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Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

USIS Washington File

24 February 1998

TRANSCRIPT: KOFI ANNAN REMARKS AFTER UNSC BRIEFING FEBRUARY 24

(Predicts unanimous, strong, UNSC support for Iraq deal) (2360)
United Nations -- UN Secretary General Kofi Annan says he has "a
general sense of approval" from the membership of the UN Security
Council for the weapons inspection agreement he negotiated with Iraq.
At a February 24 press conference following his briefing of the
Security Council on the UN-IRAQ accord, he acknowledged that "there
are details which will have to be worked out and explanations which
must be given." But, he said, "I'm convinced that once the
explanations are given, we will have a unanimous and strong Council
support."
Annan said the "qualitative difference" of this agreement from
previous ones is that this one has been negotiated with Saddam Hussein
himself, which means that "the leadership has got the message that he
wants cooperation, he wants it done."
Following is the UN text:
(begin transcript)
PRESS CONFERENCE WITH
KOFI ANNAN, SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS,
AFTER HIS BRIEFING OF THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL
UNITED NATIONS
NEW YORK, NEW YORK
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1998
The Secretary General: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I have
just finished biefing the Security Council, and I am pleased to tell
you that I had a general sense of approval from the membership as to
the agreement that I signed in Baghdad. Obviously, there are details
that will have to be worked out and explanations that must be given.
But none of it gives me and my team any difficulties. And I am
convinced that once the explanations are given we will have unanimous
and strong Council support.
I think you heard me this morning thanking all those who have helped
make this possible and the sort of things that inspired me. In fact, I
recall that the night before I left a friend called me to wish me
good-bye, and he shared a story with me. He said that he had been with
this little handicapped girl of 11, called Abby. Abby was watching
television, and apparently I came on the screen. And she said, "They
are sending this nice man to Baghdad. I will pray for him every day."
And I thank Abby and all those who prayed for me while I was gone.
What is important is that, in my judgment, this agreement can and
should work. There is a qualitative difference about this agreement
that the others did not have. First of all, we have to remember that
in the years that the United Nations has been present in Baghdad many
agreements have been signed, but none have been negotiated and
approved with Saddam Hussein. This one was negotiated with the
President himself, and the leadership has got the message that he
wants cooperation, he wants it done. They are very disciplined and
hard-working people, and I think that with that leadership we will see
a qualitative difference in their attitude.
We on the United Nations side, as well as United Nations Special
Commission (UNSCOM) staff members, also have to handle Iraq and the
Iraqis with a certain respect and dignity and not push our weight
around and cause tensions. And I think we need to make other
arrangements and take steps to ensure that the relationship can be
maintained smoothly. We should have a mechanism for resolving
conflicts before they become dilemmas and almost bring us to the verge
of war.
I think there are lessons in this for everyone. But this could not
have happened if all involved -- including the Iraqi leadership -- had
not shown what I asked for: courage, wisdom, flexibility. And I thank
all those involved for giving us a (inaudible) chance.
But it is a victory not for me, if we call it victory, but a victory
for the United Nations, for this organization, which sent me there as
a servant. And I hope that this new phenomenon where peoples from all
over the world come together and focus on something and get it
resolved, is something that we are going to see more and more of:
whether in the land-mine ban or in the general popular support for a
peaceful solution.
There are other issues coming up in the course of the year, in which I
hope the public and the peoples of the world will be there rooting for
us. We should reaffirm the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and
get the public to understand, the individual to understand, that those
rights are his. It is not something that is given to him by a
Government, like a subsidy that can be taken away. It is intrinsic, it
is inherent, and if we can really use this fiftieth anniversary to get
that message across, I hope the peoples around the world, the
Governments around the world -- I wrote to each leader, each
Government leader, asking them to join us in celebrating the fiftieth
anniversary of human rights. And I hope they will be there.
In June, we have the conference on drugs, to combat drugs. Pino
Arlacchi has done a very good job in a relatively short time. Again,
the world should come together to fight and join in this fight against
drugs, which kill our youths -- that is, our future. The international
community should come together once again, as it has done on this
Iraqi crisis.
I will take a few questions and then, if you permit me, I am tired and
so I will go home and sleep.
Q: On behalf of the United Nations Correspondents Association, we join
your staff in the rousing and well deserved welcome -
The Secretary General: And I was happy to see so many of you in
Baghdad.
Q: The question is: You have mentioned on more than one occasion the
linkage between diplomacy and preparation for the use of force, if
necessary. You have just spoken of not throwing your weight around. In
that context, I wonder if you feel that the military presence in that
region should be downgraded prior to that point very soon, in any
case.
The Secretary General: You are trying to get me into dangerous waters.
Let me say that the point I have made is that diplomacy can be
effective, but it helps to have a military presence in the region. As
I have said, if in fact you don't get to use it it is even better: You
are showing force in order not to use it. You can do a lot with
diplomacy, but with diplomacy backed up by force you can get a lot
more done.
Q: You have described your talks with Saddam Hussein as tough, and the
sticking point had been time limits for the inspections. At the point
that you realized you were going to have a deal, how did you feel at
that point? And secondly, you have established a relationship with
Saddam Hussein at this point. How would you describe that and the
relationship you would like to have with him in the future?
The Secretary General: When I sensed that I would get a deal, I was of
course elated and happy for the world and the people in the region and
the poor Iraqi people. I was happy that their leader was seizing the
moment and really wanted to do the right thing to protect his people,
the region and, in time, to make friends and to come out of the
isolation. But of course, in negotiations you don't show all your
feelings, so I was impassible as ever.
But let me say that we did have a good human rapport. He did say
several times, "I know I can do business with you. I know you are
courageous and I know I can trust you." And his ministers repeated it
to us the next morning. I trust that if we really organize in such a
way that we can remove the impediments or conflicts as they come up,
rather than let them build up, and then you have a storm which almost
leads to war, we will be okay in the future.
Q: (interpretation from French): What makes you believe that Saddam
Hussein will keep his word this time? You met him, you established a
rapport with him.
The Secretary General (interpretation from French): As I said earlier,
we have concluded many agreements with the Iraqis, but this is the
first time that an agreement was negotiated with the President himself
It is a very disciplined, hard-working people. Once they know that the
President himself is committed, they'll get down to work, they'll
cooperate. But we have to do our part as well. We must behave
appropriately.
Q: The agreement states that lifting the sanctions is of paramount
importance to Iraq. The United States seems to be of different minds
about this. What are the conditions that you understand have to be
fulfilled for sanctions relief to begin?
The Secretary General: That is very simple for me: the conditions
stated in the security Council resolutions.
Q: Which resolutions, Sir? Is it the resolutions relevant to weapons
of mass destruction or all resolutions?
The Secretary General:  Relevant Security Council resolutions.
Q: You suggested that you were hoping that there would be some way of
getting rid of conflicts, and you suggested that there needed to be a
dignity in the way the inspections are approached. Are you suggesting
that you think in the past there wasn't? And there is some confusion
as to whether Mr. Butler is still in charge. Is UNSCOM in charge or is
this new commissioner, this new procedure, in charge? Secondly, you
said that Saddam Hussein has said that he felt he could trust you. Do
you feel that you can trust him?
The Secretary General: Let me start by saying that, on the question of
UNSCOM, Butler stays. He remains the head of UNSCOM. I informed the
Iraqi authorities, and they know that. In fact, Mr. Butler, unless his
plans have changed, is due in Baghdad next month, and Tariq Aziz told
me: "I am waiting for him and we will work with him, be reassured." So
I think there is no problem: Butler will continue.
Q:  Does he have to report through this new commissioner?
The Secretary General: No. I'm sorry, I'm so tired, I forgot your next
question. You have so many questions.
Can I trust Saddam Hussein? I think I can do business with him. I
think he was serious when he took the engagement. I am perhaps not as
pessimistic as some of you are. I think he was serious when he took
the engagement. I think he realizes what it means for his people. He
realizes that if he is going to see light at the end of the tunnel,
Iraq has to cooperate and work with UNSCOM, and UNSCOM should respond
in kind to accelerate the process of disarmament and implement the
resolutions to make that possible. So I think he is serious.
Q: Now that you have an agreement, how quickly do you expect to test
it?
The Secretary General: As quickly as possible. In fact, this afternoon
my legal counselor, who was with me, will be working out some of the
details with some of our other colleagues.
Q: Can you share with us your personal view of the personality of
president Saddam Hussein? And also, what did he ask you for regarding
the lifting of sanctions?
The Secretary General: Well, he is very calm -- very, very calm. Never
raises his voice. Well-informed, contrary to the sense outside that he
is ill-informed and isolated. And decisive -- in the negotiations, I
was impressed by his decisiveness. And that is what also made the
agreement possible.
Q:  What about sanctions?  What did he ask you for?
The Secretary General: The sanctions are hurting his people, and they
have done quite a lot of work. They have, in their judgment, fulfilled
all the conditions, and they really don't know what else there is to
find. But they would want to see the sanctions ended. Their people are
suffering, and he hopes that the international community understands
this. And in fact you saw the last paragraph of the agreement, for me
to mention it to the Council, which I have done.
Q: Exactly on that last point you just made, the seventh paragraph of
the agreement -- and preceded by the sixth, actually - first, how will
you bring to the full attention of the Security Council the issue of
sanctions? Secondly, in paragraph 6, you speak about paragraph 22 of
resolution 687 (1991), which is read by some to mean that the lifting
of the oil embargo is to be completed once Iraq complies with UNSC0M.
Now you have clouded it a bit by answering my colleague's question,
when you said, all other resolutions. Can you make yourself clear on
this?
The Secretary General: Let's keep it clouded for the moment, an it
will clear very, very soon as we go on into it.
Q:  I was asking you for a clarification on your position --
The Secretary General: No, I have indicated quite clearly that the
responsibilities of Iraq will have to be fulfilled before the
sanctions are lifted. And not only that, he understands it. But he
asked me to pass on to the Council the suffering of his people, how
long this has gone on and how much longer it is going to go on. And I
shared that with the council this morning.
Q: In the absence of a Security Council resolution that would threaten
consequences if this agreement were breached, the United States seems
ready to make that judgment unilaterally and commit military action in
the Gulf unilaterally if it feels the agreement is breached. Are you
comfortable with that situation, or would you prefer to see the
Security Council take that up?
The Secretary General: Let me be clear here. Ladies and gentlemen, I
have done my work. I trust the council will do its duty, and leave
unto Caesar what is Caesar's. Thank you.
(end transcript)




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