*EPF203 09/17/2002
U.S. Still Wants Security Council Resolution on Iraq
(Powell says resolution needed despite renewed weapons inspections) (960)

By Judy Aita
Washington File United Nations Correspondent

United Nations -- Stressing that Baghdad must understand inspections will
not be a repeat of the past, Secretary of State Colin Powell said September
17 that the United States is going to press ahead for a new resolution in the
Security Council in spite of Iraq's letter of acceptance of weapons
inspectors.

Powell said that in light of the changed international political environment
brought about by President Bush's September 12 speech on Iraq to the
General Assembly, "the Security Council should speak again...and not
essentially say that all things are right now because we have seen this one
short letter from the Iraqi foreign minister" that should have been written
years ago.

The secretary said that the council should discuss the circumstances of the
UN weapons inspectors return to Iraq, what they must be free to do, and,
especially, the consequences for Iraq if the inspections fail.

"The only way to make sure that it is not business as usual and to make sure
it is not a repeat of the past, it seems to me...is to put it in the form of
a new UN resolution," Powell said at a press conference with UN Secretary
General Kofi Annan, Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov and Foreign
Minister Per Stig Moeller of Denmark, which holds the EU's rotating
presidency.

"We have seen this game before," the secretary said. A new resolutions is
needed "in order for us to keep the pressure on and in order to make sure if
we start down this road it is a new road -- a different road than what we
have seen in the past with tough conditions, tough standards (of) anytime,
anyplace, any person, (and) to make sure that we satisfy the need for
disarmament."

In a letter signed by Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri, Iraq notified the
secretary general September 16 that it would "allow the return of inspectors
without conditions to continue their work."

Powell pointed out that "we didn't see Iraq suddenly acknowledging the error
of its ways of the past 12 years or suddenly realizing that they had been in
the wrong."

"What we saw was Iraq responding to what happened last week when the
president of the United States came before the international community and
laid out the indictment clearly and the entire international community came
together and said this is unacceptable. Enormous pressure was put on Iraq
as a result and Iraq responded to that pressure," he said.

"It is the international community through the United States and Security
Council that should make the judgment as to when, where, if, under what set
of circumstances and with what potential consequences," the secretary said.

Powell said that "we have experience on how Iraq deals with the inspections
teams -- that's why they are not there now. They have made it impossible
for them to do their work once before," he said.

"I think that it is quite appropriate in light of the fact that the
inspectors have not been there for the past four years for the Security
Council to consider the circumstances under which they might return, what
they must be free to do, what additional instructions may be appropriate,"
the secretary said.

It is a reasonable for the Security Council to discuss what the consequences
are for Iraq if the inspectors are unable to do their job, he said.

Powell added that the issue of Iraq's compliance with Security Council
resolutions is not just disarming Iraq. "There are many other issues at
stake here having to do with the treatment of minorities in the country,
having to do with terrorism, having to do with a number of other issues
including the return of prisoners that have to be dealt with before the will
of the United Nations is satisfied," Powell added.

Ivanov did not say whether Russia would go along with another resolution,
but noted that "we don't need any special resolution" for the weapons
inspections to proceed. The council will need to consider what has to be
done "to maintain clear control over the process," he said.

Annan said that "the decision by Iraq to allow the return of the inspectors
should be seen as a beginning, not an end. As a beginning in our efforts to
return the inspectors who are going to disarm Iraq."

"We must also remember that between 1991 and 1996 in particular, the
inspectors did a credible job destroying Iraq's weapons from ballistic
missiles to chemical and biological....and in the nuclear field," the
secretary general said. "So the only way to disarm effectively is to have
the inspectors back," the secretary general said.

Annan acknowledged that given past history with Baghdad, there are other
nations which want "Iraq to understand that is not going to be business a
usual or a repeat of what happened in the past."

The secretary general said that Hans Blix, the chairman of the UN
Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC), "is ready to
move as quickly as is practicable."

The UN announced that Blix will hold talks with Iraqi officials on the
inspections beginning in the afternoon of September 17.

Moeller said that the European Union wants to be sure that Iraq means what
it says. "That's why we think that the Security Council should consider
whether the Iraqi acceptance corresponds to the demands of the council
where weapons inspections are concerned."

"It is evident that admittance of the inspectors is not sufficient," Moeller said. "The Iraqi authorities will also have to extend their full cooperation. So we must have full clarity on the aspects and the requirements (so) we know
exactly what has been offered and what can be done."

"If I were sitting in the Security Council...I would in the next days ahead
sleep with my eyes wide open and the boots on," Moeller said.

(The Washington File is a product of the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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