12 November 1998
SADDAM HUSSEIN MUST REVERSE COURSE, WHITE HOUSE SAYS
(Iraq's government responsible for outcome of situation) (860) By Wendy S. Ross USIA White House Correspondent Washington -- "The message should be absolutely clear and understandable to Saddam Hussein that he needs to reverse course" and let UNSCOM (United Nations Special Commission) weapons inspectors resume their work in Iraq, White House Press Secretary Joe Lockhart told reporters November 12. "It's very clear" what Iraq needs to do, he said. "We are not in a negotiation. They need to decide. We have patiently and diplomatically worked through these issues over the last year. But as we've said in the past, this cannot go on indefinitely," Lockhart said, adding that "we have a policy which we are pursuing." "The threat of force" that Iraq now faces, "is appropriate and may be required," Lockhart said. But he would not discuss what the options are or when and where Clinton would exercise them. President Clinton and the international community prefer a peaceful resolution to this situation, he said. We prefer a circumstance where UNSCOM inspectors are "allowed to do their work -- an aggressive and intrusive UNSCOM to do the work they were sent to Iraq to do and that sanctions remain in place until there is compliance." Lockhart reported that President Clinton made a number of phone calls to US allies November 12 as he continued his consultations with world leaders on the situation in Iraq. "He spoke to Chancellor Schroeder of Germany, Prime Minister Dehaene of Belgium, Prime Minister Kok of the Netherlands, and Prime Minister Persson of Sweden," Lockhart said. "It is important in this situation that the President touch base with our allies in Europe, in NATO and in the region. He's working through that process now. His message is one of consultation. What we hear in these calls is a united international community, united around the idea that Saddam Hussein has to change course and change his behavior," Lockhart said. The White House is also consulting with members of Congress on Iraq, Lockhart said, although "we believe the President, with his duties as Commander-in-Chief, has the authority" to act, "particularly given the resolution in the wake of the Gulf War, but we will continue to work closely and consult with Congress." Statements earlier in the day by Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz show clearly how isolated Saddam Hussein is on the issue of weapons inspections, Lockhart said. "What you heard was a lone voice that is completely isolated," he said. "Tariq Aziz, I assume he speaks for Saddam Hussein, believes that somehow the United States and the United Nations is responsible for the situation we are in.... The rest of the world takes the view that it is Iraq that is responsible for their flagrant violations of their responsibilities with UNSCOM and UN Security Council resolutions," the Press Secretary said. "What Saddam Hussein, Iraq and Tariq Aziz need to understand is there is nothing to negotiate. They have a simple choice -- to reverse course or face the consequences of refusing to reverse course." "The international community has sent a strong, clear message to Saddam Hussein. The question is, will he hear it," Lockhart asked. "The message is there and the message is clear," he said. "Saddam Hussein has the ability to demonstrate that he wants sanctions lifted, and he can do that by allowing UNSCOM to do" its work, Lockhart said. "He knows how to deal with the issue of sanctions, and he is working in a way that couldn't be more counter-productive." "He knows what he needs to do and he has tried, using a number of methods, to get out from under doing what he needs to do, because he clearly wants to keep the ability to reconstitute his weapons, and the international community is saying they are not going to let him," Lockhart said. The Press Secretary noted that earlier in the day a group of Arab nations, "the closest neighbors of Saddam Hussein, made a clear statement that he is in violation and that he must change his course and that he alone, Saddam Hussein alone, is responsible for consequences of non-compliance." The GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) November 12 issued a declaration from Doha, Qatar, calling upon Iraq to rescind its decisions banning United Nations inspectors access to suspected weapons sites. The declaration places the blame fully on Iraq for any military consequences should it not comply with international demands. The GCC nations include the governments of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and United Arab Emirates. Also signing the statement were the governments of Syria and Egypt. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan also has made clear that he believes that Iraq "is in flagrant violation" of UN resolutions, Lockhart noted. He reiterated that Clinton is still scheduled to leave Washington later in the week to go to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, but "clearly the situation in Iraq is being watched closely and if there is some change in the President's schedule, I'll let you know." (For more information on this subject, contact our special Iraq website at: http://www.usia.gov/iraq)
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