12 November 1997
INDYK VIEWS US POLICIES ON IRAQ, IRAN, PEACE PROCESS
(U.S. "disappointed" that friends missing Doha conference) (460) By Rick Marshall USIA Staff Writer Washington -- Assistant Secretary of State Martin Indyk reasserted the importance of containing Iraq and Iran at the keynote speech of a conference November 12, hosted by Middle East Insight magazine and William and Mary University. Of particular note were Indyk's comments on Iraq, in light of the continuing refusal of the Iraqi leadership to permit the United Nations Special Committee (UNSCOM) to continue searching for evidence of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. "The United States is not seeking confrontation with Iraq," Indyk stated. What the U.S. seeks is compliance with all relevant U.N. resolutions. It is "abundantly clear" that Saddam is not challenging the United States, but the United Nations itself, Indyk stated. "What he's saying is that he does not recognize" UNSCOM's mandate. On 38 separate occasions the U.N. has found that there is no basis for lifting the sanctions it imposed on Iraq following the Gulf War, Indyk noted. The U.N. "should send a clear message to Iraq ... that it should allow UNSCOM to get along with its job." He then stressed that it would be a "serious mistake" for Iraq to fire upon any U-2 aircraft and noted that the Administration had still "not ruled out any options" in dealing with Iraqi refusal to cooperate with UNSCOM. Turning to Iran, Indyk noted that Tehran's "growing military power" has become of increasing concern to its immediate neighbors. Indeed, he found on a recent trip to the Gulf how much the U.S. presence is welcomed there. The major concerns the U.S. has with Iran remain its "active support of terrorism" and its continuing opposition to the peace process, Indyk said. He said that he does not view the U.S. differences with Iran as a clash of civilizations, but simply a matter of Tehran's "need to play by the rules" of international behavior. Indyk noted that he is leaving with Secretary of State Albright for the Middle East tomorrow. On the 14th she will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and the 15th Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. The following day, she will attend the Middle East and North African economic conference in Doha, Qatar. The Secretary will impart a "sense of urgency" about getting the peace process back on track when she meets Netanyahu and Arafat, Indyk said, noting that U.S. interests in the region are being affected because the process has stalled. As for the Doha summit, Indyk said: "We are disappointed that some of our friends ... will not be going there." Some 700 business executives are expected, he said. "The United States stands behind those who take risks for peace."
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