Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

27 May 2003

U.S. Concerned about Iran's Nuclear Program, Support for Terrorism

(Boucher says U.S. policy toward Iran has not changed) (2780)
State Department spokesman Richard Boucher told reporters on May 27
that U.S. "policies towards Iran have not changed." Boucher was
speaking at the regular State Department noon briefing May 27.
U.S. policy toward Iran, Boucher said is to side with the Iranian
people in their call for democratic reform, more openness, and
modernization.
Boucher said the United States has concerns about Iran's policies and
that it has raised these concerns with Iran.
"Those, essentially four things -- terrorism, nuclear developments,
Middle East, opposition to the peace process; and poor human rights
record have been standard issues that we have sough to raise with Iran
in a variety of ways," Boucher said.
Responding to questions about Al Qaida members in Iran, Boucher said,
"We have said that there are Al Qaida members in Iran, and that Iran
needs to deal with them in accordance with their international
responsibilities that all countries have under Resolution 1373."
On nuclear issues, Boucher said, "We all have a mutual interest in
ensuring that Iran abide by its Nonproliferation Treaty obligations
not to develop nuclear weapons. And we share concerns about grave risk
to the region and to our security interests posed by a nuclear
weapons-capable Iran."
Commenting on Russia's statement that it intends to continue
cooperating with Iran on the Bushehr reactor, Boucher said the United
States is working together with Russia in regards to Iran's nuclear
program.
But, he added, "There's no reason for a country like Iran, which
flares off more gas in a year than it would ever get from these
nuclear programs, no reason for a country like Iran to have these
programs. It just doesn't make sense for anything other than nuclear
weapons. And therefore, we think it is not appropriate for -- not in
anybody's interests to be helping Iran with its nuclear program."
Following are excerpts from the May 27 State Department briefing about
Iran:
(begin excerpt)
QUESTION: Can we move on to Iran, perhaps? The Secretary said this
morning that contacts with Iran will continue. Was he referring to the
direct, face-to-face meetings in Geneva?
MR. BOUCHER: He was referring to a variety of ways that we have to
communicate our views with Iran when we find it necessary and
appropriate, and that will continue. I'm not going to get into any
particular channel or any particular way at this point.
QUESTION: Can you -- so you can't say whether the Geneva channel is
open or closed?
MR. BOUCHER: I can't say whether any particular means of communicating
will be used again and at what point it might be used again, but we
have a variety of ways to make clear our views to Iran and we will
continue to use all the ones that are appropriate.
QUESTION: Can you say when the last time one of these variety of ways
was used to get in touch with the Iranians?
MR. BOUCHER:  They're used all the time.  
QUESTION:  So every day?
MR. BOUCHER: Every day may be kind of an exaggeration, but when
there's something important, like the need for Iran to live up to the
international responsibilities that all countries have under
Resolution 1373 to fight terrorism, to prevent safe haven, when there
are messages and information like that that we want to make sure Iran
understands, we find a variety of ways, and that goes on. For example,
we have ways of passing messages, but we also have friends, Europeans
and others, who might share the same views who might be passing
messages as well.
George.
QUESTION: The National Council of Resistance in Iran held a news
conference this morning and they said they came across two previously
undisclosed facilities for production of -- uranium enrichment
facilities, and they also said they have made known their information
to the proper authorities in the U.S. Government.
Do you know anything about this?
MR. BOUCHER: I don't know anything specifically about that. I would
have to check and see if we have any particular information of our own
that could confirm it. I have made clear that one of our longstanding
concerns about Iran has been the nuclear programs, has been what we
consider to be nuclear weapons programs, and that that information
that's come out in recent months about the full scope, nuclear fuel
cycle that Iran was putting together, raises those concerns and I
think puts those concerns more clearly in front of the international
community. So we continue to pursue the effort. We look for a full and
complete report from the International Atomic Energy Agency Director,
Director ElBaradei, when the IAEA Board is expected to take this up in
mid-June.
Elise.
QUESTION: Could you discuss -- last week, you alluded to the fact that
you -- the Administration alluded to the fact that al-Qaida members
could be in Iran, could be transiting through the country. Could you
tell us where you think that that stands? Do you think that Iran is
providing safe haven to these al-Qaida members? They have said that
have detained some of them. Could you flesh out a little bit what your
understanding of what this is --
MR. BOUCHER: I can't flesh it out. We have not received any particular
information on what Iran may or may not have done. I have noted their
public statements that say that they have detained some people, that
they say they don't know who they are yet. I have noted public
statements that say -- that note that in the past they have even
expelled people to Saudi Arabia and Pakistan at times. But at this
point, we don't have any particular information on Iran, what they've
done or what they might do, so I can't really clarify it for you.
QUESTION:  Are you -- can I follow up, Richard?  
MR. BOUCHER:  Yes.
QUESTION: Are you talking about direct information that they've shared
with you? Or you don't have any information that perhaps they might
have passed along to other members of -- that met up the Geneva
process last week?
MR. BOUCHER: I don't have -- we have not acquired any particular
information at this point on what their -- what they might be doing
with regard to the presence of al-Qaida people there.
QUESTION: I have two things. On Elise's point, when you say you have
not received particular information, you're not referring to the vast
amount of information that you have from intelligence or other sorts
of things; you're just talking about from the Iranians?
MR. BOUCHER:  No, I mean transmitted information of some kind.
QUESTION: The Secretary also said that the Iran policy had not
changed. Not to be flip, but it's very hard to discern what the
American Iran policy is given the various statements coming from
different buildings in Washington.
MR. BOUCHER: I don't think it should be that difficult. I'll read you
the White House statement from July 12th, 2002, which I just happen to
have with me. Let me just read you the first paragraph.
"We have seen throughout history the power of one simple idea: when
given a choice, people will choose freedom. As we witnessed over the
past few days" -- this is in relation to the demonstrations that were
being held -- "the people of Iran want the same freedoms, human rights
and opportunities as people around the world. The government should
listen to their hopes."
So, first and foremost, I think, is the basic policy of siding with
the Iranian people and their call for the Iranian Government to -- for
democratic reform, for more openness for its society, for
modernization of the society with the rest of the world.
Second of all, I think it has always been the longstanding positions
that we have expressed here and the White House and elsewhere that we
have expressed our concerns about Iran's nuclear weapons programs, we
have expressed concerns about Iran's support for terrorism,
particularly groups like Hezbollah, but also questions now of whether
or not al-Qaida members are in Iran and what Iran should be doing
about it.
We have also expressed our concern about their opposition to the
Middle East peace process and Iran's poor human rights record. Those
essentially four things -- terrorism, nuclear developments, Middle
East -- opposition to the peace process -- and poor human rights
record -- have been standard issues that we have sought to raise with
Iran in a variety of ways.
QUESTION: Well, just one and I'll stop on this. But when you say --
when you talk about the July 12th statement, two things related to
that. Is the U.S. Government planning to give support to the July 9th
general strike that's being planned in Iran?
And maybe you could clear up, if you're supporting people who want a
democratic referendum in the country, is that the same as supporting a
change in regime in Tehran?
MR. BOUCHER: There are people in Iran who are calling for a more
democratic system, including demonstrators. We are expressing our
sentiments. We are expressing our views, our policies that we side
with them in terms of wanting more democracy and more openness.
That's, I think, a clear policy of the United States we've always
held. I don't know that I can take it any steps beyond that, but
that's clearly what the policy is.
Jon.  
QUESTION: Is it your position on -- that there are al-Qaida members in
Iran? You seem unclear about it.
MR. BOUCHER: It is our -- yes, we have said that there are al-Qaida
members in Iran and that Iran needs to deal with them in accordance
with their international responsibilities that all countries have
under Resolution 1373. Resolution 1373 requires all countries to deny
safe haven to those who plan, support or commit terrorist acts and to
affirmatively take steps to prevent the commission of terrorist acts
by providing early warning to other states by exchange of information.
QUESTION: Is it your position that the Iranian Government is knowingly
harboring them, or that it's just a leaky border that hasn't --
MR. BOUCHER: I have not been able to talk about that any further at
this point in terms of what we might know or think about how they are
-- where they are. The Iranian Government now says they have some of
these people in custody, so certainly the resolution would apply to
the country as a whole, and particularly to people that they might
have in custody. The issue is not -- I mean, you have to do these
things under the UN resolution. Countries have to take charge of this
area, have to make sure that their territory is not being used as safe
haven, make sure their territory is not being used to plan terrorist
attacks. That's the requirement of the resolution.
...................
QUESTION: Did there -- do you have any comment on the Russian
statement that they intend to continue cooperating with Iran on the
Bushehr reactor?
MR. BOUCHER: I don't have any specific comment on the Russian
statement. I think they put forward some proposals on how they might
be willing to do that. Whether Iran is or is not willing to do that,
would obviously might be an indicator of their intentions.
But our view has been that Iran's clandestine nuclear weapons program
is such that Russia and other members should join the Nuclear Supplier
Group in ending all nuclear cooperation with Iran. Secretary Powell
and President Putin discussed this issue in Moscow on May 14th. As you
know, we have had an ongoing series of exchanges with the Russian
Government on that issue. We all have a mutual interest in assuring
that Iran abide by its Nonproliferation Treaty obligations not to
develop nuclear weapons, and we share concerns about grave risks to
the region and to our security interests posed by a nuclear
weapons-capable Iran. So we are working together with Russia in that
regard and we look for any positive movement in this direction. But
our view remains that it is important for everybody to end nuclear
cooperation with Iran.
QUESTION: It sounds like you're disappointed that the Russians should
be effectively saying --
MR. BOUCHER: No, I will let the Russians explain their own statement.
We will see if the Iranians agree to whatever it is the Russians have
proposed. But our view and our dialogue continues as we look forward
to the report that we expect to get from the IAEA in June.
QUESTION: Can I just follow up? Are you seeing positive elements in
what the Russians said?
MR. BOUCHER: Again, I'm not going to try to dissect for you the
Russian statement. They'll have to analyze it on their own.
QUESTION: Last week when the Russian Defense Minister was here, at the
conclusion of his talks a senior Russian official -- he couldn't --
was asked not to speak in name -- spoke of the light water reactor as
being extremely comparable to the light water reactor in North Korea
that the U.S. was willing to help supply, that it was no more -- well,
not putting words into his mouth. He said it's the same situation,
implying that it's a civilian use reactor.
Does the U.S. dispute that what they're doing with the reactor itself
isn't really contributing to their nuclear program, weapons program?
MR. BOUCHER: The position that we have always held is that Iran was
engaged in a much broader program, that they were using the nuclear
reactor as cover for acquisitions, for expertise, for exchanges, for a
much broader program. And now it's becoming increasingly clear that
that broader program that we had always talked about, in fact, exists.
It's a full nuclear fuel cycle program. There is a no reason for a
country like Iran, which flares off more gas in a year than it would
ever get from these nuclear programs, no reason for a country like
Iran to have those programs. It just doesn't make sense for anything
other than nuclear weapons, and therefore we think it is not
appropriate for -- not in anybody's interest to be helping Iran with
its nuclear programs.
QUESTION: Richard, since the ceasefire deal and then the disarmament
deal with the People's Mujahedin in Iraq, have you guys started to
take steps to remove them from the list of terrorist organizations?
MR. BOUCHER:  Why?
QUESTION: Well, I'm just curious as to why, once again, you know, the
sister, this group, the National Council of Resistance, has been
allowed to hold a press conference on U.S. soil when it's deemed a
Foreign Terrorist Organization.
MR. BOUCHER: Once again, I have to refer you to the Justice Department
for questions about their status.
QUESTION: Is the State Department at all upset that its -- that the
Secretary's judgment on this group seems to be being flouted by the
Justice Department? Are they --
MR. BOUCHER: I refer you to the Justice Department, which has the
final decision on their status in the United States.
QUESTION: How is this different from when the PFLP holds a press
conference to talk about stuff in Damascus?
MR. BOUCHER: Again, I refer you to the Department of Justice for
questions about their status in the United States.
............
QUESTION: There has been a lot of talk in the last couple of days,
maybe some of it overblown, about whether there is a "Principals
Meeting" or "Senior Officials Meeting" on Iran to discuss any kind of
who-next steps on policy. Would it be -- without talk -- well, if you
could talk about whether there is a meeting or if a meeting's coming
up. But if not, would it be accurate to say that you're reviewing all
your policy options in -- perhaps to take a new policy direction on
Iran, or coming to some kind of policy review on Iran?
MR. BOUCHER: Great story. Not true. No, it would be inaccurate to say
that. It would be accurate to say what the Secretary of State told you
this morning: "Our policies with respect to Iran have not changed."
That's what would be accurate.
QUESTION: Okay. Well, they haven't changed yet, but are they in the
process of --
MR. BOUCHER: No, don't -- I'm sorry, our policies toward Iran have not
changed. We're not in the process of changing them. We're always
looking at how we operate under those policies. But as the Secretary
has said, we have ways of communicating, we have ways of contacting
them, and we would expect to do so again.
(end excerpt)
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