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U.S. Department of State

Daily Press Briefing

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MR. RUBIN: I will take that question --

QUESTION: Thank you.

MR. RUBIN: -- and put together in one informative answer.

QUESTION: What's that?

MR. RUBIN: Whatever it is.

(Laughter)

QUESTION: Yesterday, the President gave a couple interviews to NPR and PBS, and Iraq came up, among other things. And he said that he suggested - I'm not going to try to verbate his words, because I don't remember them verbatim - but he suggested that diplomacy is really wearing out, and he said words like the US is prepared to act alone, if necessary. We'd like to work with our allies and the other members of the Security Council, but we're not going to wait this thing out endlessly and forever.

And I know I've asked you this before, but just another attempt at this, is - would you - is the road to diplomacy crumbling? Is it losing its legs? And when - how long is it - it seems like the President says it's dead-ending.

MR. RUBIN: I'm amused that you each time find a new analogy to ask the question. The President made very clear his determination -- and Secretary Albright feels very determined, as well -- that this is a major problem, that we need to get the kind of access that Iraq has denied. Ambassador Richardson reported to us this morning that Council members were quite disturbed by the initial reports they had heard from Chairman Butler's visit. And the President made clear that, although he is not anxious to go it alone or anxious to rush to use military force, he is determined, and that option remains open. That is our position.

When we believe that diplomacy has reached the end of the road, whether the road has crumbled or not, then we will tell you. But at this point, the next step is to receive the report from Chairman Butler; to have the UN Security Council absorb the rejection by Iraq, the new excuses by Iraq; and then to determine our next steps. In short, the President is determined, the Secretary is determined, but we're not going to be rushed either.

QUESTION: Well, Butler said - I believe he said yesterday that he's prepared to send his inspection teams in and try to get into the palaces and the places that Saddam has cited as off-limits. Is this something that the US thinks is a good idea?

MR. RUBIN: Yes, we support the UNSCOM team's efforts to find out what happened in Iraq in the area of weapons of mass destruction. And all that keeps happening when Baghdad has new words to say is there are new excuses for why UNSCOM can't do its job. As I indicated, Ambassador Richardson told us that the Security Council members are increasingly frustrated by the excuses, and that they are disturbed by the initial reports from Chairman Butler.

But what next steps will be taken, I'm not in a position to report today; other than to say that we are determined to protect the security of the United States, to continue to contain Iraq's potential military threat to the region and its potential threat of weapons of mass destruction.

QUESTION: The other day you said something about how Iraq's continued defiance was beginning to cause impatience, even among those in the Security Council who had previously been arguing on Iraq's behalf. Which countries were you talking about? Were you talking about France?

MR. RUBIN: I'm not going to get into naming countries. I was trying to give you a general mood that is reported to us by diplomats in New York. I think there are many countries in the UN system who have, while not agreeing with Iraq, have been prepared at least to entertain Iraq's arguments. Those countries, my impression was, from the report I received from New York, were finding it increasingly frustrating to make Iraqi arguments that boil down to Iraqi excuses.

QUESTION: Given that Council members already know the gist of what Butler is going to be expanding on, and are disturbed by it, what contacts is the US making with other Council members regarding the next step?

MR. RUBIN: I'm not aware that the Secretary has made any calls in this area. I think we are obviously giving some thinking to what will the next steps be, but the first next step is the report from Chairman Butler tomorrow. After that, then I will be - it will be harder for me to avoid your questioning. I'll figure something out, though.

QUESTION: Do you foresee a period of time of going beyond tomorrow? In other words, will the Council need time to digest this information - perhaps into next week? Or might there be action tomorrow?

MR. RUBIN: Action tomorrow I would think would be extremely unlikely.

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