• Military

• WMD Menu                           

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

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

24 August 1998

UNITED NATIONS REPORT, AUGUST 24, 1998

SECURITY COUNCIL FIRM ON IRAQI COMPLIANCE
After being briefed by a special UN envoy on Iraq's continuing refusal
to cooperate with UN weapons inspectors, the Security Council August
24 remained united in its position that Iraq's attitude is "totally
unacceptable," the Council President said.
Briefing journalists after a private meeting with UN Special Envoy
Prakash Shah, Council President Danilo Turk of Slovenia said that
council members "again emphasized today that the first step that is
expected is a change in the Iraqi attitude. Iraq has to rescind its
decision."
"The discussion has shown again a very clear resolve of the Security
Council to insist on its position, namely that the Iraqi decision to
suspend cooperation with UNSCOM (the United Nations Commission in Iraq
that monitors Iraq's compliance with Security Council demands that it
eliminate its weapons of mass destruction) and IAEA (the International
Atomic Energy Agency) is totally unacceptable and contravenes the
resolutions of the Security Council," Turk said.
US and British diplomats said they would be working on a resolution to
present to the council later in the week. Under discussion is a
suspension of the six-month sanctions reviews which are the first step
in any lifting or easing of sanctions.
US Ambassador Peter Burleigh said the United States will be
"suggesting a suspension of sanctions reviews until Iraq comes back
into cooperation with IAEA and UNSCOM."
Shah said that he discussed with the Council his unsuccessful attempt
to convince the Iraqis to cooperate with inspections by UNSCOM of
suspected Iraqi chemical and biological weapons and ballistic missile
facilities and the IAEA concerning nuclear weapons programs.
Iraq basically "felt that since I had no proposals to negotiate with
them they had no reason to change their position," Shah said.
Shah said that his discussions in Iraq "had nothing to do with
warnings or threats or cautions or anything like that. It was ...
about the continuation of the discussions that had taken place, the
memorandum of understanding that was signed, the resolutions of the
Security Council, the unanimous decision of the council that Iraq
should comply with the resolutions and resume cooperation."
Council President Turk said that the relatively low-key approach by
the Security Council so far regarding Iraq's defiance of the Council's
Gulf War cease-fire demands "doesn't mean lack of firmness or resolve"
by Council members.
"(Firmness and resolve are) there and we will have to see how that
translates into more specific proposals that may come in the coming
days," Turk said.
said.