ACCESSION NUMBER:280676
FILE ID:NFS366
DATE:04/28/93
TITLE:U.S. TO URGE ESTABLISHMENT OF IRAQI WAR CRIMES PANEL (04/28/93)
TEXT:*93042866.NFS 04/27/sec state prior to iraqi nat'l congress/#mcj yb kf
*NFS366 04/28/93 *
U.S. TO URGE ESTABLISHMENT OF IRAQI WAR CRIMES PANEL
(Transcript: Christopher remarks, 4/27/93) (570)
Washington -- Secretary of State Warren Christopher, prior to meeting at
the State Department with members of the Iraqi National Congress (INC)
April 27, told reporters that the Clinton administration intends to urge
that the United Nations establish an Iraqi War Crimes Commission.
"The government of Iraq, at the present time, has a really abysmal record on
the subject of human rights," Christopher said. For that reason, the
United States will encourage the UNSC to look into war crimes, and will
also support the unified opposition in Iraq.
The following is the official transcript of the Secretary's remarks to news
media:
(BEGIN TRANSCRIPT)
SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: I'm here today to welcome the leaders of the Iraqi
National Congress to the State Department. The INC, as it's known, has
made real progress in unifying the principal opposition groups in Iraq.
They have chosen a representative group of leadership to meet with me here
today. They've indicated to me that their goal is a territorially
unified, democratic and pluralistic Iraq, which respects the rights of its
neighbors and can live in peace with its neighbors.
As I've said many times, a goal of the United States is to ensure that the
present government of Iraq lives up to and follows all the United Nations
resolutions. I'll be discussing that with the members of the INC here
today. The government of Iraq, at the present time, has a really abysmal
record on the subject of human rights, a great many violations of human
rights throughout the country.
And as I've informed these gentlemen just before going into the meeting, the
United States will propose that the Security Council establish a
commission, to consider the creation of a commission, to investigate Iraqi
war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. The United States will
be urging the United Nations Security Council to consider the creation of
such a commission. We believe that only through respect for legitimate
rights of its own people, only through respect for its neighbors can Iraq
have any opportunity to return to the community of nations.
Thank you very much. And I do welcome all these gentlemen. I look forward
to an opportunity to meet with them.
QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, what do you know about efforts by Iraqi
intelligence agents to assassinate President Bush when he was in Kuwait
recently?
SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: I don't know anything about those reports at all,
I'm sorry to say.
QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, can I ask a question on your support for the Iraqi
opposition? Is this -- what you said today about the human rights
commission -- the ultimate support you are going to give the INC, or will
you discuss other forms of support you are going to give them?
1ECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: Well, as I've said, we are going to be urging the
United Nations to consider the creation of a commission to look into the
various war crimes and other matters that I indicated. By meeting here
with these gentlemen today, I've indicated the United States' support for
the wide-range of opposition groups in Iraq, of which these gentlemen are
important members. They've been chosen to represent the leadership of the
unified opposition in Iraq.
Thank you very much.
(END TRANSCRIPT)
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