10 February 2003
U.S. "Unexcited" by Iraqi Offer to Allow Surveillance Flights
(Boucher says U.N. requires full compliance, not steps) (850) In response to Iraq's reported willingness to allow reconnaissance flights and other proposed measures seeming to suggest an increase in cooperation with United Nations weapons inspectors, State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher repeated that the issue at hand is Iraq's immediate and full compliance with U.N. resolutions. "I haven't seen anything that's worth getting excited about," said Boucher, speaking at the February 10 State Department briefing. The most recent U.N. resolution, 1441, "didn't ask Iraq to make steps; the resolution asked Iraq for full, immediate and active cooperation. We know what that looks like; we've seen it elsewhere," said Boucher, in apparent reference to similar disarmament by countries such as South Africa and the Ukraine. Many members of the U.N. Security Council including France, Russia and Germany are seeking Iraqi answers or explanations concerning the evidence provided to the council February 5 by Secretary of State Colin Powell, Boucher said. "The Iraqis didn't come forth with the 3,500 scientists on the previous U.N. list. They didn't come forth with the biological weapons laboratories. They didn't come forth with many other things that we have specified, that we have talked about, that the secretary pointed out in his presentation last week and that these ministers said Iraq needs to answer for," he added. Boucher said that Iraq had until February 14, when the weapons inspectors will report next to the Council, to provide those answers. Following is an excerpt from the February 10 State Department briefing containing Boucher's comments on Iraq: (begin excerpt) QUESTION: Well, there have been some moves by Iraq and I wonder what the reaction to them are. First, they permitted -- they say they will permit reconnaissance flights, the kind of overflights that the Secretary wanted them to permit. Second, they say they'll pass a law banning weapons of mass destruction. And third, the monitors have reported an increase in cooperation. How does the administration feel about all this? MR. BOUCHER: I don't know that Iraq has actually allowed any flights. The point, I think, is to judge Iraq by the basis -- on the basis of the resolution, not to judge them against other standards of progress or a change of heart. The goal was for Iraq to comply immediately, fully and completely, provide active cooperation with the inspectors. I remind you of what members of the Security Council said last week after Secretary Powell's presentation. Foreign Minister de Villepin said the Iraqi authorities must also provide the inspectors with answers to the new elements presented by Colin Powell. Between now and the inspectors' next report on February 14th, Iraq will have to provide new elements. We also had Foreign Minister Ivanov said Baghdad must give the inspectors answers to the questions that we heard in the presentation given by the U.S. Secretary of State. We had Foreign Minister Fischer say Iraq has to answer the elements which were provided today by Colin Powell to the Security Council, and on and on and on. The issue is really: Is Iraq providing answers, dealing with the facts of the matter? Is Iraq providing complete and open cooperation? What we saw over the weekend was a repetition of a few promises from a couple weeks ago that were not fulfilled, and we'll have to see what the inspectors report to the Council on Friday. QUESTION: So the administration will not even credit this as a step in the right direction; is that correct? MR. BOUCHER: The resolution didn't say -- didn't ask Iraq to make steps. The resolution asked Iraq for full, immediate and active cooperation. We know what that looks like. We've seen it elsewhere. The Iraqis didn't come forth with the 3,500 scientists on the previous UN list. They didn't come forth with the biological weapons laboratories. They didn't come forth with many other things that we have specified, that we have talked about, that the Secretary pointed out in his presentation last week, and that these ministers said Iraq needs to answer for. So I think we've seen the press reporting from over the weekend. We look forward to hearing directly from the inspectors. But I haven't seen anything that's worth getting excited about. ----- QUESTION: Also, you haven't characterized various overtures, if that's the word, from Iraq. The Secretary, in that same speech or presentation, suggested the world should be alert to last-minute trickery, last-minute -- I forgot his word, but suggesting a little cat-and-mouse game, a little give by Iraq that really won't mean all that much. Is that the season we're in now? MR. BOUCHER: I think we probably are in the season of, you know, tactical retreats by Iraq. But the question that has to be asked: Do they amount to active cooperation? Do they amount to the answers that so many foreign ministers asked for at last Wednesday's Security Council meeting? And, frankly, I haven't seen too much in that regard. (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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