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RCC on UNSCOM, UNSCR 1194

Iraq News, SEPTEMBER 16, 1998

The central focus of Iraq News is the tension between the considerable, proscribed WMD capabilities that Iraq is holding on to and its increasing stridency that it has complied with UNSCR 687 and it is time to lift sanctions. If you wish to receive Iraq News by email, a service which includes full-text of news reports not archived here, send your request to Laurie Mylroie .

I. RCC STATEMENT ON UNSCOM, IRAQ TV, SEPT 16
II. ANAN TO CONTINUE CONSULATIONS, AFP, SEPT 16
III. IRAQ COULD PRODUCE NUCLEAR WEAPONS IN DAYS OR WEEKS, NCI, SEPT 15
   This is the 42nd day without weapons inspections in Iraq.
   The RCC/Party leadership issued a statement today, regarding its
position on UNSCR 1194 and UNSCOM.  As Iraq TV reported, it called on
the UNSC to retract the resolution, while "the leadership believes that
the National Assembly's resolutions and recommendations must be put into
implementation at the proper time.  The timeframe will be shortened if
the United States and Britain persist with their hostile positions."
   As AFP reported, Kofi Annan will be continuing multilateral
consultations "aimed at defusing the latest Iraq crisis."
   "Iraq News" is preparing a report on yesterday's House International
Relations Committee hearing. Among the more dramatic points was Scott
Ritter's answer to a question from Committee Chairman Benjamin Gilman [R
NY]-How long would it take Iraq to have a nuclear bomb, if it acquired
fissile material on the black market.  The answer, as reported by the
Nuclear Control Institute, was "days or weeks," assuming nothing went
wrong, like the nuclear devices had not been damaged by their transport
to hide them from UNSCOM/IAEA, and the fissile material was cut to the
right shape.
I.  RCC STATEMENT ON UNSCOM
Baghdad Iraq Television Network in Arabic 1832 GMT 16 Sep, 98
[Announcer-read report over video]
[FBIS Translated Text] President Saddam Husayn, may God protect him, has
chaired a joint meeting of the Revolution Command Council and the Iraq
Command of the Arab Socialist Ba'th Party. The conferees discussed the
recommendations the National Assembly adopted in its session on 14
September 1998.
   The meeting also discussed the diplomatic contacts recently held with
several UN Security Council members and the desire expressed by the UN
Secretary Genera1 to carry out a comprehensive review of what was
achieved under Section C of Resolution 687; of his contacts with Vice
President Taha Yasin Ramadan during the Nonaligned conference; and his
contacts with Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz.  A spokesman for the
meeting made the following statement:
  The leadership believes that the recommendations of the National
Assembly are in the right direction. These recommendations express the
Iraqi people's angry feelings against the disgraceful stand of the
Security Council which has maintained its unjust embargo against our
people throughout years under the influence of US pressure and blackmail
and with active and malicious British participation, and its latest
disgraceful position represented in Resolution 1194, which it issued
instead of conducting a serious study of Iraq's concerns and demands.
Therefore, the leadership calls on the Security Council to retract
Resolution 1194 if dialogue with Iraq is meant to be held according to
the minimum level of respect for the principles of the Charter and away
from the means of pressure and blackmail.  We hope that the secretary
general will be more active in terms of honoring his promises.
   The leadership believes that the National Assembly's resolutions and
recommendations must be put into implementation at the proper time.  The
timeframe will be shortened if the United States and Britain persist
with their hostile positions and continue to exercise pressure and
extortion on the Security Council to prevent the Council and the
Secretary General from heading toward fairness and the legal, correct
implementation of its resolutions, and from starting the lifting of the
embargo, beginning with the implementation of Paragraph 22 of Resolution
687.
   The leadership decided to continue to follow up the situation and to
adopt the appropriate positions and measures according to the
deve1opments, and in light of the National Assembly's recommendations,
the will of the great people of Iraq, and any new measures it deems
necessary to Iraq's legitimate right to live and to exercise its
pan~Arab, and humanitarian role.  God is great.  The meeting was
attended by the National Assembly speaker, the chief of the Presidential
Office, and the minister of culture and information.
[Description of source: Official television station of the Iraqi
Government]