State Department Holds Press Briefing Amidst Growing Tensions Between Israel And Iran
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller holds a press briefing.
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NewsTranscript
00:00 MR PRICE: Good afternoon, everyone.
00:01 We have a couple of guests today, run of show.
00:06 Our Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield is here, along with our
00:09 Special Envoy for Sudan Tom Perriello.
00:12 Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield is going to kick it off with some open remarks.
00:15 They'll take a few questions about the conflict in Sudan, and then I will return for the remainder
00:20 of the briefing.
00:21 So Ambassador.
00:22 AMBASSADOR GREENFIELD Thank you very much, and good afternoon, everyone.
00:26 Let me just start by welcoming Special Envoy Tom Perriello back from Chad just last week,
00:34 but also welcome him back to the State Department.
00:37 Last week, Tom traveled to Adra refugee camp right along the border of Sudan.
00:45 It's a trip that I know quite well.
00:47 I was at that same refugee camp just a few months ago in September.
00:51 I also visited the camp 20 years ago.
00:55 Hundreds of thousands of Sudanese refugees had fled for this camp in the months prior,
01:01 90 percent of them women and children.
01:03 And among those refugees was a six-month-old baby, born only days before the fighting broke
01:09 out in Sudan.
01:12 When I saw her, she was suffering from acute malnutrition – so small, so fragile, I thought
01:18 she was a newborn.
01:21 There's so much about her story that I don't know – how she arrived at the MSF hospital,
01:27 whether she ever left the hospital.
01:30 But I think about her today as the world nears a grim milestone – one year of horrific
01:37 civil war in Sudan.
01:40 How she was born as her country spiraled into conflict, how she was carried into Chad, her
01:47 protectors walking miles and miles to reach a semblance of safety.
01:52 How she spent those formative few months in a hospital too small and weak to even cry,
01:58 as doctors tried desperately to nurse her back to health.
02:03 And how now she reaches her first birthday, having only known violence, hunger, and displacement.
02:12 April 11th should be a historic occasion as we mark the five-year anniversary of the revolution
02:18 that toppled the Omar al-Bashir's regime – 30 – his 30-year reign.
02:26 Five years ago, you could practically taste the spirit of freedom, peace, and democracy
02:31 in the air as women and young people took to the streets demanding change.
02:36 And yet, that baby I met in September is not growing up in a free, peaceful, democratic
02:43 Sudan.
02:44 Instead, she is one of millions whose lives have been upended and forever altered by this
02:49 war.
02:50 Today, nearly 25 million Sudanese people live in dire need of humanitarian assistance and
02:56 protection.
02:58 Three-quarters of them face acute food insecurity.
03:02 Nearly 8 million have had to flee their homes in what has become the world's largest internal
03:08 displacement crisis.
03:10 We've seen reports of gang rape, mass murder at the hands of the Rapid Support Forces militia,
03:17 of girls sold into sexual slavery, boys being made into child soldiers, of urban areas destroyed
03:25 by area weapons, and entire villages burned to the ground.
03:29 And yet, as communities barrel toward famine, as cholera and measles spread, as violence
03:36 continues to claim countless lives, the world has largely remained silent.
03:42 And that must change, and it has to change now.
03:45 The international community must give more, it must do more, and it has to care more.
03:51 And let's start with the funding piece, because that's critical.
03:55 To date, just 5 percent – 5 percent – of the UN's humanitarian appeal for Sudan has
04:01 been met.
04:02 Already, the World Food Program has had to cut assistance to over 7 million people in
04:07 Chad and South Sudan.
04:09 And that includes 1.2 million refugees like the ones I met in Adra, people who were already
04:15 struggling to feed themselves and their families.
04:19 This is a matter of life and death.
04:21 Experts warn that the coming weeks and months, over 200,000 more children could die of starvation.
04:27 The United States, for our part, plans on significantly increasing our funding in the
04:32 days to come.
04:33 More than just lacking aid, however, humanitarian workers have been systematically obstructed
04:39 from delivering aid to those in need.
04:41 From the beginning, brave people have been on the ground, often putting their lives at
04:46 risk to save people in Sudan.
04:50 And at every turn, combatants on both sides of the war have undermined their work.
04:55 That includes the Sudanese Armed Forces, which has impeded the major humanitarian aid crossings
05:01 from Chad into Darfur.
05:04 And that's where doing more comes in.
05:08 Should the SAF not reverse course immediately, the Security Council must intervene to ensure
05:14 life-saving aid is delivered and distributed, including if necessary, through a cross-border
05:21 mechanism.
05:22 What's more, we must continue urging the warring parties to stop the fighting and get
05:27 back to the negotiating table, as well as urge those outside supporters prolonging this
05:32 conflict and enabling these atrocities to stop sending weapons to Sudan.
05:38 Finally, I want to talk about the lack of care, the lack of attention the world has
05:43 paid to Sudan.
05:45 Just five years after a revolution that offered a glimpse at a free, peaceful, democratic
05:52 Sudan, people are losing hope.
05:54 Aid workers have begun calling this conflict the "forgotten war."
05:59 Sudanese children are asking why the world has forgotten them.
06:03 And let's be clear, I don't believe the dearth of attention is because people are
06:09 ignorant or unfeeling.
06:11 In fact, I believe it's the opposite.
06:13 I believe it's because there are so many terrible crises, so much violence and pain,
06:20 that people don't quite know which way to turn.
06:23 And this is where I need the help of all of you, the members of the press, who joined
06:28 me in this briefing.
06:29 As we mark one year of this conflict, please don't let it go uncovered.
06:34 Don't let stories like the ones I heard in Chad go unheard.
06:38 Don't let perpetrators of this horrific violence go unexposed, from the generals who
06:44 started the war to the backers who continue to fuel it.
06:48 Don't let the feeling that we've forgotten Sudan become a reality, because we need to
06:56 reignite that spirit of revolution, the hope and promise that characterized this state
07:01 five years ago.
07:02 I'm counting on you, and the people of Sudan are counting on you as well.
07:07 So thank you, and special envoy Perriello and I will now take a few questions.
07:13 Matt, do you want to – do you have anything?
07:16 I don't really have anything to ask.
07:18 Sure.
07:19 Thanks, Ambassador and special envoy.
07:20 Could I ask you two things?
07:22 Tom, you said before that you're hopeful with the end of Ramadan that the talks could
07:26 resume.
07:27 Do you think that that's on the cards now?
07:29 Do you see an interest, a strategic decision by both sides to resume talks?
07:34 And Ambassador, you mentioned a cross-border mechanism.
07:36 I know you've spoken about that before.
07:38 How close do you think we are to that becoming a reality?
07:41 Do you see that as realistically something that the Security Council, with the vetoes
07:45 there, can push through?
07:48 Come first.
07:49 We do sense a great deal of urgency to resume talks, and in fact, talks are already ongoing
07:54 in the sense that we're negotiating every day and trying to align key actors inside
07:59 and outside with a plan that would end this war.
08:02 We appreciate that Saudi Arabia is committed to hosting a new round of talks and that they
08:06 – those will be inclusive talks.
08:08 We hope that that will be a date that we can be able to announce soon and build momentum
08:13 coming out of the gatherings in Paris and start to have a sense of when that date will
08:18 be.
08:19 But in the meantime, we are not waiting to continue to try to put pressure on the parties
08:23 to come to the table.
08:25 And we do think that there are some signs, while many, many signs point to the war getting
08:29 even worse, in some ways it's gotten so bad and it's starting to have such regional
08:34 implications that it's also increased, I think, some of the diplomatic appetite to
08:38 try to find an end to this war.
08:39 And we're going to try to use every lever we have to build that into enough political
08:46 momentum and political will to end this war.
08:49 On the cross-border concept, we know that it is a concept that can work.
08:56 It worked in Syria.
08:59 We hope we don't have to go there.
09:00 We hope we don't have to push for a resolution to go there.
09:06 And for that reason, we're engaging very actively with the SAF as well as the RSF,
09:11 as other parties on the ground, to see how we can work with all of them to facilitate
09:18 getting needed humanitarian assistance into these areas that is so desperately needed.
09:25 But if we're not able to work with them, if we're not able to get their cooperation,
09:30 then we have to find another way.
09:32 We can't sit back and not look for other opportunities to see – to get humanitarian
09:41 assistance to people who are in desperate need.
09:43 MR KIRBY: Michelle Kelman from FAC.
09:46 QUESTION: Hi.
09:47 Thanks for taking my question.
09:48 You talked about other countries fueling the conflict.
09:51 I wonder if you can name them.
09:53 What are you telling them?
09:54 Because I think some of them are U.S. partners.
09:57 What more can the U.S. do to put pressure on the political players in terms of sanctions?
10:02 ASSISTANT SECRETARY THOMAS-GREENFIELD: With all of the countries who have been identified
10:07 as possibly fueling this conflict, we have had direct conversations with every single
10:15 one of them to press them to cease their support and fueling of this war.
10:25 They've been named in the press.
10:28 We've seen the Emiratis be named in the press.
10:33 We've seen Egypt be named in the press.
10:36 There are others who have been identified in the press as well.
10:41 And with all of them, we have constant engagements, and I know that Tom has had those engagements
10:48 as well.
10:49 MR KIRBY: Camille.
10:50 QUESTION: Thank you.
10:51 Just to elaborate a little bit more on that, to what extent is the UAE – can you talk
11:00 about them helping the RSF and refusing to listen to U.S. messages to stop its weapons
11:05 shipments?
11:06 Can you speak about that at all?
11:07 MR KIRBY: I think we've been making very clear to all partners across the region that
11:15 escalating the war at this time is something that is going to not only have increasing
11:21 humanitarian costs but actually risks destabilization of the entire region.
11:26 We see a conflict that in some ways has been between two sides that shows signs of being
11:31 increasingly factionalized in ways that brings in some of the tribal militias that have stayed
11:37 neutral.
11:38 It affects the ability of some of the neighboring countries to – that have tried to stay – be
11:44 constructive and not get more involved to get pulled in.
11:47 And right now is a time that every arms shipment, every bit fueling this conflict is something
11:54 that pushes us closer to not only famine but to a failed state.
11:59 And the flip side is this is a situation in which everyone in the region can benefit from
12:04 a peaceful and stable Sudan.
12:06 The Sudanese people are extremely clear about what they want.
12:09 They want a return to the constitutional transition begun with great courage just a few years
12:14 ago.
12:15 They want to see a unified professional military that is accountable to the people.
12:19 They want to see not a return of extremists and former corrupt officials.
12:25 And they want that full humanitarian access.
12:28 And I think they're going to be looking across the region at who stood with the Sudanese
12:31 people at this time of great crisis and who was pouring fuel on the fire.
12:36 And those consequences for those that are making the situation worse need to increase.
12:41 And I think we are seeing, particularly around this anniversary on the 15th, that finally
12:47 some attention is being paid to this issue.
12:50 And we need those actors to know that the world is watching, and we need that not to
12:54 just be one day but that people continue to cover the sheer scale of this tragedy, but
13:01 also cover the inspiring stories.
13:03 If you look at the emergency response rooms, you see young Sudanese who've created cash
13:08 apps in local kitchens to completely disrupt the kind of barriers being set up by the belligerent
13:13 actors to get food into some of the hardest-hit areas.
13:16 These are stories of courage and of innovation and ones that are literally a lifeline for
13:22 many of the Sudanese left behind.
13:23 We have time for one more.
13:25 Simon.
13:26 Just to follow up on this point about the direct conversations with countries fueling
13:31 the conflict, does that include Iran?
13:34 We've reported that Iranian-made armed drones have had a big impact on the course of the
13:42 war.
13:43 Is – so is that something that you're – you've communicated directly with Iran
13:46 on are they included in those countries and what would be the message?
13:50 We've had numerous discussions with countries in the region, and in those discussions with
13:58 countries in the region, we've encouraged them to encourage other countries like Iran
14:03 not to engage.
14:04 I won't get into what discussions we may or may not have had with Iran, but in our
14:12 discussions with other countries in the region, we've also asked for their assistance in
14:17 pressing each other as well as others to stop fueling this war.
14:22 And the one thing I would – sorry, add on that is I think this speaks to the idea that
14:27 for people in the region, there are many, many reasons to become pro-peace right now.
14:34 The continuation of this conflict and the introduction of additional actors and additional
14:38 negative elements only takes the situation into a more destabilizing direction in addition
14:43 to the human costs of this, and we think it's very important for people to notice those
14:48 trend lines and see that this is an opportunity and a moment to switch from either not paying
14:53 attention or playing a not-constructive role to realizing we all benefit – everyone in
14:58 the region will benefit from finding a path to peace.
15:01 Thank you.
15:02 Thank you.
15:03 Thank you.
15:04 Thank you.
15:05 Ambassador.
15:06 Okay.
15:07 So before we get to questions, I have just a couple of opening comments about the situation
15:17 in the Middle East.
15:19 We continue to be concerned about the risk of escalation in the Middle East, something
15:23 we have been working to mitigate and contain since the attacks of October 7th, and specifically
15:29 about the threats made in recent days by Iran against the State of Israel and the Israeli
15:33 people.
15:34 You saw the President make clear yesterday that we stand in strong support of Israel's
15:38 security against these threats.
15:40 Secretary Blinken has been engaged in diplomacy over the past 24 hours through a series of
15:45 calls to foreign counterparts, including Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Faddan, Chinese Foreign
15:51 Minister Wang Yi, and Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan, to make clear that escalation
15:56 is not in anyone's interest and that countries should urge Iran not to escalate.
16:01 We have also engaged with European allies and partners over the past few days and urged
16:05 them as well to send a clear message to Iran that escalation is not in Iran's interest,
16:10 it's not in the region's interest, and it's not in the world's interest.
16:14 Separately, the Secretary spoke yesterday to Israeli Defense Minister Yov Galant to
16:18 reiterate our strong support for Israel against these threats.
16:22 On that call, the Secretary also emphasized the importance of Israel meeting the commitments
16:26 that Prime Minister Netanyahu made to President Biden last week to improve the delivery of
16:30 humanitarian assistance into Gaza and to put in place enhanced de-confliction and coordination
16:35 measures.
16:36 Our teams, including our Special Envoy for Middle East Humanitarian Issues David Satterfield,
16:41 have been meeting with Israeli, UN, and private relief organizations this week to push forward
16:46 on all of those fronts.
16:47 And while we have seen progress, it is critical that that initial progress continue and that
16:52 it be sustained, and that is the message we have been delivering consistently to the Government
16:57 of Israel.
16:58 And with that, Matt.
16:59 QUESTION: Right.
17:00 Thanks, Matt.
17:01 Just to – logistically, the calls that you just mentioned with the Turk, the Chinese,
17:07 and the Saudi foreign minister, is for all today?
17:09 MR.
17:10 HOSTIN: He talked to the Turkish foreign minister last night.
17:12 He talked to Wang Yi this morning and then – early this morning, and then talked to
17:16 the Saudi foreign minister later this morning.
17:18 QUESTION: Okay.
17:19 Are there others planned as well?
17:20 MR.
17:21 HOSTIN: I don't have any calls to announce, but we have been engaged in a series of contacts
17:26 – not just at his level, but at other levels too – to talk to foreign counterparts to
17:29 send this very clear message to Iran that they should not escalate this conflict.
17:32 QUESTION: All right.
17:33 I didn't want to raise this with the previous two speakers because, obviously, the Sudan
17:41 situation is a situation in and of itself.
17:46 But so much of what they said very powerfully about the conflict in Sudan could also – or
17:51 does also – apply to what's happening in Gaza.
17:54 And when they say – when the ambassador and special envoy talk about how every arms
18:02 shipment leads us closer to famine and a failed state, do you not think that that same logic
18:12 applies in Gaza?
18:13 MR.
18:14 HOSTIN: I would --
18:15 QUESTION: Just because it's you who are supplying the weapons as opposed to whoever
18:19 it is – the Iranians, the Emiratis, the Egyptians – whoever it is that's supplying
18:25 the weapons in Sudan, doesn't the same thing apply?
18:29 MR.
18:30 HOSTIN: I would say that we are incredibly concerned about the humanitarian situation
18:34 in Gaza, and that's why you've seen the United States Government working to get more
18:39 humanitarian assistance in.
18:40 It's why we've been pushing the Israeli Government so hard to let more humanitarian
18:44 assistance in and to improve their de-confliction and coordination measures so there isn't
18:49 such a loss of political life.
18:51 And then on the political front, it's why we have been pushing with partners in the
18:55 region to develop a plan for post-conflict governance in Gaza.
19:00 So we don't see a failed state.
19:02 So we don't see anarchy in Gaza.
19:03 So we see a path forward for the Palestinian people's legitimate aspirations.
19:06 That is very much the policy that we are trying to pursue and that we have been engaged in
19:12 this administration from the President on down.
19:14 QUESTION: But is it correct, then, though, that the administration believes that every
19:17 arms shipment to Sudan leads us closer to famine and a failed state, that that does
19:23 not apply?
19:24 MR.
19:25 RATHKE: Well, you have a very --
19:26 QUESTION: I get that, but --
19:27 MR.
19:28 RATHKE: You have a very – it is a very different situation in Sudan where you have a brutal
19:32 civil war, two warring parties trying to seize control of the government, and in Israel where
19:37 you have Israel responding to a terrorist attack against its people and trying to achieve
19:43 a legitimate counterterrorism and military purpose.
19:46 That does not change at all the severity of the humanitarian situation, which is why we
19:51 have been working so hard to improve that humanitarian situation for the people in Gaza.
19:54 QUESTION: But you don't think that every arms shipment to Israel leads us closer to
20:01 famine?
20:02 MR.
20:03 RATHKE: We have continued to support Israel's right to --
20:05 QUESTION: Is that correct?
20:06 MR.
20:07 RATHKE: We have – let me say --
20:08 QUESTION: I don't know.
20:09 It doesn't matter to me whether one way or the other.
20:10 What do you say?
20:11 MR.
20:12 RATHKE: They are different conflicts, but I would say --
20:13 QUESTION: I know they are, but I'm just asking you.
20:14 They made the point in Sudan --
20:15 MR.
20:16 RATHKE: And I'm answering --
20:17 QUESTION: And I just want to know if you have – if you feel the same way about Gaza.
20:20 MR.
20:21 RATHKE: They are very different conflicts, but the humanitarian situation in Gaza is
20:24 dire, and that is why we are working so hard from the President on down to get more humanitarian
20:29 assistance in, and it's why we are working to improve de-confliction and coordination
20:33 so we don't see such a high number of civilian casualties that we – as we have seen over
20:39 the past six months.
20:40 QUESTION: Thank you.
20:41 MR.
20:42 RATHKE: Sean, go ahead.
20:43 QUESTION: Can I just pursue briefly on the opening comments on calling Wangi and others?
20:48 I realize you're probably not going to give a full readout of this, but how successful
20:51 was that?
20:52 And was it interesting for these other countries as well to see Iran not escalate?
20:56 MR.
20:57 RATHKE: So I'm not going to speak for any of those other countries.
20:58 I will let them speak for themselves.
21:01 But the point that the Secretary has been making to each of these counterparts, foreign
21:07 counterparts, both those in the region and foreign counterparts outside of the region,
21:11 is that further escalation of this conflict doesn't just hurt Israel, doesn't just
21:16 hurt Iran, doesn't just hurt the countries in the region, but that it harms every country
21:21 in the world.
21:22 Every country in the world would be hurt by wider regional conflict.
21:25 Every country in the world would be hurt by wider regional war, both economically, diplomatically.
21:31 And so the Secretary has been making clear to every country that has any semblance of
21:36 a relationship with Iran that it is in their interest to use that relationship to send
21:41 a message to Iran that they should not escalate this conflict.
21:45 But I will let those countries speak for themselves about what action they may or may not take.
21:48 QUESTION: And I have to ask – and this has been asked before, but Iran, of course,
21:52 argues that a diplomatic facility was struck in Damascus.
21:56 Has there been an assessment at this point from the United States whether this was indeed
21:59 a strike at a diplomatic facility?
22:00 MR.
22:01 RATHKE: We do not have a final determination.
22:02 It's something we're still assessing.
22:03 QUESTION: Is it – do you think there will be an assessment at some point from the U.S.
22:05 on this?
22:06 MR.
22:07 RATHKE: I do, but it's something we're continuing to work through.
22:08 QUESTION: Matt, on this?
22:09 MR.
22:10 RATHKE: Yeah, Michel, go ahead.
22:11 QUESTION: Reports say today that Iran delayed or changed plans to attack Israel at the last
22:16 moment due to U.S. warnings.
22:19 Can you confirm that?
22:20 And do you still expect an Iranian reaction to the attack on Damascus?
22:25 MR.
22:26 RATHKE: So I'm not going to speak to what Iran may or may not do or what our assessments
22:30 are.
22:31 You don't need an intelligence community assessment to see the threats that Iran has
22:35 been making.
22:36 They've been making those threats quite publicly and quite loudly over the past few
22:39 days.
22:40 So we will continue to send the message to them that it is not in their interest to escalate
22:45 this conflict and it's not in the region's broader interest, and we hope other partners
22:48 will send that same message.
22:49 QUESTION: Can I follow on Iran as well?
22:50 MR.
22:51 RATHKE: Yeah, go ahead, Nadia.
22:52 QUESTION: Sure.
22:53 I wanted to ask this question actually to the ambassador, but the Iranian mission at
22:56 the UN said that basically if the U.S. or the Security Council rather condemn the attack
23:03 on the consulate in Damascus, this could – any retaliation could have been avoided.
23:09 So is this your understanding that actually you don't condemn it because you cannot
23:12 verify whether it is a diplomatic mission or not?
23:16 And also, do you think that Israel can go and attack any other diplomatic mission if
23:20 this is proved to be actually a diplomatic mission and you don't expect any country
23:25 to retaliate?
23:26 Just to explain this point.
23:27 MR.
23:28 RATHKE: So a few things in order.
23:30 First of all, I think that's a pretty flimsy excuse from the Iranian Government.
23:33 If they don't want to widen this conflict and they don't want to attack Israel, they
23:37 don't need permission from anyone else either at the United Nations or – they just have
23:41 to make the decision not to do that, and that's the decision that they should make.
23:44 Now, with respect to your second question, no, we do not want to see attacks on diplomatic
23:50 facilities.
23:51 We oppose attacks on diplomatic facilities.
23:54 We continue to assess the exact status of that facility in Damascus and don't have
23:59 a final determination on that question.
24:00 QUESTION: Can I just follow up on --
24:02 MR.
24:03 RATHKE: Said, go ahead.
24:04 QUESTION: Yeah, I – not Iran, but --
24:05 MR.
24:06 RATHKE: Go ahead.
24:07 QUESTION: -- like Matt, I was struck with what the ambassador said, the similarities
24:10 – you could change the word "Sudan" for the Palestinians or Gaza and it'd be
24:15 exactly the same, with one difference.
24:17 I mean, you don't have any control over the conflict in Sudan, but you certainly have
24:22 control --
24:23 MR.
24:24 RATHKE: Said, the --
24:25 QUESTION: Can I just finish my question?
24:26 I have not asked my question.
24:27 MR.
24:28 RATHKE: Fine.
24:29 Fair enough.
24:30 Go ahead.
24:31 QUESTION: So my question to you is why has the United States not taken its – the moral
24:33 high ground and its ability and its leverage to end this conflict as it can?
24:38 We have seen this happen in the past.
24:39 We've seen it happen in 1982.
24:41 We've seen it happen with this Administration in May – in 2021.
24:45 So my question to you, why has not this Administration taken that step to end this conflict now?
24:51 MR.
24:52 RATHKE: So first of all, Said, they are very different conflicts and very different situations,
24:56 and that's incredibly important.
24:57 The conflict in Sudan is two warring military factions following a coup that overthrew a
25:03 democratic government who are fighting for control of Sudan.
25:07 That is a different question than the conflict in Gaza that was started not by Israel but
25:11 by Hamas – Hamas launching a brutal terrorist attack that killed over 1,200 Israelis and
25:17 citizens of other foreign countries.
25:18 And Israel has the right to hold Hamas accountable for those attacks, as the United States would,
25:23 as other countries in the region would, as any country in the world if it were the victim
25:26 of such a brutal terrorist attack.
25:29 That said, we are trying to bring this conflict to an end.
25:32 You have seen us work to try to achieve a ceasefire, an immediate ceasefire of at least
25:39 six weeks that would bring the hostages home and that we have said consistently we would
25:42 like to see widen into a broader end to the conflict.
25:45 You have seen us work on post-conflict governance to try to find a path forward for the Palestinian
25:50 people's legitimate political aspirations.
25:54 And you have seen us work to address the very, very severe needs of the Palestinian people
25:59 in Gaza.
26:00 And we are working to try and do exactly that.
26:03 QUESTION: Okay.
26:04 Let me just follow up.
26:05 Let me just follow up.
26:06 MR.
26:07 RATHKE: Please don't interrupt.
26:08 Just let me go – I'll go through the questions and get to who I get to.
26:09 QUESTION: If I may, I just want to follow up.
26:11 I mean, you talked about Palestinian legitimate aspirations and so on.
26:15 But insisting that this conflict began on October 7th does not recognize that, does
26:19 it?
26:20 Does it recognize that this – that the Palestinians have legitimate aspirations
26:24 that go back 75 years, not just to October 7th?
26:27 MR.
26:28 RATHKE: Well, they do have legitimate political aspirations that go back decades.
26:32 It has been the policy of the United States for decades to try to achieve two states.
26:36 But, Said, I don't want to – not only don't want to, I fundamentally agree or
26:42 disagree that October 7th had anything to do with trying to answer the Palestinian people's
26:48 legitimate political aspirations.
26:50 It was a terrorist attack targeting civilians that killed civilians by a terrorist group
26:55 that does not recognize the existence of the State of Israel.
26:57 So when you look at trying to achieve a peaceful resolution to the decades of violence and
27:04 the decades of political conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians, it is Hamas
27:09 that has firmly rejected a political solution to that decades-long dispute.
27:13 QUESTION: Yeah, but do you acknowledge that Gaza was under siege for basically 17 years
27:18 and --
27:19 MR.
27:20 RATHKE: Said --
27:21 QUESTION: -- every other year there would be an attack and a war by Israel time after
27:23 time after time, killing hundreds and thousands of people?
27:24 MR.
27:25 RATHKE: Said, there have been incidents going back in this dispute, in this conflict for
27:28 decades.
27:30 Nothing that happened in – on either side justifies the attacks of October 7th.
27:35 QUESTION: Can I have a quick question on Iran?
27:38 MR.
27:39 RATHKE: Yeah, go ahead.
27:40 QUESTION: Just one.
27:41 There are reports of the Iranian foreign minister coming to New York City next week to visit
27:44 the UN.
27:45 I'm wondering how the U.S. assesses the likelihood of an Iranian attack happening
27:52 during that period of time, if it would have any attack – any impact at all.
27:56 MR.
27:57 RATHKE: I don't want to speak to a timeframe.
27:58 We're obviously very concerned about the threat of an Iranian attack.
28:02 We've made that clear from the President on down, but I don't want to put any kind
28:05 of timeframe on it.
28:06 We were hoping, of course, to avoid such an attack in the first place.
28:09 QUESTION: Do you think it's moving in the direction of avoiding one?
28:11 MR.
28:12 RATHKE: I don't want to give any type of assessment.
28:13 As I said, it is not in Iran's interest, it's not in anyone's in the – anyone
28:18 in the region's interest for Iran to escalate this conflict, and that's the message we're
28:22 sending to them.
28:23 QUESTION: Wait, wait.
28:24 You were hoping to avoid an attack in the first place?
28:25 Has one happened?
28:26 MR.
28:27 RATHKE: An attack by Iran?
28:28 Yeah, we're – no, one has not happened.
28:29 We are --
28:30 QUESTION: Were you hoping to avoid the Israelis attacking an Iranian diplomatic facility?
28:31 MR.
28:32 RATHKE: Her question – her question was --
28:33 QUESTION: I know, but you --
28:34 MR.
28:35 RATHKE: Hold on.
28:36 Let me just answer the question.
28:37 QUESTION: Your answer to her seemed to suggest that you thought the Iranians had already
28:40 retaliated.
28:41 MR.
28:42 RATHKE: No, my answer – well, that's not what I was suggesting.
28:43 It was in the context of the question she asked me, which was about an attack coming
28:45 next week.
28:46 So --
28:47 QUESTION: Iraq.
28:48 MR.
28:49 RATHKE: Let me – let me stay in --
28:50 QUESTION: On that call, just the call with Turkish foreign minister, was it purely Iran
28:53 call, or did they have a chance to discuss Ukraine, the Caucasus, President Erdogan's
28:57 upcoming trip?
28:58 And why Turkey?
28:59 Do you guys believe that Turkey has enough leverage to move the needle at Iran – they
29:03 have in Iran's interest?
29:04 MR.
29:05 RATHKE: It's not just Turkey.
29:06 It's a number of countries.
29:07 It's other countries as well that have relationships with Iran – Saudi Arabia, China.
29:11 And we have made other – had – have had other diplomatic engagements with countries
29:15 in Europe and other countries in the world, because we want to send a very unified message.
29:19 With respect to the call itself, the primary purpose of the call was to discuss Iran's
29:24 threats against Israel.
29:25 There were other issues discussed, but I don't want to get into those.
29:27 I mean --
29:28 QUESTION: I was asking because we have a statement from Khamenei last night saying that any Islamic
29:32 countries supporting Israel – or not supporting their narratives, they engage in treason.
29:35 MR.
29:36 RATHKE: Any countries that what?
29:37 QUESTION: Any Islamic countries that do not fall in line with their narratives, they engage
29:42 with treason.
29:43 I just wonder how much this – their calculation of calling Turkey, in this case, is of --
29:48 MR.
29:49 RATHKE: So it doesn't have anything to do with those comments.
29:53 Obviously, comments are not – are ones that wouldn't be – just be rejected by the
29:57 United States but would be rejected by other countries in the region.
29:59 QUESTION: I have different questions.
30:00 I'll come back to you.
30:01 MR.
30:02 RATHKE: Let me stay in the region and then we'll – yeah, go ahead.
30:03 QUESTION: Thanks.
30:04 On the hostage talks, can you give any update on whether there's been a response from
30:09 Hamas?
30:10 And also, is there a level of concern in the U.S.
30:14 Government about the Israeli strike that killed Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh's family members
30:19 and how that might affect the talks?
30:21 MR.
30:22 RATHKE: I'm not going to give any update on the talk – excuse me, the talks themselves
30:26 other than that we continue to engage in them and try to pursue a successful resolution.
30:30 With respect to those strikes, I certainly hope that it will not, but I wouldn't want
30:35 to make any kind of assessments.
30:36 Stay – I was going to say, in the region – Nadia, go ahead and then we'll come
30:40 back.
30:41 Yeah.
30:42 QUESTION: There is a record number of land that's been confiscated in the West Bank
30:45 that came out today.
30:46 It's like between 2018 and 2023, it's 5,900 acres that are being confiscated.
30:54 Administration is always talking about this two-state solution, and the major – one
30:58 of the major obstacles is settlements.
31:00 So if this land has been taken – and it's not just a condemnation from the administration,
31:05 but actually there is nothing practical that we see that will stop this land from being
31:10 taken that will undermine the President's vision.
31:13 So what – or how can you go forward when actually there's not even base for – to
31:18 have a state in the future?
31:19 MR.
31:20 RATHKE: So two things.
31:21 First, we have made consistently clear that we oppose further settlement activity in the
31:26 West Bank.
31:27 We think they are a barrier to peace.
31:28 We think they are inconsistent with international humanitarian law.
31:31 And I will just say, to put those actions in the larger context, there have been a number
31:36 of things that the Government of Israel has done over time that we have said are detrimental
31:43 to Israel's long-term security.
31:45 Obviously, settlements in the West Bank are one of them.
31:47 There are other actions that it has taken in Gaza that we think are detrimental to Israel's
31:51 long-term security.
31:52 So what fundamentally it comes down to is we are working, as you know, with partners
31:57 in the region to develop a path forward for Israel and the Palestinian people that we
32:01 would present to them that would provide for post-conflict governance in Gaza, that would
32:07 have a component to reconstruct Gaza, that would provide further assurances for Israel's
32:13 security by its partners in the region and their other countries ready to step up.
32:17 And so I'm making this a broader answer because all of this relates to that very question.
32:21 It's not just about settlements.
32:23 It's about what kind of future the Israeli people see for them in the region.
32:27 And ultimately – and we're not there yet because we've not finished this plan
32:29 and we've not presented it to the people of Israel and the Government of Israel – but
32:34 ultimately, this is a choice that Israel's going to have to make.
32:36 QUESTION: Okay.
32:37 Just very quickly, the ambassador made a passionate appeal to us, the press corps, to cover Sudan,
32:42 not to forget civilians.
32:43 Rightly so.
32:44 But we haven't heard from any senior officials the same appeal about Palestinian civilians
32:49 in Gaza.
32:50 Number one, we have many journalists who have been killed, including our colleagues.
32:55 We don't hear any – apart from condemnation, nothing's being done to protect them.
32:59 And second, why can't the United States allow independent journalists to go to Gaza
33:03 since you don't have anybody on the ground so they will have access and tell us what's
33:07 happening there?
33:08 MR.
33:09 HESSELBRAND: So a few things.
33:10 First of all, the reason you heard the ambassador make that appeal with respect to Sudan – and
33:13 this is not for me to play editor or segment producer – but is that we don't see as
33:19 much coverage about atrocities in Sudan.
33:22 We don't see as much coverage about the plight of the Sudanese people.
33:27 We do see a lot of coverage of the Palestinians in Gaza, appropriately so, but I think her
33:33 point was that we would welcome seeing coverage of this very difficult conflict that we are
33:38 trying to resolve in Sudan.
33:40 When it comes to journalists in Gaza, we have made clear on a number of occasions that we
33:46 want to see journalists protected, and the coordination and deconfliction measures that
33:50 we have been pushing the Government of Israel on so hard, that the President pushed the
33:56 Government of Israel on in his call on Friday, would ultimately help with journalism and
34:01 make it safer for journalists to operate inside Gaza.
34:05 And I will just make it very clear that we have pressed the Government of Israel directly
34:10 to allow journalists to go into Gaza.
34:12 It's not something that we control, but we have made clear that we all benefit from
34:17 seeing what's happening on the ground, that we know what's happening there, not because
34:22 we have U.S. officials there – and many other countries don't have officials there
34:26 – but because there are journalists who are putting their lives on the line to bring
34:29 us those stories.
34:30 And we've made clear to the Government of Israel that we think they ought to let more
34:32 journalists in.
34:33 Yeah, go ahead, and then I'll come to you, and then we'll start taking other ones.
34:37 I'm going to come to you, Jani, but I doubt it's an Israel question, so that's why
34:40 I'm moving around the room first.
34:42 You may surprise me, so I'll just – go ahead.
34:46 QUESTION: Thank you, Matt.
34:49 America has a number of allies, but what message do they receive when America harangues one
34:53 of its closest allies, Israel, and their democratically elected leader, Benjamin Netanyahu, in a
34:58 follow-up?
34:59 MR.
35:00 HOOK: I think the message they should see is that we want Israel to live up to its values,
35:03 that we want to see Israel live up to the same standards that we expect every country
35:07 in the world, including ourselves, to live up to.
35:08 QUESTION: Thank you.
35:09 Mr. Netanyahu is the longest-serving prime minister in Israel's history.
35:13 Clearly a majority of Israelis agree with his policies, since a majority of voters keep
35:18 re-electing him.
35:20 How does this mesh with what President Biden seems to be calling for, which is essentially
35:25 a rejection of Israeli democracy?
35:27 MR.
35:28 HOOK: So first, I think that is a vast conflation of two very different things.
35:33 So it is up to the Israeli people to choose their leaders.
35:37 We strongly support their right to choose their leaders, as we do for the people of
35:41 every country in the world.
35:42 But we are going to engage with the governments that they choose to talk with them about what
35:46 we think are the policies that are in our interest, what are the policies that are in
35:50 their interest.
35:51 And you have heard the – the President himself spoke to this in the week right after October
35:58 7th, when he made the point – these aren't the exact words, but it's the general gist
36:01 – that sometimes in the aftermath of a horrific event, your vision can be clouded and you
36:08 can make mistakes.
36:09 And we are there to offer them our very best advice as a country that's made mistakes
36:13 in the aftermath of horrific events and to try to keep them from making some of those
36:17 same mistakes.
36:18 QUESTION: Well, it seems like there's an attempt to demonize the current Israeli Government,
36:22 their efforts to support the overthrow of the Israeli Government with a lot of protests
36:29 and so forth.
36:30 MR.
36:31 RATHKE: That is not – and that is not what you've seen from this Administration.
36:32 We've traveled to Israel.
36:34 The Secretary's been there eight times, I believe, since October 7th, meeting with
36:38 Prime Minister Netanyahu.
36:39 The President has been there, talks to Prime Minister Netanyahu all the time.
36:42 The Secretary just talked to the Defense Minister yesterday.
36:45 We fully support the right of the Israeli people to decide who their leaders are.
36:48 Go ahead.
36:49 QUESTION: Thank you, Matt.
36:50 Secretary Blinken spoke with the regional leaders about sending a message to Iran.
36:54 Were there any connections with the Iraqi leaders to send any message to Iran?
36:58 MR.
36:59 RATHKE: I don't have any engagements to read out today.
37:01 QUESTION: Okay.
37:02 And have you received any signals from the Iranian Government that they're taking these
37:05 messages into their consideration?
37:06 MR.
37:07 RATHKE: I'm just not going to speak for the Iranian Government at all.
37:09 QUESTION: And in the past few times, the Iranian used to – used baseless justification to
37:15 attack the Erbil and also Kursan region in response to the threats from Israel.
37:19 Is there something that you're concerned maybe Iran this time use the same justification
37:23 and to attack the U.S. allies and U.S. friends in the region in the retaliation for that
37:30 attack?
37:31 MR.
37:32 RATHKE: So two things.
37:33 We have made clear to them that they shouldn't escalate this conflict in any way with respect
37:36 to Israel, with respect to others in the region, with respect to U.S. forces.
37:40 One of the first messages we sent to them when the Iranians were making these baseless
37:43 claims that the U.S. was involved in the strike in Damascus is that that is not true.
37:49 We weren't involved.
37:50 We didn't know about it.
37:51 And you should not use this as a pretext to strike U.S. forces in the region, including
37:55 in Iraq, as we have seen their proxy groups do over the past few months and the past few
37:59 years.
38:00 QUESTION: And last thing.
38:01 Have you granted visa for the Iranian foreign minister to attend the security --
38:04 MR.
38:05 RATHKE: We never speak to visa records.
38:07 They're confidential by law, and so I can't speak to visa records from here.
38:11 But as long – has long been the case, we take our obligations as the host of the United
38:16 Nations very seriously.
38:17 Janne.
38:18 QUESTION: So when he shows up in New York, we can just assume that that's confirmation
38:21 that he got a visa?
38:22 MR.
38:23 RATHKE: Well, you can't travel here without one, so I can't speak to it, but you can't
38:25 travel here without one.
38:26 But I would note that Iranian foreign ministers have traveled to New York --
38:30 QUESTION: Yes, they have.
38:31 MR.
38:32 RATHKE: -- under administrations of both parties, including the last one.
38:33 So --
38:34 QUESTION: Yes.
38:35 No, I'm not suggesting that there's anything inappropriate or unsupported about it.
38:38 It's just that – I mean, it's ridiculous.
38:41 The guy shows up in New York – if he shows up in New York, it's pretty damn clear that
38:46 he got a visa.
38:47 MR.
38:48 RATHKE: I would welcome your advocacy to the United States Congress to change the law and
38:50 allow me to speak more about any number of things from here, not just visa records.
38:54 Janne, go ahead.
38:55 QUESTION: Thank you.
38:56 I didn't surprise you today, but I had to ask.
39:00 (Laughter.)
39:01 Yeah, I had to ask Ambassador Greenfield, and I hope you can answer this.
39:06 All right?
39:07 MR.
39:08 RATHKE: I'll do my best.
39:09 QUESTION: Okay.
39:10 Are you ready?
39:11 Ambassador Greenfield will be visit South Korea this weekend.
39:15 What agenda will she discuss with South Korea?
39:20 Also she will visit to Panmunjom this time?
39:24 MR.
39:25 RATHKE: So I said I'd do my best.
39:27 I'm afraid I'm going to disappoint you.
39:29 I am not in a position to preview her trip.
39:31 She does have a press office in New York, and I would urge you to send the inquiry to
39:35 that.
39:36 Go ahead.
39:37 QUESTION: That's why you didn't give me any chance to ask.
39:38 MR.
39:39 RATHKE: She had a limited time.
39:40 Sorry.
39:41 I would have loved her to stay longer.
39:42 The more questions she takes, the fewer I have to.
39:43 I'm glad that I don't enjoy our lengthy engagements.
39:45 QUESTION: All right.
39:46 Second question quick.
39:47 The United Nations Security Council's expert panel on sanctions against North Korea was
39:55 disconnected with the U.S. summit report together with other countries.
40:03 And do you expect to discuss with South Korea or Japan about the continuation of this report?
40:11 MR.
40:12 RATHKE: So as I've said in the past from this podium, we are incredibly disappointed that
40:16 Russia chose to block that panel from going forward, and I don't have any specific actions
40:21 to preview today, but we are engaged with our allies and partners in other ways to continue
40:26 to monitor North Korea's nuclear aspirations.
40:29 QUESTION: Have you any discussion when the – I mean, Prime Minister Kishida was here.
40:36 Do you have any chance to discuss?
40:38 MR.
40:39 RATHKE: I would refer her to the White House to speak to those engagements.
40:41 Go ahead.
40:42 QUESTION: In that, I'm going to ask you about your new diversity and inclusion chief,
40:46 Zakiya Carr-Johnson.
40:47 She's garnered criticism for past comments in a 2019 piece.
40:51 She claimed America's organizations and institutions were, quote, "riddled with
40:55 racism, patriarchy, and exclusion," that they refused to reconcile with the colonizing
40:59 past and called them a, quote, "failed historic model."
41:03 Do you find those comments problematic?
41:04 MR.
41:05 RATHKE: So I would say that, first of all, our new chief diversity and inclusion officer,
41:11 Zakiya Carr-Johnson, is one of the most qualified experts in this field.
41:15 She has 20 years of experience working to expand diversity, and it's something that
41:19 we see as important here at the State Department that the Secretary has put a premium on, because
41:24 he believes that when our workforce looks like America and reflects the full diversity
41:30 of America, our workforce is stronger and our ability to protect America's national
41:36 security is improved and enhanced.
41:39 And that's why he selected her to do this incredibly important job.
41:42 Second of all, with respect to her quote, I have seen that people have used excerpts,
41:48 have not used the full context of it, but I would say a lot of this criticism seems
41:55 to be from individuals.
41:56 I saw former officials tweeting about this.
41:59 QUESTION: Secretary Pompeo took the hardest --
42:01 MR.
42:02 RATHKE: Certain former officials who don't seem to – for whatever reason, to support
42:07 our work to expand diversity inside the State Department.
42:11 And that's just where we have an honest disagreement, where we think that's work
42:15 that we ought to do and we ought to hire experts who have experience in doing that, and that's
42:19 what we're going to continue to do.
42:20 And I think we're just going to have to disagree with some of those critics.
42:22 QUESTION: Can I just lastly read you – Secretary Pompeo, obviously, worked here in the building,
42:26 said, quote, "The State Department should be staffed by individuals who love America
42:30 and believe in our core principles, not ideologues who think that America represents a failed
42:34 historic model."
42:35 You're going to respond to --
42:36 MR.
42:37 RATHKE: Well, apparently, he believes there are different ways to love America, because
42:40 one of the ways we believe you can best love America is to love its full diversity and
42:44 build a workforce that reflects that full diversity.
42:46 QUESTION: Thank you.
42:47 MR.
42:48 RATHKE: Let's go – all right, come to you next.
42:49 Ah, sorry.
42:50 QUESTION: Okay.
42:51 Thank you very much.
42:52 MR.
42:53 RATHKE: Sorry.
42:54 I should not rumble my --
42:55 QUESTION: No, no, no.
42:56 I'm just going to go to Ukraine.
42:57 Going back to last night's strikes, which Ukraine believes that was designed to maximize
43:03 attacks on infrastructure, what is your reaction and what is your take of the state of play
43:09 on the battlefield?
43:11 And do you still believe that Ukraine doesn't have a right to retaliate?
43:14 MR.
43:15 RATHKE: So we have seen Russia, unfortunately, continue to attack Ukraine's energy infrastructure.
43:20 That's something they've done not just overnight but over the past couple of years.
43:26 And I would say it – for us, it comes back to the need for Congress to fully fund, fully
43:33 pass the President's supplemental request.
43:35 And it goes directly to this question you asked me about the situation on the battlefield,
43:40 where we have seen Ukrainian armed forces having to ration artillery shells, having
43:46 to ration ammunition, and of course that has an ability – an effect on their ability
43:50 to fight the war and an effect on their ability to repel Russian troops.
43:55 And it's why it is so urgent for Congress to act.
43:57 QUESTION: Is there any active restrictions on Ukraine imposed from the U.S., by the U.S.,
44:03 to prevent them from retaliating?
44:05 Is this an obvious step to take it back to Russia?
44:08 MR.
44:09 RATHKE: So two things.
44:10 We have made clear that we do not encourage strikes outside of Ukraine and we do not enable
44:15 those strikes with U.S.-provided weapons, and that we don't want to see U.S.-provided
44:20 weapons used for strikes outside Ukraine.
44:22 Ultimately, when it comes to deciding how to prosecute this war, those are Ukrainian
44:27 decisions, but we do not encourage or enable such strikes.
44:30 QUESTION: I have one more, if I may, on Georgia.
44:32 So what – is it anything you have learned in the past couple of days since Georgia – Georgia
44:37 Government move forward and submit the Russian law?
44:41 I'm just curious, like, what do – you made it clear that this is taking Georgia
44:45 away from European path.
44:47 Do you witness democratic backsliding in Georgia?
44:50 Is that your analysis?
44:51 MR.
44:52 RATHKE: I don't want to make any broader assessment than the assessment I made the
44:55 other day that pertains to this specific law, that we believe would harm civil society organizations
45:00 working to improve the lives of Jordan citizens and would derail Georgia from its European
45:04 path.
45:05 It's still draft legislation, and I'll leave it at that.
45:07 QUESTION: Has anyone from this been any shelter to Georgia?
45:10 MR.
45:11 RATHKE: Let me move on just because we're running short of time.
45:12 Michel.
45:13 QUESTION: On Bahrain, Matt, do you have any comments on the release of more than 1,500
45:17 prisoners?
45:18 MR.
45:19 RATHKE: We did see that step by the Government of Bahrain.
45:22 We welcome very much the decision by the king to pardon over 1,500 prisoners, along with
45:28 the government's announcement April 9th that they will work to help the recently released
45:32 find employment.
45:33 QUESTION: Thank you.
45:34 MR.
45:35 RATHKE: Yeah.
45:36 Oh, Sean, I'm sorry.
45:37 Go ahead, and I'll come back.
45:38 This time I promise I'll come back.
45:39 Go ahead.
45:40 Go ahead.
45:41 Go ahead.
45:42 QUESTION: In meeting alongside President Biden with President Xi, did the pending deal between
45:43 U.S. deal and Taiwan's deal come up?
45:44 MR.
45:45 RATHKE: I will let the White House speak to those comments.
45:46 In fact, I believe the President addressed them yesterday – or speak to that question,
45:47 I should say.
45:48 QUESTION: And on Wednesday, President Xi held a meeting with former President Taiwan Ma,
45:49 who supports closer ties with China.
45:50 Does the department have any reaction to this meeting?
45:51 MR.
45:52 RATHKE: No, I do not.
45:53 Sean.
45:54 QUESTION: Two things.
45:55 One, going back to the U.S. deal, I know that the U.S. has been a strong supporter of
45:56 the U.S. and Taiwan, and I know that the U.S. has been a strong supporter of the U.S.
45:57 And I'm wondering if you have any comment on that, and if you have any comment on the
45:58 U.S. support for the Taiwan deal.
45:59 MR.
46:00 RATHKE: I don't have anything to add to that.
46:01 I think it's a very important issue.
46:02 I think it's a very important issue.
46:03 I think it's a very important issue.
46:04 I think it's a very important issue.
46:05 I think it's a very important issue.
46:06 I think it's a very important issue.
46:07 I think it's a very important issue.
46:08 I think it's a very important issue.
46:09 I think it's a very important issue.
46:10 I think it's a very important issue.
46:11 I think it's a very important issue.
46:12 I think it's a very important issue.
46:13 I think it's a very important issue.
46:14 I think it's a very important issue.
46:15 I think it's a very important issue.
46:16 I think it's a very important issue.
46:40 I think it's a very important issue.
46:47 I think it's a very important issue.
46:56 I think it's a very important issue.
47:03 I think it's a very important issue.
47:14 I think it's a very important issue.
47:25 I think it's a very important issue.
47:33 I think it's a very important issue.
47:41 I think it's a very important issue.
47:49 I think it's a very important issue.
47:59 I think it's a very important issue.
48:09 I think it's a very important issue.
48:19 I think it's a very important issue.
48:29 I think it's a very important issue.
48:39 I think it's a very important issue.
48:49 I think it's a very important issue.
48:59 I think it's a very important issue.
49:09 I think it's a very important issue.
49:19 I think it's a very important issue.
49:29 I think it's a very important issue.
49:39 I think it's a very important issue.
49:49 I think it's a very important issue.
49:59 I think it's a very important issue.
50:09 I think it's a very important issue.
50:19 I think it's a very important issue.
50:29 I think it's a very important issue.
50:39 I think it's a very important issue.
50:49 I think it's a very important issue.
50:59 I think it's a very important issue.
51:09 I think it's a very important issue.
51:19 I think it's a very important issue.
51:29 I think it's a very important issue.
51:39 I think it's a very important issue.
51:49 I think it's a very important issue.
51:59 I think it's a very important issue.
52:09 I think it's a very important issue.
52:19 I think it's a very important issue.
52:29 I think it's a very important issue.
52:39 I think it's a very important issue.
52:49 I think it's a very important issue.
52:59 I think it's a very important issue.
53:09 I think it's a very important issue.
53:19 I think it's a very important issue.
53:29 I think it's a very important issue.
53:39 I think it's a very important issue.
53:49 I think it's a very important issue.
53:59 I think it's a very important issue.
54:09 I think it's a very important issue.
54:19 I think it's a very important issue.
54:29 I think it's a very important issue.
54:39 I think it's a very important issue.
54:49 I think it's a very important issue.
54:59 I think it's a very important issue.
55:09 I think it's a very important issue.
55:19 I think it's a very important issue.
55:29 I think it's a very important issue.
55:39 I think it's a very important issue.
55:49 I think it's a very important issue.
55:59 I think it's a very important issue.
56:09 I think it's a very important issue.
56:19 I think it's a very important issue.
56:29 I think it's a very important issue.
56:39 I think it's a very important issue.
56:49 I think it's a very important issue.
56:59 I think it's a very important issue.
57:09 I think it's a very important issue.
57:19 I think it's a very important issue.
57:39 I think it's a very important issue.
57:49 I think it's a very important issue.
57:59 I think it's a very important issue.
58:09 I think it's a very important issue.
58:19 I think it's a very important issue.
58:29 I think it's a very important issue.
58:39 I think it's a very important issue.
58:49 I think it's a very important issue.
58:59 I think it's a very important issue.
59:09 I think it's a very important issue.
59:19 I think it's a very important issue.
59:29 I think it's a very important issue.
59:39 [BLANK_AUDIO]