State Dept. Noon Briefing, November 13, 2000
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
DAILY PRESS BRIEFING
BRIEFER: Philip T. Reeker, Deputy Spokesman
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2000 1:45 P.M.
(ON THE RECORD UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED)
Q: How do you feel about Mr. Ivanov landing in Baghdad for friendly
talks with Iraq?
MR. REEKER: Well, I don't know if I would characterize them in any
particular way. Russia is a co-sponsor of the Middle East peace
process, as you know, and I understand that Foreign Minister Ivanov is
traveling in the region as part of that effort. In terms of engagement
with Iraq, regardless of the color of carpets, it certainly gives
Russia a good opportunity to urge Iraqi compliance with UN Security
Council resolutions, and again underscore the Security Council and the
United Nations position when it comes to that.
Q: You say you would welcome the visit, then? You think it's a good --
MR. REEKER: I think, as I said, we welcome Russia's engagement with
Iraq in urging their compliance with UN Security Council resolutions.
Q: Do you have any indication that that's what's happening?
MR. REEKER: I am afraid I am not there, nor is anybody from our
government, so --
Q: So, but are you saying that you would like to see the Russians urge
the Iraqis to comply, and that's what - is that what you would like
to see come out of this visit?
MR. REEKER: Well, this visit certainly gives them the opportunity to
do that.
Q: Yes, but would you like to see that? And that would be a good
thing, if he did?
MR. REEKER: That is a good thing. They are a member of the UN Security
Council, a Permanent Member, as are we. There are Security Council
resolutions in place that call for certain actions to be taken by
Iraqis --
Q: But if you had your druthers, Foreign Minister Ivanov would be
landing in Baghdad to talk to the Iraqi leadership.
MR. REEKER: I don't think I could say it any clearer, Matt. I don't
make his travel plans. What I am suggesting is --
Q: I know. But would you like to see them use this, take the
opportunity of this visit to press them to --
MR. REEKER: Exactly. In urging Iraq to comply with UN Security Council
resolutions.
Q: Some of us who were late came from a session with the Israeli
Deputy Defense Minister, who, in describing the various woes that
Israel perceives in the region, includes Iraq and says that the
sanctions regime has disintegrated. The State Department has not
agreed with that until now. Is there any new account of - and of
course the monitoring regime has disintegrated too, he says. Is there
any - do you have any quarrel - does the State Department have any
quarrel with --
MR. REEKER: Well, obviously, Barry, I wasn't even able to be with you
to hear those new comments, so it is a little difficult to provide any
state of things.
Q: No, but what is the state of those two things?
MR. REEKER: But taking your word for it and just referring back to
what has been said repeatedly from here, and certainly Ambassador
Boucher addressed it last week, sanctions remain effective. Recent
flights to Baghdad don't change that. There is strong international
support for controls that limit Iraq's ability to threaten other
countries in the region, to reconstitute their programs, to develop
weapons of mass destruction and harm its own people, things we have
been through time and time again.
As you know, the UN controls all but a very small amount of Iraq's oil
revenues, the Oil-for-Food program, which gives the Iraqi Government
the opportunity to provide for its people. All members of the UN
Security Council have called upon Iraq to implement Resolution 1284,
which maintains the sanctions, while providing Iraq with a clear and
attainable path to achieve the suspension of sanctions. That is very
clear, and we just addressed - that includes Russia.
Again, 1284 provides the path for what Iraq needs to do to have
sanctions suspended. There is regular discussion at the UN, on the
Sanctions Committee, on procedures to implement the sanctions regime,
but the sanctions overall remain very effective in meeting the goals
that we have, and that is to prevent Iraq from threatening its
neighbors, from reconstituting its programs to develop weapons of mass
destruction, and indeed from threatening its own people.
Q: He says one consequence of this is Iraq is emboldened now to
support - to get involved, to back, to sponsor - the guerrilla
attacks, or, you know, these actions that are cropping up all over the
-- against Israel and various - from Southern Lebanon and elsewhere.
Does the State Department - you weren't there, obviously. I'm not
asking you to comment so much on what he said, but does the US have
any evidence that Iraq is newly engaged in guerilla campaigns against
Israel?
MR. REEKER: I don't have anything particular to share with you.
(The briefing was concluded at 2:25 P.M.)
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