• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

February 10, 2000

PRESS BRIEFING BY JOE LOCKHART

11:55 A.M. EST

                              THE WHITE HOUSE
                       Office of the Press Secretary
______________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release                       February 10, 2000
                             PRESS BRIEFING BY
                               JOE LOCKHART
                                    The Briefing Room
11:55 A.M. EST
          Q    Joe, are you aware of U.S. warplane action in Iraq?  The
wires say that warplanes bombed Iraq's air defense system in the Northern
no-fly zone.
          MR. LOCKHART:  I have not seen any specific news from today, and
I'm sure the Pentagon will have something at their briefing today on that
subject.  I'll remind you that we take enforcing the no-fly zone seriously,
and our rules of engagement are clear, and we will continue to strike back
at any threat to our forces in the region.
          Q    On that same subject, Iraq said today that it was not going
to allow U.N. weapons inspectors in.
          MR. LOCKHART:  We've made very clear our interest in getting a
robust weapons inspection regime resumed in Iraq.  Iraq has a choice to
make.  They have made it very clear in the international community they
want to get out from under the sanctions, the crippling sanctions that they
face.  They know what they need to do, and standing in the way and trying
to dictate the terms of engagement of any force or who will lead such a
force is only going to perpetuate a situation that they publicly claim they
want to get out of, which is the U.N. sanctions.
          Q    Couldn't this lead to further military action?
          MR. LOCKHART:  I'm not going to go down a speculative road here.
They know what they need to do in order to rejoin the international
community; it's been made very clear to them.  We will continue to enforce
things like the no-fly zone.  We will watch closely with the best available
means we have at our disposal on their abilities and what -- their weapons
of mass destruction program and we'll have made it very clear that if there
is evidence of activity of rebuilding that program, that we will take
aggressive action.
          But as far as this particular incident or any statement they've
made today, I think it's very clear where the international community is
and what Iraq needs to do.
...............
          THE PRESS:  Thank you.
                              END              12:20 P.M. EST