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Daily Press Briefing
Richard Boucher, Spokesman
Washington, DC
December 17, 2002

INDEX:

(...)

QUESTION: What can you lay out, to the extent that it's known, on the Security Council and Mr. Blix? He speaks Thursday, reports. I hear Mr. Wolf is going up to the represent the US. But how does it work out and what do you anticipate in the way of debate or consideration? Lengthy?

MR. BOUCHER: I don't know. Simple answer. We'll see. We have been working closely with other members of the Security Council. We've been in close touch with the inspectors. As you note, Assistant Secretary Wolf and others have been in touch with the inspectors, trying to work with them on two issues. One is helping the inspectors prepare the working version of the text so that other members of the Council can have a text that they'll have a chance to review before the meeting on Thursday.

So I think the inspectors are trying to get it to them either today or tomorrow so that all the members of the Council can have that, and then we can get together on Thursday with the inspectors and hear what I think Dr. Blix has called their preliminary assessment of the Iraqi document. After that takes place, we will have something to say sometime, and that's about as definite as I can get to you.

On our own assessment, as the Secretary indicated yesterday, we see problems with the declaration and that our skepticism about Iraq and Iraq's cooperation and intentions has been well-founded. But this will be a process of discussion with other members of the Security Council, with the inspectors themselves. We'll look at all facets of Iraq's cooperation -- what's in the declaration, what's not in the declaration, what we know from other sources, what the inspectors themselves find out through their own inspections -- as we evaluate Iraq's cooperation and the final goal, which is to find out if Iraq is disarming or not.

QUESTION: Little has been said here as -- been directed at Iraq that Iraq -- well, you know, that it's more significant what's included as what's not included probably, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. The leaks have begun. There's a leak now that 80 German shipments, 80 contracts with Iraq, are listed in this report. I'm not asking you to verify it, but I'm asking you whether the US has problems with the cooperation Iraq got from European countries in -- even if in dual-use equipment in doing the things it's done.

MR. BOUCHER: I don't think I can make any kind of sweeping judgment at this point. Obviously, Iraq has had very active procurement programs through the years, bought some things, you know, legally in the past and bought many things illegally in recent years with the extra money that they've gotten from illegitimate oil sales and the various other attempts that they've made at procurement.

Countries need to know what the Iraqis have been buying. Countries need to know what we find out about what the Iraqis have gotten and where they've gotten it. So I think our view, certainly our view is not to withhold this kind of information on procurements, but rather, to share it. And to the extent that the inspectors believe it needs to be withheld for the purpose of their inspections, we could see that. But otherwise, in terms of what we're doing with the inspectors and the other members of the Council in reaching agreement on a working version for circulation to all the members, that's not really a factor.

(...)

QUESTION: What are your problems with the Iraqi declaration? And you seem to be backing away now from the idea that you will make some kind of judgment later this week.

MR. BOUCHER: I don't think we said judgment. I think we said start offering our assessment or our judgments, maybe plural, about what we think. The Secretary said we will withhold making a final judgment or a final statement until we have completed our analysis, completed our discussions with the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission and the International Atomic Energy Agency and our colleagues on the permanent membership of the Security Council. So I'm sure we'll have something to say later this week, but whether it will be a "final judgment" or not, don't know, haven't promised it, and not going to promise it now.

Betsy.

QUESTION: You didn't answer the first part. What are the problems with the declaration?

MR. BOUCHER: There are problems with the declaration that we'll talk about later, after we've talked more to the inspectors, to the other members of the Council, and heard from the inspectors in terms of their briefings for the Council.

Betsy.

QUESTION: Do you think that you will give your assessment on Thursday?

MR. BOUCHER: I don't know. Later in the week.

QUESTION: That's later in the week.

MR. BOUCHER: It offers several possibilities.

(...)

QUESTION: Can we go back to Iraq for a moment? Russia has said today that there really shouldn't be an American assessment before the inspectors' assessment of the report, and yesterday Russia, or the Deputy Foreign Minister, was quoted as saying Russia is not going to put pressure on North Korea to do what the United States wants it to do.

I'm just wondering what kind of diplomatic efforts you've got in Russia going on. We know that the Foreign Minister is coming here on Friday for the Quartet, but I'm sure you're talking to them.

MR. BOUCHER: I hate it when you answer my question before I get a chance. The Foreign Minister is coming on Friday -- (laughter) -- and I'm sure we'll continue to work these issues with him. The Secretary has been in touch, I think late last week, with Foreign Minister Ivanov and they certainly have been working with the inspectors as we and other members of the Council who have the expertise in nuclear, chemical and biological weapons have been working with the inspectors.

As far as the first part of your question about not making statements before the inspectors, I think I just told you we intended to say something after the inspectors, so I don't see any particular contradiction there.

(...)

QUESTION: Do you have anything to say on the end of the Iraqi opposition conference in London and their formation of a committee?

MR. BOUCHER: Yes, I do, and I believe the White House may be putting something out as well. I'd just say we're pleased with the results of the Iraqi opposition conference that was convened in London over the past few days. The conference represents a historic milestone for the Iraqi opposition and a symbol of a brighter future for Iraqis both inside and outside Iraq.

This represents the broadest gathering ever convened to free Iraqis opposed to the tyrannical regime in Baghdad and the participants should be commended for their efforts. We're pleased that the conference participants agreed on a strong statement setting forth their vision of a better future for Iraq as a democratic state. We support those aspirations. We look forward to working together with them to achieve them.

The conference decision to form a coordinating committee to follow up on the critical work will be useful and we look forward to sharing the ideas and recommendations developed within our Future of Iraq Project to assist a future Iraqi government in the post-Saddam Hussein era.

Trude.

(...)

QUESTION: While we're on the subject of Assad's visit, I don't know whether you've had a chance to see his comments he made in London, but one of them was that Syria, which of course has been at odds with Iraq for most of the past 25 years, did not see Iraq as a threat to the region, and he also said that he suspected that the US campaign against Iraq was motivated by other factors such as oil.

How can you persuade us that Iraq is a regional threat when many countries like Syria, which are neighbors, say publicly that they don't see it as such, and others have said so, too?

MR. BOUCHER: Where did you get the word "many"?

QUESTION: Well, I think the Jordanians have said so, too.

MR. BOUCHER: "Many" is one?

QUESTION: No, the Jordanians have said so, too. I think even the Egyptians have.

MR. BOUCHER: Many of Iraq's neighbors -- and I think I'm well justified in using the word "many" -- understand that Iraq has gassed its own people, understand that Iraq has gassed its neighbors, understand that Iraq has invaded two of its neighbors, and understand that Iraq's continued pursuit of weapons of mass destruction constitutes a threat to the region as well as to the whole world.

(...)
[End]