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05 March 2003

Powell Says Iraq Has Failed to Make Strategic Decision to Disarm

(Saddam Hussein has thrown away his last chance to comply he says)
(690)
By Merle D. Kellerhals, Jr.
Washington File Staff Writer
Washington -- Secretary of State Colin Powell says Iraqi President
Saddam Hussein has made no "strategic, political decision" to disarm
Iraq of its chemical and biological weapons, long-range ballistic
missiles, and related components for building nuclear weapons.
"For the past four months he has been trying to avoid the consequences
of his non-compliance, to escape the moment of truth," Powell said.
"Now is the time for the [U.N. Security] Council to come together once
again to send a message to Saddam that no nation has been taken in by
his transparent tactics. Now is the time for the Council to underscore
its unanimous conclusion that Saddam remains in material breach of his
obligations."
Powell said the goal of the United States is the same as that of the
U.N. Security Council -- the disarmament of Iraq.
"One last opportunity to achieve it through peaceful means remains
open to Saddam Hussein, even at this late hour," Powell said March 5
during a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies
in Washington. "What we know for certain, however, is that Saddam
Hussein will be disarmed. The only question before us now is how."
Powell begins meetings at the United Nations in New York March 6, one
day before chief U.N. weapons inspector Hans Blix of the U.N.
Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) is to
give a formal report to the 15-member Security Council on the status
of weapons inspections in Iraq, and the level of assistance being
provided by the Saddam Hussein regime. A team from the International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is also part of the Iraq weapons
inspection program. Powell took the opportunity to praise the work of
Blix and IAEA Director-General Mohammed ElBaradei, saying both men
have worked diligently and earnestly to enforce the Security Council's
resolutions.
"Nothing we have seen since the passage of [U.N. Security Council
Resolution] 1441 indicates that Saddam Hussein has taken the strategic
and political decision to disarm," Powell said in a 20-minute speech.
"Over a period of years, in resolution after resolution after
resolution, the same challenge was given to him, the same instruction
was given by the international community, by the Security Council to
Saddam Hussein: disarm, give up these weapons of mass destruction,
stop threatening your people ... And for 12 years Saddam Hussein has
given the same answer back repeatedly: 'No, I will not.'
"Iraq's too-little, too-late gestures are meant not just to deceive
and delay action by the international community; he has as one of his
major goals to divide the international community, to split us into
arguing factions. That effort must fail."
Powell conceded that there have been divisions among the five
permanent members of the Security Council -- Britain, China, France,
Russia and the United States -- on a course of action to take to
disarm Iraq.
"If these divisions continue, they will convince Saddam Hussein that
he is right," Powell said. "But I assure you, he is wrong."
Powell said there has always been a difference among members of the
Security Council in the perception of the threat posed by Iraq. "Some
of my colleagues on the Council have never seen it quite as strongly
as we've seen it," he said.
However, he said that when the Council voted unanimously for
Resolution 1441 to force Hussein's compliance, the members knew the
day might come when the use of military force would be needed.
"We have made clear that we believe the threat is so great that if the
Security Council is unable to take action despite our best efforts to
work with it -- we must in the interests of our own safety and, we
believe, the safety of the region and the world -- reserve the option
to act with the coalition of the willing nations if the Council does
not act," Powell said. "We believe the situation is that clear and
that dangerous."
(The Washington File is a product of the Office of International
Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site:
http://usinfo.state.gov)