06 August 1998
IRAQ IS IN VIOLATION OF UN ACCORDS, KOFI ANNAN AND THE UNSC SAY
(Richardson says Iraq must cooperate with UN inspectors) (1130)
By Judy Aita
USIA United Nations Correspondent
United Nations -- The UN Security Council and Secretary General Kofi
Annan declared August 6 that Iraq has violated the Gulf War cease-fire
agreement by unilaterally suspending cooperation with UN weapons
inspectors, but the Secretary General held out hope that further talks
with Iraqi officials will avert another crisis between Baghdad and the
international community.
The Council called for "an early resumption of the dialogue between
UNSCOM and Iraq" after meeting privately for several hours with the
Secretary General and Ambassador Richard Butler, chairman of the UN
Special Commission overseeing the destruction of Iraqi weapons
(UNSCOM).
The Secretary General also recommended that the Council "seek to
engage with the Iraqis much more closely than we have hitherto done."
He also urged the Council members to "stand back and take a
comprehensive re-assessment of where we all are, where we are going,
and how to get there -- bearing in mind the objective of effectively
disarmament Iraq."
However, whether Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz and other
Iraqi officials are invited to New York for talks has yet to be
decided by the Council.
US Ambassador Bill Richardson noted that "the Security Council has
said that the Iraqi action is totally unacceptable....The ball is now
in Iraq's court. The Security Council has spoken. The Secretary
General has spoken. Iraq must reverse its course."
The United States believes "a strong Security Council response is
needed," Richardson said and the US delegation will be consulting with
other Council members over the next several days on what course of
action to take.
"This is not a battle between United States and Iraq," Richardson
said, "This is a battle once again between Iraq and United Nations,
between Iraq and the Security Council."
"We, the United States, feel very strongly that Iraq is playing games,
defying the international community, and making sure that sanctions
last in perpetuity," Richardson told journalists after the private
Council meeting.
"The effect of their action is that sanctions will not be lifted, that
they will remain in isolation from the international community, that
they will lose" support in the Security Council for closing the files
and lifting sanctions, the Ambassador said. "The discussion here this
morning was not very favorable towards Iraq," he added.
Iraq "must allow total unfettered access to UN inspectors, it must
allow the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) and UNSCOM back to
do their disarmament work," Richardson said.
"If it wants the nuclear files to be closed it has to respond
positively in areas of weapons designs, nuclear enrichment, and
nuclear exports. Until that happens the nuclear file will not be
closed," the Ambassador said.
Richardson said that "Iraq wants disarmament by ultimatum. That's not
going to happen. Iraq has to comply with Security Council resolutions;
it has to abide by the memorandum of understanding with the Secretary
General."
Council President Danilo Turk of Slovenia said in a statement to the
press that Iraq's actions were "totally unacceptable" and that the
Council stands behind UNSCOM and the agreement signed in February by
Annan and Iraq assuring full cooperation with weapons inspectors.
"The Security Council calls for an early resumption of dialogue
between UNSCOM and Iraq. The Security Council intends to respond
favorably to future progress made in the disarmament process and
affirms its commitment to comprehensive implementation of its
resolutions..." Turk said.
On August 5 Iraq's Revolutionary Council announced that Baghdad was
"totally suspending" cooperation with UNSCOM and with the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Iraq said that UNSCOM should be reorganized, Ambassador Richard Butler
of Australia should be removed as chairman, and Iraq should
participate as an observer at UNSCOM meetings. UNSCOM's regional
offices should also be reorganized and its main office moved from UN
headquarters "so as to insulate it from the direct influence of the
United States."
In a letter to the Security Council, Tariq Aziz complained that the
political agenda of United States and the United Kingdom were
preventing UNSCOM from closing the files on Iraqi weapons of mass
destruction and therefore preventing the Security Council from lifting
sanctions.
Enumerating details of inspections and sites, the deputy prime
minister declared that Iraq has fulfilled its Gulf War cease-fire
agreement, but UNSCOM is not prepared to acknowledge that fact.
Secretary General Annan said that he has talked with Tariq Aziz "to
make clear to him that the Iraqi suggestion that UNSCOM should be
restructured and moved from New York is something that was not
acceptable. It is in the purview of the Security Council."
"Only the Security Council and United Nations can make such
decisions," Annan said. "No individual member state can tell the UN
how to restructure itself to carry out tasks or mandates."
Annan said he told the deputy prime minister that the decision to end
cooperation with UNSCOM is "in violation with Security Council
resolutions and the MOU (memorandum of understanding)."
Nevertheless, the Secretary General said after talking with Tariq Aziz
he believed that "the Iraqi position on this issue is not a closed
one" and the decision was a reaction to frustration and desperation
that Iraqi efforts to cooperate with UNSCOM and disarm were not given
due recognition by the Security Council.
Praising Butler and the UN weapons inspectors for their work, the
Secretary General noted that given the intrusive nature of UNSCOM's
mandate "it is not unreasonable that there will be periodic problems."
"But what is important is that we resolve them and move forward," he
said.
Asked if he anticipated that the UN will need the threat of the use of
force as was the case during the February impasse with Iraq, Annan
said "I hope it is not going to be necessary."
"But, I think, we need to be determined, we need to be persistent, and
we need to press on," he said. "Today the Council came out with a
unanimous decision and I hope that with the determination of the
Council to see the task through we will not necessarily need military
forces."
Before the Council session Richardson called Iraq's actions "defiant"
and "extremely serious."
"There was this talk that Iraq had moderated (its actions) but once
again they are up to their old tricks...they're trying to divide the
Security Council," Richardson said. "What is happening is a more
united Security Council in responding to these threats."
"UNSCOM is not going to be politicized by Iraqi demands," the
Ambassador said. "Iraq is not going to call the shots with
disarmament."
The United States supports Butler and UNSCOM, Ambassador Richardson
said.
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