09 January 2003
White House, State Department Say Iraq Not Disarming as Required
(Say Blix interim report to U.N. gives cause for concern) (900) By Wendy S. Ross and Phillip Kurata Washington File Staff Writers Washington -- The interim report on Iraq to the United Nations delivered January 9 by Hans Blix, the chief United Nations weapons inspector, shows that the Saddam Hussein regime has failed to comply with United Nations resolutions that it disarm, officials at the White House and the State Department told reporters in Washington January 9. "What we learned in New York today gives further concern for people who want to keep peace, because Iraq has failed to comply with the United Nations resolutions. The President has said that he will have zero tolerance for this. The President has also said that Saddam Hussein will have to figure out exactly what zero tolerance means and when he means it," White House Spokesman Ari Fleischer said. The United States knows "for a fact" that Iraq has chemical and biological weapons of mass destruction, and has concerns that Iraq is seeking to acquire and develop nuclear weapons, Fleischer said. Asked to comment on remarks by Blix that the inspectors so far have found "no smoking gun" proving that Iraq possesses weapons of mass destruction, Fleischer said, "The heart of the problem is Iraq is very good at hiding things." "The problem with guns that are hidden is you can't see their smoke," he said. "And so we will still await to see what the inspectors find in Iraq and what events in Iraq lead to." State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher commented that the information that Iraq has provided is filled with holes and unanswered questions. "The failure of Iraq to cooperate is becoming more and more clear," Boucher said. "There's no indication that Iraq has changed its approach from an approach based on deceit and deception." In addition to providing incomplete documentation, Boucher accused the Iraqi regime of thwarting U.N. efforts to interview people by having "minders" present at the interviews. "I think we want to see people to be in a position to be able to talk freely about what they know about Iraqi programs. Honest Iraqis would talk freely because it's in the interest of their nation to disclose these programs, have the inspectors verify it and have the inspectors destroy that equipment. That's what's necessary for a peaceful resolution," Boucher said. Fleischer said Blix's report points out that the work of the inspectors is still under way, that they continue to gather information. "(W)hen you hear the list of concerns that Hans Blix and Dr. ElBaradei [head of the International Atomic Energy Agency] have delineated about the failure of Iraq to comply fully with all their obligations, it gives ongoing cause for concern to the world. They have said that they have not gotten everything they have sought, they have not gotten everything that they need, that the inspections need to continue," Fleischer said. "They also walked the United Nations through how they are now getting more material and more resources themselves so they can better do their jobs, which we were very pleased to hear," he added. Fleischer noted that the interim report cited a number of issues of concern to the United States dealing with special munitions, illegal imports of large numbers of missile engines, contradictions involving the chemical agent VX, and an inadequate response by Iraq to provide the names of all personnel who have been involved in suspected weapons of mass destruction programs. "So while they've said that there's no smoking gun, they said the absence of it is not assured. And that's the heart of the problem. The heart of the problem is Iraq is very good at hiding things," Fleischer said. On January 27 U.N. inspectors are scheduled to give their formal response to Iraq's compliance with U.N. Security Council demands. Asked about this, and whether this was a final deadline before military action would begin, Fleischer said "It's an important reporting date. And we will see what the inspectors have to say in this three-week period." He made clear, however, that President Bush has placed no deadline on how long the inspections should continue. "I've not heard the president put a time line on it. The president has said that he wants the inspectors to be able to do their jobs, to continue their assessment of Iraqi compliance with U.N. disarmament demands," Fleischer said. Asked about the buildup of U.S. troops in the Gulf region, Fleischer said "the presence of the military has an effective influence on diplomacy and making sure that Saddam Hussein understands that he needs to comply, because if he doesn't, the United States has the means and the ability to make him comply." Regarding the cooperation Turkey would give the United States if military action were to be ordered, Fleischer said the United States and Turkey "have a very common interest in making certain that any security threat from the Iraqi regime is neutralized. And we have an interest in working together to foster political and economic stability in the region. The United States and Turkey have long enjoyed a very healthy and good strategic relationship, diplomatic relationship, and economic relationship. We continue to coordinate very closely with Turkey on the best approach to issues in the region and we will continue to do so." (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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