U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
DAILY PRESS BRIEFING
Briefer: Richard Boucher, Spokesman
TUESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2000, 1:15 P.M.
(ON THE RECORD UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED)
QUESTION: While we're at it, do you have anything on the - not
that it's unprecedented - but the new strains between Iraq and
Turkey? There are all sorts of rumblings that Iraq is going to
hit back at Turkey for doing its usual raids against terrorists,
terrorist groups?
MR. BOUCHER: Let me first of all make clear what our policy is
on the issues with Turkey and the north. In general, we support
Turkey's right to defend itself against terrorism, as long as the
cross-border activities are limited in scope and duration and
they scrupulously observe the rights of civilians in the area.
As far as Iraq, I had not seen any rumblings.
Clearly one of the issues on the international agenda for the
past 10 years has been to make sure Iraq is not in a position to
threaten their neighbors. We have been carrying out that
process. We have been supporting the inspection regime. The
Secretary as a matter of fact met this morning with Hans Blix,
the head of the UN verification and inspection group and
expressed our strong support for his activities as he prepares to
be able to do that. So it is very important to us, remains
important to us, that Iraq not be in a position to threaten its
neighbors.
QUESTION: Yesterday I asked if you had seen President Khatami's
interview -
(Inaudible.)
QUESTION: How would you rate the chances of getting these UN
inspectors into Iraq? Do you think there is any possibility at
all? Have you completely discounted it?
MR. BOUCHER: I think, first of all, we do not rate the chances.
The UN in Resolution 1284 has laid down a process, a process by
which the sanctions could be suspended. The standards for the
sanctions lift has not changed. The mandate for inspections has
not changed. The need to prevent Iraq from being in a position
to threaten its neighbors has not changed. But 1284 does outline
an entire process by which Iraq, you might say, could get out of
the box. The key to open the box is to follow the resolution.
So, it is not for us to rate the chances. If Iraq wants to get
out of the box, they are going to have to comply with the
resolution. But if Iraq does not cooperate fully with the UN
verification and inspection process, the benefits of suspension
won't be available to Iraq. So the first step, first and
foremost, is for them to accept.
QUESTION: Let me put it this way. If the inspectors are ready
and the Iraqis continue to refuse to let them enter the country,
does that prompt any action on your behalf or do you just let
things continue as they are at present? Is it business as usual,
in other words?
MR. BOUCHER: The new organization has been established. We
talked to the head of it, Hans Blix, this morning. He described
to us the status of many of the things he was doing in terms of
training and recruitment. They have done a lot of training.
They are close to completing the recruitment of core staff.
They're accountable to the Security Council. They will report
their progress to the Council this September. So we will find
out exactly where they stand in terms of readiness when they
report to the UN Security Council.
There are no specific timetables to begin the inspections. It is
up to Iraq to comply and accept. If he complies and accepts,
then the procedures and resolution can be followed. If he does
not comply and does not accept, then the inspectors will remain
ready. He will remain in noncompliance and the sanctions will
remain and continue.
QUESTION: So nothing happens ?
MR. BOUCHER: That's what happens.
QUESTION: Several diplomats have said that Iraq has been very
effective at kind of chipping away at various members of the
Security Council in terms of kind of watering down the resolution
and kind of creating this creative ambiguity where it's not
really clear what they have to do in order to get the sanctions
suspended. Do you see a point where -
MR. BOUCHER: I don't think that's the case. I guess what I
would say is it is quite clear what he has to do in order to get
the sanctions suspended and that is to comply fully with the
requirements of the resolution, to accept the resolution, and do
that. The UN Monitoring, Inspection and Verification Commission
is not designed to negotiate or sell Resolution 1284 to the
Iraqis. It is designed to implement the Security Council's
Resolution 1284 and the procedures therein.
Mr. Blix, for example, has said he does not intend to go to
Baghdad before Iraq accepts Resolution 1284 and we are certainly
very supportive of that. So the issue remains as I said. Iraq
needs to accept the resolution and follow its procedures. If
they do not, when the inspectors are ready to inspect, they will
remain ready to inspect, the resolution will remain in place and
the sanctions will continue.
QUESTION: Richard, it seems like you're almost deliberately not
mentioning possible use of force as an option if Iraq doesn't
comply. Is that deliberate or is it still an option and how have
things changed from where they were perhaps 20 months ago?
MR. BOUCHER: No, nothing has changed in terms of use of force.
We have said quite clearly before and I will say it again today:
If he reconstitutes his programs for weapons of mass destruction,
if he threatens his neighbors, threatens US forces or moves
against the Kurds, we have a credible force in the region and we
are prepared to act at an appropriate time and place of our
choosing as necessary.
QUESTION: Didn't the United States give the Security Council
kind of a promise that they would not use force in order to
create this Resolution 1284, which had more of a specific kind of
a set lifting of the sanctions in return for the inspections?
MR. BOUCHER: I have just made clear again in the same way we
always have in the past the fact that we are prepared to use
force under certain circumstances. I have also made clear - you
might say separately and differently - that Resolution 1284 needs
to be accepted and if it's not accepted sanctions will continue
and there will be no possibility of Iraq using the key of 1284 to
get out of this box.
It is clear that 1284 stands on its own but it is also clear that
if Iraq takes action to reconstitute the threats that it has had
in the past to its neighbors, to its region and to its own
people, that we're prepared to take action as we have in the
past.
(The briefing was concluded at 2:00 p.m.)
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