U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE Daily Press Briefing DPB # 81 Monday, June 11, 2001 1:20 P.M. (On the Record Unless Otherwise Noted) QUESTION: Could you comment, please, on the results of the Iranian elections? And could you say whether - how you think this affects the -- your attempts to entice the Iranians into a dialogue, government-to- government dialogue? MR. BOUCHER: I haven't tried to entice at this point, I think, from here. Let me just say we have watched the election closely. We saw the very, very large turnout. We think that is an indication that the people of Iran want greater freedom, they want more openness, they want better rule of law, better lives for themselves and their children. It is our hope that their voices will be heard. QUESTION: Large turnout compared to what? MR. BOUCHER: Compared to predictions and, to some extent, from previous years, I think. QUESTION: Wait, wait. You didn't answer the second part of my question. MR. BOUCHER: I'm not going to speculate on policy implications of this. They had an election, we saw a large turnout, and we hope the wishes that were expressed in that election are, in fact, carried out. QUESTION: Can I sort of follow up? MR. BOUCHER: Sort of? Yes. QUESTION: It is a follow-up. On Wednesday, the House International Relations Committee is going to be marking up the Iran-Libya Sanctions Act. Is it the position of the Bush Administration and the State Department that you guys are in favor of a two-year extension? I mean, it's been reported that this is the case. I just -- MR. BOUCHER: I know it has been reported that that is the case, but I would say that we are still reviewing the situation. We are still consulting with the Congress on the matter. We are looking at a range of possibilities in connection with our discussions with the Congress, and it would be, I guess, reasonable to conclude that a period of less than five years is among those possibilities, which means that a two- year option would be one option. But at this point, I just want to say that we're -- QUESTION: (Inaudible.) MR. BOUCHER: A two-year term would be one option. But at this point I think we are just going to say that we are reviewing all these possibilities and discussing them with people in the Congress. QUESTION: You only have two more days to consult. MR. BOUCHER: We've got two more days. QUESTION: Oh, okay, anything can happen. MR. BOUCHER: We've got two more days. We have people to do these things. QUESTION: And you're not even going to be here. QUESTION: It's a markup (inaudible). QUESTION: Can I change the subject back to what I think -- MR. BOUCHER: I do think it is Wednesday. I don't want to take me as confirming the mark-up is Wednesday, but there is going to be a mark-up soon. QUESTION: Can we just follow up on Iran? What are the Administration's intentions with respect to the executive sanctions against Iraq - Iran, I mean? Do you foresee any change in those in the near future? MR. BOUCHER: I don't have anything new to say on that subject or nothing to announce today. .... QUESTION: I thought Matt was going to ask it, but he said former officials. I thought he was referring to - are you familiar with this report issued by a group of former senators, including one on the Mitchell Committee, that urged the Administration and Congress to consider ending the sanctions against Iran completely because they weren't doing any good and it might open up a better relationship with Iran? MR. BOUCHER: I am not familiar with that particular report. We know that there have been a lot of differing views about the Iran sanctions. There are people that have views on different sides of this issue. As we come up to this issue of renewing, looking at the Iran-Libya Sanctions Act, we have heard a lot of different views. We are trying to work with people, especially with people in the Congress, to come out with a solution that is best for all of us. QUESTION: Same subject. We asked you last week about the - your -- the suit against you by the National Council of Resistance. You didn't have anything at the time. Have you -- MR. BOUCHER: At the time, I didn't know about it. Now we know about it, but we are still reviewing it. So we don't have an opinion on it at this point. QUESTION: Is this - when you say you -- MR. BOUCHER: Because there was a court judgment, right? QUESTION: Yes, it was, yes. MR. BOUCHER: There was a judgment. So we are still looking at the judgment. QUESTION: Are you also looking at the wider implications, the whole of your designation process, which seems to be implicated in the judgment? MR. BOUCHER: I imagine we would look at anything that is implicated in the judgment, but we will get back to you once we look at it.