AUGUST 14, 2014 — Secretary of State John Kerry sat down with NBC News chief foreign affairs correspondent Andrea Mitchell in Havana today to discuss the flag-raising ceremony at the U.S. embassy in Cuba as well as questions about rumored Gore and Biden 2016 runs, his own political future, Hillary Clinton’s emails, and the personal story behind the Kennedy family cane he used to walk today.
Highlights and a full transcript are below; a video excerpt is online here: http://nbcnews.to/1J5NoKU.
On Cuban dissidents:
MITCHELL: WHY NOT HAVE THEM COME THERE AND PARTICIPATE IN THE FLAG RAISING?
KERRY: WELL, THEY’RE GOING TO PARTICIPATE, ANDREA. I JUST DON’T — I DON’T BUY THE NOTION THAT THERE’S A DISTINCTION. THAT WAS A GOVERNMENT TO GOVERNMENT EVENT. … BUT WE’RE MEETING WITH THEM. I’M HERE FOR WHATEVER NUMBER OF HOURS AND DURING THAT TIME WE HAVE INVITED A LARGE GROUP TO COME AND TO PARTAKE AND MEET. AND PLUS I’M MEETING WITH A WHOLE CROSS SECTION OF CIVIL SOCIETY FROM CUBA. SO, I, YOU KNOW – JUST DON’T ACCEPT THAT.
On potential Gore and Biden presidential runs:
MITCHELL: IF AL GORE IS CONSIDERING IT, IF JOE BIDEN CONSIDERING IT, IS JOHN KERRY CONSIDERING GETTING INTO THE POLITICAL RACE?
KERRY: NO. NO. NOT AT ALL. I’M NOT. AND ONE OF THE VIRTUES OF THIS JOB IS THAT IT ALLOWS YOU NOT BE ENGAGED IN DAY TO DAY POLITICS AND PROGNOSTICATING. AND I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT ANYBODY’S GOING TO DO.
On his own political future:
MITCHELL: BUT NO MORE POLITICS FOR JOHN KERRY?
KERRY: WELL, I’M NOT SAYING FOREVER AND EVER. I FEEL YOUNG ENOUGH TO BE ENGAGED IN AMERICA’S POLITICAL PROCESS AND DEBATES OVER TIME. BUT NOT RIGHT NOW.
On Hillary Clinton’s emails:
MITCHELL: ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT THE EMAIL CONTROVERSY AND THE POSSIBILITY OF COSTING–
KERRY: YOU KNOW, ANDREA, I’M NOT GOING TO COMMENT. ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE UNDER THE APPROPRIATE PROCESS OF BEING EITHER INVESTIGATED OR THE EMAILS ARE BEING DECLASSIFIED OR CLASSIFIED AND APPROPRIATELY DISSEMINATED.
WE’LL DO OUR JOB ACCORDING TO THE LAW, AND AS RAPIDLY AS POSSIBLE– I MAY HAVE SOMETHING TO LAY OUT TO YOU IN THE NEXT DAYS ABOUT HOW WE’RE GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT HAPPENS. BUT WE’RE NOT ENGAGED IN MAKING ANY EDITORIAL COMMENTS OR JUDGMENTS ABOUT IT WHATSOEVER.
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MANDATORY CREDIT: NBC NEWS / ANDREA MITCHELL
MITCHELL: MR. SECRETARY, HERE IN HAVANA YOU’RE GOING TO MEET WITH DISSIDENTS, BUT THEY WERE NOT INVITED TO THE EMBASSY CEREMONY. IT’S BEEN NOTED — THE WASHINGTON POST SAID IT WAS A LAME EXCUSE TO SAY IT WASN’T A LARGE ENOUGH AREA. WHY NOT HAVE THEM COME THERE AND PARTICIPATE IN THE FLAG RAISING?
KERRY: WELL, THEY’RE GOING TO PARTICIPATE, ANDREA. I JUST DON’T — I DON’T BUY THE NOTION THAT THERE’S A DISTINCTION. THAT WAS A GOVERNMENT TO GOVERNMENT EVENT. FUNDAMENTALLY. LEAVE OUT THE SPACE ISSUE. FUNDAMENTALLY – GOVERNMENT TO GOVERNMENT EVENT. FIRST RAISING THE FLAG.
BUT WE’RE MEETING WITH THEM. I’M HERE FOR WHATEVER NUMBER OF HOURS AND DURING THAT TIME WE HAVE INVITED A LARGE GROUP TO COME AND TO PARTAKE AND MEET. AND PLUS I’M MEETING WITH A WHOLE CROSS SECTION OF CIVIL SOCIETY FROM CUBA.
SO, I, YOU KNOW – JUST DON’T ACCEPT THAT. I DON’T DRAW A DISTINCTION BETWEEN ONE EVENT AND ANOTHER. I’M HERE. I’M HERE TODAY. I’M MEETING WITH THEM. WE’LL HAVE AMPLE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK. AND IT IS KNOWN TO THE GOVERNMENT THAT I’M MEETING WITH THEM.
MITCHELL: THE SAME TIME, THE FOREIGN MINISTER, BRUNO RODRIGUEZ, REALLY SLAMMED THE U.S. ON HUMAN RIGHTS SAYING THAT CUBA DOESN’T HAVE RACIAL DISCRIMINATION, CUBA DOESN’T TORTURE PEOPLE AS WE DO IN GUANTANAMO — HIS WORDS.
KERRY: WELL I THINK HE WAS TRYING TO DRAW HIS DISTINCTIONS. AND I WOULD DRAW THEM RIGHT BACK. THE RECORD HERE THROUGH YEARS HAS A SAD HISTORY OF A LOT OF THINGS THAT NEVER HAPPENED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. AND SO, THOSE WILL BE THE DIFFERENCES THAT I TALKED ABOUT. WE HAVE DIFFERENCES. AND WE WILL HAVE TO TALK ABOUT THOSE DIFFERENCES. AND WE WILL. WE DID TODAY. WE WILL CONTINUE TO. I DO BELIEVE THOUGH THAT IT IS POSSIBLE THAT OVER THE NEXT MONTHS WE CAN MAKES SOME PROGRESS ON A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT FRONTS AND THAT IS ONE OF THEM.
MITCHELL: WITH THE TRADE EMBARGO WHICH REQUIRES CONGRESS TO LIFT IT, WHEN CAN YOU IMAGINE AMERICANS COMING AS TOURISTS, TRAVELING WITHOUT RESTRICTIONS?
KERRY: I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE PROGRESS ON THE THINGS THAT WE JUST TALKED ABOUT. WE NEED TO MAKE PROGRESS ON THE EASIER THINGS, WHICH IS THE MARITIME SECURITY, CIVIL LAW ENFORCEMENT PIECES, ENVIRONMENT COOPERATION, HEALTH — I MEAN, THERE ARE NUMBER OF THINGS WHERE WE CAN QUICKLY MOVE. THEN THERE ARE SOME MORE DIFFICULT ONES LIKE THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS CONNECTIVITY AND CIVIL AVIATION.
AND THEN OF COURSE THERE ARE THE GROUP LIKE THE TRAFFICKING PERSONS, FUGITIVES, MIGRATION, AND OF COURSE THE BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES — FREEDOM OF SPEECH, ASSEMBLY, ELECTIONS. THOSE ARE TOUGHER AND WE’RE GOING TO ENGAGE ON THOSE. YOU KNOW, WE DO THE SAME WITH CHINA–WE HAVEN’T QUESTIONED WHETHER WE SHOULD HAVE DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS.
WE DO THE SAME WITH RUSSIA. WE HAVE A MAGNITSKY LAW. THEY HATE IT. WE APPLY STANDARDS AND JUDGMENTS TO IT. BUT WE STILL DEAL WITH RUSSIA. RUSSIA WAS VERY HELPFUL ON THE IRAN AGREEMENT. RUSSIA’S BEEN HELPFUL ON SYRIA AND CHEMICAL WEAPONS. SO YOU KNOW IT’S NOT A STRAIGHT LINE THAT YOU CAN JUST DIVIDE THE BENEFITS AND THE NEGATIVES. IT’S TRICKY.
WE WILL IMPROVE THIS. WE JUST STARTED. THIS IS THE BEGINNING. IT’S A HISTORIC DAY. WE WENT NOWHERE FOR 54 YEARS. I BELIEVE IN THE NEXT YEAR PEOPLE WILL SEE MUCH MORE CHANGE. WE’RE ALREADY SEEING IT WITH 35% TRAVEL UP TO CUBA BY AMERICANS. LET’S SEE WHAT HAPPENS OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT MONTHS.
MITCHELL: WHAT WAS THE EMOTIONAL SIDE OF THIS FOR YOU FOR YOU TO BE PRESIDING OVER THIS WITH THOSE THREE MARINES AND THE FLAG FINALLY BEING RAISED?
KERRY: WELL THE MARINES ARE EXCEPTIONAL. AND THOSE GUYS WERE OBVIOUSLY VERY SPECIAL AND IN ADDITION THEY WERE MOVED AND IT WAS VERY TOUCHING TO SEE THEM COME BACK AND HAVE THIS MOMENT WHERE THEY’RE KEEPING THIS PROMISE. AS I SAID AT THE END PROMISE MADE, PROMISE KEPT. THAT’S A GOOD DEAL IN LIFE IF YOU EVER GET TO DO THAT. AND IN THEIR CIRCUMSTANCE TO PRESIDED OVER SUCH AN EMOTIONAL DOWNER MOMENT, AND THEN TO BE ABLE TO COME BACK HERE AND PRESIDE OVER THE REOPENING AND THE POSSIBILITIES IS PRETTY DARN EXCITING.
OBVIOUSLY HISTORICALLY FOR ME GIVEN MY FORMATIVE YEARS AS AN 18 YEAR OLD AND WATCHING WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN 1958, 9, 60, 61 IT’S A PRIVILEGE TO BE ABLE TO BE HERE AS SECRETARY AND TO PRESIDE OVER SOMETHING AS EXCITING AS THE RAISING OF THE AMERICAN FLAG BACK AT OUR EMBASSY. WE’RE BACK IN THE BUSINESS OF FULL-FLEDGED DIPLOMACY HERE. I BELIEVE IN DIPLOMACY AND I THINK THIS IS EXCITING.
MITCHELL: I HAVE TO ASK YOU ABOUT IRAQ, ISIS. ARE YOU NOW PERSUADED THAT THEY USED CHEMICAL WEAPONS? PERHAPS MUSTARD GAS AGAINST THE KURDS? HAVE THEY CROSSED A RED LINE?
KERRY: WELL, I’M COMPLETELY — OH, WELL– THEY’VE CROSSED MANY RED LINES ALREADY AND THEY’RE ONE OF THE MOST RUTHLESS AND DANGEROUS TERROR GROUPS THAT ANY OF US HAVE EVER IMAGINED. SO YOU KNOW…
MITCHELL: BUT DO WE HAVE TO TAKE SOME ACTION?
KERRY: BUT ON THE MUSTARD GAS ISSUE, ANDREA, WE DO NOT HAVE CONFIRMATION YET, BUT WE’RE COMPLETELY OPEN TO THE POSSIBILITY AND WE’RE EXAMINING IT. AND WE’VE JOINED WITH THE RUSSIANS AND THE OTHERS AT THE UNITED NATIONS IN A RESOLUTION TO TRY TO PRESS A MECHANISM TO BE ABLE GET AT THIS, SO THAT WE DON’T JUST FIND OUT THAT, YES, IT WAS USED– BUT WE CAN FIND OUT WHO DID IT AND POINT TO CULPABILITY. AND THAT’S WHAT WE’RE TRYING TO DO.
MITCHELL: AND THERE’S TALK NOW THAT AL GORE IS CONSIDERING RUNNING? THAT HILLARY CLINTON IS NOT AS STRONG OF A DEMOCRATIC FRONTRUNNER AS PEOPLE THOUGHT? IF AL GORE IS CONSIDERING IT, IF JOE BIDEN CONSIDERING IT, IS JOHN KERRY CONSIDERING GETTING INTO THE POLITICAL RACE?
KERRY: NO. NO. NOT AT ALL. I’M NOT. AND ONE OF THE VIRTUES OF THIS JOB IS THAT IT ALLOWS YOU NOT BE ENGAGED IN DAY TO DAY POLITICS AND PROGNOSTICATING.
AND I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT ANYBODY’S GOING TO DO. I’VE BEEN INTENSELY FOCUSED ON THE DIPLOMACY THAT WE’RE ENGAGED IN AND WE HAVE A STRONG AND SIGNIFICANT AGENDA FOR THE NEXT 16 MONTHS AND I’M GOING TO BE AT IT.
MITCHELL: ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT THE EMAIL CONTROVERSY AND THE POSSIBILITY OF COSTING–
KERRY: YOU KNOW, ANDREA, I’M NOT GOING TO COMMENT. ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE UNDER THE APPROPRIATE PROCESS OF BEING EITHER INVESTIGATED OR THE EMAILS ARE BEING DECLASSIFIED OR CLASSIFIED AND APPROPRIATELY DISSEMINATED.
WE’LL DO OUR JOB ACCORDING TO THE LAW, AND AS RAPIDLY AS POSSIBLE– I MAY HAVE SOMETHING TO LAY OUT TO YOU IN THE NEXT DAYS ABOUT HOW WE’RE GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT HAPPENS.
BUT WE’RE NOT ENGAGED IN MAKING ANY EDITORIAL COMMENTS OR JUDGMENTS ABOUT IT WHATSOEVER.
MITCHELL: DO YOU HAVE A NEW WAY OR A NEW PROPOSAL TO TRY TO SPEED IT UP?
KERRY: STAY TUNED. WE’LL LET YOU KNOW WHEN AND IF THERE IS SOMETHING. I SAID WE MAY HAVE SOMETHING TO LAY OUT TO YOU. WE’LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
MITCHELL: BUT NO MORE POLITICS FOR JOHN KERRY?
KERRY: WELL, I’M NOT SAYING FOREVER AND EVER. I FEEL YOUNG ENOUGH TO BE ENGAGED IN AMERICA’S POLITICAL PROCESS AND DEBATES OVER TIME. BUT NOT RIGHT NOW.
NOW, I LOVE THE JOB I HAVE. I THINK I HAVE ONE OF THE BEST JOBS IF NOT THE BEST JOB IN GOVERNMENT. AND WE HAVE A BIG AGENDA FOR THE NEXT SIXTEEN MONTHS. THE PARIS NEGOTIATIONS IN DECEMBER, WE’RE WORKING ON A NUMBER OF OTHER INITIATIVES, SYRIA AMONG OTHER THINGS, AND WE’VE GOT WORK TO GET FINISHED.
MITCHELL: AND IS IT TRUE THAT IS TEDDY KENNEDY’S CANE YOU WERE USING TODAY?
KERRY: YEAH, VERY MUCH SO. IT WAS AMBASSADOR JOSEPH P. KENNEDY’S CANE. AND THEN PRESIDENT KENNEDY USED IT FOR A PERIOD OF TIME WHEN HE HAD A BAD BACK, AND TED KENNEDY USED IT WHEN HE HAD HIS BROKEN BACK.
AND TEDDY LOANED IT TO ME WHEN I WAS IN THE SENATE AND HAD A KNEE OPERATION AND THEN HE LOANED IT TO ME AGAIN WHEN I HAD A HIP! AND VICKY KNEW ABOUT MY INJURY AND SHE WAS GOOD ENOUGH TO LOAN IT TO ME ONE MORE TIME.
MITCHELL: WELL, I’M GLAD TO SEE YOU WALKING AGAIN.
KERRY: IT’S GREAT. THANK YOU.
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