ACCESSION NUMBER:00000
FILE ID:95033002.AAF
DATE:03/30/95
TITLE:CHRISTOPHER PUTS IRAQIS ON NOTICE ABOUT DETAINED AMERICANS
TEXT:
(FR) (Says prison sentences are unjustified) (830)
By Jim Fisher-Thompson
USIA Staff Writer
WASHINGTON -- Secretary of State Warren Christopher made plain to
Congress March 30 that the United States holds the government of Iraq
responsible for the well-being of two U.S. citizens who strayed across
its borders and have now been imprisoned in Baghdad.
Christopher told the House International Relations Committee that
"they innocently strayed into Iraq and their detentions and [prison]
sentences are totally unjustified. We have insisted that they be
released immediately."
He said he wanted to emphasize that "we hold the government of Iraq
directly responsible for their well-being and welfare during their
period of detention. We are pursuing a range of diplomatic channels to
secure their freedom, preserving all of our options in this process."
Christopher stressed that "Iraq will receive no concessions, it has
nothing to gain in continuing to hold these men. Their continued
detention demonstrates that Iraq is not qualified to reenter into
normal relations with the international community."
The secretary made his comments during an International Relations
Committee hearing considering the overall U.S. foreign affairs budget.
He told Committee Chairman Benjamin Gilman that "the international
affairs budget is an essential investment in our nation's security and
prosperity."
He said: "Consider what we get for our international affairs budget of
$21,200 million: Our budget protects American lives by combating the
spread of nuclear weapons, the threat of terrorism, and the scourge of
drugs. It supports American jobs by promoting U.S. exports and
creating new markets in developing countries. And it gives force to
the principles America stands for by bolstering human rights and
democracy around the world."
Chairman Gilman said that "with annual budget deficits running the
range of $200,000 million, there is no question that we must reshape,
reform, and reduce our assistance programs as well as the
organizations that implement them."
And he added that this means that "the foreign affairs budget will
have to contribute its fair share to [federal budget] deficit
reduction."
Congressman Tom Lantos countered Gilman by saying he thought the
foreign affairs budget contained "the most effectively spent federal
dollars because they are designed to create a globe in which the
United States can live peacefully and trade productively."
Christopher said: "I understand it's a lot of money, but there is so
much disinformation about this in the press and the public mind. We've
all seen the polls that indicate that many people in America think we
could solve our budget problem if we just did away with foreign aid.
Estimates range that in the minds of the public, 10 to 25 percent of
our budget goes to foreign aid. And I think it's useful to let the
public know as often as we can tell them that only 1.3 percent of our
total budget goes to our entire international affairs account."
While foreign aid is only a part of that amount, about $5,200 million
of $21,200 million, the secretary emphasized that "I wouldn't be
recommending we spend that much if I didn't think that every dollar of
that gave back good value for the United States.... I think it is all
well justified."
On the issue of reform, Christopher told the committee that "each of
the foreign affairs agencies is proceeding vigorously with
streamlining efforts. I am convinced that ACDA [Arms Control and
Disarmament Agency], USAID [U.S. Agency for International
Development], and USIA [U.S. Information Agency] each has a distinct
mission that can best be performed if they remain separate agencies
under my supervision."
Asked about U.S. policy toward Iran, Christopher told the lawmakers:
"I think we need to continue our very strong policy of trying to
contain Iran."
He added that it was important to stick to this policy because "we've
been trying to show the rest of the world that Iran is in a category
all by itself in what they are doing to undermine the [Middle East]
peace process and projecting terrorism around the world."
Referring to the U.S. policy of pressing its allies to go along with
the Iran boycott, Christopher said America "needs to lead" here and
"we need to indicate by our own strong stance what we think the other
nations should do."
Commenting on the mysterious death and disappearance of two U.S.
citizens in Guatemala, Christopher announced that President Clinton
"today asked the Intelligence Oversight Board to conduct a
governmentwide review of all of the facts and allegations" surrounding
the deaths and disappearances.
Christopher said he wanted to assure the committee that his actions in
the affair would be guided by three basic principles: get at the
underlying facts, which will involve cooperation with the Guatemalan
government; when all the facts are in, take appropriate action; and
"we must make available to the American people all the information
possible."
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