JUST IN: President Biden Tries To Stop Reporter From Asking Second Question About Israel

7 months ago

President Biden held a press briefing on Thursday with the President of Kenya where he was asked about Haiti and Israel.

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Transcript

00:00 First question, Michael Wilner, McClatchy.

00:04 Thank you, Mr. President.

00:07 Two questions, if I may, on --

00:11 No, one.

00:12 I'm going to do my level best on Haiti and on Israel.

00:17 Your administration went on a worldwide search for security forces, Beninese forces, Bangladeshi,

00:25 Canadian, Chilean, any but American forces to stand up this multinational security support

00:31 mission for Haiti before Kenya stood up to lead.

00:35 Can you explain why it is that you believe on the one hand that this mission is so critical

00:41 and on the other, why it is that you have categorically ruled out contributing U.S.

00:46 forces to this effort?

00:48 Is it your goal to beat back Haiti's gangs or to contain them?

00:52 And on Israel, does the United States --

00:55 One question.

00:56 I'll answer your question.

00:57 Okay.

00:58 The question of regard to Haiti is, we concluded that for the United States to deploy forces

01:03 in the hemisphere just raises all kinds of questions that can be easily misrepresented

01:09 by what we're trying to do and be able to be used by those who disagree with us against

01:15 the interest of Haiti and the United States.

01:18 So, we set out to find a partner or partners who would lead that effort that we would participate

01:24 in, not with American forces, but with supplies and making sure they have what they needed.

01:30 And so, you know, I'm very grateful for President Ruda's leadership here, a multinational effort.

01:36 But Kenya's willingness to really lead this matter matters.

01:40 You're not the only country, but you're leading this effort.

01:43 And there's going to be U.S. forces, none on the ground.

01:46 We're going to supply logistics, intelligence, and equipment.

01:50 As a matter of fact, some equipment has already arrived.

01:53 And Kenya is stepping up with police and other countries plan to do as well.

01:57 The United States is going to support the collective effort here.

02:01 And of course, Kenya won't be going it alone.

02:03 We're working with Congress to provide $300 million to MSS Mission and an additional $60 million

02:10 for equipment assistance.

02:12 And we've also -- we've received and are continuing to bring major contributions from other partners

02:17 in as well.

02:18 President Ruda and I agree that Haitian people deserve better.

02:22 They deserve peace and security.

02:24 And I thank him for taking on this responsibility.

02:27 But we have his back and we're there all the way.

02:30 I do have a question for you, President Ruda.

02:34 But before I do, I do very briefly have a question on whether the United States has

02:41 any evidence at all that would substantiate the ICC prosecutors' specific allegations

02:48 against Israeli leaders that they are using starvation as a tactic of war in Gaza,

02:55 or exculpatory evidence for that matter.

02:58 And if you would commit to releasing that information before any potential issuance

03:07 of ICC arrest warrants.

03:11 And President Ruda, the mission that Kenya is about to lead in Haiti is obviously a support

03:18 mission that is well known.

03:21 But the fact is that Haiti's national police have been internationally funded and trained

03:29 for some time and nevertheless have obviously failed to beat back these gangs.

03:37 Will Kenyan forces in partnership with the MSS be out front in the fight against these

03:44 gangs or will they be a static force behind the HNP?

03:49 And are you concerned about casualties among the Kenyan forces?

03:56 Thank you very much.

03:59 Kenya believes that the responsibility of peace and security anywhere in the world,

04:06 including in Haiti, is the collective responsibility of all nations and all peoples who believe

04:14 in freedom, self-determination, democracy and justice.

04:19 And it is the reason why Kenya took up this responsibility, because we have been participating

04:25 in peacemaking and we have been participating in peacekeeping over the last 40 years in

04:32 47 countries, including very difficult neighborhoods like what we are going to face in Haiti.

04:40 We are going to take up that responsibility alongside the Haitian police and we have clear

04:48 modus operandi how we are going to relate with the situation on the ground that has

04:55 been agreed under the United Nations framework.

04:59 So we are looking forward to this deployment because we believe that the women and children

05:04 in Haiti deserve peace like all other women and children and people around the world.

05:13 On ICC, you guys never keep the deal, but that's okay.

05:20 We made our position clear on the ICC.

05:25 We don't recognize the jurisdiction, the ICC, the way it's being exercised, and it's that simple.

05:35 We don't think there's an equivalence between what Israel did and what Hamas did.

05:40 [BLANK_AUDIO]

JUST IN: President Biden Tries To Stop Reporter From Asking Second Question About Israel

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