Crisis in Iraq Statements by U.S. Officials

"Tonight's unanimous vote of the United Nations Security Council sends the clearest possible message: Iraq must make good on its commitment to give the international weapons inspectors immediate, unconditional, and unrestricted access to any suspect site, any place, any time. All of the members of the Council agree that failure to do so will result in the severest consequences for Iraq.

     In the days and weeks ahead, the inspectors will renew their mission to find and destroy Iraq's chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons capacity and the missiles to deliver them. Iraq now has the responsibility to turn the commitment it has made into full compliance."

--President Clinton
March 2, 1998

"With our support, UNSCOM will be testing Iraq's commitment thoroughly and comprehensively . . .

     Although the events of the past few days may have changed the specific circumstances, they have not changed our fundamental goal -- which is to contain or end the threat posed by Saddam Hussein to Iraq's neighbors and the world. A solid UN inspection and monitoring regime, backed by sanctions and enforcement of the no-fly zone and no-drive zones, is our preferred means of achieving that goal. But we retain the authority, the responsibility, the means and the will to use military force if that is required... We continue to support expanded efforts through the United Nations oil-for-food mechanism to ease the suffering of the Iraqi people. We do this not as a favor to Saddam, who has often opposed such efforts, but because it is right....

     Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee a peaceful outcome without opening the door to yet another round of Iraq cheating, which we will not do. Given Saddam's history of aggression, his repeated use of poison gas and his dishonesty, we cannot safely or responsibly rule out the use of force in the future...

     Some have suggested that the solution is to arm and encourage the Iraqi opposition to initiate a civil war. That option sounds -- but is not -- simple. We have worked with Iraqi opponents of Saddam Hussein in the past, and we are ready to work with them more effectively in the future. But the opposition is currently divided, and it would be wrong to create false or unsustainable expectations that could end in bloodshed or defeat..."

--Secretary Albright
February 25, 1998

"What really matters is Iraq's compliance, not its stated commitments; not what Iraq says, but what it does.... I have ordered our military to remain in the Persian Gulf. Our soldiers, our ships, and our planes will stay there in force until we are satisfied that Iraq is complying."

--President Clinton
February 23, 1998

Question: Mr. President, if Iraq does not keep its word this time, do we go through this exercise of weeks and weeks and weeks again?

Answer: I believe if it does not keep its word this time, everyone would understand that then the United States and hopefully all of our allies would have the unilateral right to respond at a time, place, and manner of our own choosing. And I think that is enough for me to say about that at this time.

--President Clinton
February 23, 1998

The President answers more questions about U.S. policy toward Iraq.

"With our support, UNSCOM will be testing Iraq's commitment thoroughly and comprehensively . . .

      Although the events of the past few days may have changed the specific circumstances, they have not changed our fundamental goal -- which is to contain or end the threat posed by Saddam Hussein to Iraq's neighbors and the world. A solid UN inspection and monitoring regime, backed by sanctions and enforcement of the no-fly zone and no-drive zones, is our preferred means of achieving that goal. But we retain the authority, the responsibility, the means and the will to use military force if that is required..."

--Secretary Albright
February 22, 1998

"We would obviously keep our force presence in the region until there was an opportunity to verify whether or not the access that he had acceded to was in fact available to the inspectors."

--National Security Advisor Sandy Berger
February 22, 1998

". . . UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's mission to Baghdad is a critical opportunity to achieve the outcome that all of us wold prefer, a peaceful and principled end to the crisis. The Secretary General is backed by the unambiguous position of the Security council. Saddam Hussein must give the weapons inspectors full, free, and unfettered access to all suspected sites anywhere in Iraq.
. . . We hope the Secretary General's mission will succeed."

--President Clinton
February 19, 1998

"If there should be a peaceful resolution to this, then we will need to have a real, functioning UNSCOM... which means the experts. . . . What Kofi Annan is going there [Baghdad] to talk about is to make sure that this UNSCOM, this UN inspection unit can do its job in an unconditional and open way. . . . Saddam is not here to negotiate with the international community."

--Secretary Albright, Interview on ABC's Nightline,
February 18, 1998

Link to full texts of remarks, speeches, and testimony on Iraq by U.S. officials

[End of Document]

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