[House Document 106-270]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
106th Congress, 2d Session - - - - - - - - - - - - House Document 106-
270
STATUS OF UNITED STATES EFFORTS REGARDING IRAQ'S COMPLIANCE WITH
UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS
__________
COMMUNICATION
from
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
transmitting
A REPORT ON THE STATUS OF EFFORTS TO OBTAIN IRAQ'S COMPLIANCE WITH THE
RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED BY THE U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL, PURSUANT TO 50 U.S.C.
1541
July 20, 2000.--Referred to the Committee on International Relations
and ordered to be printed
The White House,
Washington, July 17, 2000.
Hon. J. Dennis Hastert,
Speaker of the House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Speaker: Consistent with the Authorization for Use
of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution (Public Law 102-1 as
amended by Public Law 106-113) and as part of my effort to keep
the Congress fully informed, I am reporting on the status of
efforts to obtain Iraq's compliance with the resolutions
adopted by the United Nations Security Council. I shall
continue to keep the Congress informed about this important
issue.
Sincerely,
William J. Clinton.
Status of U.S. Efforts Regarding Iraq's Compliance With UNSC
Resolutions
Overview
We are convinced that as long as Saddam Hussein remains in
power, he will continue to threaten the well-being of the Iraqi
people, the peace of the region, and vital U.S. interests. The
only long-term solution to this problem is a new government in
Baghdad, one that is able to live at peace with its people and
its neighbors. We support a broad range of activities designed
to help bring about such a new government in Baghdad. Until we
have achieved this goal, we will continue to contain the threat
posed by Saddam Hussein.
Iraq continues to reject United Nations Security Council
resolution 1284, a binding resolution adopted on December 17,
1999 under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, including its
requirement that Iraq provide the UN Monitoring, Verification
and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) with immediate,
unconditional and unrestricted access. Nonetheless, the UN
continues to implement those parts of the resolution which do
not require Iraqi cooperation. On April 13, 2000, the UN
Security Council approved the organizational plan for UNMOVIC
presented by Dr. Hans Blix. Ambassador Yuli Vorontsov, the
Secretary General's high-level coordinator for Kuwait Issues,
presented his first report to the Council on Kuwaiti and third-
country national prisoners on April 23; and on June 14, he
submitted his first report on stolen Kuwaiti property. Both of
these reports demonstrate Iraq's continuing failure to
cooperate fully with its obligations to the Security Council.
The ``oil-for-food'' program, which is intended to provide
for the humanitarian needs of the Iraqi people as long as UN
sanctions remain in place, continues to expand. During the
seventh six-month phase of the program, which ended on June 8,
Iraq exported more than $8.4 billion worth of oil. On June 8,
the Council extended the program for an additional six months.
U.S. and Coalition Force Levels in the Gulf Region
Saddam Hussein's continuing threat to U.S. allies in the
region and his record of aggressive behavior necessitates the
deployment of a highly capable force in the region to deter
Iraq and respond to the reconstitution of its WMD program, a
move against the Kurds in northern Iraq, or any threat to U.S.
forces or neighboring states. We will continue to maintain a
strong posture and have established a rapid reinforcement
capability to supplement our forces in the Gulf, if needed.
Our forces are a balanced mix of land and carrier-based
aircraft, surface warships, a Patriot missile battalion, a
mechanized battalion task force and special operation units. To
enhance force protection throughout the region, additional
military security personnel are also deployed.
Operation Northern Watch and Operation Southern Watch
Aircraft of the United States and coalition partners
patrolling the No-Fly Zones over Iraq under Operations Northern
Watch and Southern Watch are still routinely tracked by Iraqi
radar, are regularly engaged by anti-aircraft artillery, and on
occasion, are attacked by surface-to-air missiles.
Our aircrews continue to respond in self-defense to Iraq's
No-Fly Zone violations and threats against and attacks on our
aircraft patrolling the No-Fly Zones.
The Multinational Interception Force
The maritime Multinational Interception Force (MIF)
continues to enforce UN sanctions in the Gulf. The United
States continues to approach potential participants in the MIF
to augment current partners.
Member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)
continue to provide logistical support and shipriders to the
MIF and accept vessels diverted for violating UN sanctions
against Iraq. The efforts to the members of the MIF help ensure
that nearly 90 percent of Iraqi revenues are captured by the
``oil-for-food'' program. However, aggressive Iraqi smuggling
efforts increasingly allow Saddam Hussein's regime access to
hard currency outside of that program--approximately 100,000
barrels per day, representing over $40 million per month in
uncontrolled revenue. In response, the MIF has increased its
activities to try to detain or deter would-be smugglers.
In addition, the United States has engaged in a wide-
ranging diplomatic effort both in the Iraq Sanctions Committee
at the UN and in our bilateral relations to build international
pressure to shut down the smuggling activity.In part because of
these efforts, Iran stopped allowing smugglers use of its territorial
waters to avoid MIF interdiction for a period of about six weeks
beginning in mid-April. Iran has, however, renewed its cooperation with
Iraq, and the smuggling of petroleum products through the Gulf has
returned to the record levels we saw in the first three months of this
year. The single most important factor contributing to the high level
of smuggling remains the elevated price of oil and the resulting
incentive for the smuggler.
The MIF, and our ability to rapidly augment it, will
continue to serve as a critical deterrent to both the smuggling
of petroleum products out of Iraq, and the smuggling of
prohibited items into Iraq.
UNMOVIC/IAEA: Weapons of Mass Destruction
There have been no UN Security Council-mandated inspections
in Iraq since December 15, 1998. Iraq's defiance of the
international consensus as expressed by resolution 1284 has
meant that no progress has been made in addressing Iraq's
outstanding disarmament obligations. Iraq remains in violation
of its disarmament obligations to end its programs to develop
weapons of mass destruction and long-range missiles.
Dr. Blix has indicated that UNMOVIC likely will be prepared
to conduct inspections in Iraq in August 2000. It remains our
intent to support UNMOVIC and the IAEA as they work to carry
out the Security Council's mandate.
Dual-Use Imports
While we recognize the real humanitarian function that the
oil-for-food program serves, we remain concerned that Iraq is
using this program to acquire goods and materials for its
weapons programs. The United States, as a member of the UN Iraq
Sanctions Committee, reviews all contracts under the oil-for-
food program to ensure that items that are prohibited or pose
significant dual-use concerns are not approved.
Resolution 1051 established a joint UNSCOM/IAEA unit to
monitor Iraq's imports of allowed dual-use WMD items (known as
``1051''--listed goods). Under UN Security Council Resolution
1284, UNMOVIC has assumed this responsibility from UNSCOM.
Since weapons inspectors left Iraq in December 1998, the UN
Office of the Iraq Programme is the only organization allowed
to have observers monitor goods going into Iraq under the
``oil-for-food'' program. Lacking weapons inspectors and other
experts on the ground in Iraq, the United States has placed
holds on a number of dual-use contracts that otherwise might
have been approved with UNMOVIC/IAEA monitoring.
The UN's ``Oil-for-Food'' Program
We continue to support the international community's
efforts to provide for the humanitarian needs of the Iraqi
people through the ``oil-for-food'' program. In Resolution
1284, the UN Security Council authorized Iraq to export as much
oil as required to meet humanitarian needs of the Iraqi
population. Under UN control, the proceeds are used to purchase
humanitarian goods, fund claims against Iraq arising out of its
invasion and occupation of Kuwait, and to meet UN
administrative costs. As of June 20, UN reporting indicates
that since the start of the ``oil-for-food'' program 7,684
contracts for humanitarian goods worth over $12 billion have
been approved. We view Resolution 1284 as a vehicle for robust
improvement of the humanitarian situation in Iraq and are eager
to see all aspects of it implemented as rapidly as possible.
The ``oil-for-food'' program maintains a separate program
for northern Iraq, administered directly by the UN in
consultation with the local authorities. This program, which
the United States strongly supports, ensures that when Iraq
contracts for the purchase of humanitarian goods, 13 percent of
the funds generated under the ``oil-for-food'' program are
spent on items for northern Iraq.
International humanitarian programs including, most
importantly, the ``oil-for-food'' program, have steadily
improved the life of the average Iraqi--the ration basket
provides 2,150 calories per day--and has led to improvements in
health care, water, sanitation, agriculture, education, and
other areas, while denying Saddam Hussein control over Iraq's
oil revenues.
We will continue to work with the UN Secretariat, the
Security Council, and others in the international community to
ensure that the implementation of Resolution 11284 better
enables the humanitarian needs of the Iraqi people to be met
while denying political or economic benefits to the Baghdad
regime.
Northern Iraq: Kurdish Reconciliation
The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic
Union of Kurdistan (PUK) continue their efforts to implement
the September 17, 1998 reconciliation agreement. U.S. diplomats
visited northern Iraq in June to assess the state of KDP-PUK
relations and to encourage more rapid implementation of the
1998 agreement. In addition, Kurdish leaders met with
Administration officials in Washington in late June and early
July. The parties remain engaged with one another and have
reiterated their commitment to address their issues peacefully
through continued negotiation. They work together effectively
in a number of areas, including joint efforts to bring the
needs of their region to the attention of the UN and the
international community.
The Human Rights Situation in Iraq
As reflected in the Department of State's Human Rights
Report for Iraq, released February 25, the human rights
situation in Iraq remains severely below international norms.
UNSCR 688 expressly notes that the consequences of the regime's
repression of its own people constitute a threat to
international peace and security in the region. It also demands
immediate access by international humanitarian aid
organizations to all Iraqis in need in all parts of Iraq. Yet,
for over nine years, the Iraqi government has refused to allow
the UN Human Rights Commission's Special Rapporteur for Iraq to
visit the country. UN human rights monitors have never been
allowed in. Newly appointed Special Rapporteur Andreas
Mavrommatis asked the Government of Iraq for access so that he
might make a personal inspection; the Iraqi government has
denied his request.
In the north, outside the Kurdish-controlled areas, we
continue to receive reports of the regime forcibly expelling
ethnic Kurds and Turkomans from Kirkuk and other cities, and
transferring other populations into their places. There have
also been reports of Shia in certain sections of Baghdad being
relocated.
Human rights NGOs and other interested voices continue to
call for creation of an international tribunal to address the
crimes against humanity of the Iraqi leadership. United States
Government policy supports this view: Saddam Hussein and the
leadership of the Iraqi regime should be indicted and
prosecuted for crimes against humanity and war crimes by an
international criminal tribunal or by a national court that can
properly exercise jurisdiction over them.
The Iraqi leadership's abuse of resources for personal
enrichment and attempts to manipulate the oil-for-food program
continued unabated. Due to higher world oil prices, Iraq has
more revenue available to it to address the humanitarian needs
of its people via the ``oil-for-food'' program. The Iraqi
leadership's command of illicit revenue has also risen sharply
for the same reason. Nonetheless, the government fails to use
these resources in a manner that would most benefit the people
of Iraq.
The Iraqi Opposition
As part of a broader program of regime change, we continue
to support the Iraqi opposition, helping Iraqis inside and
outside Iraq to become a more effective voice for the
aspirations of their people, and working to build support for
the forces of change inside the country. We will work toward
the day when Iraq has a government worthy of its people--a
government prepared to live in peace with its neighbors, a
government that respects the rights of its citizens rather than
represses them.
We signed our first grant agreement with the Iraqi National
Congress (INC) in late March 2000. This provided them with the
resources necessary to run their headquarters, hold a Central
Committee meeting, undertake outreach programs to energize free
Iraqis, and manage assistance provided under the Iraq
Liberation Act (ILA).
The United Nations Compensation Commission
The United Nations Compensation Commission (UNCC), was
established and operates pursuant to UNSCRs 687 (1991) and 692
(1991). It continues to process claims and pay compensation for
losses and damages suffered by individuals, corporations,
governments, and international organizations, as a direct
result of Iraq's unlawful invasion and occupation of Kuwait. To
date, the UNCC has issued approximately 1.5 million awards
worth about $15.5 billion. Of these, the United States
government has received funds from the UNCC for an initial
payment on approximately 2,879 claims of U.S. claimants and a
follow-up payment for approximately 2.226 claimants. Awards and
the costs of the UNCC's operation are paid for from the
Compensation Fund which is funded through the allocation to it
of thirty percent of the proceeds from authorized oil sales
under Security Council Resolutions 986 (1995) and subsequent
extensions.
Conclusion
Iraq remains a serious threat to international peace and
security. We remain determined to see Iraq comply fully with
all of its obligations under UNSC resolutions while at the same
time endeavoring to see that the humanitarian needs of the
Iraqi population are addressed. The United States looks forward
to the day when Iraq rejoins the family of nations as a
responsible and law-abiding member under a new government that
serves its people rather than represses them.