The White House Briefing Room
August 6, 1998
PRESS BRIEFING BY BARRY TOIV AND COLONEL P.J. CROWLEY
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
_____________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release August 6, 1998
PRESS BRIEFING
BY BARRY TOIV
AND COLONEL P.J. CROWLEY
The Briefing Room
1:06 P.M. EDT
......
MR. TOIV: Okay. Want to move onto real subjects?
Q Yes.
Q Oh, it's a real subject -- the President's under
federal investigation.
Q What about the situation with the Iraqis, P.J.?
COLONEL CROWLEY: Well, the Security Council continues
to meet at this hour, and they have heard the report from Chairman
Butler, and I think are consultations with the United Nations on the
appropriate next steps.
Q What are the appropriate next steps in the view of
the United States?
COLONEL CROWLEY: Well, we think that the Iraqi goal is
clear: to force the international community to abandon the sanctions
regime that was created in 1990. This is unacceptable. We think
it's counter-productive, and we don't believe it will work. And the
United States is determined that sanctions remain in place until Iraq
is in complete cooperation and compliance with the U.N. Memorandum of
Understanding and all Security Council resolutions.
Q Other than sanctions being in place, is there any
other action to try to force Iraq to comply with the U.N.
resolutions?
COLONEL CROWLEY: Sam, we're not going to play Iraq's
game here. We've had situations over the past eight years of Iraq
withholding support, granting support, and we're just not going to
play this game. Their obligations are clear. They must fully comply
with UNSCOM, fully comply with the IAEA in having a full accounting
of their programs of weapons of mass destruction, and sanctions will
remain in place until they do so.
Q But if Iraq's game is to not comply, they win if no
one makes them comply?
COLONEL CROWLEY: Quite the contrary. Over the past
eight years, Iraq has -- it's cost Iraq $120 billion, money that
Saddam could have used to reconstitute his weapons of mass
destruction program, could have used to threaten his neighbors, as he
did in 1990. He will not regain control of his economy until he is
fully in compliance with U.N. Security Council resolutions.
Q P.J., last time we had forces on stand-by, ready to
strike in the Gulf when Saddam prevented inspections. This time, it
doesn't sound like we're going to do that. Why?
COLONEL CROWLEY: Let's not raise the temperature before
it's appropriate. We are consulting within the Security Council. We
are going to judge Iraq by its actions, not entirely by its words.
We are concerned about the situation, but the U.N. has bent over
backwards in the past few months to show Iraq the way forward,
starting with the Secretary General's Memorandum of Understanding in
February.
We've had technical meetings to clarify exactly what
Iraq has to do, and the gaps that remain, in terms of Iraq's
accountability on missile programs; chemical, biological, nuclear
programs have been verified by outside experts. In June, Chairman
butler laid out a clear program of work for Iraq to follow and
ultimately they must comply fully and cooperate fully with this
international effort. Sanctions will not be lifted until they do.
..................
Q On Iraq, you keep referring to actions versus
rhetoric. Are you suggesting that some of this is designed for
internal Iraqi consumption, and that in fact it might not be carried
out?
COLONEL CROWLEY: Oh, no. I think that Saddam has at
various times tried a kind of divide and conquer strategy with
respect to the international community, where he has seen what people
refer to as sanction fatigue. It hasn't worked before, it won't work
this time again. And we believe that we have the international
support to keep the sanctions regime in place until Iraq is fully in
compliance.
Q The other thing is there are some diplomats and
other analysts who are suggesting that the Lewinsky matter might be
factored into his calculations. What message could you send him that
would let him know that Lewinsky is not, you know, tempering your
response?
COLONEL CROWLEY: I don't think there is any doubt what
our message to Saddam Hussein has been, both today -- it has been the
same message that we have provided him for eight years: he must
fully comply with all U.N. Security Council resolutions. He must
fully comply with the Memorandum of Understanding the he signed with
Kofi Annan. Iraq must meet its international obligations or the
United States will be sure and keep the sanctions regime in place
until he does.
Q And nothing going on domestically would alter that?
COLONEL CROWLEY: Nothing going on domestically --
Q Lewinsky or any other factors.
COLONEL CROWLEY: We've been at this for eight years.
This is not something that's driven by current events. This is
something that's driven by Saddam and his totally unsuccessful effort
over the years to evade his national responsibility.
...............
Q Thank you.
END 1:35 P.M. EDT
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