Rwanda, Goggles, Bin-Laden T-shirt and Erlinder

In Today’s, June 17, 2010,  daily press briefing Mark C. Toner, Acting Deputy Department Spokesman joked about the sword, night-vision goggles and Bin Ladin T-Shirt with an X throought when about to address the questions about  release of the American Lawyer, Peter Erlinder, who has been illegally detained by the repressive Rwandan Government. The US exercised a great deal of pressure on the Rwandan Dictator to have the lwayer released “without conditions”.

Below is the exchange at the US State Department:

QUESTION: What were you doing here with a sword and night-vision goggles?

(Laughter.)

MR. TONER: All legitimate questions.

QUESTION: I –

QUESTION: And a bin Laden t-shirt with an X through it?

(Laughter.)

QUESTION: I hope they ask them what he was doing there. The Erlinder?

MR. TONER: Yeah, sure.

QUESTION: Please, don’t say you have a Privacy Act waiver –

MR. TONER: No.

QUESTION: — problem here.

MR. TONER: We would just like to say we’re pleased with the Rwandan court today – that the Rwandan courts today granted Mr. Erlinder an unconditional release on medical grounds. U.S. Embassy officials were present at the hearing and contacted Mr. Erlinder’s family immediately.

QUESTION: Does that mean that he can leave the country, no problem? Basically they dropped the charges or was this just bail?

MR. TONER: We don’t have all the legal details on today’s rulings. It’s our understanding that he will be able to travel freely once the orders for his release are transmitted to the proper authorities.

QUESTION: Travel, meaning leave the country?

MR. TONER: Yes.