Latest News on Iraq, by the Dow Jones News Wires.......
U.S. Calls Iraq's Offer 'Unacceptable'; Air Strike Still Possible
WASHINGTON - As waves of U.S. warplanes headed toward the Persian Gulf in preparation for potential air strikes, President Clinton huddled with his national security advisers Saturday to consider Iraq's proposal to resume weapons inspections.
In a news conference about 5 p.m., National Security Adviser Sandy Berger termed Iraq's offer "unacceptable." He said the letter was based on Iraq's terms and not those of the U.N.
Further, he said the world community has several times given Iraq opportunities to cooperate with weapons inspections, but Iraq had refused to cooperate.
He also said the U.S. is still poised to take military action.
The ongoing crisis forced Clinton to cancel a trip to Malaysia for an Asian-Pacific economic summit. ''The president has decided to remain in Washington to evaluate appropriate next steps,'' White House spokesman Joe Lockhart said.
The U.N. Security Council is to meet tonight to discuss the issue. The meeting had been scheduled to start at 4 p.m., but was delayed until 5:30 p.m.
In an exchange of diplomatic letters, Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz responded to an overnight appeal from U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, offering to allow weapons inspections to resume, the Associated Press reported.
White House officials had greeted the Iraqi statement with skepticism. Clinton has demanded that the inspectors be allowed to work without condition.
The president remained out of sight Saturday. He monitored the unfolding Iraqi drama from the White House residence and then joined his national security advisers in the White House situation room.
Lockhart's statement offered no further elaboration on the administration's stance.
In the past few days, the White House has demanded concrete action from the Iraqis and that no barriers be put in the way of the U.N. weapons inspectors.
At the Pentagon, the crisis appeared far from over.
''The military option remains on the table,'' said a senior defense official who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Military planners for the Joint Chiefs of Staff said the more than 130 aircraft and 21,500 troops ordered to the Gulf last week would continue on their way. Already in the Gulf area are 23,500 troops and 23 warships including eight vessels armed with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles.
''We're still bumping along. All our preparations, all our deployments, are going on as scheduled,'' said a general officer, who also spoke on condition of anonymity.
The U.N. Security Council met Saturday to consider the latest Iraqi moves.
Just before Aziz's letter became known, White House officials were demanding clear and precise action from Saddam Hussein.
''Public commitment by Iraq must be followed by concrete and demonstrable actions,'' said National Security Council spokesman David Leavy.
In preparation for a strike, a dozen Air Force F-16CG air-to-ground attack jets left Hill Air Force Base in Utah late Friday, followed in pre-dawn hours by six B-52 heavy bombers from Barksdale Air Force Base, La. Another six were to follow from Minot Air
Force Base, N.D., Air Force officials said.
The B-52s, headed for Diego Garcia island in the Indian Ocean, can be armed with 3,000-pound cruise missiles with a range of 1,500 miles, weapons expected to strike Iraqi air defense units as the opening salvo in an air strike.
A dozen Air Force F-15C/D fighters from Langley Air Force Base, Va., and a similar number of F-16C/J attack jets from Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., also roared off for the Gulf. As well, two RC-135 reconnaissance and electronic warfare planes left Offutt Air
Force Base in Omaha, Neb.
They were to be followed by F-117 Stealth fighters, B-1 bombers and support planes from bases around the country.
Clinton drew a clear line Friday. ''None of us can tolerate an Iraq free to develop weapons of mass destruction with impunity,'' he said. ''The (U.N.) Security Council and the world have made it crystal clear now that this is unacceptable.''
Also on Friday, Russian President Boris Yeltsin sent a message to Clinton restating Russia's opposition to the use of force, and President Jacques Chirac of France said military operations against Iraq should have the Security Council's support.
Bombers and fighters being deployed to the Gulf will bolster forces already set to hit Iraq's potential for developing and using nuclear, biological and chemical weapons.
Saddam insisted in a statement Friday, his first since halting the monitoring of weapons sites Oct. 31, that his ''just and balanced demands'' must be met - an apparent reference to lifting an 8-year-old U.N. trade embargo and other economic sanctions.
But the administration brushed that comment aside. Lockhart said there was ''nothing new and nothing positive or productive'' in what Saddam had to say.
The latest crisis, one of several, has been building since Aug. 5 when Iraq prohibited field inspections for nuclear, biological and chemical weapons it is compelled to eliminate under Security Council resolutions passed after the 1991 Gulf War.
The aircraft carrier USS Enterprise is en route to the Gulf with a Marine amphibious task force.
An additional 3,000 U.S. combat troops from Fort Stewart, Ga., will join 1,500 already stationed in Kuwait to help protect its borders. And 935 soldiers from Fort Bliss, Texas, will leave shortly to man Patriot anti-missile batteries throughout the Gulf region.
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U.S. Berger -3: Iraq Doesn't Have "Unlimited Time" To Comply
"There certainly is not unlimited time" for Iraq to comply, Berger said. Berger said Iraq needed to give a "clear statement that they will fully comply" with U.N. weapons inspections.
The national security advisor said Iraqi President Saddam Hussein has had "plenty of opportunity to demonstrate that he's prepared to come back in compliance" with U.N. demands that he has disposed of his weapons of mass destruction.
Berger made the statement at the White House after a more than five-hour session of President Clinton's national security advisers.
(MORE) DOW JONES NEWS 11-14-98
05:42 PM
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*U.S. State Dept: U.S. Poised To Attack Iraq
(MORE) DOW JONES NEWS 11-14-98
08:42 PM
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*U.S. State Dept: Iraq Must Remove Conditions On UNSCOM
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Albright/Iraq -2: Met With Chinese Foreign Minister Sunday
KUALA LUMPUR (Dow Jones)--U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright began meetings with Pacific Rim foreign ministers Sunday to ensure international support for a possible U.S. military strike against Iraq, despite Iraq's conditional offer to resume cooperation
with U.N. weapons inspectors.
State Department spokesman James Rubin said Albright met early Sunday with Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan, and will lobby other Pacific Rim foreign ministers during a meeting in Kuala Lumpur of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. "She'll say
that time and time again Iraq has promised to come into compliance ... and then broken that promise," Rubin said.
As U.S. warplanes headed for the Persian Gulf Saturday in preparation for a military strike, Iraq offered to allow U.N. inspectors to resume their work.
But the offer, contained in a letter to U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, came with a two-page annex that listed Iraqi conditions for the resumption of inspections. The U.S. has rejected those conditions, and Rubin said they "just give Iraq an opportunity to make
mischief in future."
(MORE) DOW JONES NEWS 11-14-98
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