DATE= 11/21/97
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-38171
TITLE=ALBRIGHT / IRAQ
BYLINE=RON PEMSTEIN
DATELINE=VANCOUVER
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: SECRETARY OF STATE MADELEINE ALBRIGHT'S WEEK-LONG TRIP TO
SOUTH ASIA TURNED INTO A HECTIC SCRAMBLE AS SHE SOUGHT TO SHORE
UP SUPPORT FOR THE U-S STAND ON IRAQ. BAGHDAD FINALLY REVERSED
COURSE AS A RESULT OF RUSSIAN DIPLOMACY AND THE UNITY OF THE FIVE
PERMANENT MEMBERS OF THE U-N SECURITY COUNCIL MEETING IN GENEVA
-- AND IT ALLOWED U-N WEAPONS INSPECTORS TO RETURN TO WORK IN
IRAQ. CORRESPONDENT RON PEMSTEIN -- WHO WAS TRAVELING WITH MS.
ALBRIGHT -- TELLS US A DIPLOMATIC SOLUTION WAS NOT A SURE THING.
TEXT: AT ONE POINT, WITH SECRETARY OF STATE ALBRIGHT IN NEW
DELHI AND RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER YEVGENY PRIMAKOV READY TO
LEAVE MOSCOW FOR BRAZIL, IT WAS NOT CLEAR IF ANY MEETING ON IRAQ
WOULD TAKE PLACE IN GENEVA. THE FOREIGN MINISTER WAS DETERMINED
TO BE IN BRAZIL ON TIME THURSDAY AND SECRETARY OF STATE ALBRIGHT
WAS DETERMINED TO HAVE HER TALKS WEDNESDAY WITH INDIAN LEADERS,
EVEN IF WITH A REDUCED SCHEDULE.
THE TWO MINISTERS HAD BEEN IN TOUCH BY TELEPHONE FROM THE NIGHT
OF NOVEMBER 14TH WHEN SECRETARY OF STATE ALBRIGHT FLEW ALL NIGHT
FROM SWITZERLAND TO THE MIDDLE EAST ECONOMIC CONFERENCE IN DOHA
(QATAR). SHE URGED MR. PRIMAKOV TO STAY UNITED WITH THE UNITED
STATES, BRITAIN AND FRANCE ABOUT INSISTING ON THE RETURN OF THE
U-N WEAPONS INSPECTORS TO IRAQ.
THE RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER RAISED THE CONCERNS OF IRAQ THAT U-N
SANCTIONS AGAINST BAGHDAD WOULD NEVER BE LIFTED. TO THE
SECRETARY OF STATE, THIS BROUGHT BACK MEMORIES OF WHEN SHE WAS
U-S AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS AND THE RUSSIANS WOULD
ADVOCATE THE ARGUMENTS OF IRAQ -- BUT IN THE END, THEY WOULD JOIN
WITH THE OTHER SECURITY COUNCIL MEMBERS IN DEFENDING U-N
RESOLUTIONS.
SECRETARY OF STATE ALBRIGHT INSISTED TO MR. PRIMAKOV THAT THE
INSPECTORS' RETURN TO IRAQ HAD TO BE UNCONDITIONAL, AS THE
SECURITY COUNCIL HAD DEMANDED, AND THAT NO CONCESSIONS COULD
PRECEDE THE RETURN OF THE INSPECTORS.
IT WAS AT THE POINT THAT PRESIDENT CLINTON TELEPHONED RUSSIAN
PRESIDENT BORIS YELTSIN TO URGE RUSSIA TO USE ITS SPECIAL
RELATIONSHIP WITH IRAQ TO MAKE BAGHDAD ALLOW THE INSPECTORS TO
RESUME THEIR WORK.
IN BETWEEN THE CONVERSATIONS WITH MR. PRIMAKOV, SECRETARY OF
STATE ALBRIGHT WOULD COORDINATE TACTICS WITH BRITISH FOREIGN
SECRETARY ROBIN COOK AND FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER HUBERT VEDRINE.
THE POINT SHE MADE WITH ALL THREE FOREIGN MINISTERS WAS THAT IF
YOU DO NOT WANT MILITARY FORCE USED, IRAQ MUST CHANGE ITS MIND.
WHEN THE SECRETARY OF STATE REACHED INDIA, MR. PRIMAKOV WAS
NEGOTIATING WITH IRAQI DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER TARIQ AZIZ IN
MOSCOW. HE TOLD HER IRAQ WAS REMAINING FIRM. SECRETARY OF STATE
ALBRIGHT RESPONDED THAT THE RETURN OF THE INSPECTORS HAD TO BE
UNCONDITIONAL.
SPEAKING HERE IN VANCOUVER, THE SECRETARY OF STATE ACKNOWLEDGED
SOME TACTICAL DIFFERENCES.
///ALBRIGHT ACT///
THERE HAD BEEN SOME DIVISION, BUT IT WAS MY ASSESSMENT
THAT THAT WAS BASICALLY ON TACTICS AND NOT SO MUCH ON
THE GOAL OF MAKING SURE THAT SADDAM HUSSEIN IS NOT A
THREAT TO THE REGION. AND MY OWN SENSE IS THAT SADDAM
HUSSEIN MISCALCULATED IN TERMS OF THINKING THAT HE COULD
DRIVE A WEDGE THROUGH THE SECURITY COUNCIL AND, INSTEAD,
WHEN REALLY PUSHED ON THE BASICS OF MAKING SURE THAT HE
CANNOT THREATEN THE REGION, THE COUNCIL UNITED.
///END ACT///
THERE WAS NO UNITY ON FLIGHT SCHEDULES. AT ONE POINT, MR.
PRIMAKOV SUGGESTED A MEETING OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL FIVE, BUT
THEIR PLANS APPEARED TOO HARD TO RECONCILE. AMERICAN OFFICIALS
SAY THE RUSSIANS APPARENTLY WANTED A MEETING WEDNESDAY WITH THE
BRITISH AND FRENCH MINISTERS OR A LOWER-LEVEL MEETING OF ALL FIVE
PERMANENT MEMBERS.
SECRETARY OF STATE ALBRIGHT REFUSED TO ALLOW ANY MEETING THAT DID
NOT INCLUDE THE UNITED STATES. SHE WAS CONCERNED THAT RUSSIA
WANTED TO BE TOO FLEXIBLE WITH IRAQ. IT BECAME A GAME OF WHICH
MINISTER WOULD ADJUST THEIR SCHEDULE. MR. PRIMAKOV BLINKED. HE
DELAYED HIS ARRIVAL IN BRAZIL BY EIGHT HOURS AND AGREED TO MEET
MS. ALBRIGHT AT TWO A-M THURSDAY IN GENEVA AFTER HER FLIGHT
ARRIVED FROM NEW DELHI.
WHEN THE SECRETARY OF STATE LEFT INDIA, MR. PRIMAKOV HAD GIVEN
HER NO FINAL ANSWER ABOUT IRAQ'S INTENTIONS. ACCORDING TO TARIQ
AZIZ, RUSSIA ONLY PROMISED TO BE A STRONGER ADVOCATE FOR IRAQ IN
THE SECURITY COUNCIL, AND MR. PRIMAKOV DID NOT GIVE IRAQ ANY
CONCESSIONS IN RETURN FOR ALLOWING THE INSPECTORS TO RETURN.
AT THE POST MIDNIGHT MEETING IN GENEVA, MR. PRIMAKOV BROUGHT
ALONG A STATEMENT AND HIS EXPECTATION THAT IRAQ WOULD AGREE TO
ALLOW THE INSPECTORS TO RETURN. THE AMERICANS STIFFENED THE
LANGUAGE IN THE STATEMENT, INSISTING THAT THE SECURITY COUNCIL
MUST APPROVE ANY CHANGES IN THE INSPECTORS' MANDATE.
SECRETARY OF STATE ALBRIGHT WAS QUOTED AS SAYING IN THE GENEVA
MEETING TO MR. PRIMAKOV, 'ANYTHING YOU SAID TO THE IRAQIS HAS NO
BEARING ON ANY SECURITY COUNCIL MEMBER.'
A SHORT TIME AFTER THE JOINT STATEMENT THURSDAY MORNING IN
GENEVA, IRAQ AGREED TO LET THE INSPECTORS RETURN. (SIGNED)
NEB/RP/RRM
21-Nov-97 7:03 PM EST (0003 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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