21 December 1999
State Department's Welch Briefs on U.N. Iraq Resolution
(UNSC Resolution 1284 charts the way forward on key issues) (840) By Rick Marshall Washington File Staff Writer Washington -- David Welch, assistant secretary of state for international organization affairs, addressed reporters December 21 on the subject of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1284, the so-called omnibus Iraq resolution that was adopted December 17. The resolution "represents the latest iteration of the most important body of legislation by the Security Council in its history," Welch said in his opening remarks. "It charts a way forward on the key issues of disarmament, Kuwait and the missing people, and humanitarian concerns vis-à-vis the people of Iraq. In the view of the United States and the 10 other countries that voted for this resolution, it establishes an architecture by which these issues would be addressed, should Iraq choose to cooperate." One key aspect of 1284 was the creation of a new weapons inspection organization, the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC). Iraq, however, has already stated that it would not accept the inspectors in the country. Welch said he hopes that "that doesn't remain their final decision. ... If they choose to stick by their position that they will not implement this resolution, then that is their choice. They will only put further off the day in which they could have their case addressed with respect to sanctions." Further, Welch noted, "some humanitarian provisions of the resolution could become available basically just as soon as the United Nations Secretariat staff are prepared to implement them. However, it still requires Iraqi cooperation to get those done on the ground inside Iraq. It would be a shame, of course, if that were not available, because I think the only people to suffer in that case would be the innocent people in Iraq." The resolution, if accepted, would provide "large amounts of additional resources potentially for the oil-for-food program, which is already the largest humanitarian program in the U.N.'s history," Welch commented. "The United States is not seeking, either by passage of this resolution or by judging Iraq's reaction, any pretext for military action," Welch told reporters. "We're prepared to act in self-defense if our forces in the area are attacked. We are also prepared to act if any of Iraq's neighbors are threatened anew by the regime in Baghdad. We would also contemplate action if a threat re-emerged of a military character by the regime in Baghdad against its own people, especially the people in the north. But those are American red lines. ... They do not relate per se to this resolution. We do not seek by this resolution a pretext or occasion to use military force." Asked about reports that Iraq is continuing to import components for nuclear weapons, Welch stated: "Yes, we do have information that we believe is credible that Iraq persists in the illegal procurement of items that are useful for its weapons industry. It is because of this information that we assess that there's a continuing risk of proliferation in Iraq, and thus a requirement for the kind of international vigilance that is part of this resolution." "I believe that Iraq does continue to possess a weapons of mass destruction capability, and continues to represent a regional threat. I don't believe that there is a substantial difference of view within the Security Council on that, because the Security Council just allowed passage of a resolution that says, in effect, Iraq is not in compliance with its disarmament obligation." In response to a question about the suffering of the Iraqi children, Welch said: "I am deeply troubled by this situation. I have worked on the issue of Iraq for almost 10 years now, through Republican and Democratic administrations. I am appalled by the human suffering there. I think the international community has done a terrific job in trying to address that suffering. However, let's be clear on one thing: not every tool is in the hands of the U.N. Secretariat to exercise its authority inside the borders of Iraq." Welch then pointed to the fact that infant mortality in the northern governates of Iraq is now lower than it was before the Gulf War. "There is one difference between the three governates of the north and the remainder of Iraq: the regime in Baghdad is not in charge," he stated. "It's there that the responsibility lies, squarely with the Takriti regime in Baghdad. It's within their power to do something about this. They now have adequate resources." "Iraq used to be a jewel in the Arab world. For 30 years it has had one kind of leadership. It's a black mark on their history. It doesn't need to be that way," Welch said. "In the meantime, we have got to do the best we can with this humanitarian program. ... this is a responsibility we share as members of the international community, and we should do something about it." (The Washington File is a product of the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State.)
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