- Jul 12, 2018
- 9,857
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THE EAST ROOM
Vice President Benjamin V. Sinclair
July 1, 2004
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"Good afternoon... At the request of President Gore who is out of the country, I will be delivering a statement regarding what has happened in New Caledonia. Firstly, on behalf of the President and the American People, I extend my sincerest condolences to the Kingdom of Poland for the loss of life of soldiers and any volunteers - all of whom were distributing aid on the islands. Polish troops are in New Caledonia at the invitation of the French government and are there for humanitarian purposes. A so-called revolutionary organization has murdered several Polish soldiers and is clamoring for the independence of New Caledonia.
"President Gore and myself have spoken with representatives from the State Department, the Department of Defense, and the Central Intelligence Agency - as far as we can see there have been no official or legitimate attempts by this group to bring the question of independence up to the New Caledonian people, the French government, the Global Assembly, or through any other legitimate channels. Instead, they have chosen violence and the murder of people from a world away who were there to do nothing but help them feed their families. The actions by this terrorist group in New Caledonia are abhorrent and an afront to common human decency and the rule of law.
"At this time, we do not have a full account of exactly how many Polish casualties there have been in New Caledonia. However, American diplomats have expressed to the highest authorities in Poland that the United States will support their mission in New Caledonia so long as the French do, and we will support whatever means are necessary to evacuate Polish soldiers or assist them by other means. Remarkably, the State Department has confirmed to the White House that there are currently no Americans on New Caledonia or the surrounding islands.
"An American task force is being deployed to the Pacific. At this time, the United States has no plans for a permanent presence of American forces in New Caledonia, and we have not had any kind of invitation from the French or Polish government to station American forces there. With that being said, I want to emphasize that the United States recognizes that the Polish government and the Polish armed forces are in the lead of what is happening in New Caledonia. Outside interference from other state actors, if not welcomed by the Polish government, will be in direct contradiction of the policy of the United States government and this administration. We highly encourage all other governments to work directly with the Polish government before hastily organizing any kind of response in New Caledonia. Thank you."
"President Gore and myself have spoken with representatives from the State Department, the Department of Defense, and the Central Intelligence Agency - as far as we can see there have been no official or legitimate attempts by this group to bring the question of independence up to the New Caledonian people, the French government, the Global Assembly, or through any other legitimate channels. Instead, they have chosen violence and the murder of people from a world away who were there to do nothing but help them feed their families. The actions by this terrorist group in New Caledonia are abhorrent and an afront to common human decency and the rule of law.
"At this time, we do not have a full account of exactly how many Polish casualties there have been in New Caledonia. However, American diplomats have expressed to the highest authorities in Poland that the United States will support their mission in New Caledonia so long as the French do, and we will support whatever means are necessary to evacuate Polish soldiers or assist them by other means. Remarkably, the State Department has confirmed to the White House that there are currently no Americans on New Caledonia or the surrounding islands.
"An American task force is being deployed to the Pacific. At this time, the United States has no plans for a permanent presence of American forces in New Caledonia, and we have not had any kind of invitation from the French or Polish government to station American forces there. With that being said, I want to emphasize that the United States recognizes that the Polish government and the Polish armed forces are in the lead of what is happening in New Caledonia. Outside interference from other state actors, if not welcomed by the Polish government, will be in direct contradiction of the policy of the United States government and this administration. We highly encourage all other governments to work directly with the Polish government before hastily organizing any kind of response in New Caledonia. Thank you."