• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Letter of Republican Congressional Leadership to Clinton, On Iraq, Jun 22

Iraq News, Jun 22 1998

The central focus of Iraq News is the tension between the considerable, proscribed WMD capabilities that Iraq is holding on to and its increasing stridency that it has complied with UNSCR 687 and it is time to lift sanctions. If you wish to receive Iraq News by email, a service which includes full-text of news reports not archived here, send your request to Laurie Mylroie .

Congress of the United States
Washington, DC 20515
June 22, 1998
The President
The White House
Washington DC 20500
   We are deeply troubled by the apparent failure of the United States 
to fully support the work of the United Nations Special Commission on 
Iraq (UNSCOM) at a time when its efforts to verify Iraqi compliance with 
relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions arc under assault.
   We no longer are surprised by the efforts of some Security Council 
members to sweep evidence of Iraqi violations under the rug.  However we 
are now receiving reports alleging that the United States has allowed 
itself to become complicit in such efforts.
   We have been informed, for example, that the United States has not 
responded to attacks on the integrity of U.S.-provided intelligence 
information when that information has been presented by UNSCOM to the 
Security Council.  Even more troubling, we have heard that the United 
States has acquiesced in the suspension of challenge inspections by 
UNSCOM designed to uncover evidence of Iraqi concealment and that the 
United States no longer is urging UNSCOM to present strong evidence of 
Iraqi violations to the Security Council
   To reassure us that the Administration remains committed to full and 
complete verification by UNSCOM of Iraqi compliance with pertinent 
Security Council resolutions, we would appreciate receiving your 
response to the following questions:
1. Does the United States Government have available to it convincing 
evidence of Iraqi weaponization of VX nerve agent?
2. If such evidence is available to the United States Government, has 
the Administration urged UNSCOM to present that evidence to the United 
Nations Security Council?
3. If the Administration has urged UNSCOM to present evidence of Iraqi 
weaponization of VX nerve agent to the Security Council has it assured 
UNSCOM that it will vouch for the integrity of that information if so 
presented?
4. Does evidence available to the United States Government regarding 
Iraqi weaponization of VX nerve agent contradict documents about such 
activities that have been provided to UNSCOM by Iraq?
5. If evidence available to the United States Government regarding Iraqi 
weaponization of VX nerve agent contradicts documents about such 
activities that have been provided to UNSCOM by Iraq, has the 
Administration urged UNSCOM to seek accurate documentation about such 
activities, and supported such efforts by UNSCOM in the Security 
Council?
6. Has Iraq been able to account adequately for the disposition of 
precursor chemicals for both VX and mustard gas?
7. If Iraq has not adequately accounted for the disposition of precursor 
chemicals for VX and mustard gas, has the United States urged UNSCOM to 
undertake aggressive inspections to determine the disposition of these 
agents, and supported such efforts by UNSCOM in the Security Council?
8. When did UNSCOM conduct its last challenge inspection designed to 
uncover evidence of Iraqi concealment?
9. Has the Administration acquiesced in the demand, made by other 
members of the Security Council, that UNSCOM provide actual material 
evidence of a violation or concealment by Iraq before conducting 
challenge inspections?
10.  Does the Administration consider the resumption by UNSCOM of 
challenge inspections designed to uncover evidence of Iraqi concealment 
to be essential, or at least important to ascertaining whether Iraq 
today possesses weaponized VX nerve agent or other chemical or 
biological agents?
  Please understand, Mr. President, that the above questions reflect our 
most profound concerns.  Accordingly, we look forward to your prompt 
response to our questions.
With warmest regards,
Sincerely,
TRENT LOTT		NEWT GINGRICH
{signed)		(signed)
JESSE HELMS		BENJAMIN A. GILMAN
(signed)	        (signed)