The White House Briefing Room
August 28, 1998
PRESS BRIEFING BY BARRY TOIV
THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary (Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts) ______________________________________________________________ For Immediate Release August 28, 1998 PRESS BRIEFING BY BARRY TOIV Edgartown Elementary School Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts 11:58 A.M. EDT ............... Q Do you have any reaction to Scott Ritter's comments this morning about U.S. change in policy on Iraq and his criticism of this administration's unwillingness to press the inspections issue? MR. TOIV: Look, I can help you a little bit, but again, Sandy can probably do a lot better. But U.S. policy toward Iraq has not changed. Our goal since 1991 has been to contain this dangerous regime and keep them from getting dangerous weapons of mass destruction. Iraq has repeatedly challenged those goals and in every instance the U.S. has led an international response that has forced them to back down. We're engaging in mobilizing the international community again to press Iraq and we've already received strong backing from the Security Council that Iraq's actions are totally unacceptable, and the President will be raising this issue next week in Moscow as well. We are seeking a U.N. resolution to suspend sanctions reviews indefinitely until Iraq complies, and that sends Baghdad a sharp signal that its actions have further extended the sanctions that have already cost them over $120 billion. We are also tightening the sanctions enforcement further by cutting down on illegal Iraqi oil exports in the Gulf, and we've not ruled out using other options at a time and place of our own choosing, if diplomatic means do not convince Iraq to comply. I'll leave any follow-ups to Sandy. ................ END 12:21 P.M. EDT
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