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12 November 1998

• TRANSCRIPT: SECSTATE ALBRIGHT PBS-TV INTERVIEW PBS-TV News Hour 12 November 1998 -- Albright noted that the U.S. has been using diplomacy "actively for seven years and very actively for the last year" with Saddam Hussein. But, she said, "this can't go on indefinitely."
• Excerpts of the Statement delivered by H.E. Mr. Aziz at a press conference on 11-12-98 The core of the matter is that there has been compliance with UN resolutions. There has been cooperation with UNSCOM and with the IAEA. But the other commitment of the Security Council resolution, which is stated in Resolution 687, has not been fulfilled by the Security Council because of the American position.
• Tariq Aziz Nov 12 Press Conference Iraq News, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1998 -- Tariq Aziz held a blustery press conference, in which he charged that the US was blocking the lifting of sanctions, while Iraq had complied with UNSCR 687.
• DAILY PRESS BRIEFING OF OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL 12 November 1998 -- The Secretary-General did not see a possible role for himself in the situation. In February, the Secretary-General had gone with clear, although narrow, parameters on what he could discuss, and he had gone with an indication from the Iraqi side that they were ready to talk. "I don't think he's got those two conditions today", the Spokesman added.
• Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen News Briefing, November 12, 1998 -- Nothing is precluded should a strike ever become necessary. Should it become necessary, then we will carry it out with all of the effectiveness that we can marshal. What takes place after that remains for Saddam to determine. We would seek to degrade his capability to threaten his neighbors through use of weapons of mass destruction and to pose a threat to the region. We would hope that inspections would continue in the future. There's no guarantee of that. Obviously the sanctions would remain in place.
• Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen News Briefing, November 12, 1998 -- " ... we also have found out that when we demonstrate a willingness to use force, if necessary, it has a way of sobering the mind, concentrating the mind. It happened in Kosovo recently where ... Milosevic saw the wisdom of agreeing to an approach to settle the issue peacefully. But it took the presence of that force in order to bring about that kind of result. We're hoping the same thing will take place here."
• U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing NOVEMBER 12, 1998 -- Ambassador Talbott indicated that the military campaign would begin gradually and be stepped-up over time. I can describe for you the goal of our policy, which is to counter the threat Iraq poses to its neighbors - particularly the threat that would be posed if Iraq acquired weapons of mass destruction and the means to deliver them. Therefore, any use of force, if it were chosen, would be consistent with those goals; namely, to degrade his capacity to develop and deliver weapons of mass destruction as well as Iraq's ability to threaten its neighbors.... we do not believe we need additional authorization for the use of force because the President has the inherent authority to use force under the Constitution, and the Congress has authorized the President to use force against Iraq under the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution, stipulating that Congress supports the use of all necessary means to achieve the goals of Security Council Resolution 687 as being consistent with the authorization for use of military force against Iraq.... this is a case where we're talking about enforcing a cease-fire resolution that stopped a war that was authorized by Congress in a sense, by the resolutions that were passed in 1990.
• White House Briefing November 12, 1998 -- We believe the President, with his duties as Commander in Chief, has the authority to do this, and particularly given the resolution in the wake of the Gulf War. But we will continue to work closely and consult with Congress. What Saddam Hussein and the Iraqis 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.
• SADDAM HUSSEIN MUST REVERSE COURSE, WHITE HOUSE SAYS By Wendy S. Ross USIA 12 November 1998 -- "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.
• Cohen Says Iraqi Compliance is Bottom Line By Jim Garamone American Forces Press Service - 12 Nov 1998 -- Defense Secretary William S. Cohen told sailors here an air campaign against Iraq would be "significant, and not a pinprick." "Compliance is the bottom line," he said. "[Hussein] agreed in February 1991 [at the end of the Gulf War] to allow U.N. inspectors to oversee the dismantling of his weapons of mass destruction and his means of producing them," Cohen said. "He must comply with U.N. resolutions. If he does not, and we do nothing, the United Nations will lose all credibility."
• U.S. Deploys More Forces to Gulf By Linda D. Kozaryn American Forces Press Service - 12 Nov 98 -- After returning from a trip to the Persian Gulf and Europe, Cohen said he was confident the United States will have the support it needs to take appropriate action to uphold the U.N. Security Council resolutions.
• IRAQ ACTION DIGEST 12 November 1998 -- As the U.S. threatens a military strike against Iraq, Voices In the Wilderness is sending its 18th delegation to Baghdad. Their intention is to be in Iraq in advance of threatened military strikes and to remain there throughout any period of bombardment. They believe it is important for Voices in the Wilderness members to be in Baghdad helping to call attention to the innocent civilians who live in fear of threatened strikes.
• THE COUNTDOWN TO ATTACKING IRAQ IS ON Voice of America 12 November 1998 -- MANY PAPERS WERE RELUCTANTLY AGREEING THAT IRAQ'S LEADER, SADDAM HUSSEIN, HAD ESSENTIALLY LEFT THE ALLIES NO VIABLE OPTION OTHER THAN A MILITARY ATTACK, BUT MOST STILL DID NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THE MILITARY OPTION.
• DEALING WITH SADDAM Voice of America 12 November 1998 -- FOR THE U-S PRESS, IT APPEARS MOSTLY BUT NOT ENTIRELY, IN FAVOR OF PROCEEDING WITH A MILITARY OPTION, AS THE BEST OF A BAD SET OF OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO THE CLINTON WHITE HOUSE.
• CLINTON/IRAQ Voice of America 12 November 1998 -- SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN ARLEN SPECTOR TOLD REPORTERS THE PRESIDENT SHOULD NOT ACT WITHOUT THE PRIOR APPOVAL OF LEGISLATORS.
• CONGRESS-IRAQ Voice of America 12 November 1998 -- SENATOR RICHARD LUGAR SAYS A CREDIBLE PROGRAM FOR THE REMOVAL OF SADDAM HUSSEIN IT IS GOING TO INVOLVE U-S GROUND TROOPS IN DUE COURSE.
• IRAQ / ISRAEL REACT Voice of America 12 November 1998 -- ISRAEL'S ARMY HAS OPENED GAS MASK DISTRIBUTION CENTERS IN PREPARATION FOR ANY IRAQI RETALIATION FOR U-S AIR STRIKES AGAINST BAGHDAD.
• IRAQ / AZIZ Voice of America 12 November 1998 -- ARAB LEADERS HAVE SAID THEY WOULD OPPOSE A MILITARY STRIKE AND WANT A DIPLOMATIC SOLUTION. THE GOVERNMENTS OF EGYPT, QATAR, KUWAIT AND BAHRAIN ALL URGED IRAQ TO ALLOW THE U-N INSPECTORS TO RESUME THEIR WORK.
• IRAQ / ARAB REACT Voice of America 12 November 1998 -- ARAB FOREIGN MINISTERS ARE URGING IRAQ TO COOPERATE WITH U-N WEAPONS INSPECTORS. BUT ARAB NATIONS ALSO BELIEVE IRAQ HAS LEGITIMATE CONCERNS ABOUT THE U-N INSPECTIONS AND WANT A DIPLOMATIC SOLUTION.
• CLINTON/IRAQ Voice of America 12 November 1998 -- CLINTON SPOKESMAN JOE LOCKHART WELCOMED A JOINT STATEMENT BY THE GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL MEMBER STATES ALONG WITH EGYPT AND SYRIA THAT THE IRAQI LEADER WOULD BEAR THE RESPONSIBILITY IF THE SITUATION DETERIORATES.
• ARAB COUNTRIES SAY IRAQ IS RESPONSIBLE FOR CRISIS AND "CONSEQUENCES" By Jane A. Morse USIA 12 November 1998 -- 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.
• ANNAN, UNSC URGE IRAQ TO RESUME COOPERATION WITH UNSCOM By Judy Aita USIA 12 November 1998 -- Secretary General Kofi Annan and the Security Council have both urged Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to resume cooperation with UN weapons inspectors so the Gulf War cease-fire issues can be brought to a successful conclusion and sanctions can be lifted.
• U-N - IRAQ Voice of America 12 November 1998 -- U-N SECRETARY-GENERAL KOFI ANNAN HAS NO PLANS TO GO TO IRAQ TO MEDIATE IN THE LATEST CRISIS. RUSSIA SAYS IT DOES NOT SEE FORCE AS A USEFUL OPTION AT THIS TIME. CHINA AND FRANCE HAVE ALSO BEEN RELUCTANT TO SPEAK OUT IN SUPPORT OF THE USE OF FORCE.
• RUSSIA / IRAQ Voice of America 12 November 1998 -- RUSSIA'S DEFENSE MINISTER WILL FLY TO THE MIDEAST FRIDAY FOR TALKS ON THE IRAQI CRISIS.
• The US Debate Over Iraq Iraq News, NOVEMBER 12, 1998 -- With a US strike apparently imminent [assuming no surprises], criticism of the administration's goal--degrade Iraq's unconventional capabilities--is mounting, as the critics argue for overthrowing Saddam. On CNN's "Inside Politics," yesterday, the Carnegie Endowment's Robert Kagan, asked, What happens the day after the air strikes end, with Saddam Hussein still in power?