08 March 2002

US Supports UN-Iraq Talks, Ambassador Says

United Nations -- The United States is supporting Secretary General Kofi Annan's talks with Iraq on restarting weapons inspections, U.S. Ambassador James Cunningham said March 8.

In his first encounter with the Iraqis March 7, the secretary general "kept the focus where it should be properly, which is on implementation of (Security Council) resolutions and the need to implement the resolutions. That's the theme that ran throughout," Cunningham said.

Talking with journalists after a private council meeting with the secretary general on the talks, the ambassador said, "in our view the problem is pretty simple. It is Iraq's willingness to continue past this phase and engage with UNMOVIC (UN Monitoring, Verification, and Inspection Commission) and in getting inspectors back into Iraq. That is the name of the game."

Annan said that the Security Council "generally encouraged me to go ahead with the discussions with the Iraqis on the understanding that we are talking of implementation of all Security Council resolutions and we will focus on the core issues."

"We want to see the council resolutions implemented and the return of the inspectors and all council members who have given me their endorsement will work with me in that direction," he said.

The secretary general said that while the Iraqis did not indicate that they were willing to let the UN weapons inspectors back into the country, "it is significant that we discussed the specific issue of inspectors with the presence of (UNMOVIC chairman) Hans Blix and the head of their own monitoring team General (Hussan Mohammed) Amin. It is an indication, at least for now, that they are taking this issue seriously."

Annan said that the Iraqis "had their own set of questions" about sanctions, no-fly zones, and the establishment of a zone free of weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East, but posed the questions "in terms of seeking clarification and wanting to know answers but not as preconditions."

"I don't want to run ahead and declare success. We are at a very early stage, so we should not claim success or failure yet, " Annan said. "It was a good start."

Iraq and the UN agreed to meet again in mid-April. But many diplomats are wary that the Iraqi may view the talks as the end in itself and a means to forestall any action by the United States.

"Secretary (of State Colin) Powell said at the outset that we thought the discussion ought to be relatively brief and focused," Cunningham said.

"We have not made any determination about specifics because we don't know what the reaction will be. But from our point of view we've already delayed far too long. Iraq should have complied a long time ago and the inspectors should already be back in. So that's our emphasis: to get a clear answer on this as soon as possible," the US ambassador said.

Annan did not get a positive response from the Iraqis at this first meeting, Cunningham said, "I don't think anybody expected that."

The US ambassador also separated Washington's rejection of Saddam Hussein's regime and the UN issue of weapons inspectors and compliance with UN resolutions.

"We have made very clear -- as has the previous administration -- that we think the region would be better off with a different regime in Baghdad. That is the American view. The United Nations aspect of this problem is how to get the inspectors back in to deal with weapons of mass destruction. That is what we are doing here," Cunningham said.

UNMOVIC Chairman Blix also spoke to journalists after the Security Council meeting.

Blix said that during the talks he told the Iraqis that "inspection has to be effective in order to be meaningful. The world wants to have assurance that they are no weapons of mass destruction left in Iraq and in order to do that you have to have effective inspection."

The talks between Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri and Secretary General Kofi Annan were the first in three years. Since 1998 Iraq has refused to cooperate with the UN on any further weapons inspections or the destruction of chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons and their programs. At the end of the day-long talks both sides called the talks constructive and useful. They agreed to meet again in mid-April, but set no specific date.