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Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

Washington File

22 April 2003

White House Says Coalition, Not U.N., Responsible for Inspections

(White House Report, April 22; Iraq developments, Powell) (1380)
As the United Nations Security Council met April 22 to discuss the
role of weapons inspectors in post-Saddam Hussein Iraq, the White
House dismissed the need for [U.N. chief weapons inspector] Hans Blix
and other inspectors to return there, saying the U.S.-led coalition
has taken responsibility for locating weapons of mass destruction, and
suggesting that the return of U.N. inspectors would be a step
backward.
"The coalition has taken on responsibility for the dismantling of
Iraq's WMD (weapons of mass destruction) and missile programs, which
is part of the international community's shared goal, which is laid
out by the Security Council, a cause on which we agree," White House
Press Secretary Ari Fleischer told reporters at the White House daily
briefing.
"We are looking forward, not backward," Fleischer said. "Saddam
Hussein's regime is gone and we will need to reassess the framework
designed to disarm the regime, given the new facts on the ground. We
look forward to working with Security Council members, the U.N. and
friends and allies on the issue of post-Saddam Iraq and how best to
help the Iraqi people establish a new government for themselves."
Told by a reporter that Blix had said in an interview that U.S. claims
regarding Iraqi WMDs were based on "shaky evidence" Fleischer said it
would be "unfortunate" if Blix were to criticize the United States
now. "The United States is working with Iraqis to build a new country
for them, and I think that would just be unfortunate if his position
today is to criticize the United States. We know they (weapons) exist,
and we're confident that they will be found," the press secretary
said.
"I think the process (of disarmament) will be a transparent one,"
Fleischer said. "I think it's one where the world will receive the
assurances that Iraq has been disarmed. But that should not be
confused with the purpose of having sanctions imposed on the Iraqi
people previously. Those sanctions were there to prevent Saddam
Hussein and his regime from using weapons of mass destruction."
WHITE HOUSE URGES U.N. TO LIFT SANCTIONS ON IRAQ
With Saddam Hussein no longer in power in Iraq, the United States
believes the U.N. sanctions against Iraq should be lifted, Fleischer
said. President Bush has called on the United Nations to remove the
sanctions on Iraq "because they no longer serve a purpose," the press
secretary said. "The only people sanctions can hurt are the Iraqi
people," he said.
The economic sanctions, which prohibit countries from buying or
selling goods to Iraq other than through the oil-for-food program,
were originally imposed to deny Saddam Hussein access to revenue.
"Clearly the sanctions were not very effective, because Saddam Hussein
continued to benefit from the money that came into his country,"
Fleischer said. "The regime is now history, and the sanctions should
become history, too, because the Iraqi people need help."
He suggested that the United Nations could pass a new resolution in
light of the new reality in Iraq. "That which came before, that no
longer exists, need no longer bind the United Nations in a future vote
that they take," Fleischer said. "The president views this as an
important issue of humanitarian assistance to the people of Iraq, and
we hope the United Nations will take the right action."
U.S. DOES NOT RULE OUT PROSPECT OF ISLAMIC STATE IN IRAQ
Newly liberated from the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi
people under the counsel of the United States will have choices about
the structure of their future government, said Fleischer.
He said the White House has not ruled out a proposal by Shi'ite
Muslims to make Iraq an Islamic state, although it objects to using
Iran as a model for reform. "Iran certainly is not an example of a
democracy or a country in which people are free," said Fleischer. "We
want to make certain," he said, that the ousted dictatorship "is not
replaced by another, different type of dictatorship."
"The goals of a liberated Iraq, from the point of view about what type
of government the United States seeks, is a democracy -- a country
that welcomes different religions, that has freedom of speech, freedom
to worship, a free press," Fleischer said.
He emphasized that the United States seeks a united Iraq that includes
Shi'ites, Sunnis, Kurds and others. Throughout the reconstruction
process, the principles of democracy, freedom and tolerance are
priorities, he said, but "that's not inconsistent with a state that
has religious elements to it. Certainly you can have a state
that...has religious elements to it, that welcomes openness in worship
and freedom."
WHITE HOUSE PRAISES WORK OF POWELL, STATE DEPARTMENT
The White House objects to former House Speaker Newt Gingrich's charge
that President Bush has not been well served by Secretary Colin Powell
and the Department of State. Gingrich, in an April 22 speech at the
American Enterprise Institute, alleged the "collapse of the State
Department as an effective instrument" and said "America cannot lead
the world with a broken instrument of diplomacy."
Fleischer responded with a statement of support for Powell and his
department:
"The actions of Secretary Powell and the Department of State are the
president's actions," Fleischer said. "They carry out the president's
directions and they do so very ably and professionally. The nation and
the president are fortunate to have a secretary of state as willing
and as strong as Secretary Powell."
Fleischer said the diplomatic process that Secretary Powell led and
the State Department followed was the president's process, the process
the president decided on in his speech to the United Nations in
September, and Powell did an excellent job in ushering it through the
U.N. Security Council.
THE WEEK AHEAD
President Bush will meet April 23 with President Jorge Batlle of
Uruguay in the Oval Office. Bush looks forward to the opportunity to
deepen United States cooperation with Uruguay, a strong ally in the
war on terrorism and in promoting democracy and economic growth in the
Western hemisphere, the White House said. The leaders will discuss key
issues on the bilateral, hemispheric, and global agenda, including the
situation in Iraq and the war on terrorism.
Then the president will travel to Canton, Ohio, where he will make
remarks on his domestic jobs and growth plan. He will then visit an
army tank plant in Lima, Ohio, where he will make remarks on national
security.
WHITE HOUSE CITES COOPERATION BETWEEN COALITION, IRAQI PEOPLE
The White House, in a statement issued April 22, said the cooperation
of the Iraqi people is helping coalition forces to find death squads,
uncover weapons caches, capture regime leaders, and restore order and
basic services in Iraq.
Following is the text of the statement:
(begin text)
The White House
Washington, DC
April 22, 2003
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Global Message
The overall situation in Iraq is improving daily, but Coalition forces
still face resistance from remnants of Saddam's death squads and
foreign fighters who came to oppose Coalition forces.
As we work to remove remaining elements of the former regime, the
Iraqi people are emerging from the shadow of Saddam's tyranny to help
Coalition forces find death squads, uncover weapons caches, capture
regime leaders, recover POWs, and restore order and basic services.
This kind of cooperation is happening on a daily basis, across the
county -- a sign of the growing trust between Coalition forces and the
majority of ordinary Iraqis.
Of course, not all Iraqis support the Coalition presence. In any
totalitarian system, there will be a small portion of the population
that profits from the power of the dictatorship, while some others may
be ordinary citizens who are understandably uncomfortable with the
presence of any foreign forces on their soil.
A few weeks ago, there were no protests in Iraq. Now, Iraqis are
speaking out, expressing opinions, discussing and debating the future
of their country. They can do so because of the courage and
determination of the Coalition forces.
(end text)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)



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