05 November 1998
BERGER TO CONSULT US ALLIES IN EUROPE ON IRAQ
(Clinton says "all options on table") (560) By Wendy S. Ross USIA White House Correspondent Washington -- President Clinton has asked his National Security Advisor Samuel R. (Sandy) Berger to consult US allies in Europe this weekend on appropriate next steps to take regarding Iraq. White House Press Secretary Joe Lockhart told reporters November 5 that Berger had been planning a weekend trip to Europe, and Clinton asked him "while there to get together with his counterparts to further explore and discuss the international community's opposition to Saddam Hussein's latest steps in ceasing cooperation with the UN Special Commission (UNSCOM) in Iraq and to discuss the options that remain available to the international community." UNSCOM is the United Nations Commission formed at the end of the 1991 Gulf war to monitor and attempt to verify whether Iraq is eliminating its weapons of mass destruction. Last weekend Saddam Hussein announced that his country would no longer permit UNSCOM to continue its inspection work in Iraq. Secretary of Defense Cohen has been on a quick tour of Persian Gulf countries and the Middle East to consult US allies on the confrontation with Iraq. Asked why the administration has said so little about Iraq over the last few days, Lockhart said "before we make many more public pronouncements" on Iraq, "we want a chance for Secretary Cohen to come back, report to the President, (and) have Mr. Berger do his trip to Paris this weekend. "There are serious discussions and talks ongoing in the United Nations on a new resolution laying out an unequivocal message to Saddam Hussein along the lines of the statement that they put out last week," Lockhart said, "so I think we have talked about it and we will certainly have more to say once some of the things that are in play or in process now have a chance to complete themselves." Earlier November 5, President Clinton told reporters that "all options are on the table," on Iraq. Clinton had just finished a morning meeting in the Oval Office with Vice President Gore, House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt and Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle on the mid-term elections, when a reporter asked whether the President was "concerned at all about the apparent lack of support among the Persian Gulf allies for tougher action against Iraq at this point." Clinton replied, "Well, actually, my information is that Secretary Cohen had a good trip and we believe we'll have the support that we need for whatever decisions we ultimately make." When asked if that included "military action," the President responded, "We believe we'll have the support we need and all options are on the table. Defense Secretary Cohen has visited Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, the United Arab Emirates and is now in Egypt; he will proceed to Jordan and Turkey after completion of his visit to Egypt. Pentagon Spokesman Ken Bacon said November 5 in a written statement that in the discussions in the Persian Gulf, "Secretary Cohen reviewed possible responses to Iraq's flagrant violation of Security Council resolutions. Based on his meetings, Secretary Cohen is confident that the United States will have the support it needs to take appropriate action to uphold the United Nations Security Council resolutions."
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