December 17, 1999
PRESS BRIEFING BY JOE LOCKHART
1:20 P.M. EST
13
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
____________________________________________________
For Immediate Release December 17, 1999
PRESS BRIEFING BY
JOE LOCKHART
The Briefing Room
1:20 P.M. EST
...........
Q Joe, what message does it send to Iraq that Russia, China and
France today abstained from this U.N. vote adopting a resolution to return
t arms teams and to let up on the sanctions?
MR. LOCKHART: Well, I think Russia and China have articulated reasons
for their abstentions that speak for themselves. I think we believe it's
unfortunate that France took the position they did. It doesn't completely
add up for us, given the fact that they said they supported the text of the
resolution.
But I think the bottom line is there was a strong majority that sent a
strong message to Saddam Hussein and passed a strong resolution. This
gives new powers to the U.N. Security Council, and he's got a fundamental
decision to make, which he has faced in the past and he has tried to avoid.
And this is another statement and resolution that puts the onus back on him
to decide on whether he's going to allow the inspectors to come in, whether
he?s going to fulfill the disarmament task that they?ve waived for him, and
whether he?s going to cooperate and comply with the United Nations. If he
does not do that, he lives in a world of sanctions.
Q -- something beyond sanctions?
MR. LOCKHART: I'm not going to speculate down the road on a
hypothetical, but I think this statement is a strong statement. I think
it?s been erroneously reported that somehow this weakens the U.N. Security
Council position, because in fact it strengthens it.
Q Joe, -- about Paris, of the U.S. effort to build an anti-missile
defense. The Foreign Minister called us a "hyper power" instead of a
superpower. Are the French becoming a part of the problem, as they often
tend to be?
MR. LOCKHART: I believe and it's certainly our hope that the French
will join us in pursuing full implementation of this resolution. I think,
as I've said, we're disappointed that they abstained. But given the fact
that they supported the text,
Q Why did they abstain?
MR. LOCKHART: Again, it's something that doesn?t make complete sense
to us, but ? and they can certainly articulate their views. But given
their support of the text, support of the overall concept of applying this
regime with Saddam Hussein and Iraq, it is disappointing. The bottom line,
though, is that we have a U.N. resolution that provides additional power to
the Security Council to go ahead and get this done, and we are in a
situation where Saddam Hussein has got to decide whether to give up his
weapons program and rejoin the international community, or remain isolated.
...............
Q How do you read the Security Council decision as a strong
majority when it was a pretty narrow margin ?
MR. LOCKHART: I think 11 to 4 is - 4 abstentions - 11 to 0 voting
for it, and 4 abstentions is a strong majority. I?ll give you a lot of
candidates who would take that vote.
..........
Q Thank you.
END 1:53 P.M. EST
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