ACCESSION NUMBER:215707
FILE ID:AR-519
DATE:02/21/92
TITLE:(With Spanish Asf505 of 02/21/92) (02/21/92)
TEXT:*92022119.ARF
*ARF519 02/21/92
(With Spanish Asf505 of 02/21/92)
U.S. AND ARGENTINA URGE END TO ARMS PROLIFERATION
(Sec. Defense Cheney in Buenos Aires) (440)
Jaime Lopez Recalde
USIA Special Correspondent
BUENOS AIRES -- U.S. Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney and his Argentine
counterpart, Antonio Erman Gonzalez, joined in calling for a worldwide halt
to the proliferation of nuclear weapons and the spread of non-conventional
arms -- particularly chemical and biological weapons.
Cheney, who is visiting five Latin American countries, arrived in the
Argentine capital Feb. 20. He had visited Guatemala, Panama, and Brazil
earlier, and was scheduled to visit Chile Feb. 21 before returning home.
During a joint press conference with Gonzalez, Cheney praised the government
and the Argentine people for their decision to dismantle the Condor II
missile, and pointed out that this was the sovereign decision of the
Argentine government. "We think Argentina made a very sound decision to be
part of the worldwide efforts to enhance the prospects for peace and
stability in years to come," he said.
If this decision had not been taken, Gonzalez quickly added, the only
country that would have been hurt would have been Argentina, because doubts
would have persisted about its conduct. "We are urging all the countries
of the region to destroy their non-conventional arms, and we should set the
example," he added.
During his 20-hour stay in Buenos Aires, Cheney visited the frigate
Almirante Brown, which had taken part in the blockade of Iraq during the
Gulf War. He expressed his thanks to the officers and men of the Argentine
Navy who had participated in last year's action in the Gulf.
1e later met with the acting President, Senator Eduardo Menem, who is
replacing his brother Carlos Menem, who is traveling outside the country.
Cheney held meetings with Gonzalez and the heads of the Argentine army,
navy, and air force, and also met with representatives of the Senate and
the Chamber of Deputies.
In answer to journalists' questions, Cheney said that while the United
States hopes it will not be necessary to again blockade Iraq, such an
action would only be undertaken in accordance with resolutions passed by
the U.N. Security Council and not as an offensive military action. Such
international actions, he added, have the objective of limiting Saddam
Hussein's access to funds for rebuilding his military or buying arms, not
of harming the people of Iraq.
In discussing narcotics trafficking, Cheney said the United States armed
forces are solely involved in preventing the illegal entry of drugs into
the country. He added that when asked to help, the U.S. armed forces have
assisted other countries -- particularly those in the Andean region -- in
combating drug trafficking.
Cheney said his visit was intended to emphasize U.S. cooperation with the
nations of the hemisphere, and to explore ways to strengthen peace and
stability in the region.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
