28 January 2004
State Department Praises Libyan Cooperation on Disarmament
Boucher notes receipt of sensitive Libyan materials and documents
State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher said Libya's cooperation towards fulfilling its December 19 pledge to abandon weapons of mass destruction (WMD) "has been excellent."
Speaking at the January 28 State Department briefing in Washington, Boucher said a transport plane arrived in the United States from Libya on January 27, containing "thousands and thousands of pounds of sensitive materials related to Libya's nuclear weapons and ballistic missile capabilities."
"These materials included sensitive documentation, centrifuge parts and uranium hexafluoride, which is used as a feed stock to produce uranium," said Boucher, as well as ballistic missile guidance sets for longer-range missiles.
Boucher added that another plane arrived from Libya during the week of January 19 carrying some of Libya's most sensitive documents on its nuclear weapons program, and that the destruction of chemical munitions in the country had commenced.
The spokesman said U.S. and U.K. representatives are currently in Libya on their initial set of visits and that both governments will work with International Atomic Energy Agency experts to help Libya dismantle its WMD programs "the way it's decided to do so."
"We certainly think the Libyans made clear they want to do it as quickly as possible and we certainly do too," said Boucher.
Following is an excerpt from the January 28 State Department briefing:
(begin excerpt)
QUESTION: On Libya, do you have any follow-up to the arrival yesterday of the plane from Libya carrying nuclear materials, and what's the status of the U.S. diplomats or other officials who are there?
MR. BOUCHER: On Libya, I'll review a little bit, I think, some of the material that was made available yesterday by the White House, but just to kind of put it all into context.
As you know, we have been following through on Libya's December 19th announcement that it would eliminate all elements of its nuclear, chemical weapons programs and controlled classes of missiles. Libya requested assistance from the United States and the United Kingdom. We have also been working with the International Atomic Energy Agency on this and we have been engaged in a mission to facilitate Libyan achievements of those goals that Libya announced.
Cooperation from Libya has been excellent. We had the small team of biological, chemical, nuclear and missile experts that began working with senior Libyan officials to accomplish the elimination of Libya's nuclear and chemical weapons programs, and we want to do this as quickly as possible.
The transport plane that arrived in Tennessee yesterday contained thousands and thousands of pounds of sensitive materials related to Libya's nuclear weapons and ballistic missile capabilities. These materials included sensitive documentation, centrifuge parts and uranium hexafluoride, which is used as a feedstock to produce uranium.
Also included were ballistic missile guidance sets for the longer-range missiles that Libya has agreed to eliminate. And I think many of you know there was a plane last week that brought out the most sensitive documentation associated with Libya's nuclear weapons program. I'd note as well that the destruction of chemical munitions in Libya has already begun on the ground.
We still have some people from the United States, the United Kingdom, on the ground in Libya. They'll end their first, this initial set of visits or this initial visit later this week and then we will continue to work with Libya to help it dismantle its program the way it's decided to do so, and in that we have the cooperation of the United Kingdom and the International Atomic Energy Agency experts.
QUESTION: Your people have said that the U.S. is willing to review relations as Libya complies with its -- its commitments. It seemed like they were off to a flying start. And is there anything you can say about that matter?
And beyond that, the 90-day term outlined in November, with respect to use of passports or non-use of passports in Libya, I think it's up next month. I know that this is not a rigid deadline, but is there anything you can say about that?
MR. BOUCHER: Really just to note what you've said before. The President was the one on December 19th, when he made the announcement, who said that as Libya takes these essential steps and demonstrates its seriousness, the good faith will be returned. And we do indeed look at other areas; will indeed look at other areas as Libya proceeds to take steps in those areas and the areas of importance to us.
So that's, I would say, an ongoing matter of the agenda before us as we see this kind of cooperation from Libya and Libya's cooperation has been excellent.
In terms of the 90-day review of the use of U.S. passports for Libya, as you noted, I think that's got about another month to go. We did issue the instruction, issue the restriction with a statement saying that we would look at it every 90 days and all I can tell you at this point, because we're not there yet, is we will do so.
QUESTION: Do you have any basic or rough timetable at this point for the disarmament process, since so much of it seems to be underway now?
MR. BOUCHER: No, I don't. There is, obviously, a great importance attached to the significant amount of material that's already been removed that we can help with the elimination of. But as we go through this process, it's, I think, a little too soon to estimate how much there is to deal with, all told, and how long that might take.
QUESTION: Saudi Arabia?
MR. BOUCHER: We certainly think the Libyans made clear they want to do it as quickly as possible and we certainly do too.
(end excerpt)
(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
This page printed from: http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2004&m=January&x=20040128170543ESnamfuaK0.4292871&t=usinfo/wf-latest.html
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