And second, the CIA reportedly began distributing compensation to victims of Havana Syndrome in August. We know the State Department is engaged in a similar program. Do you have any updates on that rollout?
MR PATEL: Well, I would say that that is a very black-and-white description and not indicative of the totality of our bilateral relationship with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. As I said when answering Matt and Daphne’s question, we have a multiplicity of interests with regard to Saudi Arabia.
MR PATEL: No, no, no.
MR PATEL: So I don’t have additional specifics to offer at this time, but I can see if we’ve got more metrics that we can provide to you.
MR PATEL: I think the ambassador’s got time for one more question. Yes, one more – Abbie, go ahead.
The ITU is 157-year-old organization that is responsible for settings standards that govern so many aspects of telecom, including things like 5G and fiber optic networks. And we had a very strong American citizen as candidate for secretary-general, Doreen Bogdan-Martin, and she won a landslide victory over her Russian opponent: 139 votes to 25, which I think gives her – we think gives her a strong mandate now to embark on her four-year term as secretary-general. And I know that she’s going to do a phenomenal job not only because she has the managerial and leadership experience inside the ITU, but also because of her commitment to connecting the unconnected, to closing digital divides, and advancing the principle of an open, interoperable, secure, reliable internet for people all around the world.
All right. Thank you, everybody.
AMBASSADOR FICK: I think there’s – I hope that there’s going to be a lot that we can do from an advocacy standpoint globally to advance our belief that the internet is – internet access, access to reliable, secure information – is something that every human being on Earth should have. It’s one of the principles that Doreen is fighting for as – will fight for as secretary-general of the ITU. I think there are a lot of ways that we can operationalize that, and under my leadership I hope the bureau will be a strong advocate for it.
MR PATEL: I don’t have any other specifics or assessments to offer on that right now.
AMBASSADOR FICK: I think that there’s the old adage that history doesn’t repeat itself but it rhymes. I think that everything that we learned about nuclear deterrence over the course of the Cold War doesn’t translate perfectly into this domain, but it does rhyme. Some of the principles remain the same. There are unique challenges around attribution, for instance. The – we don’t have an array of satellites that are tracking missile launch plumes and able to ascertain in real-time where they came from, right? That’s not how this domain works.
MR PATEL: I don’t. I don’t have any specifics to offer at this time. This obviously just took place earlier today. But it’s something we’re paying close attention to, and our thoughts and condolences go out to the Thai people.
QUESTION: And just a technical question. Is MBS welcome in the United States?
QUESTION: Do you have any proposal? Not the UN proposal, a U.S. proposal?
As also part of that itinerary, the Secretary will lead the U.S. delegation at the General Assembly of the OAS. He will underscore the United States’s commitment to the OAS, and he will chair a summit of the implementation of the review group and will co-lead a migration ministerial on the Los Angeles Declaration as well.
QUESTION: Okay. But one of the – one of the —
QUESTION: Thank you. On the Palestinian issue, earlier today, the Israeli army raided a village called Deir al-Hatab, east of Nablus. They killed a young man, 21-year-old Alaa Zaghal, but they also injured two Palestinian journalists, two with the Palestine TV, Mahmoud Fawzy and Louay Samhan. Are you aware of this situation? Although they were dressed and clearly marked “press” markings.
Anything else —
QUESTION: No, because, I mean, the State Department —
Nick, in the back.
MR PATEL: Well, first, Roj, I of course am not going to rule in or rule out the – any potential action. We of course continue to have a number of tools at our disposal to hold the Iranian regime accountable. The actions outlined today were, of course, a follow-up to President Biden’s statement earlier this week.
QUESTION: Thank you.
In the back there.
QUESTION: On Azerbaijan and Armenia. Azerbaijan said they has discovered what’s believed to be a mass grave of its soldiers being killed by Armenia forces. Do you have any comment on that? Thank you.
As it relates to the second part of your question, I will let the White House speak to any of President Biden’s engagements. But I think the one thing that you have seen be pretty clear from across the interagency, including from the White House, is that it cannot be business as usual when it comes to Russia. And that has been clear in all of our engagements with our Russian counterparts that it cannot be business as usual in the wake of their flagrant and unlawful and unjust infringing on Ukraine’s territorial integrity and their sovereignty as well.
QUESTION: Different topic, if I may.
I think that the degree of unity of purpose across the NATO Alliance that we’re seeing is encouraging. Cyber deterrence is a part of that. And it is – to some extent it’s working, right? We haven’t seen yet a ton of lateral escalation using cyber means outside Ukraine by the Russians. Inside Ukraine is – one of the interesting success stories of early days is the – kind of the effectiveness of public-private partnerships on the ground with software vendors that have, in some cases, hundreds of millions of systems deployed in Ukraine and the feedback loop between them and the U.S. Government on things like threat intelligence sharing and then pushing patches out to systems.
QUESTION: Can I ask Azerbaijan —
AMBASSADOR FICK: So my wife asked me how many days it would take before somebody at the department asked me to fix their printer. (Laughter.) And I guess the answer is four. The – our office is not part of the CIO or the IT shop at the State Department, and so I just don’t have any granular sense of the security of the department’s own networks. I’m sorry.
QUESTION: Yeah, just two questions. Just to follow up on that, you mentioned that deterrence is working in Ukraine when it comes to any –
MR PATEL: That it could – still has the potential to be a source of terror and conflict.
Nike.
So two questions on last night’s raid: Was there any type of State-CT coordination that you can comment on? And then is State concerned still that the al-Hol camp could be a breeding ground for ISIS?
And with that, I’m happy to take a few questions, as long as all of us can stand the temperature in here.
And regarding the summit, the OAS General Assembly, what the U.S. expect from Latin America countries in the summit?
MR PATEL: To withdraw arms or the – as you so indicated in your question. What I reiterate – and you saw Secretary Blinken speak to this on his travels – is that we have a multiplicity of interests with regards to Saudi Arabia. The President and the Secretary laid those out quite clear during their travels over the summer, and these priorities include everything from regional relationships, from improving relations between Arab countries and Israel, Saudi Arabia’s role in Yemen, where we’re working with them very closely to try and continue the truce, and a number of other issues that were reflected during the President and the Secretary’s travels over the summer. And we’re working every single day to the best of our ability to ensure that energy supply from across the world meets the demand signals that we’re seeing across the market right now.
MR PATEL: I don’t have any new assessment or new insight to offer on that.
MR PATEL: Kylie, you had your hand up?
MR PATEL: One second.
Anything else on the region before we move away?
Go ahead.
Said.
AMBASSADOR FICK: Deterrence is working in Europe and across the NATO Alliance.
MR PATEL: Sure. Go ahead. Oh, go ahead.
QUESTION: (Inaudible.)
MR PATEL: Well, Said, I think we’re getting a little cart before the horse, given that I just said that I’m not going to comment on diplomatic negotiations. And while we remain committed to reaching a resolution and having a lasting compromise certainly, I don’t have one to announce today.
MR PATEL: So we are deeply saddened by the tragedy in Nong Bua Lamphu province, where a shooter took the lives of nearly 40 people, including 24 children. We stand with the people of Thailand, our partners in the region, and extend our deepest condolences to those who have lost their loved ones today. The U.S. is ready to assist our Thai allies in the wake of this horrible tragedy, and we continue to engage with not just our embassy there but the government as well and any offer – and any assistance that the United States may be able to provide.
MR PATEL: So I actually – I’m going to have to follow up with you on that one and get back to you. I thought I had an update, but I am mistaken.
QUESTION: Well, this gets back to the question that had been raised in a hypothetical sense. Would the United States – and you guys have a role because people don’t necessarily have to show up on a remote Aleutian island or even any place in the U.S. They can go to an embassy and request asylum. So what’s your understanding? Is fleeing conscription or Russian fleeing conscription from an unpopular war grounds for asylum? What’s the —
QUESTION: Thanks so much. A second question on – as you know, in Prague today, there has been so many important events for South Caucasus: meeting between Turkey and Armenia, so – also meeting between Armenia and Azerbaijan. What is the State Department’s reaction? What do you expect from those meetings? And overall, what is your expectations?
Obviously, if there’s a price increase as a result of OPEC’s decision, it will particularly hit low- and middle-income countries. And yesterday’s announcement is a reminder of why it’s so critical that the U.S. reduces its dependence and reliance on foreign sources of fossil fuel, and with the Inflation Reduction Act we are making a historic investment here at home to accelerate clean energy – the clean energy transition as well.
AMBASSADOR FICK: I think that cyber operations are an important tool of national power. I think that getting into any of the details on that topic right now is a little bit beyond my scope in the first few days.
MR PATEL: Well, Guita, we continue to engage with our allies and partners not just in the region but across the world and are calling for very dire condemnation of the violent crackdowns that we’re seeing on the protests in Iran. As you so noted, we took action today by newly designating seven individuals across Iran’s government for their role in perpetrating violence against peaceful protesters and their crackdown on human rights. I’m obviously not able to speak to efforts by other countries, but other countries are continuing to take their own efforts to hold the Iranian regime accountable, and we of course welcome that. And we are doing so in close coordination and dialogue with them as well.
MR PATEL: I don’t have any updates to offer on this at this time, but I’m happy to check to see if we have anything we can share.
MR PATEL: I’m not going to preview any specific options here. As you’ve heard many from across the interagency say, there is – continue to be a number of tools in the President and the administration’s tool belt. Of course, the Strategic Petroleum Reserve release, which the statement from NEC Director Brian Deese and NSC Director Jake Sullivan yesterday alluded to. Also there continue to be a number of options on the table.
Abby, go ahead.
QUESTION: Thanks. Today the Biden administration announced a second set of sanctions against the Iranian security forces as it relates to the demonstrations. What is the Biden administration doing on the international level? Do you think it’s befitting that the Islamic Republic of Iran has a seat on the Commission on the Status of Women at the UN?
MR PATEL: Sure, Nike. So again, we are still assessing the specific nature of the most recent launch, which I will reiterate posed an unacceptable threat to the region. And to take a step back, we, again, condemn the DPRK’s October 5th ballistic missile launch. This launch, along with the multiple other launches over the course of this week and in September, are a very clear violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions and pose a direct threat to the DPRK’s neighbors and the international community.
When you’re talking about a cyber attack that’s bouncing through – launched by one country and bounces through servers in six other countries before it hits its target, it becomes a more challenging problem. But again, I think that some of the principles that have served us well in history will continue to serve us well: principles like proportionality; principles like noncombatant immunity; principles like stating that it may not be only cyber retribution, right, that deterrence – real deterrence – requires marshalling every ounce of our national power – informational power, economic power, diplomatic power. So —
QUESTION: On Tuesday, you said the U.S. was assessing the specific nature of North Korea’s recent ballistic missiles launch. Is there a conclusion from that already? And then do you have more to share with us on U.S. actions? And are sanctions working to deter North Korea from more ballistic missiles launches? Thank you.
QUESTION: I want to change topic.
MR PATEL: I don’t have any meetings or any kind of engagement like that to preview, but I will – to the top of your question, our position on diplomacy and dialogue as it relates to our goal of the complete denuclearization of the peninsula has not changed, and that continues to be very much on the table.
QUESTION: Yeah. Can we switch to North Korea?
QUESTION: And that assessment is what?
I lived this on the other side of the table in the private sector for a long time, and I’m not accustomed to seeing it work as smoothly and quickly as it is right now. So I feel like we’re learning at least on that front.
MR PATEL: We’re aware of those reports, but I would refer you to DHS, which is responsible for managing arrivals at U.S. ports of entry.
MR PATEL: Sure, Said.
MR PATEL: Okay. So the ambassador will take a couple questions. Alex, you want to start us off?
QUESTION: A follow-up on that?
My name’s Nate Fick. I’m the new ambassador-at-large leading the Bureau for Cyberspace and Digital Policy. And as you heard, it is – this is my first week in the building. So I will play the new guy card shamelessly.
QUESTION: Is MBS, Mohammed bin Salman, welcome in the U.S.? Like, is he able to travel to the United States if he wants to?
MR PATEL: Sure.
AMBASSADOR FINK: Thank you.
MR PATEL: On the adjudication of asylum, wherever it originates, that is ultimately a DHS decision. As you note, there are a number of legal pathways to ultimately get status in the United States. Some of those equities are within the State Department, others like the refugee programming system that falls within State. I don’t have any new assessments to provide, but the adjudication of asylum claims happened on a case-by-case basis and they live in the auspices of the Department of Homeland Security.
QUESTION: We can go to North Korea briefly?
QUESTION: Can I follow up?
QUESTION: Is downgrading other countries’ relations with Iran something that you would consider asking the U.S. allies?
QUESTION: Yes. On Lebanon, please.
QUESTION: Do you think that this incredibly high number of missile tests this year could be a tactic by North Korea to try and get you guys to pay attention and actually engage in talks?
MR PATEL: Like I said, I – we’re still assessing the specific nature, and I don’t have a new or different assessment to provide from here. But I think the bigger thing is that we, again, condemn these very destabilizing and unsafe actions that we’re seeing come from the DPRK over the course of this week.
MR PATEL: Like I said, I – we’re still assessing the specific nature, and I don’t have a new or different assessment to provide from here. But I think the bigger thing is that we, again, condemn these very destabilizing and unsafe actions that we’re seeing come from the DPRK over the course of this week.
MR PATEL: Like I said, I – we’re still assessing the specific nature, and I don’t have a new or different assessment to provide from here. But I think the bigger thing is that we, again, condemn these very destabilizing and unsafe actions that we’re seeing come from the DPRK over the course of this week.
MR PATEL: Like I said, I – we’re still assessing the specific nature, and I don’t have a new or different assessment to provide from here. But I think the bigger thing is that we, again, condemn these very destabilizing and unsafe actions that we’re seeing come from the DPRK over the course of this week.
QUESTION: This interesting AP story that came out that “Two Russians fleeing military service take boat to reach remote Alaska island and seek asylum in the United States,” any reaction to these asylum requests by the two Russians?
QUESTION: Do you have any update on the truce in Yemen?
QUESTION: How confident are you in the security of the State Department’s own systems, and will you be undertaking any effort to improve the security here?
Abbie, go ahead.
QUESTION: Does “all options on the table” include arms exports to Saudi Arabia, cutting those off?
MR PATEL: Hold on. Let’s stay in the region. John, you had your hand up.
Anything else on the region before we move away?
And then on your second question, I do have an update for you. Just give me one second. So I am pleased to report that as of September 30th, the department has approved the first tranche of requests for payment in accordance to the HAVANA Act. We are reviewing other requests, and we’ll continue to do so as they are received. We are processing those payments and processing those things as expeditiously as possible, but I don’t have any other specifics to offer on that right now.
QUESTION: I’m wondering if the administration expects that North Korea will carry out a nuclear test before the end of the year because administration officials were very clear in saying it was possible that they could be preparing for one when the President was in Asia earlier this year. They didn’t actually carry out a nuclear test. Do you think it’ll happen before the end of the year?
AMBASSADOR FINK: Yeah. I think again, a few days into this, I may have to keep some of my comments at the level of principles. But I think that the idea of extending deterrence into the cyber domain is an important one across many facets of American foreign policy, including Russia’s war in Ukraine.
MR PATEL: I have no – I have no specific —
