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Daily Press Briefing
Richard Boucher, Spokesman
Washington, DC
January 6, 2003

INDEX:

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QUESTION: On Iraq. Could you give an assessment, please, of Saddam Hussein's speech today? And he accused the inspectors of spying, of gathering information for intelligence purposes. Could you speak to that?

MR. BOUCHER: I think basically, what we need to say is once again we have baseless and false accusations by a leader who has sought to mislead, who has sought to prevaricate, who has tried to deceive the international community. The resolution, the UN Security Council Resolution, gave Saddam Hussein a final opportunity to comply with UN Security Council requirements, a final opportunity to disarm. That is an opportunity that he should take.

The international community has made quite clear what Iraq's obligations are and the burden rests squarely with Iraq. To attempt to make false charges and divert attention is not to comply with their obligations and is not the way to solve this situation without resort to military conflict.

QUESTION: You're suggesting that his accusations are not -- are a violation of some kind of requirement?

MR. BOUCHER: I'm suggesting that his violation -- that his accusations are untrue, and may indicate an intention not to comply.

Okay, Betsy.

QUESTION: Given that subject about whether he complies or whether he doesn't, later this month there will be a report by the UN on compliance. I realize it's a little early now since that's about two and half weeks off, but has there been any thought given to what the US will do if the UN finds that they have not been able to find anything and that the Iraqis have been helpful?

MR. BOUCHER: There is certainly a lot of thought given to how we proceed in this matter, how we try to make the UN Security Council process succeed in this matter. Our goal remains, as the President said just the other day, to get Iraq to comply, to get Iraq to disarm peacefully and stop threatening its region, its people and its neighbors. That's what we're giving our thought to and how to make it succeed.

We have upcoming meetings with the inspectors and the Security Council. January 9th, there'll be a discussion. January 26th or 27th -- I always get it wrong -- 27th there will be a discussion. I'm sure the Security Council will continue to focus on these issues, on how these inspections are going and what we need to make them successful. Success, in our view, is to disarm Iraq and to identify, verify, Iraq's disarmament.

Mark.

QUESTION: Sort of along the same lines, is the United States Government preparing its own list of particulars that it might make public at some point, in terms of Iraq's noncompliance over the last -- well, since 1441 was passed?

MR. BOUCHER: I think we have looked at any number of things. We've stated quite clearly some of the things that we've seen, including the declaration that Iraq made, as a further material breach with material omissions. We have, I think, called them the way we've seen them. We're prepared to do so in the future. But I don't have any kind of list for you today.

Okay, in the back.

QUESTION: On Iraq. The Turkish Prime Minister Mr. Gul, he just finished his diplomatic attack for peace for the Iraq, he called them. And they made several statement in the several Arabic countries, capitals of several Arab countries. Are you happy his diplomatic attempt about the subject? And also did you ask them to deliver some message because he's planning to go to Baghdad also? He announced today? Did you ask him to deliver some message to Saddam Hussein?

MR. BOUCHER: You asked me that before he made the trip, while he was on the trip and now while he's in between what appears to be two trips. I would go back to what we've said before. We think it's important that anyone who's discussing these issues and meeting with the Iraqis make absolutely clear that Iraq must comply with the UN requirements, that that's the only way to bring peace to the region. That would be my only comment on his trip or anyone else.

QUESTION: And also, the Turkish Foreign Minister Mr. Yakis, he made a statement yesterday, Turkey is evaluating his right over Mosul and Kirkuk. Do you have any reaction on this statement?

MR. BOUCHER: I didn't see the statement. I don't have any immediate reaction here.

In the back.

QUESTION: I understand that Ambassador Paul Salucci and other U.S. ambassadors have been tasked with asking their host countries what they might provide in the event of war with Iraq. I was wondering if Ambassador Salucci has heard back yet, and could you characterize Canada's level of cooperation in this regard?

MR. BOUCHER: I think for Canada's cooperation, what Canada may or may not have said, you'd have to ask the Canadians. I'm not in a position to discuss what any given country may or may not be in a position to do should that come about. We have made clear that we have talked to a number of governments about how we might coordinate if military action proves necessary, but at this point I haven't been going into any specific responses we may or may not have received.

Gene.

QUESTION: Yeah. In your response to the spying question here, it seems to me that you're moving towards complete transparency on the part of the Iraqi Government. This is what you're seeking. Is that -- does that mean that Iraq should have no secrets whatsoever from the outside world?

MR. BOUCHER: The United Nations resolution called on Iraq to present a full and final disclosure of all its programs of weapons of mass destruction. And then they went further into detail on that. Now, Iraq has been called upon to do that a number of occasions in the past and has failed to do so, and once again, regrettably, they have failed to do so. Let's remember, the purpose of the inspections is not to play and hide and seek. The purpose of the inspections is to verify Iraqi disclosures, to verify Iraqi disarmament. And that is what is required by the UN Security Council.

Sir.

QUESTION: Okay, I have many reports that South Korea is urging the United States to guarantee the survival of the North Korean regime in exchange, in return for the North abandoning of its nuclear program.

MR. BOUCHER: I don't know when you walked into this room, but we did that for about 20 minutes today and about a half hour last Friday, and I'll just stick with those answers for the moment.

QUESTION: Richard, it's been about ten days since we heard that the United States intended to hand over to UNMOVIC that information which they were seeking about various sites. How much of that has now been handed over and can you tell us whether the inspectors have, in fact, followed up on that and visited some of the proposed locations?

MR. BOUCHER: I'm not in a position to define that information in any way that would say whether or not it's been followed up on or if they've gone to particular locations or not. I'm afraid that just gets us beyond the range of what we're prepared to do. But we said ten days ago that we were prepared to share more and more information and we have been doing that ever since we said it.

QUESTION: There has been some reports about Bush administration preparing for a new government in Iraq and also other reports from the Middle East that there is talk of Saddam Hussein leaving the country with the help of Russia or going to Russia. Is the United States aware of this? Is it encouraging this? Would it accept this?

MR. BOUCHER: These are topics that we've talked about before to the extent that we can. I would merely repeat today that were Saddam to take the option to leave and to allow people to run his country who would be willing to live in peace with their neighbors and their own people, that that would be a positive development.

I think Secretary Powell and Secretary Rumsfeld have both said that it's an opportunity he should take advantage of. But we're not behind those proposals. You'd have to ask the people who are. I think I've seen, actually, groups of Arab intellectuals who've made such proposals rather than any particular government.

QUESTION: Would the United States insist on the people it's training now to run the country or allow the Arabs --

MR. BOUCHER: We've always made clear the future of Iraq needs to be in the hands of the Iraqis, the future of Iraq needs to be decided by people inside and outside the country, and that whatever happens to Iraq needs to be decided by Iraqis. So that's something that I think we hold to around the world, but it's very much true in this situation, as well.

QUESTION: Would you prefer that as an alternative to war?

MR. BOUCHER: We would prefer Iraq to disarm, Iraq to stop threatening its own people and its neighbors with weapons of mass destruction. That's our goal in this crisis. However that happens, through a change in behavior, a change in regime, or a change in people, that's our goal is to see that Iraq no longer threatens its people and its neighbors with these weapons.

QUESTION: On that just briefly. Are you saying that the U.S. would be prepared to go along with some kind of an option that would allow him to live with impunity in a third country, without being punished for something? The U.S. is not --

ASSISTANT SECRETARY WOLF: I'm not, maybe, seeing that quite that far in the future. We had a discussion of this last week --

QUESTION: Yeah, I know, I know --

MR. BOUCHER: -- and we all, I think, my bottom line as we've looked at these various ideas that float out there, is that to remember what our policy goal is, which is disarmament.

And second of all, as Secretary Powell and Secretary Rumsfeld have said, it's certainly an opportunity he ought to take. But third, just to say let's remember reality here, which is he hasn't indicated any desire to do so and nothing in his past behavior would make you think he would.

So, you know, as far as what that then might lead to and the who, what, when, where, how, what about the longer term, I wouldn't speculate at this point.

QUESTION: You realize that you are in a position, speaking from the podium, to like, kind of push this idea along further if you were to say that, you know, the United States wouldn't really oppose an idea, a situation where Saddam could live in, you know, Belarus or something, without having to worry about being --

MR. BOUCHER: I'm not going to try to speculate on particular results or specifics.

Okay. We have the gentleman here. Same thing?

QUESTION: What is the United States thinking of importing oil from Russia in the case of war with Iraq took place?

MR. BOUCHER: We already import, I think, a lot of oil from Russia. Do we do it directly? I think so. But Russia's already -- let's put it this way. Russia's already a major oil supplier to the international market. I'm sure that all the various international oil suppliers would try to make sure that prices are stable and use their capacity to do so. I don't know what Russia's particular plans might be.

QUESTION: This is what the United States Ambassador said in Russia.

MR. BOUCHER: Yeah, and I'm sure he knows probably better than I do on what Russia might be able to do should there be crisis in the oil supply. But we're all interested in having a stable supply of oil and I'm sure Russia is interested in that, as well.

(...)
[End]