Josh Rogin Thursday, October 15, 2009 - 12:05 AM Share

In which we scour the transcript of the State Department's daily presser so you don't have to. Here are the highlights of today's briefing by Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs P.J. Crowley:

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is on her way back to Washington after meeting today with Tatarstan President Mintimer Shaimiyev. Her travels didn't stop her from calling in to today's Afghanistan strategy session. (The decision on what to do there is "coming in weeks.") Crowley said the State Department is "concerned" about reported irregularities in the Russian municipal elections, which resulted in the Russian opposition walking out of parliament today.
A decision on the troubled Afghan presidential election is expected by the end of the week, Crowley said, and until then the U.S. is taking a wait-and-see approach. "Whoever emerges as the victor will have to, obviously, attack the issue of corruption," said Crowley, adding, "What is important here is that that government has to be seen as legitimate."
The State Department is not happy about the huge oil deal China snagged with the government of Guinea, which killed hundreds of protesters just last month. "The current junta led by Captain Dabiss Camara should step aside, should open the door for legitimate elections, so that a legitimate government, duly elected by the people of Guinea, can emerge," Crowley said.
No word on who will represent the U.S. government at the next meeting with Iran, which will take place on Oct. 19 in Vienna. There should be another meeting by the end of the month, after the international inspectors check out the Qom facility on Oct. 25.
And the U.S. is disappointed that the U.N. Security Council is discussing the Goldstone Report and the Palestinian leadership is now actively encouraging that discussion. "We, unfortunately, think that the steps that are being taken today and later this week mitigate against the kind of deliberative process that we think is appropriate," Crowley said.