SWITZERLAND: U.S. ARMS CONTROL OFFICIAL SAYS IT IS UNACCEPTABLE FOR IRAQ TO TAKE ITS TURN IN PRESIDING OVER THE U.N. DISARMAMENT NEGOTIATING FORUM

Record ID: 647403

  • Title: SWITZERLAND: U.S. ARMS CONTROL OFFICIAL SAYS IT IS UNACCEPTABLE FOR IRAQ TO TAKE ITS TURN IN PRESIDING OVER THE U.N. DISARMAMENT NEGOTIATING FORUM
  • Date: 13th February 2003
  • Summary: (EU) GENEVA, SWITZERLAND (FEBRUARY 13, 2003) (REUTERS) 1. SLV EXTERIOR OF UNITED NATIONS EUROPEAN HEADQUARTERS IN GENEVA 0.04 2. SV STEPHEN RADEMAKER, U.S. ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE FOR ARMS CONTROL TO THE CONFERENCE OF DISARMAMENT ENTERING U.N. ARMS CONTROL CONFERENCE ROOM 0.12 3. SV DELEGATES INSIDE UNITED NATIONS ARMS CONTROL CONFERENCE ROOM 0.16 4. MCU STEPHEN RADEMAKER SEATED NEXT TO DAVID BOUCHER, UK AMBASSADOR TO THE DISARMAMENT CONFERENCE 0.21 5. SV IRAN REPRESENTATIVE SEATED NEXT TO NAJI A. ABID, IRAQ REPRESENTATIVE TO THE DISARMAMENT CONFERENCE 0.27 6. MCU OF NAJI A. ABID 0.30 7. SV OF GERMAN AND FRENCH REPRESENTATIVES TO THE DISARMAMENT CONFERENCE (2 SHOTS) 0.37 8. PAN OF CONFERENCE ROOM 0.47 9. TV STEPHEN RADEMAKER SPEAKING AT THE CONFERENCE 0.54 10. TV DELEGATES INSIDE THE DISARMAMENT CONFERENCE CONFERENCE ROOM 0.58 11. SV IRAN AND IRAQ REPRESENTATIVES TO THE DISARMAMENT CONFERENCE 1.04 12. LV OF JOURNALISTS AT NEWS CONFERENCE 1.06 13. MCU (English) STEPHEN RADEMAKER, U.S. ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE FOR ARMS CONTROL TO THE CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT SAYING "We are still engaged on consultations with the other governments here at the conference on disarmament about how to handle this extremely embarrassing matter. Iraq is a country that for twelve years has been under sanctions imposed multilaterally by the United Nations Security Council because of Iraq's persistent refusal to disarm as mandated by the Security Council in 1991. To permit a country that has been under sanction for twelve years due to its failure to disarm to assume the presidency of an institution called the conference on disarmament would make a mockery of this institution." 2.10 14. LV OF NEWS CONFERENCE 2.13 15. MCU (English) RADEMAKER SAYING "Permitting a country like Iraq to preside over the CD will not merely be an embarrassment to the CD, it will be oxymoronic and we believe it would do permanent harm to this institution, harm more profound than that which has resulted from the past six years of inactivity here. 2.52 16. SV NAJI A. ABID, MEMBER OF IRAQ'S DELEGATION FOR THE DISARMAMENT CONFERENCE SPEAKING TO JOURNALISTS OUTSIDE DISARMAMENT CONFERENCE ROOM 2.56 17. MCU (English) NAJI A. ABID, MEMBER OF IRAQS DELEGATION FOR THE DISARMAMENT CONFERENCE SAYING "Well, its a procedure of rules, we can't avoid a procedure of rules according to the wish of any state in the conference. So it's our presidency, we will practice it." 3.15 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 28th February 2003 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
  • Country: Switzerland
  • Reuters ID: LVAAMDCHX27GRHVH9U1R9G1Q1YVT
  • Story Text: A senior United States arms control official has
    declared that it was "unacceptable" for Iraq to take its turn
    in presiding over the main United Nations disarmament
    negotiating forum.



    Iraq is due to become president of the Conference on
    Disarmament on March 17, which could coincide with a possible
    U.S.-led invasion. The post rotates monthly in alphabetical
    order among its 66 members, who take decisions by consensus.

    Stephen Rademaker, the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State
    for Arms Control, told the conference on Thursday (February
    13) that Iraq remained in breach of Security Council
    resolutions ordering it to disclose its weapons of mass
    destruction and cooperate with U.N. arms inspectors.

    Iraq is due to become president of the Conference on
    Disarmament on March 17, which could coincide with a possible
    U.S.-led invasion. The post rotates monthly in alphabetical
    order among its 66 members, who take decisions by consensus.

    "Iraq is a country that for twelve years has been under
    sanctions imposed
    multilaterally by the United Nations Security Council because
    of Iraq's persistent refusal to disarm as mandated by the
    Security Council in 1991. To permit a country that has been
    under sanction for twelve years due to its failure to disarm
    to assume
    the presidency of an institution called the conference on
    disarmament would make a mockery of this institution,"
    Rademaker said in a speech to the conference.

    Naji Abid, a member of Iraq's delegation, told Reuters
    Television: "It is our presidency, we will practice it".

    During the debate, Abid took the floor to respond that
    Baghdad had been cooperating fully for two months with U.N.

    inspectors in Iraq and had "no such weapons".

    Depriving a country of chairing the Conference on
    Disarmament, a right enshrined under the rules of procedure,
    would set a "very serious precedent", he told the talks.

    The Iraqi also accused the United States of pursuing
    "double standards and selectivity" in line with its strategic
    interests.

    It would be Iraq's first presidency since joining the
    forum in 1996, under a heavily-negotiated package which
    brought in 23 countries including Israel and North Korea.

    Iraq has been under U.N. sanctions since 1991 after its
    invasion and seven-month occupation of Kuwait.

    Rademaker told a news conference that it was the view of
    the United States that a country under U.N. sanctions for
    failure to disarm should not be permitted to preside over the
    Conference.

    The U.S. delegation was "considering all options",
    according to Rademaker, who declined to be specific.

    French ambassador Hubert de la Forterelle told Reuters
    that Western countries were united in viewing Iraq's
    chairmanship as "inconceivable".

    Diplomatic moves were under way to put pressure on Iraq's
    delegation to step aside, according to the French envoy.

    Indian envoy Rakesh Sood, who currently holds the
    one-month presidency, told Reuters he was holding
    consultations on the issue. A special informal meeting was due
    on Friday (February 14).

    Washington, backed by Britain, says Baghdad is hiding
    weapons of mass destruction and has threatened to attack Iraq
    if it does not cooperate fully with U.N. arms inspectors. Iraq
    says it has no such weapons and is cooperating with the
    inspectors.


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