[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 33, Number 2 (Monday, January 13, 1997)]
[Pages 16-19]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Letter to Congressional Leaders on Iraq

January 7, 1997

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 Iraq's compliance with the resolutions adopted by the U.N. 
Security Council (UNSC). This report covers the period from November 4 
to the present.
    Saddam Hussein remains a threat to his people and the region. The 
United States successfully responded to the increased threat resulting 
from Saddam's attack on Irbil in late August, but he continues to try to 
manipulate local rivalries in northern Iraq to his advantage. The United 
States and our coalition partners continue to enforce the no-fly zone 
over southern Iraq. Enforcement of the northern no-fly zone also 
continues uninterrupted, despite a restructuring of operations. Because 
of changes in its mission as a result of the closing last fall of the 
Military Command Center (MCC) in the city of Zakho, Iraq and the shift 
of humanitarian assistance in the north under UNSCR 986 to international 
organizations, the designation ``Provide Comfort'' will no longer be 
used to describe the operation. The United Kingdom will continue to take 
part in this mission; however, France has chosen not to continue to 
participate in this endeavor. None of these changes affect our firm 
commitment to ensuring that the northern no-fly zone is fully enforced.
    Besides our air operations, we will continue to maintain a strong 
U.S. presence in the region in order to deter Saddam. U.S. force levels 
have returned to approximate pre-Operation Desert Strike levels, with 
land and carrier based aircraft, surface warships, a Marine amphibious 
task force, a Patriot missile battalion, and a mechanized battalion task 
force deployed in support of USCINCCENT operations. As an additional 
deterrent against Iraqi aggression, F-117 aircraft remain deployed to 
Kuwait. Since submission of my last report, USCINCCENT has completed the 
initial phases of Operation Desert Focus, with the relocation and 
consolidation of all combatant forces in Saudi Arabia into more secure 
facilities throughout Saudi Arabia. To enhance force protection 
throughout the region, additional military security personnel have been 
deployed for continuous rotation. USCINCCENT continues to closely 
monitor the security situation in the region to ensure adequate force 
protection is provided for all deployed forces.
    United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 949, adopted in 
October 1994, demands that Iraq not threaten its neighbors or U.N. 
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.
    In northern Iraq, we have made some limited progress in 
strengthening the October 23 cease-fire and encouraging political 
reconciliation between the two main Iraqi Kurd groups, the Kurdistan 
Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). 
Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Robert Pelletreau 
co-chaired talks between the KDP and the PUK in Turkey on October 30 and 
November 15, alongside representatives of the Turkish and British 
governments. During these talks, we obtained agreement from the two 
parties that the neutral, indigenous Peace Monitoring Force (PMF) would 
demarcate and observe the cease-fire line. To support the PMF, I have 
directed, under the authorities of sections 552(c) and 614 of the 
Foreign Assist

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ance Act of 1961, as amended, the drawdown of up to $4 million in 
Department of Defense commodities and services, and the Secretary of 
State has made a determination under which we will provide up to $3 
million for uniforms, tents, generators and other non-lethal supplies. 
Issues related to PMF operations are discussed regularly by a 
Supervisory Peace Monitoring Group that meets in Ankara and is composed 
of U.S., U.K. and Turkish representatives, as well as members of the 
indigenous relevant parties. In these and other high level meetings, 
this Administration has consistently warned all concerned that 
internecine warfare in the north can only work to the advantage of 
Saddam Hussein and Iran, which we believe has no role to play in the 
area. In this connection, we remain concerned about the KDP's links to 
Baghdad and the PUK's ties to Iran.
    Despite the cease-fire and other efforts, many residents of northern 
Iraq continued to face threats from Baghdad due to their association 
with U.S.-affiliated nongovernmental organizations, who had undertaken 
relief work in northern Iraq over the past few years. In response, this 
Administration, with the assistance of Turkey, conducted a third 
humanitarian evacuations operation of approximately 3,780 residents of 
northern Iraq whose lives were directly threatened by the Iraqi regime. 
All of the evacuees are being processed on Guam under the U.S. refugee 
resettlement program, while most of the 2,700 evacuated under two 
previous operations are now resettled in the United States.
    The United States, working through the United Nations and 
humanitarian relief organizations, continues to provide humanitarian 
assistance to the people of northern Iraq. We have contributed more than 
$15 million this fiscal year to programs in the north administered by 
the U.N. International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and the World 
Food Program (WFP). Security conditions in northern Iraq remain tenuous 
at best, with Iranian and PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party) activity adding 
to the ever-present threat from Baghdad.
    On December 9, the U.N. Secretary General submitted his formal 
report to the UNSC stating that all necessary conditions for 
implementation of UNSCR 986 had been met. Following this action, the 
resolution went into effect 12:01 a.m. on December 10. UNSCR 986 
authorizes Iraq to sell up to $2 billion of oil during an initial 180-
day period, with the possibility of UNSC renewal of subsequent 180-day 
periods. Resolution 986 provides that the proceeds of this limited oil 
sale, all of which must be deposited in a U.N. escrow account, will be 
used to purchase food, medicine, and other materials and supplies for 
essential civilian needs for all Iraqi citizens, and to fund vital U.N. 
activities regarding Iraq. Critical to the success of UNSCR 986 is 
Iraq's willingness to follow through on its commitments under 986 to 
allow the U.N. to monitor the distribution of food and medical supplies 
to the Iraqi people.
    We have already seen good evidence that the safeguards systems is 
working: when Saddam Hussein pushed a button in Kirkuk on December 10 to 
turn on the flow of oil before any oil contracts had been approved by 
the U.N., the U.N. made him turn it off. The oil flow began again, under 
proper U.N. supervision, a short time later.
    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 relevant UNSC resolutions, 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.
    In his October 11 semiannual written report to the Security Council, 
UNSCOM Executive Chairman Rolf Ekeus outlined in comprehensive detail 
Iraq's past and ongoing efforts to conceal evidence of its weapons of 
mass destruction (WMD) programs. In his December 18 briefing to the 
Security Council, Ekeus urged it to take action to reverse Iraq's 
current blocking of UNSCOM removal of 130 SCUD motors from Iraq for 
analysis. As reported to the press by Security Council President Fulci 
that day, Ekeus informed the Council that he thought significant numbers

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of SCUD missiles still exist in Iraq. As long as Saddam refuses to 
cooperate fully with U.N. 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 U.N. resolutions.
    The implementation of the export/import monitoring mechanism 
approved by the Security Council in Resolution 1051 began on October 1. 
Resolution 1051 approved a mechanism to monitor Iraq's undertaking to 
reacquire proscribed weapons capabilities by requiring that Iraq inform 
the U.N. in advance of any imports of dual-use items and 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. It has also failed to return all of the stolen Kuwaiti 
military equipment and the priceless Kuwaiti cultural and historical 
artifacts, which were looted during the occupation.
    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) remains on station in the 
Arabian Gulf. Our commitment to the enforcement of the sanctions regime 
is clearly demonstrated by the significant investment we have made with 
our naval forces in this area. Since my last report, 10 vessels have 
been intercepted and diverted for sanctions violations. Most of the 
vessels diverted have been engaged in illegal oil smuggling, but in 
recent weeks, we have begun to intercept smaller boats attempting to 
smuggle Iraqi dates as well. Traditionally, our naval forces encounter 
an increase in date smugglers as Ramadan approaches.
    We continue to note suspected smugglers using the territorial waters 
of Iran to avoid interception by the MIF. Due to the geography of the 
Gulf, it is possible to transit from Iraqi ports to the UAE and the 
Indian Ocean without entering international waters. We believe, and have 
confirmed in some instances, that smugglers utilize these routes to 
export Iraqi petroleum products in violation of UNSCR 661. We believe 
that there are elements within the Iranian government who profit from 
charging ``protection fees'' for the safe passage through Iranian 
waters. We have presented evidence of this to the United Nations 
Sanctions Committee, and I am pleased to report that the Committee has 
decided to admonish Iran for failing to halt sanctions violators in its 
waters.
    The recent implementation of UNSCR 986 will increase the workload of 
our naval forces participating in the MIF. We are prepared to meet the 
increased monitoring effort in the coming months. The surge in maritime 
traffic expected to occur with the implementation of UNSCR 986 will 
necessitate extreme vigilance to ensure that those who would profit from 
illegal trade with Iraq are not given the opportunity to succeed.
    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 1 million awards worth approximately $5.2 billion. At its 
most recent meeting, the UNCC Governing Council approved an award of 
$610 million on the claim by the Kuwait national oil company for the 
costs of extinguishing the oil well fires ignited by Iraq at the end of 
the Gulf War. The UNCC has authorized to date only limited payments for 
fixed awards for serious personal injury or death because additional 
funds to pay awards have been unavailable due to Iraq's refusal to 
comply with all relevant sanctions. With the advent of oil sales under 
UNSCR 986, however, 30 percent of the proceeds (which is anticipated to 
be as much as $100 million per month) will be allocated to the 
Compensation Fund. These proceeds will be used to make installment 
payments on awards already made and to finance the operations of the 
UNCC.

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    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 U.N. 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 shall 
continue to keep the Congress informed about this important issue.
    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 
January 8.