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]
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