[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1991, Book I)]
[March 7, 1991]
[Page 223]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



[[Page 223]]


White House Statement on Weapons of Mass Destruction
March 7, 1991

    The United States has taken a major step in its continuing efforts 
to halt the spread of weapons of mass destruction with the issuance of 
regulations extending export controls over chemicals, equipment, and 
other assistance that can contribute to the spread of missiles and 
chemical and biological weapons.
    Saddam Hussein's use of chemical weapons against his own citizens, 
his use of Scud missiles to terrorize civilian populations, and the 
chilling specter of germ warfare and nuclear weapons have brought home 
the dangers proliferation poses to American interests and global peace 
and stability.
    Our continuing efforts to stem the spread of weapons of mass 
destruction will contribute to the construction of a new world order. 
The new regulations will enhance our ability to head off these dangers 
so that in the future we will not be forced to confront them militarily 
as we have in Iraq. At the same time, the new regulations are sensitive 
to the importance of U.S. exports to our economic vitality and will not 
unfairly restrict legitimate commerce.
    The expanded U.S. export controls apply to equipment, chemicals, and 
whole plants that can be used to manufacture chemical or biological 
weapons, as well as to activities of U.S. exporters or citizens when 
they know or are informed that their efforts will assist in a foreign 
missile or chemical or biological weapon program.
    But the United States cannot do the job alone. Our experience in the 
Gulf has reinforced the lesson that the most effective export controls 
are those imposed multilaterally. The administration has therefore 
initiated vigorous efforts to obtain allied support for chemical and 
biological weapon export controls in the Australia Group, missile export 
controls in the Missile Technology Control Regime, and nuclear export 
controls through consultations with all major nuclear suppliers. These 
efforts will take advantage of the growing international consensus to 
redouble our efforts to stem the spread of weapons of mass destruction.
    The proliferation of weapons of mass destruction may profoundly 
challenge our national security in the 1990's. The new regulations 
issued today and our multilateral initiatives will enhance our ability 
to meet that challenge squarely.

                    Note: The statement referred to President Saddam 
                        Hussein of Iraq and to the Australia Group, a 
                        multilateral forum of 20 supplier nations 
                        committed to restricting the spread of chemical 
                        weapons.