25 September 2002
U.S. Says U.N. Inspectors Need New Authority and Guidelines
(Boucher says U.S. is continuing to work for a new Security Council resolution) (1550) State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said it was important to have a new U.N. resolution on Iraq in order to give international weapons inspectors new authority and new instructions from the Security Council. "We think that for inspections to occur, it would be best for them to occur with the new endorsement and the full endorsement of the Security Council as well as guidelines," said Boucher, speaking at the September 25 State Department briefing in Washington. Boucher questioned the sincerity of Iraq, which has said it would accept "unconditional" and "unfettered" inspections, but would reject any new resolution from the Security Council. "You can't do that," he said. "It's not for Iraq, in any case, to say, 'Here's what we will accept and how we will accept it, and here's where you can go and here's where you can't go. And oh, by the way, you can't go over there right now; they're having lunch.' It's for the council to specify what Iraq is required to do, for the council to take its authority, exercise its authority, and for Iraq to comply," said Boucher. Following are excerpts from the September 25 State Department briefing containing comments on Iraq: (begin excerpt) QUESTION: Can I go back to the Iraqi resolution before you start wandering off? The meeting in -- MR. BOUCHER: I didn't think I was wandering off, but -- (laughter) -- QUESTION: No. The meeting in Vienna is in about a week's time, I guess, and the Secretary said last week that he would try to thwart, or you would try to thwart, any attempt to get inspectors in before a resolution. Could you explain how you would do that and what your -- could you reaffirm that you're fully opposed to any arrangements between the UN and Iraq on a return before you get a resolution? MR. BOUCHER: I would reaffirm that we're working on a resolution, that we're seeking to have a resolution so that inspectors can go in with the full support, the authority and the guidance of the Security Council. And we'll see how all these things work out. QUESTION: So you haven't quite said that you would be opposed to a return without a resolution. MR. BOUCHER: I'm not changing what we've said before, but I'm just saying all these pieces are in play and I'm not going to try to predict where we'll be on a resolution at that moment. QUESTION: All right. Well, put it this way. Are you under the impression that if the inspectors went back right now they would not have the full support, the full authority, of the Security Council? MR. BOUCHER: There are so many pieces here that it's hard to predict. I mean, the inspectors have talked about meeting with the Iraqis September 30th, but I don't assume that they're then flying from Vienna to Iraq. So there are a lot of pieces that will have to be worked here. I think it's very -- we think it's very important that when the inspectors go, they go with a new endorsement from the Council, with a new authority of the Council, and with new instructions of the Council. And that's why we believe it's important to have a new resolution. No, they have authorization in previous resolutions and they have a whole history behind them, but at the same time, at this juncture when it's vitally important that we ascertain whether Iraq is willing to disarm, whether Iraq is willing to comply, and that we do that in an unrestricted and unfettered manner, we think they deserve the full endorsement of the Security Council. Andrea. QUESTION: Richard, how important is it that this new resolution or resolutions would be in place before the Vienna meeting? MR. BOUCHER: These are all the questions that I'm being asked. I'm not able to give you precise timing on all these things. QUESTION: No, no, I'm not talking about going back to Iraq. That's what they were asking about. MR. BOUCHER: No, I know. But I just said I'm going to beg off on trying to game-plan exactly when things are going to happen in the Security Council or when the inspectors are going to meet and when they're going to go. There are too many pieces to juggle. They're all being worked together, but how it works out I can't predict at this point. QUESTION: I mean, if I could, I'm sorry. The fact of the matter is if -- when Hans Blix meets with the Iraqis, he's going to have to talk to them about what the conditions are. And don't you think it's a relevant question to wonder if it's going to be under 1284 or -- MR. BOUCHER: You can wonder, but I can't predict. I mean, I can't tell you exactly when the Council will act, so speculating on whether Hans Blix is going to meet with the Iraqis with or without Council action, I can't do at this point. These things are just not predictable at this point. It is clear that any meetings he has with the Iraqis are done under the authority that he has. Iraq's requirements are already clear and the inspectors' role in trying to verify disarmament is already clear. So there are some things that are clear, but as I said, we think that for inspections to occur it would be best for them to occur with the new endorsement and the full endorsement of the Security Council, as well as guidelines. And I think if you look at what the inspectors themselves, what Hans Blix himself has said over the last few days, he said he has authority from the Council already but anything else that the Council would provide would be welcome and he would be quite happy to follow. QUESTION: But Richard, if it turns out that you don't have a resolution and -- MR. BOUCHER: I'm not going to stand here and take if it turns out this way, if it turns out that way, if this happens first, that happens second, or that happens first and this happens second. QUESTION: Okay. How are you going to answer people who already at this stage might say that you can't take yes for an answer on this? MR. BOUCHER: What's -- QUESTION: Yes from Iraq. QUESTION: From Iraq, yes. MR. BOUCHER: Has Iraq really said yes? I mean, that's the question we have to ask ourselves. QUESTION: Well, most people think so. MR. BOUCHER: Well, I think we have to be careful given all the different things that Iraq has said, not only throughout the years and months past, but throughout the last week, for example. You have Iraq promising inspections without conditions, Iraq using words like "unfettered" and Iraq saying we reject in advance any resolution the Council might pass. You can't do that. It's not for Iraq in any case to say here's what we will accept and how we will accept it and here's where you can go and here's where you can't go, and oh, by the way, you can't go over there right now, they're having lunch. It's for the Council to specify what Iraq is required to do, for the Council to take its authority, exercise its authority, and for Iraq to comply. QUESTION: Richard, when the President made his speech to the UN, he talked about wanting to do this as quickly as possible and said that the United Nations had to prove that it was relevant by moving ahead. Then others, including himself, said that they wanted this to be done in weeks, not months, right? That was two weeks ago. So is the UN or the Security Council teetering on the brink of irrelevancy at the moment? (Laughter.) MR. BOUCHER: No. ............. QUESTION: Do you want to bring us up to date on the diplomacy at the UN in terms of a resolution in the Security Council on Iraq, please? MR. BOUCHER: The diplomacy at the United Nations continues. We're working with other governments about a UN resolution, about text, how about to deal with the violations of Security Council resolutions by Iraq. We're in very close touch with the British, as you all know, and we're in touch with other delegations as well. I would point out in this context that we want to work this process carefully, we want to put together a resolution that deals forthrightly with the situation of Iraq's violations and which can garnish -- that can garner the appropriate support in the Council. We will be working this process carefully. We have not made any predictions as to when a resolution might be ready for circulation and I'm not going to make any now. We're going to work this carefully. We're going to put it together properly, and when it's time to put it out on the table, we'll do that. QUESTION: Does your use of the singular and the word "it" mean that you have now decided that two resolutions is not for you? MR. BOUCHER: It means that we have said we would prefer one resolution but, no, the matter's not entirely closed in terms of we'll have to have discussions with other delegations, are having discussions with other delegations, and we know some of those delegations would prefer two. (end excerpt) (Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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