[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 33, Number 10 (Monday, March 10, 1997)]
[Pages 313-316]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Letter to Congressional Leaders Reporting on Iraq

March 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 United 
Nations Security Council (UNSC). This report covers the period from 
January 7 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 1996, but he continues to 
try to manipulate local rivalries in northern Iraq to his advantage. The 
United States and our coalition partners continue uninterrupted 
enforcement of the no-fly zone over northern Iraq under Operation 
Northern Watch, the successor mission to Operation Provide Comfort. 
France chose not to participate in Operation Northern Watch, but the 
United Kingdom and Turkey remain committed to the same enforcement of 
the no-fly zone above the 36th parallel that existed under Operation 
Provide Comfort. Enforcement of the southern no-fly zone also continues, 
and France remains engaged with our other coalition partners in 
conducting Operation Southern Watch.
    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. On February 20, 
1997, an air expeditionary force consisting of 30 F-16s and F-15s 
deployed to Doha, Qatar, to further strengthen the U.S. deterrent in the 
region. On February 22, an F-117 squadron deployed to Kuwait since last 
autumn was redeployed to the United States upon the completion of its 
mission. 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

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adequate force protection is provided for all deployed forces.
    United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 949, adopted in 
October 1994, demands that Iraq not utilize its military forces to 
threaten its neighbors or U.N. operations in Iraq and that it not 
redeploy troops 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.
    Regarding northern Iraq, we have conducted three rounds of talks, 
along with our British and Turkish partners, with the major Kurdish 
parties in northern Iraq--the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the 
Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). Our immediate goal is to strengthen 
the U.S.-brokered cease-fire of October 23, which continues to hold, and 
to encourage political reconciliation between the PUK and KDP. This 
Administration continues to warn 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 Iraqi Kurd contacts with either Baghdad or 
Tehran.
    The United States is providing political, financial, and logistical 
support for a neutral, indigenous Peace Monitoring Force (PMF) in 
northern Iraq that has demarcated the cease-fire line and will monitor 
the cease-fire. The PMF likely will be fully deployed in the next few 
weeks. Our support is being provided in the form of commodities and 
services in accordance with a drawdown directed by me on December 11, 
1996, and in the form of funds to be used to provide other non-lethal 
assistance in accordance with a separate determination made by former 
Secretary of State Christopher on November 10, 1996.
    We also are encouraging both Kurdish groups to take steps toward 
reconciliation. At the latest round of higher-level talks in Ankara on 
January 15, the Iraqi Kurds agreed to establish joint committees to 
cooperate in such areas as education, health, and transportation. Local 
representatives of the two Kurd groups, the three countries and the PNF 
continue to meet biweekly in Ankara and move forward on other 
confidence-building measures. All our efforts under the Ankara process, 
like all our efforts concerning Iraq, maintain support for the unity and 
territorial integrity of Iraq.
    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 United Nations International Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World 
Food Program (WFP). Security conditions in northern Iraq remain tenuous 
at best, with Iranian and Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) activity adding 
to the ever-present threat from Baghdad.
    The oil-related provisions of UNSCR 986, which authorized 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), went into 
effect on December 10, 1996. This resolution requires 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. While Iraq has already 
sold nearly 80 percent of the oil allowed for the first 90-day period, 
Iraqi efforts to impose restrictions on the access and freedom of 
movement of the U.N. monitors tasked with overseeing the equitable 
distribution of humanitarian supplies have slowed such distribution.
    Since my last report, the Government of Iraq has continued to flout 
its obligations under UNSC 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 offi

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cial whom they wish to interview, so that UNSCOM may fully discharge its 
mandate to ensure that Iraq's weapons of mass destruction program has 
been eliminated. 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.
    On February 23, UNSCOM Chairman Rolf Ekeus obtained permission from 
the Iraqi regime to remove more than 130 SCUD motors from Iraq for 
extensive testing in the United States and France. Iraq agreed to this 
action after 3 months of stalling, and only after a December 30 Security 
Council Presidential Statement deplored Iraq's failure to comply with 
its obligation to cooperate with UNSCOM. Ekeus continues to believe that 
Iraq maintains significant numbers of operational SCUD missiles, 
possibly with CBW warheads. As long as Saddam refuses to cooperate fully 
with U.N. weapons inspectors, UNSCOM will be impeded in its efforts to 
fulfill its mandate. We will continue to fully support the mandate and 
the efforts of UNSCOM to obtain Iraqi compliance with all relevant U.N. 
resolutions.
    Implementation of UNSCR 1051 continues. It provides for a mechanism 
to monitor Iraq's efforts to reacquire proscribed weapons capabilities 
by requiring that Iraq notify a joint unit of UNSCOM and the 
International Atomic Energy Agency in advance of any imports of dual-use 
items. Similarly, countries must provide timely notification of exports 
to Iraq of dual-use items.
    Iraq 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 
that are 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) has been increasingly 
challenged in the last few months. In the first 6 weeks of the year, 12 
merchant vessels were diverted for sanctions violations. This represents 
the highest volume of smuggler traffic we have seen since maritime 
sanctions enforcement began. Most of these smugglers take gas oil 
illegally from Iraq via the Shatt Al Arab waterway and sell it on the 
spot market for enormous profit. As I have noted in previous reports, 
these smugglers use the territorial waters of Iran to avoid the MIF 
inspection in the Northern Gulf. With the help of the Iranian 
government, which profits from these activities by charging protection 
fees, these smugglers are able to export between 40,000 and 65,000 
metric tons of gas oil through the Gulf each month.
    To counter the efforts of those who engage in illegal trade with 
Iraq, we have taken a number of steps to minimize the smuggling 
activity. We have adjusted the positioning of our naval forces to take 
maximum advantage of known trade routes. We are working closely with our 
friends in the Gulf Cooperation Council to develop greater cooperation 
in border patrol and customs inspection procedures. We have publicized 
the involvement of the Iranian government at the United Nations and in 
press reports.
    It is important to remember that these sanctions violations not only 
aid Saddam and his policy of resisting U.N. mandates, but also slow the 
flow of humanitarian aid to the Iraqi people who are in such great need. 
Committing scarce MIF assets to counter the smuggling trade results in 
fewer ships available to process the legal humanitarian shipments that 
bring food to Iraq under the provisions of UNSCR 986 and the 
humanitarian exceptions to sanctions.
    We continue to work closely with our maritime partners in the MIF. 
Recently, The Netherlands informed us that they will send a frigate and 
an aircraft to join the MIF in the near future. Canada will also soon be 
sending a ship to join the MIF. The continuing support of the 
international community is critical to the success of this multinational 
operation.
    Since the implementation of UNSCR 986 in December, the MIF has not 
encountered

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any serious problems in processing the maritime traffic involved in 
lifting oil from the Mina Al Bakr offshore terminal. While it is still 
too early to tell if the inbound shipments will go as smoothly, we are 
hopeful that our advance planning and preparation in this area will pay 
off.
    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. 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 
UNSC resolutions. With the advent of oil sales under UNSCR 986, however, 
30 percent of the proceeds will be allocated to the Compensation Fund. 
These proceeds will be used to make installment payments on awards 
already made and to finance 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 United Nations 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.