August 4, 1998
PRESS BRIEFING BY BARRY TOIV
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
______________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release August 4, 1998
PRESS BRIEFING BY
BARRY TOIV
The Briefing Room
............
Q Richard Butler is not -- he has said publicly now
that Iraq has not complied and that it's becoming a very dangerous
end game. Will there be any measures taken to force Iraq to comply?
COLONEL CROWLEY: Sam, first of all, we find Iraq's
breaking off the talks with Richard Butler to be very disturbing. He
was in Baghdad to follow up on a blueprint that UNSCOM had worked out
with Tariq Aziz that paved the way for Iraqi compliance with U.N.
Security Council resolutions.
This followed a series of technical meetings over the
past few months. The Iraqi decision is inexplicable on its face,
since it only puts further back the day that Iraq will get what it
says it wants, which is relief from sanctions. At the end of the day
they must, as they always have been for the last seven years, comply
fully with U.N. Security Council resolutions and provide a full
accounting of its programs of weapons of mass destruction.
Richard Butler will shortly leave Bahrain, return to New
York and report to the Security Council on Thursday, and we'll make
an assessment of next steps once we hear from Chairman Butler.
Q Who's going to make him comply? If they don't want
to comply, who's going to make them do it?
COLONEL CROWLEY: Well, this only goes back to what Iraq
says it wants. It wants relief from sanctions; it's not going to get
relief from sanctions until it fully accounts for its programs --
Q At the end of the day it must comply -- those were
your words. Why must it do it if no one makes them do it?
COLONEL CROWLEY: This is up for Saddam Hussein to
determine what he wants to do. It's clearly not in the best interest
of his people. And it just -- it is inexplicable, it's disturbing,
but it's not surprising to us. We've had this lack of cooperation
for basically seven years.
Q In the past you've hinted at other kinds of
consequences. Right now the consequence is no relief from sanctions,
is that what you're saying?
COLONEL CROWLEY: Clearly.
Q Okay, but that's it?
COLONEL CROWLEY: Well, Chairman Butler will come back
to the Security Council on Thursday. We'll hear his full report;
we'll consult within the Council on next steps and we'll go from
there. But this is something we have encountered before. Let's not
raise the temperature until we get a full report from Chairman
Butler.
Q In that vein, are all options still open including
military options?
COLONEL CROWLEY: Absolutely.
Q The last time this situation developed in February,
we had a big build-up of troops in the Gulf. Are there any
consideration of that being --
COLONEL CROWLEY: Well, Alex, the build-up of the troops
really started last fall when Iraq kicked the inspectors out of
Baghdad entirely. Nobody is suggesting at this point that that's
where we're heading. Again, we'll await a report from Chairman
Butler, consult within the Council, consider next steps.
.............
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