    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1991, Book I)]
    [May 17, 1991]
    [Pages 521-522]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Letter to Congressional Leaders on the Situation in the Persian Gulf
    May 17, 1991

    Dear Mr. Speaker:  (Dear Mr. President:)
        On March 19, 1991, I reported to you, consistent with the
    Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution (Public
    Law 102-1), on the successful conduct of military operations aimed at
    the liberation of Kuwait. Since that time, the United Nations Security
    Council has adopted Resolution 687, which set forth the preconditions
    for a formal cease-fire. Iraq has accepted those terms, and the cease-
    fire and withdrawal of coalition forces from southern Iraq have been
    concluded. The Iraqi repression of the Kurdish people has, however,
    necessitated a limited introduction of U.S. forces into northern Iraq
    for emergency relief purposes. I am reporting these matters to you as
    part of our continuing effort to keep the Congress fully informed on
    these developments.

    [[Page 522]]

        Resolution 687 required, as a precondition for a formal cease-fire,
    that Iraq officially notify the United Nations of its acceptance of the
    provisions of the resolution. These provisions included: (1) respect for
    the international boundary as agreed between Iraq and Kuwait in 1963,
    which the Security Council guaranteed; (2) the creation of a
    demilitarized zone along the Iraq-Kuwait border and the deployment of a
    U.N. observer unit into that zone; (3) the destruction, removal, or
    rendering harmless of all chemical and biological weapons, ballistic
    missiles with a range greater than 150 kilometers, and nuclear-weapons-
    usable material, together with facilities related to them, and
    international supervision and inspection to verify compliance; (4) the
    creation of a fund, drawn from future Iraqi oil revenues, to pay
    compensation for losses caused by the Iraqi invasion and occupation of
    Kuwait; (5) the continuation of the embargo of all exports of arms to
    Iraq; (6) the phased relaxation of certain other aspects of the U.N.
    sanctions against Iraq as Iraq complies with its obligations under the
    resolution; and (7) the renunciation by Iraq of support for
    international terrorism.
        Iraq officially accepted those terms on April 6, and a formal cease-
    fire has gone into effect. Accordingly, United States Armed Forces
    deployed in southern Iraq began withdrawing as U.N. peacekeeping
    personnel deployed into the zone, and this withdrawal was completed on
    May 9. The United States has been assisting the U.N. Secretary General
    in his efforts to implement the other provisions of Resolution 687,
    particularly with respect to boundary demarcation, compensation, and
    weapons of mass destruction.
        During this same period, however, Iraqi forces engaged in a campaign
    of brutal repression of internal opposition, with the result that many
    hundreds of thousands of civilians fled their homes in search of safety
    in the regions along the Turkish and Iranian borders. In response to
    this situation, on April 5 the Security Council adopted Resolution 688,
    which insisted that Iraq cease its repression and allow immediate access
    by international humanitarian organizations, and appealed to all Member
    States to assist in these humanitarian relief efforts.
        I immediately ordered United States Armed Forces to begin air-
    dropping large amounts of food and other essential items to these
    refugees. However, it soon became clear that even this massive effort
    would not be enough to deal with the desperate plight of the hundreds of
    thousands of men, women, and children stranded and suffering in these
    mountainous areas. Accordingly, on April 16 I directed United States
    Armed Forces to begin to establish immediately several temporary
    encampments in northern Iraq where geographical conditions would be more
    suitable for relief efforts. United States, British, and French forces
    are providing security for these encampments.
        This effort is not intended as a permanent solution to the plight of
    the Iraqi Kurds. It is a humanitarian measure designed to save lives,
    consistent with Resolution 688. It is also not an attempt to intervene
    militarily into the internal affairs of Iraq or to impair its
    territorial integrity. We intend to turn over the administration and
    security for these temporary sites as soon as possible to the United
    Nations (a process that has already begun), and to complete our total
    withdrawal from Iraq. Our long-term objective remains the same: for
    Iraqi Kurds, and indeed for all Iraqi refugees and displaced persons, to
    return home and to live in peace, free from repression.
        I am grateful for the support that the Congress has given, and I
    look forward to continued cooperation in meeting these urgent
    humanitarian goals.
        Sincerely,

                                                                 George Bush

                        Note: Identical letters were sent to Thomas S.
                            Foley, Speaker of the House of Representatives,
                            and Robert C. Byrd, President pro tempore of the
                            Senate.