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19 March 2003

Transcript: U.S. Ready With Aid for Iraq, Says Negroponte

(Ambassador Negroponte's U.N. Security Council remarks) (1090)
The United States is sending the largest ever Disaster Assistance
Response Team to the Middle East to assess the needs of the Iraqi
people and has pre-positioned $16.5 million worth of food rations and
relief supplies in the region, U.S. Ambassador John Negroponte said
March 19.
In his remarks to a Security Council meeting on Iraq, Negroponte said
that the United States also recognizes the critical importance of
keeping the United Nations-administered Oil-for-Food program running
to meet the humanitarian needs of the Iraqi people and will soon
present to the council a draft resolution to ensure the continuity of
the program, especially the delivery of key supplies such as food and
medicine.
The official purpose of the meeting was for the Security Council to
receive a work program from the chief U.N. weapons inspectors on their
plans to tackle 12 remaining key Iraqi disarmament issues. But the
inspectors have been withdrawn from Iraq and the council met as the
United States and allied nations were preparing for war unless Iraqi
leader Saddam Hussein goes into exile. Thus, the council discussion
turned to how the United Nations and the international community can
help the people of Iraq with short-term emergency humanitarian aid and
long-term reconstruction.
The report on the key remaining disarmament tasks "make it clear the
multitude of important issues which Iraq has avoided addressing,"
Negroponte also said. "These are the kind of documents that we would
have been able to discuss if Iraq had met the requirements of
resolution 1441. But it cannot now lead us to the result this council
demanded -- the immediate, peaceful, disarmament of Iraq."
Urging nations to contribute to humanitarian programs, the U.S.
ambassador said that the United States has contributed over $60
million to more than a dozen different United Nations agencies.
Following is the transcript of the ambassador's remarks:
(begin transcript)
Mr. President, colleagues, at the outset of today's discussion, I
would like to recognize and commend the UNMOVIC and the IAEA
inspectors and Doctors Blix and El Baradei for their efforts to
implement the inspection regime envisioned by this body under
exceptionally difficult circumstances. We are relieved to know that
all of the UNMOIVC and IAEA personnel have been safely evacuated from
Iraq.
Regrettably, discussion of the topic on today's agenda - the
consideration of the Draft Programs of Work - is incompatible with
Iraq's non-compliance with Resolution 1441 and the current reality on
the ground. The UNMOVIC Work Program itself declares that, "The work
program is predicated on the assumption that Iraq will provide
immediate, unconditional and active cooperation." That is precisely
what has been manifestly lacking. No realistic program of work or
outline of key unresolved issues can be developed pursuant to
Resolution 1284 while Iraq fails to cooperate fully, actively and
unconditionally. Nor can it be developed absent sound information on
Iraqi programs since 1998, and all other information, that is lacking.
The fact of the matter is that the situation on the ground will change
and so will the nature of the remaining disarmament tasks. Considering
a work program at this time is quite simply out of touch with the
reality that we confront.
We acknowledge the effort that has gone into producing the Draft
Programs of Work. While they cannot be definitive, they, and the paper
on Key Remaining Disarmament Tasks, make it clear the multitude of
important issues which Iraq has avoided addressing. These are the kind
of documents that we would have been able to discuss if Iraq had met
the requirements of Resolution 1441. But it cannot now lead us to the
result this Council demanded - the immediate, peaceful disarmament of
Iraq.
Under current circumstances, we have no choice but to set this work
aside for the time being. That said, we do not exclude the possibility
that it may prove useful to return to these documents at some time in
the future.
In the meantime, this Council will face new challenges related to the
future of Iraq. While I have the floor, I would like to touch briefly
on an issue that was raised in our consultations yesterday: the
concern my country shares with other members of the Council for
meeting the humanitarian needs of the people of Iraq in this time.
This is an issue to which my government has dedicated significant
resources. We have been planning across all relevant U.S. government
agencies and in support of United Nations efforts to anticipate likely
requirements and be prepared to administer necessary relief as quickly
as possible.
We have also consulted with interested governments, regional and
international organizations, civil society and, of course, the United
Nations.
We are fielding the largest ever Disaster Assistance Response Team,
known as DART, and composed of United States civilian humanitarian
experts, to the region to assess needs, liaise with partners and
provide in-field grant-making capacity. We have pre-positioned $16.5
million worth of food rations and relief supplies, including water and
purification materials, blankets and shelter supplies in the region.
In addition, we have contributed over $60 million to more than a dozen
different United Nations agencies, including OCHA, UNHCR, UNICEF, the
World Food Program and the World Health Organization, as well as a
multitude of non-governmental organizations. As we increase United
States contributions, we also urge other donors to contribute to these
critical efforts.
As President Bush has said, we recognize the critical importance of
keeping the Oil-For-Food Program running to meet the humanitarian
needs of the people of Iraq. Working with others in the Council, we
are prepared to present soon a draft humanitarian resolution that
would ensure the continuity of the Program. We have begun consulting
with the United Nations and other Council members on adjustments to
the current Oil-For-Food Program that will ensure continued delivery
of key humanitarian supplies, particularly food and medicine, to Iraq.
We trust that other members of the Council share our objective and the
objective of the Secretary General of resuming the flow of
humanitarian goods through the Oil-For-Food Program as soon as
possible. We hope that progress on this resolution will be swift in
order to minimize any interruption of the Program.
Thank you, Mr. President. We look forward to working with you and our
colleagues on issues related to the situation in Iraq in the days and
weeks to come.
(end transcript)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)