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12 November 1998

ARAB COUNTRIES SAY IRAQ IS RESPONSIBLE FOR CRISIS AND "CONSEQUENCES"

(Call on Iraq to rescind it August and October decisions) (500)
By Jane A. Morse
USIA Diplomatic Correspondent
Washington -- Arab nations issued a declaration on November 12 which
calls upon Iraq to rescind its August and October decisions banning
United Nations inspectors access to suspected weapons sites and which
places the blame fully on Iraq for any military consequences should it
not comply with international demands.
State Department Spokesman James Rubin made the announcement to
reporters the morning of November 12.
Rubin said that in the declaration, the foreign ministers of Egypt,
Syria, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait
and Oman call on Iraq to reverse its decisions not to cooperate with
the United Nations Special Commission on Iraq (UNSCOM) and to comply
fully with all United Nations Security Council resolutions.
Rubin reported that the declaration, issued from Doha, Qatar, also
demands that Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein honor the Memorandum of
Understanding he agreed to in February with United Nations Secretary
General Kofi Annan.
Secretary of State Madeleine Albright welcomes the declaration, Rubin
said. Albright, he noted, has been intensively consulting for weeks
with her counterparts in the region along with American allies
regarding the crisis generated by Iraq's most recent recalcitrant
behavior.
"One of the reasons we are welcoming it (the declaration) in
particular," Rubin said, "is because it makes clear that the
government of Iraq would bear responsibility for the consequences of
noncompliance. This statement reflects the growing and near total
unanimity in the world -- especially in the Arab world -- that Iraq is
solely responsible for this current crisis and that the only solution
to this crisis is full and immediate compliance by Iraq with the
Security Council resolutions, beginning with its decisions of October
and August."
Rubin especially noted that both Syria and Egypt have joined in
declaring Iraq responsible for the consequences of noncompliance with
United Nations demands.
He emphasized that this move by the Arab countries is "their own
action. Obviously, Secretary Albright and (Defense Secretary William)
Cohen have been in close consultation with these countries, given the
gravity of the situation, but this is their own decision."
Rubin pointed out that the Arab countries, in their declaration, make
clear their desire for a diplomatic solution to this crisis. But he
added that the declaration "makes clear that in the event any
decisions about the use of force are made, the focus and blame are
cast squarely on Iraq's shoulders."
The United States has repeatedly called for a diplomatic resolution to
Iraq's refusal to comply with United Nations demands, Rubin said.
Nonetheless, the United States sees no need for negotiations with
Iraq, he added.
"We've said for some time that we expect and wouldn't be surprised if
countries were in contact with Iraq, but to the extent that diplomacy
goes beyond diplomatic pressure and exhortation to convince Iraq to
reverse course, we don't see a need for or a justification for
negotiations," Rubin said.
(For more information on this subject, contact our special Iraq
website at:
http://www.usia.gov/iraq)