*EPF103 10/07/2002
Excerpt: US Optimistic that Security Council Will Send Clear Message to Iraq
(State's Boucher says there must be consequences if Iraq obstructs inspections) (790)

The United States is optimistic that the United Nations Security Council will send a clear message to Iraq that it must allow the UN to conduct full and unrestricted inspections for weapons of mass destruction and that there will be consequences if Iraq obstructs inspections, State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher said.

Briefing reporters at the State Department in Washington October 7, Boucher spoke of the need of the international community to keep constant pressure on Iraq, and a key way to do that is for the Security Council to make clear in advance that the United Nations will act if Iraq obstructs weapons inspections.

Following is an excerpt from the transcript of Boucher's briefing containing his comments about Iraq:

(begin excerpt)

QUESTION: Something else? The Secretary, Friday, had no timeline to offer on the resolution -- confident that you'd get one that you like. Anything to update us with on getting a UN resolution?

MR. BOUCHER: On Iraq?

QUESTION: On Iraq, of course. And any -- you know, the usual telephone calls and such?

MR. BOUCHER: I would not offer a precise, particular timeline at this point. I would say that we continue to work on the resolution with friends and allies. Our mission in New York is in touch with other UN missions up there.

The Secretary of State has been in touch with the British very frequently over the weekend. He's talked on Saturday to European High Representative Solana about this and other topics. On Sunday, he talked to Foreign Secretary Straw, Foreign Minister de Villepin of France, Foreign Minister Ivanov of Russia. Today, he has already talked to Foreign Secretary Straw. So we have been keeping in touch with other Security Council members, particularly the Perm 5, and we'll continue to work with them on a resolution that lays out the things that we want it to.

As I think Dr. Blix noted on Friday afternoon, that there is -- he noted some convergence between the views of Council members. I think that's actually the word that the French Foreign Minister uses today, as well.

So we continue to be optimistic that we can bring this together and have the Council send a clear message to Iraq on the need for full and unrestricted inspections and have the Council send a clear message to Iraq that there will be consequences should Iraq once again fail to live up to these requirements of UN resolutions.

The effort will continue both in New York and directly with capitals. I think there is a lunch that the Secretary General has routinely with the 15 members of the Security Council that will be held tomorrow, so I am sure it will be a topic of discussion there, as well.

QUESTION: Do you think the convergence that seems to be cited by the US and by the French and the chief inspector applies to the consequences threat as well as the other elements of the resolution?

MR. BOUCHER: I don't want to take it too far. There is a convergence of concepts involved in this resolution. There is an understanding that Iraq is in violation; there is an understanding that the Security Council needs to take hold of this issue and specify what the rules are for inspecting and for Iraq's general compliance with UN resolutions. And that there need to be consequences and determination by the Council to draw the conclusion should Iraq defy once again the will of the international community and their own commitments that they have reached to disarm and to show that they have disarmed. So on the conceptual level, things seem to be coming together. There's still a lot of work that needs to be done on text.

QUESTION: Richard, is the United States now willing to support this two-resolution idea as long as the first resolution forecasts explicitly some kind of consequences?

MR. BOUCHER: I'm not going to endorse any new idea. We still strongly prefer one-resolution scenarios. We believe that only when faced with the credible threat of the use of force, with the credible pressure of the Security Council, will Iraq make any attempt at compliance.

I think Dr. Blix on Friday referred to the need for constant pressure. That is our belief, as well, and we think a key mechanism for that pressure is to have the Council make clear in advance that it's determined to do something should Iraq fail to comply.

So that remains our strong preference. We know that others have a different view and we're working with them on how to bring these things together.

QUESTION: Does that mean you rule out the idea of compromising with two resolutions?

MR. BOUCHER: It means we're working on it and we'll see what comes out.

(end excerpt)

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

Return to Public File Main Page

Return to Public Table of Contents