Text of Clinton Letter to Congress on the Use of Military Force Against Iraq (2 of 2)
US News - February 04, 1998 20:24
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WASHINGTON, Feb. 4 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The following is the text of a letter from Clinton to Congress on the use of military force against Iraq (2 of 2):
The United States has consistently made clear our openness to improving the oil-for-food program to better meet the essential needs of Iraq's civilian population. The Secretary General has just submitted a report to this effect to the Council. We are prepared to consider carefully and favorably the Secretary General's suggestions to improve and expand the program. Expanding 986 would serve our humanitarian and strategic interests. First, the sanctions regime is aimed at the threat Saddam poses -- not the Iraqi people. We should do whatever we can to ease their plight, consistent with our interests. Second, expanding 986 will make it more difficult for Saddam to use the plight of his people as a propaganda card in the Middle East and so help us shore up the anti-Saddam coalition. Third, by expanding oil-for-food, we will broaden and strengthen the U.N.'s grip on Iraq's revenues and expenditures, tightening the leash on Saddam and making it more difficult for him to divert fund!
s to the military and WMD.
Implementation of UNSCR 1051 continues. It provides for a mechanism to monitor Iraq's efforts to reacquire proscribed weapons capabilities by requiring Iraq to notify a joint UNSCOM/IAEA unit in advance of any imports of dual-use items. Similarly, U.N. members must provide timely notification of exports to Iraq of dual-use items.
The Multinational Interception Force (MIF), operating under the authority of UNSCR 665, is aggressively enforcing U.N. sanctions in the Gulf. The U.S. Navy is the single largest component of this international naval force, augmented by ships and aircraft from Australia, Canada, Belgium, The Netherlands, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. Member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council support the MIF by providing logistical support and shipriders who ensure that merchant ships do not deviate from their recorded courses to legal ports and by pulling vessels caught violating sanctions into member state ports.
Since my last report, the MIF has intercepted five sanctions violators in the Gulf. Ships involved in smuggling often utilize the territorial seas of Iran to avoid MIF inspections. We have given detailed reports of these illegal activities to the U.N. Sanctions Committee in New York.
The volume of illegal smuggling of petroleum products from Iraq continues to increase. Iraq is working to improve loading facilities in the Shatt Al Arab waterway and the continuing cooperation of the smugglers with Iran frustrates the naval forces which are restricted to international waters to carry out their duties. We estimate that over 200,000 metric tons of gasoil and other petroleum cargoes leave Iraq illegally each month. Profits from this illegal trade support Saddam at the expense of the Iraqi people.
The United Nations Compensation Commission (UNCC), established pursuant to UNSCR 687 and 692, continues to resolve claims against Iraq arising from Iraq's unlawful invasion and occupation of Kuwait. The UNCC has issued almost 1.3 million awards worth approximately $6 billion. Thirty percent of the proceeds from the oil sales permitted by UNSCR's 986, 1111, and 1143 have been allocated to the Compensation Fund to pay awards and to finance operations of the UNCC. To the extent that money is available in the Compensation Fund, initial payments to each claimant are authorized for awards in the order in which the UNCC has approved them, in installments of $2,500. To date, 455 U.S. claimants have received an initial installment payment, and payment is in process for an additional 323 U.S. claimants.
HUMAN RIGHTS
The human rights situation throughout Iraq continues to be cause for grave concern. Reports that the Government of Iraq used humans as experimental subjects in its chemical and biological weapons programs have been noted above. Credible reports from numerous, independent sources indicate that the Government of Iraq also may have summarily executed anywhere from 800 to 1500 political detainees in November and December 1997. Opposition groups have alleged that many of those killed were serving sentences of 15-20 years for such crimes as insulting the regime or membership in an opposition political party. Max van der Stoel, Special Rapporteur for Iraq for the U.N. Human Rights Commission and Bacre Ndiaye, the Commission's Special Rapporteur for Summary Executions, are investigating these reports.
Iraq's repression of its Shi'a population continues, with policies that are destroying the Marsh Arabs' way of life in southern Iraq and the ecology of the southern marshes. Iraq continues to stall and obfuscate rather than work in good faith toward accounting for more than 600 Kuwaitis and third-country nationals who disappeared during or after the occupation of Kuwait, and nearly 5,000 Iranian prisoners of war captured by Iraq during the Iran-Iraq war. The Government of Iraq shows no sign of complying with UNSCR 688, which demands that Iraq cease the repression of its own people. The U.N. Human Rights Commission's Special Rapporteur on Iraq reported to the General Assembly his particular concern that extra-judicial, summary or arbitrary executions and the practice of torture continue to occur in Iraq.
Led by various independent Iraqi opposition groups and nongovernmental organizations, the INDICT campaign -- which seeks to document crimes against humanity and other violations of international humanitarian law committed by the Iraqi regime -- continues to gain momentum.
Regarding northern Iraq, the cease-fire between the Kurdish parties, established November 24, 1997, as the result of U.S. efforts, continues to hold. In recent weeks, both Massoud Barzani, leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Jalal Talabani, leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) have made positive, forward-looking statements on political reconciliation, which may signal a willingness to settle some of their differences. We will continue our efforts to reach a permanent settlement through mediation in order to help the people of northern Iraq find the permanent, stable accommodation which they deserve, and to minimize the opportunities for Baghdad and Tehran to insert themselves into the conflict and threaten Iraqi citizens in this region. The Peace Monitoring Force -- sponsored by the U.S., Great Britain and Turkey under the Ankara process and comprising Iraqi Turkomans and Assyrians -- remains in garrison.
CONCLUSION
Iraq remains a serious threat to international peace and security. As I told the American people in my recent State of the Union address, our country is united in its view that Saddam Hussein cannot defy the will of the world. He has used weapons of mass destruction before. We are determined to deny him the capacity to use them again. I remain determined to see Iraq comply fully with all of its obligations under U.N. Security Council resolutions.
I appreciate the support of the Congress for our efforts and shall continue to keep the Congress informed about this important issue.
Sincerely,
WILLIAM J. CLINTON
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