[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 32, Number 45 (Monday, November 11, 1996)]
[Pages 2339-2342]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Letter to Congressional Leaders on Iraq

November 4, 1996

Dear Mr. Speaker:  (Dear Mr. President:)

    Consistent with the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against 
Iraq Resolution (Public Law 102-1) and as part of my effort to keep the 
Congress fully informed, I am reporting on the status of efforts to 
obtain Iraqi compliance with the resolutions adopted by the UN Security 
Council. This report covers the period from September 5 to the present.
    Saddam Hussein's attack on Irbil in late August and his continuing 
efforts to manipulate local rivalries in northern Iraq to his advantage, 
provide new evidence that he remains a threat to his own people, to his 
neighbors, and to the peace of the region. As I detailed in my last 
report, the United States responded to Saddam's military action in the 
north by expanding the Southern no-fly zone from 32 degrees to 33 
degrees north latitude. The U.S. response included strikes against 
surface-to-air missile sites, command and control centers, and air 
defense control facilities south of the 33rd parallel in order

[[Page 2340]]

to help ensure the safety of our forces enforcing the expanded no-fly 
zone.
    Since my last report, we have further strengthened the U.S. presence 
in the region in order to deter Saddam. In September, we deployed two 
heavy battalions of the Third Brigade of the First Cavalry, one Patriot 
battery and eight F-117 stealth fighter aircraft to Kuwait. We also 
deployed 23 advanced F-16 aircraft to Bahrain and one Patriot battery to 
Saudi Arabia. These forces were sent to the area, in addition to the 
forces that were already deployed to the region, as a tangible deterrent 
to any Iraqi aggression. In early September, the USS Enterprise Carrier 
Battle Group was deployed to the Gulf, joining the USS Carl Vinson 
Carrier Battle Group already there; the USS Carl Vinson Battle Group 
redeployed from the Gulf on October 8.
    The no-fly zones over northern Iraq (Operation Provide Comfort) and 
southern Iraq (Southern Watch) continue to be enforced by U.S. and 
coalition forces. The Turkish parliament must consider renewal of 
Operation Provide Comfort before the end of December.
    We issued strong warnings to Iraq on September 6 and 16, via our UN 
mission in New York, not to challenge our aircraft enforcing the 
extended no-fly zone or to restore damaged Iraqi air defenses. Saddam 
appears to have backed away from his earlier violent rhetoric. We will 
continue to monitor Iraqi action carefully and are well-positioned to 
respond to any future challenges.
    United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 949, adopted in 
October 1994, demands that Iraq not threaten its neighbors or UN 
operations in Iraq and that it not redeploy or enhance its military 
capacity in southern Iraq. In view of Saddam's reinforced record of 
unreliability, it is prudent to retain a significant U.S. force presence 
in the region in order to maintain the capability to respond rapidly to 
possible Iraqi aggression or threats against its neighbors.
    The situation in northern Iraq remains volatile. This Administration 
has continued efforts to bring about and maintain a cease-fire and 
reconciliation between the two major Kurdish groups involved in that 
fighting, including maintaining an active dialogue with both. Assistant 
Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Robert Pelletreau met with 
Massoud Barzani, the leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), in 
Turkey on September 18 and October 21. Assistant Secretary Pelletreau 
also met with Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) leader Jalal Talabani 
on October 22, and follow-on meetings with representatives of the KDP 
and the PUK took place on October 30 and 31 in Ankara. In these and 
other high-level meetings, this Administration has consistently warned 
both groups that internecine warfare in the north can only work to the 
advantage of Saddam Hussein.
    In response to the increased uncertainty in northern Iraq, we 
temporarily withdrew the United States Government presence (the office 
of Foreign Disaster Assistance and the Military Coordination Center). In 
September and October, with the assistance of Turkey, we conducted a 
humanitarian evacuation of approximately 2,700 residents of northern 
Iraq whose lives were directly threatened by the Iraqi regime because of 
close ties to the United States Government or the Iraqi opposition. The 
first 2,100 of these individuals, evacuated in mid-September under 
Operation Quick Transit, were employees of United States Government 
agencies with offices in northern Iraq and their families. A second 
group of approximately 600 Iraqi opposition members was evacuated 
October 19-21. All of the evacuees are being processed on Guam under the 
U.S. refugee resettlement program.
    We remain concerned about the safety of local employees of U.S.-
funded and U.S.-based nongovernmental organizations that remain in 
northern Iraq. We have sought and received assurances from the KDP and 
PUK about their safety. We are keeping their security situation under 
active review and are continuing to consider all options to ensure the 
safety of these employees and their families.
    The United States, working through the United Nations and 
humanitarian relief organizations, continues to provide humanitarian 
assistance to the people of northern Iraq. Security conditions in 
northern Iraq remain tenuous at best, with Iranian and PKK (Kurdistan 
Workers Party) activity adding to

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the ever-present threat from Baghdad. We see no role for Iran in the 
area and continue to advise all concerned not to involve themselves with 
Tehran.
    We also continue to support the United Nations Secretary General's 
decision, in light of the changed circumstances on the ground, to review 
carefully the procedures for implementing United Nations Security 
Council Resolution (UNSCR) 986, which provides that Iraq may sell a 
certain amount of oil in order that they may use part of the proceeds to 
purchase food, medicine and other materials and supplies for essential 
civilian needs and that allocates proceeds to be used to fund vital UN 
activities regarding Iraq. We want to see the resolution implemented, as 
written and intended, in a way that ensures that humanitarian supplies 
to be purchased under the auspices of UNSCR 986 will actually be 
received by the people who need them.
    On October 9, United Nations Undersecretary Gharekhan reported to 
the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) that the Government of Iraq 
is now seeking to negotiate aspects of the plan to implement UNSCR 986 
related to the number of monitors and restrictions on the movement of UN 
personnel within Iraq. This action to renegotiate the plan--a plan that 
was agreed to by the Iraqis and that was memorialized in a Memorandum of 
Understanding between the Iraqis and the United Nations on May 20--is 
likely to delay implementation of UNSCR 986 even further.
    The Government of Iraq has, since my last report, continued to flout 
its obligations under a number of Security Council resolutions in other 
ways. Under the terms of the Gulf War cease-fire with Iraq--outlined in 
UNSCR 687--Iraq must grant the United Nations Special Commission on Iraq 
(UNSCOM) inspectors immediate, unconditional, and unrestricted access to 
any location in Iraq they wish to examine and access to any Iraqi 
official whom they wish to interview, so that UNSCOM may fully discharge 
its mandate. Iraq continues, as it has for the past 5 years, to fail to 
live up either to the letter or the spirit of this commitment.
    UNSCOM Executive Chairman Rolf Ekeus briefed the UNSC on his most 
recent, semiannual report on October 17. The Chairman's report outlined 
in comprehensive detail Iraq's past and ongoing efforts to conceal 
evidence of its Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) programs and otherwise 
obstruct the work of the Commission. As long as Saddam refuses to 
cooperate fully with UN weapons inspectors, UNSCOM will be impeded in 
its efforts to fulfill its mandate to ensure that Iraq's WMD program has 
been eliminated. We will continue to fully support the mandate and the 
efforts of the Special Commission to obtain Iraqi compliance with all 
relevant UN resolutions. We will not consider any modification of UNSC 
resolutions.
    On October 1, implementation of the export/import monitoring 
mechanism approved by the Security Council in Resolution 1051 started. 
Resolution 1051 approved a mechanism to monitor Iraq's undertaking to 
reacquire proscribed weapons capabilities; it requires that countries 
provide timely notification of the export to Iraq of dual-use items.
    Iraq also continues to stall and obfuscate rather than work in good 
faith toward accounting for the hundreds of Kuwaitis and third-country 
nationals who disappeared at the hands of Iraqi authorities during the 
occupation or toward the return of all of the Kuwaiti military equipment 
stolen during the occupation, as well as priceless Kuwaiti cultural and 
historical artifacts looted on instructions from Baghdad. Additionally, 
Iraq continues to provide refuge for known terrorists.
    Iraq's repression of its Shi'a population continues with policies 
aimed at destroying the Marsh Arabs' way of life in southern Iraq as 
well as the ecology of the southern marshes. The human rights situation 
throughout Iraq remains unchanged. Saddam Hussein shows no signs of 
complying with UNSCR 688, which demands that Iraq cease the repression 
of its own people.
    The Multinational Interception Force (MIF) continues to enforce the 
sanctions regime against Iraq. In September and the first half of 
October, four north-bound and five south-bound vessels were diverted to 
various ports in the Gulf for sanctions violations. Several of these 
vessels contained illegal cargo hidden beneath humanitarian shipments 
and over 3 million gallons of illegally exported Iraqi petroleum 
products were intercepted.

[[Page 2342]]

    The expeditious acceptance of these recent sanctions-violating 
vessels by Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates greatly contributed to 
our strong deterrent posture and provides further evidence that the MIF 
is a valuable resource in sanctions enforcement.
    We continue to meet one of our key foreign policy objectives by 
maintaining the multinational composition of the MIF. New Zealand 
recently sent a ship back to operate with the MIF; the United Kingdom 
maintains a nearly continuous presence with our forces in the northern 
Gulf; and we are hopeful that in early 1997, Canada, Belgium, and The 
Netherlands will all send ships to rejoin the MIF. We are continuing our 
efforts to engage the international community in maritime sanctions 
enforcement.
    Most of the ships engaged in sanctions violations during this period 
were flagged in the United Arab Emirates. At our urging, the Government 
of the United Arab Emirates recently announced stricter penalties for 
sanctions violators. We remain hopeful that these actions will 
discourage operations from the United Arab Emirates that violate UN 
sanctions against Iraq.
    Iran continues to contribute to sanctions violations by allowing 
vessels leaving Iraq to transit territorial waters in order to avoid the 
MIF in the northern Gulf. We have presented evidence of Iranian 
complicity in sanctions violations to the UN Sanctions Committee and 
have urged the Committee to formally denounce these actions.
    Our policy with respect to sanctions enforcement remains firm; 
sanctions continue to send a clear message to the Government of Iraq and 
those who would defy UN resolutions for profit that there will be no 
modification or relaxation of sanctions until Iraq has fully established 
its peaceful intentions by complying with all UNSC resolutions.
    The United Nations Compensation Commission (UNCC), established 
pursuant to UNSCR 687, continues to resolve claims against Iraq arising 
from Iraq's unlawful invasion and occupation of Kuwait. The UNCC has 
issued over 980,000 awards worth approximately $4.0 billion. The UNCC 
has authorized only limited payments for fixed awards for serious 
personal injury or death because Iraq refuses to comply with all 
relevant UN Security Council resolutions, and UN economic sanctions 
remain in force.
    Currently, the UNCC faces a serious financial crisis in funding 
awards and daily operations. If Iraq eventually sells the full amount of 
oil authorized under the provisions of UNSCR 986, the proceeds of the 
sale will be transferred to the UN escrow account opened for that 
purpose, with 30 percent allocated to the Compensation Fund to finance 
awards and operations of the UNCC.
    To conclude, Iraq remains a serious threat to regional peace and 
stability. I remain determined to see Iraq comply fully with all of its 
obligations under UN Security Council resolutions.
    My Administration will continue to oppose any relaxation of 
sanctions until Iraq demonstrates its peaceful intentions through such 
compliance.
    I appreciate the support of the Congress for our efforts and will 
continue to keep the Congress informed about this important matter.
    Sincerely,
                                            William J. Clinton

Note: Identical letters were sent to Newt Gingrich, Speaker of the House 
of Representatives, and Strom Thurmond, President pro tempore of the 
Senate. This letter was released by the Office of the Press Secretary on 
November 5.