[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 12 (Tuesday, January 30, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E111]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[[Page E111]]


   COMPANIES SUPPLYING DUAL-USE ITEMS TO IRAQ: THE NEED FOR SUNSHINE

                                 ______


                          HON. LEE H. HAMILTON

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 30, 1996

  Mr. HAMILTON. Mr. Speaker, on November 1, 1995, I wrote to Secretary 
of State Christopher about companies supplying dual-use technologies to 
Iraq. My basic question is: Why aren't the names of companies providing 
dual-use or military items to Iraq made public?
  On December 20, 1995, I put into the Congressional Record a reply 
from Rolf Ekeus of UNSCOM to a similar letter I wrote (E2429).
  On January 18, 1996, I received a reply from the Department of State, 
and the text of the correspondence follows:

         Committee on International Relations, House of 
           Representatives,
                                 Washington, DC, November 1, 1995.
     Hon. Warren Christopher,
     Secretary of State, Department of State, Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Secretary: I write with respect to the question of 
     companies that supplied or are supplying dual-use goods, 
     services or technology to Iraq, and the use of those dual-use 
     items in Iraq's programs to build weapons of mass 
     destruction.
       At the time of the creation of UNSCOM by U.N. Security 
     council Resolution 687 in April, 1991, it had been my 
     impression, from both U.S. officials and from UNSCOM, that 
     the names of companies supplying dual-use items to Iraq 
     eventually would be made public. Thus far, to my knowledge, 
     no such list has been made public.
       I continue to think that it is important to make 
     information about all such companies public, on the theory 
     that sunshine is the best deterrent of such transfers of 
     duel-use items in the future.
       I would like to ask a number of questions:
       1. Why has a list of companies supplying dual-use items to 
     Iraq not been made public?
       Who, or what governments, are locking the release of such 
     information?
       2. What is U.S. policy on the publication of such a list of 
     companies?
       Is the United States pressing UNSCOM to release such a list 
     of companies?
       Is the United States pressing the Security Council to 
     direct UNSCOM to release such a list of companies?
       3. Does the United States plan to make such a list of 
     companies public?
       Does the U.S. plan, at least, to make public a list of U.S. 
     companies that supplied dual-use items to Iraq?
       Thank you for your time and attention, and I look forward 
     to your early reply.
       With best regards,
           Sincerely,
                                                  Lee H. Hamilton,
                                        Ranking Democratic Member.
                                 ______



                                     U.S. Department of State,

                                 Washington, DC, January 18, 1996.
     Hon. Lee H. Hamilton,
     House of Representatives.
       Dear Mr. Hamilton: I am writing in respect to your recent 
     letter to Secretary Christopher regarding companies supplying 
     dual-use technology to Iraq. The Department very much 
     appreciates your interest in, and leadership on, this 
     critical issue.
       As you indicated, the U.N. Special Commission on Iraq 
     (UNSCOM) has not published any list of companies supplying 
     dual-use items to Iraq. We asked for such lists some time 
     ago, shortly after UNSCOM started its work. UNSCOM explained 
     that supplying such lists would make it impossible for UNSCOM 
     to carry out its primary responsibility: to account for and 
     dismantle Iraq's weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and 
     monitor Iraq's ability to make such weapons in the future.
       In the same resolution that created UNSCOM (Resolution 
     687), the Security Council directed Iraq to declare all of 
     its weapons of mass destruction and the facilities used to 
     manufacture them. Iraq, in fact, failed to do this. As a 
     result, UNSCOM became entirely dependent on information from 
     other governments to build a picture of Iraq's weapons 
     arsenal. Governments are only willing to share this 
     information with UNSCOM in confidence. Were UNSCOM to publish 
     lists of companies that did business with Iraq, governments 
     would stop sharing this vital information. This would cripple 
     UNSCOM's ability to fulfill its basic mandate.
       We have stressed to UNSCOM the need to approach governments 
     to take action against their companies which have engaged in 
     prohibited weapons trade with Iraq. We have offered to 
     approach governments ourselves to add weight to UNSCOM's own 
     approaches. However, given UNSCOM's continued dependence on 
     foreign government cooperation, it believes publication of 
     lists like those described in your letter would be 
     counterproductive.
       You also raise the issue of the U.S. government publishing 
     a list of U.S. companies engaged in such activities. State 
     did distribute to Congressional committees during the first 
     year of inspections lists of U.S. firms involved in dual-use 
     trade with Iraq prior to the Gulf War. We are not aware of 
     any subsequent lists, but we will be consulting with the 
     Commerce Department on this issue.
       We hope this information is helpful to you. Please continue 
     to call on us whenever you believe this Department might be 
     helpful.
           Sincerely,

                                             Wendy R. Sherman,

                                              Assistant Secretary,
     Legislative Affairs.

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