*EPF504 10/04/2002
Clarke Says Iraq Continuing Pattern of Deception, Denial
(Defense Department Report, October 4) (490)

There is evidence that Iraq is making efforts to conceal its weapons of mass destruction programs in advance of the anticipated return of UN weapons inspectors, according to the assistant secretary of defense for public affairs.

During an October 4 briefing at the Pentagon, Victoria Clarke told reporters that while she could not elaborate upon her statement, more information about Iraq's practice of deception and denial would be made available during the week of October 7.

The Bush administration, Congress and the United Nations currently are trying to determine how to deal with an Iraqi regime which Clarke said has "blatantly violated UN resolution after UN resolution," as well as tortured and oppressed its own people, threatened and invaded its neighbors, and has "a very active and a very dangerous program of weapons of mass destruction."

There is considerable focus at the moment, Clarke said, "on the very real and growing threat that Iraq poses. And there's much scrutiny, as there should be, of that regime's tactics." In the coming days U.S. defense officials hope to provide more information on Iraqi denial and deception tactics, she said, reflecting that the Iraqis are very organized in their efforts to succeed. The Iraqi efforts are "very comprehensive and clearly intended to hide Iraq's weapons of mass destruction," the spokeswoman said.

Making reference to earlier remarks by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Clarke said, "This is a regime that consistently lies. They lie to their own people, and they lie to the world." She added that "people should consider that fact very, very carefully as they weigh their decisions on how to deal with Iraq."

Clarke was accompanied by Navy Rear Admiral David Gove, the deputy director of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for global operations. He answered questions about leaflets that are being dropped over southern Iraq. "Leaflet drops are an ongoing program in support of Operation Southern Watch," he said.

Gove said 120,000 leaflets, urging Iraqi soldiers not to fire anti-aircraft weapons against coalition aircraft or risk being killed or injured by return fire, have been dropped from A-10 combat aircraft. This is part of an overall program, he said, to make sure that the Iraqis on the ground "understand what their risk is and how the coalition views their attacks on our aircraft." Gove said he could not comment on future operations but noted that "it's possible that the decision will be made to make future drops, but I'm not sure of the periodicity."

Clarke followed Gove saying "We want to send a very clear message to the Iraqi people this is not about them. You know, this is not about the Iraqi people at all." Instead, it is about sending a message to the Iraqi military that has been firing on coalition pilots for 10 years and "trying to bring those planes down," she said, "that this is a very bad thing to do and there are going to be consequences." Efforts will be made, Clarke added, "to find lots of ways to deliver those sorts of messages going forward."

(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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