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11 November 1998

• PRESS BRIEFING BY EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN OF UNSCOM 11 November 1998 -- The decision made last night to remove United Nations weapons inspectors from Iraq this morning was based on a "strong recommendation" by the United States Government.
• IRAQ / COUNCIL CONCLUDES Voice of America 11 November 1998 - THE U-N SECURITY COUNCIL HELD A SOMEWHAT TENSE MEETING WEDNESDAY ON THE SITUATION CONCERNING IRAQ, BUT CONCLUDED BY REAFFIRMING ITS DEMAND THAT BAGHDAD RESUME COOPERATION WITH U-N WEAPONS INSPECTORS.
• TRANSCRIPT: SECSTATE ALBRIGHT INTERVIEW WITH CHARLIE ROSE PBS-TV "The Charlie Rose Show" November 11, 1998 -- Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said "What Saddam wants to do are two things that are incompatible. He wants sanctions to be lifted and he wants to have the ability to retain his weapons of mass destruction. He can't have it both ways. Weapons of mass destruction are too threatening to his neighbors, to the stability of the region and to us."
• PRIME MINISTER'S QUESTIONS: IRAQ (11/11/98) MR TAM DALYELL: Is it not a matter of record that the French and Swiss tests to which he referred proved negative? It is true that the first American test proved positive, but the second American test proved negative and that result was suppressed?
• REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT AT ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY VETERANS DAY CEREMONY November 11, 1998 -- " ... if the inspectors are not permitted to visit suspect sites or monitor compliance at known production facilities, they may as well be in Baltimore, not Baghdad. That would open a window of opportunity for Iraq to rebuild its arsenal of weapons and delivery systems in months -- I say again, in months -- not years. A failure to respond could embolden Saddam to act recklessly ... "
• Ramsey Clark Letter to UN November 11, 1998 -- President Clinton has chosen the anniversary of the armistice ending World War I to further threaten Iraq with another violent assault. The notion that Iraq is a threat to the region is a false fantasy created by the U.S. to justify its vast military presence in the region, to dominate the oil resources and to contain Islam.
• U-N / IRAQ / LETTER Voice of America 11 November 1998 - IRAQ HAS DENOUNCED THE UNITED NATIONS WEAPONS INSPECTION COMMISSION [UNSCOM] IN A LETTER TO U-N SECRETARY-GENERAL KOFI ANNAN FROM IRAQ'S DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER TARIQ AZIZ.
• MORE FORCES TO GULF UPDATE -- CQ Voice of America 11 November 1998 - THE UNITED STATES IS RUSHING 129 MORE PLANES, STRONGER MISSILE DEFENSES, AND THOUSANDS OF GROUND TROOPS TO THE PERSIAN GULF. THE REINFORCEMENTS NEARLY DOUBLE THE NUMBER OF PLANES AVAILABLE TO U-S COMMANDERS
• IRAQ/U-S Voice of America 11 November 1998 - WEDNESDAY'S WITHDRAWAL OF U-N PERSONNEL FROM BAGHDAD HAS HEIGHTENED EXPECTATIONS OF A U-S MILITARY STRIKE
• SECRETARY-GENERAL STRONGLY URGES PRESIDENT HUSSEIN AND IRAQI GOVERNMENT TO RESUME IMMEDIATE COOPERATION WITH UNSCOM AND IAEA INSPECTORS 11 November 1998 Press Release SG/SM/6790 IK/255
• IAEA INSPECTORS LEAVING IRAQ 11 November 1998 Press Release IAEA/1328 IK/256 -- Upon consultation with the Secretary- General of the United Nations, the Director General of the IAEA has decided to temporarily relocate all IAEA inspectors currently in Baghdad to Bahrain due to concern for their safety in view of the escalating situation in Iraq.
• DAILY PRESS BRIEFING OF OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL 11 November 1998 -- At about 7:15 a.m., New York time, today, Mr. Eckhard continued, all UNSCOM and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) international staff members based in Iraq had arrived in Bahrain aboard a United Nations aircraft, following a decision by UNSCOM Director Richard Butler to withdraw them. The temporary relocation of non-essential international staff to Amman should not be interpreted as a suspension of the implementation of the oil-for-food programme.
• BRITAIN / IRAQ Voice of America 11 November 1998 -- BRITISH DEFENSE OFFICIALS SAY TIME IS RUNNING OUT FOR IRAQI LEADER SADDAM HUSSEIN TO END HIS BAN ON U-N INSPECTORS.
• CLINTON / IRAQ Voice of America 11 November 1998 -- PRESIDENT CLINTON HAS ISSUED A FORCEFUL RESPONSE TO IRAQ'S DEFIANCE OF U-N DISARMAMENT RESOLUTIONS, WARNING THE BAGHDAD GOVERNMENT IT FACES DIRE CONSEQUENCES UNLESS U-N INSPECTORS ARE ALLOWED TO RETURN.
• ISRAEL / IRAQ / U-S Voice of America 11 November 1998 -- THE STATE DEPARTMENT HAS URGED U-S CITIZENS TO CONSIDER LEAVING ISRAEL AND KUWAIT BECAUSE OF THE TENSIONS WITH IRAQ.
• Israel & Kuwait Travel Warnings November 11, 1998 - Because of the increase in tension, the Department of State has authorized the departure of all employees in non-emergency positions and all eligible family members of U.S. Embassy and Consulate personnel who wish to leave. In light of this information, private American citizens may want to consider departing the country.
• RUSSIA/IRAQ Voice of America 11 November 1998 -- RUSSIA HAS AGAIN URGED IRAQ TO RESUME COOPERATION WITH UNITED NATIONS WEAPONS INSPECTORS. RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER IGOR IVANOV SAYS THE USE OF FORCEAGAINST IRAQ COULD DESTROY YEARS OF WORK BY U-N ARMS INSPECTORS.
• U-N / IRAQ CRISIS Voice of America 11 November 1998 -- U-N SECRETARY-GENERAL KOFI ANNAN IS CUTTING SHORT HIS VISIT TO NORTH AFRICA. HE IS RETURNING TO NEW YORK TO DEAL WITH THE ESCALATING CRISIS WITH IRAQ.
• A PLAN FOR SADDAM Iraq News 11 November 1998 -- It is increasingly clear that the Saudis do not oppose a US military strike against Iraq, if Saddam doesn't back down. But Egypt has again reaffirmed its opposition to a US strike. No major Arab/Muslim country speaks out on Iraq's behalf to the extent that Egypt does. An extensive study by National Security Council official Richard Clarke concluded that, short of invasion, the United States had no good military options on Iraq. Airstrikes were not going to topple Saddam or force him to give the United Nations unfettered access. And UN inspections were overrated: it was simply not feasible to track down all of Saddam's biochemical stash.
• IRAQ / U-N LEAVES Voice of America 11 November 1998 -- THE UNITED NATIONS HAS ORDERED VIRTUALLY ALL OF ITS STAFF OUT OF IRAQ AS A PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE.