[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1991, Book I)]
[May 29, 1991]
[Pages 579-581]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



White House Fact Sheet on the Middle East Arms Control Initiative
May 29, 1991

    Fulfilling the pledge he made in his March 6 address to a joint 
session of Congress, the President announced today a series of proposals 
intended to curb the spread of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons 
in the Middle East, as well as the missiles that can deliver them. The 
proposals also seek to restrain destabilizing conventional arms build-
ups in the region.
    The proposals would apply to the entire Middle East, including Iraq, 
Iran, Libya, Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and 
the other states of the Maghreb and the Gulf Cooperation Council. They 
reflect our consultations with allies, governments in the region, and 
key suppliers of arms and technology.
    The support of both arms exporters and importers will be essential 
to the success of the initiative. Since proliferation is a 
global problem, it must find a global solution. At the same time, the 
current situation in the Middle East poses unique dangers and 
opportunities. Thus, the President's proposal will concentrate on the 
Middle East as its starting point while complementing other initiatives 
such as those 
taken by Prime Ministers John Major and Brian Mulroney. It includes the 
following elements.

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Supplier Restraint

    The initiative calls on the five major suppliers of conventional 
arms to meet at senior levels in the near future to discuss the 
establishment of guidelines for restraints on destabilizing transfers of 
conventional arms as well as weapons of mass destruction and associated 
technology. France has agreed to host the initial meeting. (The United 
Kingdom, France, the Soviet Union, China, and the United States have 
supplied the vast majority of the conventional arms exported to the 
Middle East in the last decade.) At the same time, these guidelines will 
permit states in the region to acquire the conventional capabilities 
they legitimately need to deter and defend against military aggression.
    These discussions will be expanded to include other suppliers in 
order to obtain the broadest possible cooperation. The London summit of 
the G-7, to be hosted by the British in July, will provide an early 
opportunity to begin to engage other governments.
    To implement this regime, the suppliers would commit:
    --to observe a general code of responsible arms transfers;
    --to avoid destabilizing transfers; and
    --to establish effective domestic export controls on the end-use of 
        arms or other items to be transferred.
    The guidelines will include a mechanism for consultations among 
suppliers, who would:
    --notify one another in advance of certain arms sales;
    --meet regularly to consult on arms transfers;
    --consult on an ad hoc basis if a supplier believed guidelines were 
        not being observed; and
    --provide one another with an annual report on transfers.

Missiles

    The initiative proposes a freeze on the acquisition, production, and 
testing of surface-to-surface missiles by states in the region with a 
view to the ultimate elimination of such missiles from their arsenals.
    Suppliers would also step up efforts to coordinate export licensing 
for equipment, technology, and services that could be used to 
manufacture surface-to-surface missiles. Export licenses would be 
provided only for peaceful end uses.

Nuclear Weapons

    The initiative builds on existing institutions and focuses on 
activities directly related to nuclear weapons capability. The 
initiative would:
    --call on regional states to implement a verifiable ban on the 
        production and acquisition of weapons-usable nuclear material 
        (enriched uranium or separated plutonium);
    --reiterate our call on all states in the region that have not 
        already done so to accede to the nonproliferation treaty;
    --reiterate our call to place all nuclear facilities in the region 
        under International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards; and
    --continue to support the eventual creation of a regional nuclear 
        weapon-free zone.

Chemical Weapons

    The proposal will build on the President's recent initiative to 
achieve early completion of the global chemical weapons convention.
    The initiative calls for all states in the region to commit to 
becoming original parties to the convention.
    Given the history of possession and use of chemical weapons in the 
region, the initiative also calls for regional states to institute 
confidence-building measures now by engaging in presignature 
implementation of appropriate chemical weapons convention provisions.

Biological Weapons

    As with the approach to chemical weapon controls, the proposals 
build on an existing global approach. The initiative would:
    --call for strengthening the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention 
        (BWC) through full implementation of existing BWC provisions and 
        an improved mechanism for information exchange. These measures 
        will be pursued at the 5-year Review Conference of the BWC this 
        September;

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    --urge regional states to adopt biological weapons confidence-
        building measures.
    This initiative complements our continuing support for the 
continuation of the U.N. Security Council embargo against arms transfers 
to Iraq as well as the efforts of the U.N. Special Commission to 
eliminate Iraq's remaining capabilities to use or produce nuclear, 
chemical, and biological weapons and the missiles to deliver them.

                    Note: The fact sheet referred to Prime Minister John 
                        Major of the United Kingdom and Prime Minister 
                        Brian Mulroney of Canada.