16 October 2002
U.N. Security Council Discussions On Iraq Resolutions Are "Intense"
(State's Boucher says U.S. pressing for resolution on disarming Iraq) (1790) Discussions among the permanent five members of the U.N. Security Council on a resolution regarding Iraq are "intense" and "ongoing," said State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher October 15 at the regular department briefing. Following a meeting between Secretary of State Colin Powell and British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw on October 15, Boucher characterized the discussions with the French, British, Russian and Chinese governments as "real consultations" in order to secure a U.N. resolution "that meets the goals of the Council, which is to make clear to Iraq they need to disarm, and if they don't, there will be consequences." "We're trying to work out language that the French and the British and the Russians and the other Security Council colleagues can agree upon that will make clear the determination of the Council," Boucher added. Regarding France's preference for two U.N. resolutions in dealing with Iraq instead of the U.S. preference for one resolution, Boucher said that it "is a subject of continuing discussion. This is a positive discussion, it's a discussion that has been both ways, that we have floated ideas with them and they've floated ideas with us." Following is an excerpt containing Boucher's October 15 remarks: (begin excerpt) QUESTION: Can we go on to Iraq? Well, we are on Iraq, I guess. Apart from meeting Foreign Secretary Straw this morning, with whom he has discussed this at great length over the past few weeks, and what has the Secretary been doing to secure the U.N. resolution? MR. BOUCHER: I hate these questions that start out, "Apart from what you're doing, what are you doing?" QUESTION: Well, this is slightly to agree with you on most things, whereas the others don't. There was a mention of talking to the French yesterday. Can you give us more details? MR. BOUCHER: Yeah. We've been in touch with other delegations, including the French in New York. We've continued our conversations at the ministerial level, specifically by the Secretary's meetings with Foreign Secretary Straw today. We continue to work with other members of the Council on key elements of the resolution. The discussions continue. As the Secretary just said, they are intense and we'll keep working it. QUESTION: Well, on that, this was what, an ambassador level, U.N. ambassador level meeting yesterday in New York? MR. BOUCHER: Yeah, meeting or discussion. I'm not sure if they talked on the phone or talked in person. QUESTION: Okay. And the Secretary said that during that the French presented some ideas? MR. BOUCHER: We had heard back from them, and we'll consider that and get back to them. QUESTION: And is this -- MR. BOUCHER: Reports that there's a deadlock or a split or some breakdown are wrong. We're working it and we're still in touch with the other countries and discussing it. QUESTION: But reports that the negotiations are intense and difficult aren't wrong? MR. BOUCHER: Intense -- QUESTION: It's six of one, half a dozen of the other. MR. BOUCHER: No, it's not. QUESTION: Can you say if -- MR. BOUCHER: A breakdown means it's stopped. QUESTION: Should the French expect some kind of an answer when the Defense Minister comes here to Washington or is this something that will be done at a lower -- MR. BOUCHER: I don't know. The Secretary has had these discussions directly on the phone with the French Foreign Minister. Foreign Secretary Straw has been in touch with the French Foreign Minister as well. The President has talked to President Chirac. So we've had these discussions in a number of ways, but I think the most direct channel has been sort of through the foreign affairs channel. QUESTION: -- the Secretary's reference to an idea to -- is specific to talks in New York. MR. BOUCHER: Yeah, we heard some ideas from them in New York through their ambassador to our ambassador and we'll be responding in whatever way we decide is appropriate. Their ideas are responding to ideas that we've floated with them, so it's been going back and forth. QUESTION: To discourage us from saying -- repeating that these talks were in deadlock, can you give us any evidence of any progress that -- MR. BOUCHER: I give you the evidence that the Secretary of State just told you that they're ongoing, and I for one believe him. QUESTION: Richard, do you think you're making progress? MR. BOUCHER: I don't want to claim any progress until we've done it, so it's -- you know, we're a little shy about claiming too much. QUESTION: Well, but you claim that it's not broken down and it's not deadlocked, and then you can't say -- you can't say there's no progress. So what are we supposed to think? MR. BOUCHER: You're supposed to think that the discussions are intense, they're ongoing, that we're working this. Obviously if we didn't think it was a positive discussion we wouldn't have it -- you know, it wouldn't be continuing. But I can't -- you know, we'll -- to come out here and claim progress, discussions are progressing. Is that close enough? QUESTION: I don't know about your last statement because continuing would demonstrate you've taken the -- you've walked the last, whatever the cliché is, before you act on your own or you act in concert with a few friends, that you've tried everything you can to -- MR. BOUCHER: We and the French are trying to work out this. We and the French are both trying to work this out. We're trying to work out language that the French and the British and the Russians and the other Security Council colleagues can agree upon that will make clear the determination of the Council. Let's remember, this is not about the U.S. and France; this is about Iraq, and about Iraq understanding very clearly that if they don't comply with the U.N. requirements there will be consequences. So we're continuing to work on that. That is the goal that we and the French and others have. They understand the need for Iraq to comply and to disarm. We all want to secure that goal, and how exactly we do that in this resolution or, as the French prefer, resolutions, is the subject of continuing discussion. This is a positive discussion. It's a discussion that has been both ways, that we've floated ideas with them and they've floated ideas with us. So it's not a breakdown, a deadlock or an irreparable split, as some would have it. It's an ongoing discussion. QUESTION: All I was suggesting, and then I'll drop it, is that the fact that you're still talking doesn't necessarily mean that you have prospects of success; it necessarily means you're making a very strong effort. MR. BOUCHER: It means we're both trying to make it a success, we're both trying to -- we're all trying to reach agreement on this. QUESTION: Prior to your answer to Barry just then, you have always said -- you have never said that you're trying to work out language. You've always said that you're on the concept phase. And what you just said to Barry was we're trying to work on the French, trying to work out language that will be acceptable. Does this mean that you guys are now on to language or is that -- MR. BOUCHER: This question has come up before but it's come up in the way, "Have you changed your text?" No, we haven't changed our text. We have one text that we've floated with others. But obviously, we're discussing the elements, the concepts, and we're floating textual language for those elements and contexts. QUESTION: So you are -- MR. BOUCHER: I think I have said that on previous occasions, frankly. QUESTION: But you're negotiating those; is that what you mean? You're not -- MR. BOUCHER: We're not down to the level of textual negotiation that one does before one puts a resolution together. QUESTION: Richard, is it fair to say that you're working on a compromise that would be acceptable to both sides, that the U.S. is showing flexibility, then? MR. BOUCHER: We've always said going into this that we had our preferred course, we had our preferred language, but that we were going to consult with other governments and see what they thought. These are real consultations. We're talking to them. We'll see how to work it out. QUESTION: Right. But, I mean, obviously if you're still talking, either you're saying we're not going to budge or you're working on some middle ground. MR. BOUCHER: Or we're saying we understand you, now let's try to figure out how to do this so it works for both of us. QUESTION: And that isn't a compromise? MR. BOUCHER: No. If both sides get what they want, nobody has to compromise. QUESTION: Would -- MR. BOUCHER: Look, I'm not going to do this in public. I'm not going to negotiate this with you. I'm not going to characterize it 17 different ways. We're working this with the French in fairly intense discussions. We're talking to the other Council members, the British and the Russians as well. And we're trying to come up with a solution that meets the goals of the Council, which is to make clear to Iraq they need to disarm, and if they don't, there will be consequences. QUESTION: Richard, is it -- does the U.S. believe that if the French -- if the U.S. is able to reach agreement with the French that the Russians and the Chinese will follow behind? MR. BOUCHER: I think we're working with all of the Perm 5 at this point. We're actually keeping in touch with other members of the Council as well. And I think we have a feeling that if we can work with out with the Perm 5 then we'll have something that others can accept as well. QUESTION: I just want to go back to ten questions ago about the Bolton quote. It's very simple. Insofar as U.S. policy also would like to see regime change at some point, that would include not just Saddam, but I'm assuming his top-level generals -- MR. BOUCHER: I didn't see -- I don't see anything controversial about what was quoted to me, but I didn't see what he said so I won't be in a position to give you an exegesis of the full text. QUESTION: Can I ask a non-U.N. Iraq question, which is Iraqis are going to the polls, such as they are in Iraq, what do you think, if anything, of the referendum that they are having right now? MR. BOUCHER: You know, I have to say we didn't even prepare anything on it. It's not even worthy of our ridicule. (Laughter.) (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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