Briefing Skipper: Abbas, North Korea, Saudi-Yemeni clashes, Karzai

Posted By Josh Rogin Friday, November 6, 2009 - 12:58 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 Department Spokesman Ian Kelly:

Kelly defended Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's remarks in Israel, which she tried to back away from (video) in Morocco. "I think that whatever we have said has been completely consistent with our policy. We haven't changed anything," he said. No real comment on the decision by Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas not to run for reelection.
One reporter in the State Department press corps got very upset that Kelly wouldn't say much on the Abbas resignation. "Okay, just stop. If you're not going to answer the question, just tell me you're not going to answer the question. Don't go on with this other stuff," the reporter huffed. Jeez, you'd think that guy would be used to non-answers by now.
The administration will not push Israel on Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit's request for a guarantee that any Israeli-Palestinian resolution will abide by the pre-1967 borders (surprise, surprise). "This is something for the two sides to work out," Kelly said.
No comment on reports that there was a three-pronged offer to the North Koreans last week and two of the three conditions were agreed to. "I don't know anything about any kind of stipulation for two talks before we have the [multilateral] talks," Kelly said. Is he not reading The Cable? Ambassadors Stephen Bosworth and Sung Kim did meet with South Korean Six-Party Talk Envoy Wi Sung-lac.
The State Department is "concerned" about reported Saudi incursions over the Yemeni border. "It's our view there could be no long-term military solution to the conflict between the Yemeni Government and the the Houthi rebels," Kelly said.
Obama intends to support Afghan President Hamid Karzai's new term wholeheartedly, but Kelly added, "we're going to look for some pretty quick and vigorous steps to try and address some of the problems that he himself has identified, including the need to fight corruption."