UN/IRAQ: ELEMENTS OF UK/U.S./SPAIN STATEMENT ON IRAQ

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000718 E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PARM UNSC IZ SUBJECT: UN/IRAQ: ELEMENTS OF UK/U.S./SPAIN STATEMENT ON IRAQ ¶1. (U) IN COMMENTS TO THE PRESS BEFORE INFORMAL CONSULTATIONS, MARCH 17, UK PERMREP GREENSTOCK, ACCOMPANIED BY SPANISH PERMREP ARIAS AND AMBASSADOR NEGROPONTE, ISSUED A JOINT STATEMENT ON IRAQ. FOLLOWING GREENSTOCK'S COMMENTS, AMBASSADORS NEGROPONTE AND ARIAS PROVIDED STATEMENTS TO THE PRESS. ELEMENTS OF UK/U.S./SPAIN STATEMENT ON IRAQ AS PRESENTED BY UK PERMREP GREENSTOCK -------------- -------------- ¶2. (U) AS YOU KNOW, WE HAVE WORKED VERY HARD IN THE LAST FEW DAYS IN A FINAL EFFORT TO SEEK A COUNCIL CONSENSUS ON IRAQ. IN AN EFFORT TO REUNITE THE COUNCIL, THE UNITED KINGDOM PROPOSED LAST WEEK AN ULTIMATUM WHICH WOULD CHALLENGE IRAQ TO TAKE A STRATEGIC DECISION TO DISARM. THERE WERE THREE KEY ELEMENTS TO THE COMPROMISE WE PROPOSED: -TOUGH BUT REALIZABLE TESTS, INCLUDING AN UNEQUIVOCAL COMMITMENT TO DISARMAMENT BY SADDAM HUSSEIN; -A REALISTIC BUT TIGHT TIMETABLE FOR COMPLETION OF THOSE TESTS GIVEN THE URGENT NEED FOR IRAQ TO COMPLY AFTER 12 YEARS OF PREVARICATION; -AND, THIRD, AN UNDERSTANDING THAT IF IRAQ FAILED THE TESTS, SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES WOULD ENSUE AS SET OUT IN RESOLUTION ¶1441. HAVING HELD FURTHER DISCUSSIONS WITH COUNCIL MEMBERS OVER THE WEEKEND AND IN THE LAST FEW HOURS, WE HAVE HAD TO CONCLUDE THAT COUNCIL CONSENSUS WILL NOT BE POSSIBLE IN LINE WITH RESOLUTION 1441. ONE COUNTRY IN PARTICULAR HAS UNDERLINED ITS INTENTION TO VETO ANY ULTIMATUM "NO MATTER WHAT THE CIRCUMSTANCES." THAT COUNTRY REJECTED OUR PROPOSED COMPROMISE BEFORE EVEN THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT ITSELF AND HAS PUT FORWARD SUGGESTIONS THAT WOULD ROW BACK ON THE UNANIMOUS AGREEMENT OF THE COUNCIL IN 1441 - THOSE SUGGESTIONS WOULD AMOUNT TO NO ULTIMATUM/NO PRESSURE/NO DISARMAMENT; GIVEN THIS SITUATION, WE HAVE AGREED THAT WE WILL NOT PURSUE A VOTE ON THE DRAFT UK/U.S./SPANISH RESOLUTION IN BLUE; THE COMMUNIQUES AND PRESS STATEMENTS THAT WERE ISSUED AT THE AZORES SUMMIT EXPLAIN THE POSITION OF OUR GOVERNMENTS ON THE WAY FORWARD. THE CO-SPONSORS RESERVE THEIR RIGHT TO TAKE THEIR OWN STEPS TO SECURE THE DISARMAMENT OF IRAQ. TRANSCRIPT OF AMBASSADOR NEGROPONTE'S COMMENTS TO THE PRESS -------------- -------------- ¶3. (U) AMBASSADOR NEGROPONTE: GOOD MORNING. CAN YOU HEAR ME? I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT WE ASSOCIATE OURSELVES FULLY WITH THE STATEMENT MADE BY AMBASSADOR GREENSTOCK. I WOULD JUST MAKE THE FURTHER POINT THAT IT HAS BEEN NEARLY FOUR AND HALF MONTHS SINCE THE COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTED RESOLUTION 1441, WHICH FOUND IRAQ IN MATERIAL BREACH AND GAVE IT A FINAL OPPORTUNITY TO DISARM OR FACE SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES. THE GOVERNMENT OF IRAQ HAS CLEARLY FAILED TO COMPLY. OUR GOVERNMENTS BELIEVE THAT THROUGH ACTS OF OMISSION AND COMMISSION IRAQ IS NOW IN FURTHER MATERIAL BREACH. WE ADVOCATED A SECOND RESOLUTION BECAUSE A UNITED COUNCIL WOULD HAVE SHOWN IT WAS INTENT ON ENFORCING RESOLUTION 1441 AND DISARMING IRAQ. WE BELIEVE THAT THE VOTE WOULD HAVE BEEN CLOSE. WE REGRET THAT IN THE FACE OF AN EXPLICIT THREAT TO VETO BY A PERMANENT MEMBER, THE VOTE COUNTING BECAME A SECONDARY CONSIDERATION. THANK YOU. LAST OPPORTUNITY WAS SURRENDERED -------------- ¶4. (U) IN HIS COMMENTS TO THE PRESS, SPANISH PERMREP ARIAS STATED THAT UNSCR 1441 WAS QUITE CLEAR IN PARAGRAPH FOUR, WHICH ESTABLISHED IN AN UNEQUIVOCAL WAY THAT ANY FALSE STATEMENT OR OMISSION ON THE PART OF IRAQ WOULD CONSTITUTE A FURTHER MATERIAL BREACH. ARIAS ADDED THAT IRAQ HAD BEEN GIVEN ONE LAST OPPORTUNITY TO COMPLY, WHICH IT SURRENDERED. NEGROPONTE