17 September 2002
U.S. Still Wants Security Council Resolution on Iraq
(Powell says resolution needed despite renewed weapons inspections) (960) By Judy Aita Washington File United Nations Correspondent United Nations -- Stressing that Baghdad must understand inspections will not be a repeat of the past, Secretary of State Colin Powell said September 17 that the United States is going to press ahead for a new resolution in the Security Council in spite of Iraq's letter of acceptance of weapons inspectors. Powell said that in light of the changed international political environment brought about by President Bush's September 12 speech on Iraq to the General Assembly, "the Security Council should speak again...and not essentially say that all things are right now because we have seen this one short letter from the Iraqi foreign minister" that should have been written years ago. The secretary said that the council should discuss the circumstances of the UN weapons inspectors return to Iraq, what they must be free to do, and, especially, the consequences for Iraq if the inspections fail. "The only way to make sure that it is not business as usual and to make sure it is not a repeat of the past, it seems to me...is to put it in the form of a new UN resolution," Powell said at a press conference with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov and Foreign Minister Per Stig Moeller of Denmark, which holds the EU's rotating presidency. "We have seen this game before," the secretary said. A new resolutions is needed "in order for us to keep the pressure on and in order to make sure if we start down this road it is a new road -- a different road than what we have seen in the past with tough conditions, tough standards (of) anytime, anyplace, any person, (and) to make sure that we satisfy the need for disarmament." In a letter signed by Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri, Iraq notified the secretary general September 16 that it would "allow the return of inspectors without conditions to continue their work." Powell pointed out that "we didn't see Iraq suddenly acknowledging the error of its ways of the past 12 years or suddenly realizing that they had been in the wrong." "What we saw was Iraq responding to what happened last week when the president of the United States came before the international community and laid out the indictment clearly and the entire international community came together and said this is unacceptable. Enormous pressure was put on Iraq as a result and Iraq responded to that pressure," he said. "It is the international community through the United States and Security Council that should make the judgment as to when, where, if, under what set of circumstances and with what potential consequences," the secretary said. Powell said that "we have experience on how Iraq deals with the inspections teams -- that's why they are not there now. They have made it impossible for them to do their work once before," he said. "I think that it is quite appropriate in light of the fact that the inspectors have not been there for the past four years for the Security Council to consider the circumstances under which they might return, what they must be free to do, what additional instructions may be appropriate," the secretary said. It is a reasonable for the Security Council to discuss what the consequences are for Iraq if the inspectors are unable to do their job, he said. Powell added that the issue of Iraq's compliance with Security Council resolutions is not just disarming Iraq. "There are many other issues at stake here having to do with the treatment of minorities in the country, having to do with terrorism, having to do with a number of other issues including the return of prisoners that have to be dealt with before the will of the United Nations is satisfied," Powell added. Ivanov did not say whether Russia would go along with another resolution, but noted that "we don't need any special resolution" for the weapons inspections to proceed. The council will need to consider what has to be done "to maintain clear control over the process," he said. Annan said that "the decision by Iraq to allow the return of the inspectors should be seen as a beginning, not an end. As a beginning in our efforts to return the inspectors who are going to disarm Iraq." "We must also remember that between 1991 and 1996 in particular, the inspectors did a credible job destroying Iraq's weapons from ballistic missiles to chemical and biological....and in the nuclear field," the secretary general said. "So the only way to disarm effectively is to have the inspectors back," the secretary general said. Annan acknowledged that given past history with Baghdad, there are other nations which want "Iraq to understand that is not going to be business a usual or a repeat of what happened in the past." The secretary general said that Hans Blix, the chairman of the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC), "is ready to move as quickly as is practicable." The UN announced that Blix will hold talks with Iraqi officials on the inspections beginning in the afternoon of September 17. Moeller said that the European Union wants to be sure that Iraq means what it says. "That's why we think that the Security Council should consider whether the Iraqi acceptance corresponds to the demands of the council where weapons inspections are concerned." "It is evident that admittance of the inspectors is not sufficient," Moeller said. "The Iraqi authorities will also have to extend their full cooperation. So we must have full clarity on the aspects and the requirements (so) we know exactly what has been offered and what can be done." "If I were sitting in the Security Council...I would in the next days ahead sleep with my eyes wide open and the boots on," Moeller said. (The Washington File is a product of the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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