18 December 2002
Bush Concerned with Omissions in Iraq Weapons Declaration
(But will continue "deliberative" policy, Fleischer says) (970) By Wendy Ross White House Correspondent Washington -- President Bush "is concerned about Iraq's failure" to list all pertinent information in the arms declaration it submitted recently to the United Nations Security Council, but he will not act hastily against Iraq, according to White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer. President Bush "holds the view that when it comes to matters of war and peace, it is important to be deliberative, to be thoughtful and to be wise," Fleischer told reporters at his noon briefing December 18, "And that is exactly the course the president will take." Fleischer spoke to reporters following a morning meeting between Bush and his national security team. The United States is continuing to review what is in the "voluminous" 144 page document, but, "even before our total review is complete, we have made certain assessments of it," and President Bush "is concerned with omissions ...and with problems in this document," the press secretary said. Chief United Nations arms inspector Hans Blix will go before the U.N. Security Council in New York December 19 to discuss the findings and the facts that the United Nations weapons inspectors have found in Iraq's declaration, Fleischer reported. "It is important now to listen to the world, to listen to the United Nations, to listen to allies, to listen to other countries as they, too, have their chance to look at this declaration and evaluate it just as the United States looks forward to doing," Fleischer said. "We will be interested to hear" what Blix and others say, and the United States government "will share information, as well tomorrow," he said. He noted that the chief U.S. representative to the United Nations, Ambassador John Negroponte, along with other U.N. representatives, will take part in the meeting with Blix and will also make remarks. Following that meeting, "you will see the United States move in a very deliberative and thoughtful way about what the implications of this are," Fleischer said. "It's the view of the United States government that inspections need to continue, that this is a process the president called for and asked for, and that the inspectors need to have every tool at their disposal so they are capable of doing their job to the very best degree possible," he said. "We want the inspectors to have the tools they need to do their job. We want them to be able to fully use every asset given to them in the United Nations Security Council resolution. And that will be the deliberative path that the United States proceeds." Asked to comment on a December 18 statement by Britain's Foreign Secretary Jack Straw that Iraq's declaration is "an obvious falsehood," Fleischer said: "All nations have it within their right to evaluate the declaration themselves and to share their thoughts with the world. And I think that's part of the healthy process that the president launched when he went to the United Nations and said the United Nations needs to re-enter this debate and make certain this time Saddam Hussein does what he promised to do, disarm. "People are all looking at the same document and (are) aware of the fact that tomorrow Hans Blix is going to be talking about it. So it's kind of a natural event that many nations are going to be reflecting on it. So we welcome the comments of other nations," he said. "It is the job of the member states to declare whether or not there is or is not a material breach and decide the timing for whether to declare a material breach. The inspectors are there to report facts, not to make conclusive judgments of that nature," Fleischer said. "The president is going to pursue this in a thoughtful, deliberative way, in consultation, as he promised, with our allies. And I assure you this president does not bluff. When he said that Saddam Hussein must disarm and that he wants Saddam Hussein to disarm so peace can be preserved or Saddam Hussein will be disarmed, it is not a bluff. He hopes Saddam Hussein will do it, still," he said. "And so what you are seeing is the president doing just what he said. And so, tomorrow, Hans Blix will go to the Security Council and the pace and the timing will be measured and be deliberative," the press secretary said. ... "And, as I indicated on the timing, given the fact that the president asked the United Nations to proceed in this manner, it's appropriate to allow Hans Blix to make his statement tomorrow. And then we'll see what the future course takes after that." Asked if the American people can be confident that proof will be forthcoming to show the omissions in Iraq's declaration, Fleischer said, "We are a democracy. Democracies are extraordinarily reluctant, and particularly the American democracy, to go to war. "In the event that the president reaches the conclusion that what he has determined is his last choice, and his last option becomes the only option to protect and to save American lives, you can be assured the president will repeatedly talk to the American people about this. "He will continue his deliberative and his thoughtful approach. That will be the approach that the president takes over the passage of time. And so, you will hear from the president when the president deems it appropriate, and I would reach no conclusions about when that would be, whether it's this week or some other time," Fleischer said. But, if he does determine that military action against Iraq is necessary, the United States "will assemble a coalition of the willing," Fleischer 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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