The White House Briefing Room
October 31, 1998
STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
October 31, 1998
STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT
Today I am signing into law H.R. 4655, the "Iraq Liberation Act of
1998." This Act makes clear that it is the sense of the Congress that
the United States should support those elements of the Iraqi opposition
that advocate a very different future for Iraq than the bitter reality of
internal repression and external aggression that the current regime in
Baghdad now offers.
Let me be clear on what the U.S. objectives are:
The United States wants Iraq to rejoin the family of nations as a
freedom-loving and law-abiding member. This is in our interest and that
of our allies within the region.
The United States favors an Iraq that offers its people freedom at
home. I categorically reject arguments that this is unattainable due to
Iraq's history or its ethnic or sectarian make-up. Iraqis deserve and
desire freedom like everyone else.
The United States looks forward to a democratically supported regime
that would permit us to enter into a dialogue leading to the
reintegration of Iraq into normal international life.
My Administration has pursued, and will continue to pursue, these
objectives through active application of all relevant United Nations
Security Council resolutions. The evidence is overwhelming that such
changes will not happen under the current Iraq leadership.
In the meantime, while the United States continues to look to the
Security Council's efforts to keep the current regime's behavior in
check, we look forward to new leadership in Iraq that has the support of
the Iraqi people. The United States is providing support to opposition
groups from all sectors of the Iraqi community that could lead to a
popularly supported government.
On October 21, 1998, I signed into law the Omnibus Consolidated and
Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 1999, which made $8 million
available for assistance to the Iraqi democratic opposition. This
assistance is intended to help the democratic opposition unify, work
together more effectively, and articulate the aspirations of the Iraqi
people for a pluralistic, participa--tory political system that will
include all of Iraq's diverse ethnic and religious groups. As required
by the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for FY 1998 (Public Law
105-174), the Department of State submitted a report to the Congress on
plans to establish a program to support the democratic opposition. My
Administration, as required by that statute, has also begun to implement
a program to compile information regarding allegations of genocide,
crimes against humanity, and war crimes by Iraq's current leaders as a
step towards bringing to justice those directly responsible for such
acts.
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The Iraq Liberation Act of 1998 provides additional, discretionary
authorities under which my Administration can act to further the objectives
I outlined above. There are, of course, other important elements of U.S.
policy. These include the maintenance of U.N. Security Council support
efforts to eliminate Iraq's prohibited weapons and missile programs and
economic sanctions that continue to deny the regime the means to reconstitute
those threats to international peace and security. United States support
for the Iraqi opposition will be carried out consistent with those policy
objectives as well. Similarly, U.S. support must be attuned to what the
opposition can effectively make use of as it develops over time. With those
observations, I sign H.R. 4655 into law.
WILLIAM J. CLINTON
THE WHITE HOUSE,
October 31, 1998.
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