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U.S. Department of State

Daily Press Briefing

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QUESTION: Can we ask you about the Iraq nerve gas situation? The President, again, has made a statement that seems pretty clear now that the UN inspectors found traces of nerve gas. I wonder if you could jump ahead a little bit to Thursday, when the sanctions issue comes up. Do you expect, in light of this report, any serious opposition to extending sanctions?

MR. RUBIN: I would be stunned if any country, in the light of these new apparent deceptions on the part of the Iraqis, even suggested that now is the time to be suspending or lifting the sanctions regime. This new apparent evidence makes clear what we've been saying for some time - that Iraq has a continuing policy of deceiving UNSCOM about its abilities and its activities in the weapons of mass destruction area, and that apparently Iraq attempted to deceive the UN inspectors about its ability to weaponize the nerve agent VX. It is another in a long series of examples of Iraq's program of deceit, and demonstrates clearly for all to see why the sanctions must remain in place. The reason why sanctions still are in place is because of Iraqi deception and denial.

I suspect, in light of this fact and in light of the broad array of evidence of non-cooperation, no serious country will propose the lifting of sanctions at this time.

QUESTION: You're confirming, then, the report in the Post that there was ample evidence that nerve gas had been inserted into these capsules?

MR. RUBIN: How many times did you hear me use the word "apparent," Jim?

QUESTION: Yes, but you're not denying it. You're saying that when the Council sees this apparent evidence, you'd be stunned if anybody voted to suspend.

MR. RUBIN: I could simply say no comment and wait until Thursday; would that be more helpful for you?

QUESTION: Well, the inference you're giving us, that we're taking is that you are confirming it.

MR. RUBIN: I said the word apparent six times for a reason, Jim. You can draw your own conclusion.

QUESTION: The Iraqis are fairly nimble on this subject, as you know - not only there, but in the UN -- that almost esoteric argument that the information - I think you know what I'm getting at - the information gathered by UN inspectors is really supposed to go strictly to the UN, and if American U-2s are used, still the information is not to be given to the United States, it's to go to the UN. They're liable to raise this argument again - that somehow the rules have been bent a little and the US has been given the results of the surveillance. Do you have any interest in getting into that issue?

MR. RUBIN: The Iraqis always seek to find a procedural excuse to try to mask the substantive deception that they are undertaking and the substantive facts that UNSCOM's investigations uncover and the substantive conclusions that UNSCOM has reached of a program of deception and denial. That is what will be persuasive to serious members of the Security Council.

I'm not saying that Iraq may look for ways to divert attention from the reality of its program of deception and denial across the board, including, apparently, with respect to this VX gas. But what I am saying is that it shouldn't matter if they try to use such diversionary tactics to any serious country trying to protect the world against weapons of mass destruction.

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(The briefing concluded at 1:25 P.M.)

[end of document]