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Title:  "Baker Hints UN May Take More Steps Against Iraq." Secretary of State Baker said that the UN may be forced to take new actions if Iraq continues its non-compliance with Security Council resolutions and UN inspections concerning its weapons of mass destruction. (920206)

Translated Title:  Baker insinua ONU puede tomar mas medidas contra Irak.; Irak: l`ONU pourrait prendre de nouvelles mesures. (920206)
Author:  SCHERR, ED (USIA STAFF WRITER)
Date:  19920206

Text:
BAKER HINTS U.N. MAY TAKE MORE STEPS AGAINST IRAQ (U.S. concerned about Iraq weapons programs) (560) By Edmund F. Scherr USIA Diplomatic Correspondent Washington -- Secretary of State Baker said February 6 that the United Nations may be forced to take new actions if Iraq continues its non-compliance with Security Council resolutions and U.N. inspections concerning its weapons of mass destruction.

"We think that Iraq is continuing to conceal the remains" of such weapons systems, Baker noted, adding that "We are concerned about possible future efforts by Iraq to rebuild" programs destroyed during the Persian Gulf war.

Baker told a hearing of the House Foreign Affairs Committee that "it's the old story of Iraqi intransigence" when it comes to concealing information from monitors and inspectors "with respect to their (Iraq's) potential for the possession or manufacture of weapons of mass destruction."

"I think perhaps there might be some additional measures considered" by the Security Council that would "assist the international community in seeing that these (U.N.) resolutions are fully implemented," the secretary said.

Baker stressed that "We've seen in the past what has happened when there has been a disregard of solemn resolutions of the U.N. Security Council."

Baker made the following points on these other subjects: -- Algeria: Concerning the cancellation of elections in Algeria when it seemed the fundamentalist parties would win, Baker said that "we hope Algeria gets back on the road to democracy as quickly as possible."

-- Yugoslavia: Baker said that the department is concerned about the human rights violations against the ethnic-Albanian population in the Serbian region of Kosovo and has expressed that concern in "every meeting we've had" with the Serbian and Yugoslavian leadership over the past several years.

-- Cambodia: Baker said that a U.N. transition team of some 5,000 military and civilian personnel probably will deploy in Cambodia by April to help maintain the peace and prepare for elections there next year. These significant and concrete steps, he said, "are being taken with the full support of the United States."

-- Korea: Baker said the United States has urged both North and South Korea to develop an effective and verifiable inspection regime for the non-nuclear pact between the two governments. The United States also has encouraged North Korea to sign the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty and accept International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards and inspections.

-- Vietnam: The "pace and the scope" of the process of normalizing U.S.-Vietnam relations "is going to be affected directly by the degree to which Vietnam cooperates with the United States on the POW-MIA issue," he emphasized. The United States will not pull back from this "very emotional and difficult issue of POWs-MIAs."

-- Haiti: Baker emphasized that the Haitian coup and its after effects have received "top level attention" in the Bush administration since the democratically-elected President Aristide was deposed September 30.

Concerning the repatriation of Haitians who have been found ineligible for asylum in the United States, Baker said the United States is returning Haitians who are seeking entry for economic reasons, noting that the same policy applies to people who seek to enter the United States along its southern borders.

He pointed out that the United States does have a "liberal refugee policy" and this year will admit some 122,000 refugees.

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File Identification:  02/06/94, PO-404; 02/06/94, EP-407; 02/06/94, EU-404; 02/06/94, NE-402; 02/06/94, NA-402; 02/07/94, AR-505; 02/07/94, AS-505; 02/07/94, AE-505; 02/10/94, AF-113
Product Name:  Wireless File
Product Code:  WF
Languages:  Arabic; Spanish; French
Keywords:  BAKER, JAMES/Near East & South Asia; IRAQ-US RELATIONS/Policy; IRAQ/Defense & Military; NUCLEAR WEAPONS; UNITED NATIONS-SECURITY COUNCIL; COMBAT OPERATIONS; PERSIAN GULF WAR; HOUSE FOREIGN AFFAIRS CMTE; CONGRESSIONAL TESTIMONY
Thematic Codes:  1NE; 1AC; 1UN
Target Areas:  EA; EU; NE; AR; AF
PDQ Text Link:  213895; 213860; 214120
USIA Notes:  *92020604.POL