24 March 2003
U.S. Concerned That Russian Companies Aiding Iraqi Military
(White House report from early morning, midday briefings) (1000) U.S. CONCERNED THAT RUSSIAN COMPANIES PROVIDING HELP TO IRAQ'S MILITARY President Bush told Russian President Vladimir Putin March 24 in an early morning phone call that the United States is concerned that at least one Russian company is providing "ongoing cooperation and support to Iraqi military forces," White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer said March 24. "We are very concerned that there are reports of ongoing cooperation and support to Iraqi military forces being provided by a Russian company that produces GPS (Global Positioning System) jamming equipment. This is what was discussed in the phone call," said Fleischer. "There are other causes of concern, as well, involving night-vision goggles and anti-tank guided missiles," he said. "So we do have concerns that some aspects of this may be ongoing. Those concerns were raised in the phone call today," the press secretary said. "These actions are disturbing and we've made our concerns clear to the Russian government. We've asked the Russian government that any such ongoing assistance cease immediately. The United Nations has imposed sanctions on such trade with Iraq," Fleischer said. "This is not the first instance in which these concerns have been raised," Fleischer added. "Senior U.S. government officials have repeatedly raised these concerns with their Russian counterparts over the past year, in the hopes that the Russian government would move aggressively to cut the cooperation from the company or the companies involved. "President Putin assured President Bush that he would look into it, and President Bush said he looked forward to hearing the results," the press secretary said. Asked if Washington had evidence the items were being used by Iraq currently, Fleischer said: "They were not provided for the purpose of sitting on shelves." In their phone conversation, Bush and Putin also discussed cooperation on humanitarian issues in Iraq, Fleischer said. "They both reiterated their strong support for the U.S.-Russia partnership, and agree to continue, despite the differences that the two have over Iraq," the press secretary said. Fleischer said President Bush also spoke by phone March 24 with Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair and with Spain's President of Government Jose Maria Aznar. U.S. POSITION ON TURKEY UNCHANGED, WHITE HOUSE SAYS Asked if there was anything new to report on the Turkish front, and what President Bush is doing to make sure Turkish troops stay out of Northern Iraq, Fleischer responded: "The position vis-à-vis Turkey is well-known. We said it repeatedly. And we have American officials who are in contact with Turkish officials on a regular basis to make certain they understand our position, and that continues. "And our position is unchanged, it's been made very clear. And we continue to talk to Turkish officials about it. There were many reports previously that Turkish forces had crossed the border, and none of those had materialized. But it does remain a matter of ongoing discussion and concern," he said. BUSH TO SEND CONGRESS SUPPLEMENTAL TO PAY FOR WAR Fleischer announced that the president will send a supplemental appropriations bill to Congress March 25 to cover the costs of the war in Iraq. The White House did not say how much would be requested, but news reports say it is expected to be around $75 billion. "The funding the President will seek will cover not only the operational and ongoing costs incurred to fight the war, but will also include funding for vital homeland security programs at home and some other programs, too," Fleischer said. Bush was to meet the afternoon of March 24 at the White House with Republican and Democratic members of Congress to discuss the supplemental. Earlier in the day, he met with Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan, Treasury Secretary John Snow, and his National Economic Council. On March 25 Bush will visit the Pentagon "to formally announce his supplemental spending request," Fleischer said. U.S. MILITARY "DOING EVERYTHING IN ITS POWER TO RETRIEVE CAPTURED SOLDIERS" "Every resource of the United States military is dedicated toward winning this and protecting those who serve. It is a constant that our military is always doing everything in its power," Fleischer said. "The nation's heart and the president's heart goes out to the families of those who serve, those who've lost their lives and those who are now missing or captured." President Bush told reporters when he returned to the White House from Camp David March 23 that the United States expects captured U.S. military personnel "to be treated humanely, just like we'll treat any prisoners of theirs that we capture humanely." He also said "[i]t is evident that it's going to take a while to achieve our objective, but we're on course, we're determined, and we're making good progress." WHITE HOUSE HAS DOUBTS ABOUT LATEST SADDAM HUSSEIN BROADCAST "I think there are some doubts about whether that tape is canned or whether it is fresh based on recent events. It would not be a surprise if Saddam Hussein had some time ago put in the can numerous statements designed to be released later," Fleischer said. The Iraqi dictator appeared on national Iraqi television March 24, predicting victory over U.S.-led forces. BUSH TO VISIT CENTRAL COMMAND IN FLORIDA President Bush will make a day trip to Tampa, Florida, March 26 to meet with military commanders at CENTCOM, the Central Command headquarters. He will have lunch with military personnel and talk with troops and their families at MacDill Air Force Base before returning to Washington, his press secretary said. Central Command headquarters is responsible for U.S. military operations in 25 countries, from the Horn of Africa and the Persian Gulf to Central Asia. Its commander, General Tommy Franks, is running the war against Iraq from a forward headquarters in Qatar. (Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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