*EPF304 03/19/2003
Transcript: U.S. Ready With Aid for Iraq, Says Negroponte
(Ambassador Negroponte's U.N. Security Council remarks) (1090)

The United States is sending the largest ever Disaster Assistance Response Team to the Middle East to assess the needs of the Iraqi people and has pre-positioned $16.5 million worth of food rations and relief supplies in the region, U.S. Ambassador John Negroponte said March 19.

In his remarks to a Security Council meeting on Iraq, Negroponte said that the United States also recognizes the critical importance of keeping the United Nations-administered Oil-for-Food program running to meet the humanitarian needs of the Iraqi people and will soon present to the council a draft resolution to ensure the continuity of the program, especially the delivery of key supplies such as food and medicine.

The official purpose of the meeting was for the Security Council to receive a work program from the chief U.N. weapons inspectors on their plans to tackle 12 remaining key Iraqi disarmament issues. But the inspectors have been withdrawn from Iraq and the council met as the United States and allied nations were preparing for war unless Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein goes into exile. Thus, the council discussion turned to how the United Nations and the international community can help the people of Iraq with short-term emergency humanitarian aid and long-term reconstruction.

The report on the key remaining disarmament tasks "make it clear the multitude of important issues which Iraq has avoided addressing," Negroponte also said. "These are the kind of documents that we would have been able to discuss if Iraq had met the requirements of resolution 1441. But it cannot now lead us to the result this council demanded -- the immediate, peaceful, disarmament of Iraq."

Urging nations to contribute to humanitarian programs, the U.S. ambassador said that the United States has contributed over $60 million to more than a dozen different United Nations agencies.

Following is the transcript of the ambassador's remarks:

(begin transcript)

Mr. President, colleagues, at the outset of today's discussion, I would like to recognize and commend the UNMOVIC and the IAEA inspectors and Doctors Blix and El Baradei for their efforts to implement the inspection regime envisioned by this body under exceptionally difficult circumstances. We are relieved to know that all of the UNMOIVC and IAEA personnel have been safely evacuated from Iraq.

Regrettably, discussion of the topic on today's agenda - the consideration of the Draft Programs of Work - is incompatible with Iraq's non-compliance with Resolution 1441 and the current reality on the ground. The UNMOVIC Work Program itself declares that, "The work program is predicated on the assumption that Iraq will provide immediate, unconditional and active cooperation." That is precisely what has been manifestly lacking. No realistic program of work or outline of key unresolved issues can be developed pursuant to Resolution 1284 while Iraq fails to cooperate fully, actively and unconditionally. Nor can it be developed absent sound information on Iraqi programs since 1998, and all other information, that is lacking.

The fact of the matter is that the situation on the ground will change and so will the nature of the remaining disarmament tasks. Considering a work program at this time is quite simply out of touch with the reality that we confront.

We acknowledge the effort that has gone into producing the Draft Programs of Work. While they cannot be definitive, they, and the paper on Key Remaining Disarmament Tasks, make it clear the multitude of important issues which Iraq has avoided addressing. These are the kind of documents that we would have been able to discuss if Iraq had met the requirements of Resolution 1441. But it cannot now lead us to the result this Council demanded - the immediate, peaceful disarmament of Iraq.

Under current circumstances, we have no choice but to set this work aside for the time being. That said, we do not exclude the possibility that it may prove useful to return to these documents at some time in the future.

In the meantime, this Council will face new challenges related to the future of Iraq. While I have the floor, I would like to touch briefly on an issue that was raised in our consultations yesterday: the concern my country shares with other members of the Council for meeting the humanitarian needs of the people of Iraq in this time.

This is an issue to which my government has dedicated significant resources. We have been planning across all relevant U.S. government agencies and in support of United Nations efforts to anticipate likely requirements and be prepared to administer necessary relief as quickly as possible.

We have also consulted with interested governments, regional and international organizations, civil society and, of course, the United Nations.

We are fielding the largest ever Disaster Assistance Response Team, known as DART, and composed of United States civilian humanitarian experts, to the region to assess needs, liaise with partners and provide in-field grant-making capacity. We have pre-positioned $16.5 million worth of food rations and relief supplies, including water and purification materials, blankets and shelter supplies in the region. In addition, we have contributed over $60 million to more than a dozen different United Nations agencies, including OCHA, UNHCR, UNICEF, the World Food Program and the World Health Organization, as well as a multitude of non-governmental organizations. As we increase United States contributions, we also urge other donors to contribute to these critical efforts.

As President Bush has said, we recognize the critical importance of keeping the Oil-For-Food Program running to meet the humanitarian needs of the people of Iraq. Working with others in the Council, we are prepared to present soon a draft humanitarian resolution that would ensure the continuity of the Program. We have begun consulting with the United Nations and other Council members on adjustments to the current Oil-For-Food Program that will ensure continued delivery of key humanitarian supplies, particularly food and medicine, to Iraq. We trust that other members of the Council share our objective and the objective of the Secretary General of resuming the flow of humanitarian goods through the Oil-For-Food Program as soon as possible. We hope that progress on this resolution will be swift in order to minimize any interruption of the Program.

Thank you, Mr. President. We look forward to working with you and our colleagues on issues related to the situation in Iraq in the days and weeks to come.

(end transcript)

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

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