DATE=7/23/98 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-235946 TITLE=CLINTON / IRAN MISSILE (L) BYLINE=DAVID GOLLUST DATELINE=WHITE HOUSE CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: PRESIDENT CLINTON SAY IRAN'S TEST OF A MEDIUM-RANGE BALLISTIC MISSILE IS GROUNDS FOR CONCERN, BUT NOT A REASON TO ABANDON EFFORTS AT DIALOGUE WITH PRESIDENT MOHAMMED KHATAMI. V-O-A'S DAVID GOLLUST REPORTS FROM THE WHITE HOUSE. TEXT: MR. CLINTON SAYS THE UNITED STATES IS VERY CONCERNED BY THE TEST AND SAYS IF IRAN ACTUALLY DEPLOYED A MEDIUM-RANGE MISSILE, IT WOULD CHANGE THE "STABILITY DYNAMICS" IN THE MIDDLE EAST. BUT IN A TALK WITH REPORTERS HERE, HE SAID THE TEST WAS NOT AN ARGUMENT FOR CLOSING OFF ALL AVENUES FOR DIALOGUE WITH PRESIDENT KHATAMI, THE RELATIVELY-MODERATE MUSLIM CLERIC ELECTED LAST YEAR: ///CLINTON ACTUALITY/// THE COUNTRY (IRAN) IS IN A DYNAMIC STATE NOW. THERE'S SOME DYNAMISM THERE. AND THERE'S SOME REASON TO BELIEVE THAT, IT SEEMS TO ME, AT LEAST MAKING IT CLEAR WHAT OUR POSITION IS -- ON THE MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS, SUPPORT OF TERRORISM, ON ALL THESE ISSUES WITH WHICH WE'VE HAD PROBLEMS WITH IRAN IN THE PAST, AND STILL BE GLAD THERE'S SOME MOVEMENT TOWARD GREATER POPULAR GOVERNMMENT AND MORE OPENNESS IN THE COUNTRY -- ARGUES FOR WHAT WE'RE DOING: A CAUTIOUS, DELIBERATE APPROACH. ///END ACT/// THE UNITED STATES AND IRAN HAVE HAD NO OFFICIAL RELATIONS FOR NEARLY TWO DECADES. BUT LATE LAST YEAR, PRESIDENT KHATAMI MADE AN OVERTURE FOR DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE TWO PEOPLES. AND THAT HAS BEEN FOLLOWED BY LIMITED EXCHANGES INCLUDING SPORTS CONTACTS. MR. CLINTON SAID IF THE PROCESS LED TO FORMAL TALKS, THE MISSILE ISSUE WOULD BE HIGH ON THE AGENDA: ///CLINTON ACT TWO/// IF WE DO CONTINUE TO HAVE AN OPENING OF RELATIONS, BECAUSE THE NEW PRESIDENT SEEMS MORE OPEN TO IT, OBVIOUSLY THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS I WOULD RAISE WITH HIM. WE'VE BEEN VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THIS AND WE BELIEVE THAT THE FUTURE OF THE MIDDLE EAST WOULD BE BETTER IF THEY'D INVEST MORE MONEY -- ALL THOSE COUNTRIES -- IN SOMETHING OTHER THAN MILTARY TECHNOLOGY. SO WE'RE VERY, VERY CONCERNED BY IT, BUT NOT SURPRISED BY IT. ///END ACT/// OFFICIALS HERE SAID THE IRANIAN MISSILE -- CALLED THE SHAHAB-THREE -- APPEARS TO BE VIRTUALLY IDENTICAL TO NORTH KOREA'S MEDIUM-RANGE "NODONG" MISSILE, WHICH THE FINANCIALLY STRAPPED GOVERNMENT IN PYONGYANG HAS BEEN TRYING TO MARKET AROUND THE WORLD TO RAISE HARD CURRENCY. THEY SAID THE TEST UNDERSCORES THE IMPORTANCE FOR THE UNITED STATES TO AGGRESSIVELY PURSUE NON-PROLIFERATION EFFORTS AND IS ONE REASON WHY THE ADMINISTRATION WAS SO INSISTENT THAT RUSSIA END ITS TECHNOLOGY TRANSFERS TO IRAN. (SIGNED) NEB/DAG/WDC/PLM 23-Jul-98 6:17 PM EDT (2217 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .
