18 June 2003
Iran's Nuclear Program Concerns Bush Administration
(White House Report, June 18: Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Africa) (1690) The United States, as well as many nations around the world, have "deep concerns" about Iran's nuclear development program, and they want Iran to adhere to the terms it agreed to when it signed the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer told reporters June 18. "The United States, as well as many nations around the world, including Russia, do have deep concerns about Iran's development of nuclear weapons and their attempts to develop nuclear weapons," Fleischer said. "I think for now the focus remains on making certain that Iran honors its obligations to the international community as a signatory of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. They are a signatory to it, they are covered by the IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency] safeguards, and they need to comply with it. That's the focus of our policy with Iran right now." Fleischer questioned why Iran would want to develop nuclear energy for peaceful, civilian purposes when oil and gas is abundant in the country. "We have great concerns when a nation that is as awash in natural resources, such as Iran's oil and gas, why they would want to develop, as they claim, for peaceful, civilian purposes nuclear energy, when they have abundance of oil and gas and don't need nuclear energy," Fleischer said. Fleischer also said the United States is concerned after reading the June report from the IAEA. "The report points out that Iran has failed to report certain nuclear materials and activities, and that corrective actions are being taken in cooperation with the Iranian authorities," Fleischer said. The report also explains that work is still ongoing with regard to the correctness and completeness of Iran's declaration to ensure that all nuclear material in Iran has been declared and is under safeguards, according to Fleischer. Iran's failure to comply with the IAEA to provide access and assurance that safeguards have been met, coupled with the fact that Iran attempts to develop nuclear energy in a country that doesn't need nuclear energy, gives the United States "cause for great concern," Fleischer said. He said Iran is finding itself under increased international scrutiny as a result of its not answering questions that the international community has asked of it. "The issue here is, what will Iran do to bring itself into compliance with international organizations? Iran has some serious issues to face up to as the world makes judgments about Iranian intentions." Later June 18, President Bush was asked about Iran in a question and answer session with reporters at the White House. Bush said "the international community must come together to make it very clear to Iran that we will not tolerate the construction of a nuclear weapon. Iran would be dangerous if they have a nuclear weapon. I brought this subject up in the G8; we had a good discussion on the subject, with near universal agreement that we all must work together to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon." TOP ADVISOR TO SADDAM IS CAPTURED BUT "DANGER REMAINS" IN IRAQ Fleischer said the apprehension of former Iraqi General Abid Hamid Mahmud al-Tikriti is "a significant capture." The U.S. Central Command reported June 18 that coalition forces captured Mahmud al-Tikriti in Iraq on June 16. He was Saddam Hussein's personal secretary, senior bodyguard and national security Advisor, CENTCOM said. In Fleischer's June 18 morning briefing, he said President Bush has said major combat is over in Iraq, but "danger remains." "There continue to be elements that support Saddam Hussein; there continue to be loyalists to the Baath Party who want to engage in violence," Fleischer said. "They governed Iraq with violence; they governed Iraq with torture; they're continuing what they used to do." Fleischer said the purpose of America's presence in Iraq is to help bring stability to the country as it is reconstructed. "There are still elements that will shoot at America's military, and that's why the military is there with the amount of force they've deemed appropriate to help bring more stability to the country," Fleischer said. When asked by a reporter if the attacks on U.S. soldiers seemed to be organized, Fleischer said, "the assessment of the Department of Defense is that it appears to be a loose-knit group of Baath party loyalists, people who are still dedicated to Saddam Hussein, who have spent their lives killing, who haven't changed their stripes. They have seen no evidence that there is any one organizational point of these desperate groups other than the fact that they all emerged from the same horrendous, dictatorial, murderous structure that they continue to abide by today." When asked if the president had a timetable for Iraqi reconstruction, Fleischer said, "the president is determined to see this through so that Iraq can be rebuilt with a future that focuses on opportunity and freedom of the Iraqi people, and to do so in a way that the American military can stay as long as necessary and not a day longer. His timetable is a timetable of whatever time is going to be required to do this well and to do it right so that free Iraq can emerge." Fleischer also said President Bush "is very pleased" with Ambassador L. Paul Bremer's actions and leadership in the reconstruction of Iraq. He said Bremer is in a very difficult position, and "the president keeps in mind that it wasn't so long ago that this was an active, major armed conflict, and it will indeed take time." U.S. BUILDING INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT TO KEEP NORTH KOREA NUCLEAR FREE Fleischer said it is important that North Korea understand that the international community is unified in not wanting it to develop nuclear weapons. He said in an early morning press briefing that "North Korea's activities indicate directly that they've been involved in proliferation, and it's important to fight proliferation." Fleischer cited President Bush's speech on May 31 in Krakow, Poland, where Bush announced the creation of a Proliferation Security Initiative, aimed at reaching agreements among nations to allow searches of planes and ships carrying suspect cargo and seizure of banned weapons or missile technologies. Fleischer said this interdiction effort would enable many nations to help the United States to "enforce anti-proliferation measures so that the world can indeed join in fighting proliferators like North Korea." "There was a very successful meeting in Spain last week with a large number of nations, including France, to focus on how this interdiction effort can be set up to fight proliferation, and Secretary [of State Colin] Powell is continuing to build on that momentum," Fleischer said. "It's an important initiative and a serious endeavor, and it shows indeed that the world does want to come together and take meaningful actions to fight proliferation." Fleischer said President Bush has instructed Powell to reach out to more nations to agree to an interdiction initiative because the greater number of nations that are cooperating, the greater the capabilities become "to enforce proliferation rules so that the world can be safe from the threat of proliferation." "One of the great lessons from what's taking place in Iraq is to make certain that the world joins together to fight proliferation of weapons of mass destruction," Fleischer said. Fleischer could not give a date of implementation for the interdiction initiative since discussions among nations are currently being held. "What I can indicate to you is that there has been much progress made between the United States and many of these other nations as they team up to focus on how to fight proliferation," Fleischer said. "It will, of course, be done ... in accordance with international law, and that will all be worked through in the conversations with the different nations." In Fleischer's afternoon press briefing, he said that North Korea has been told directly and repeatedly to stop developing nuclear weapons. North Korean proliferation of these weapons is a "deep source of concern" for China, Russia, Japan, South Korea and the United States, according to Fleischer. "I think they're understanding that their actions, where previously they were rewarded for their belligerent and bad behavior, will not be repeated this time," Fleischer said. "North Korea has a rather dramatic history of engaging in rhetorical excesses. And I think that continues now." Fleischer said the president "cares very deeply" about proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. "It's an important part of providing for the security of America's future, as well as the future of other nations," Fleischer said. "It's heartening to see the number of nations that have come together -- even nations that have disagreed with us about Iraq are joining in this initiative; it's a good sign." AFRICAN BOEING 727 IS MISSING U.S. and African government officials are searching for a Boeing 727 airliner missing since it took off from the airport in Angola's capital, Luanda, on May 25. The jet was apparently stolen from the airport where it had been impounded after its operators failed to pay millions of dollars in airport fees, according to news reports. Fleischer said the United States is cooperating with African governments to try to find the missing airliner. "The United States government is working with governments in Africa, trying to cooperate, to seek any information that is available on the potential location of this (airliner)," Fleischer said. "We don't have any reliable assessments about what this portends, what it could be, who may be behind it. But it is an issue that is being worked on in the federal government." News organizations are reporting that recent intelligence has uncovered an Al-Qaeda plot to crash an explosives-laden small airplane into the U.S. consulate in Pakistan. U.S. officials said June 18 that the disappearance of the jet was probably criminal in nature, but they could not rule out a terrorist connection, according to news reports. (Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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