US embassy cable - 03USUNNEWYORK300

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 USUN NEW YORK 000300 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, UNSC, PARM, IZ 
SUBJECT: UN/IRAQ: COUNCIL PRESS STATEMENTS FOLLOWING THE 
SECRETARY'S PRESENTATION 
 
REF: USUN 299 
 
1. (U) SUMMARY: COUNCIL MEMBERS, STATEMENTS TO THE PRESS 
FOLLOWING SECRETARY POWELL,S PRESENTATION CLOSELY REFLECTED 
THE CONTENT OF THEIR PREPARED NATIONAL STATEMENTS MADE IN THE 
COUNCIL CHAMBER, AND LARGELY FELL ALONG PREDICTABLE LINES. 
WHEN ASKED IF SECRETARY POWELL,S PRESENTATION CONVINCED HIM 
OF ANYTHING, FRENCH FM DE VILLEPIN RESPONDED THAT THE 
PRESENTATION CONTAINED "NO ABSOLUTE PROOF, ONLY SUSPICIONS." 
CHINESE FM TANG STRESSED THAT INFORMATION FROM MEMBER STATES 
SHOULD BE PROVIDED TO THE INSPECTORS, WHO ARE THE APPROPRIATE 
AGENTS RESPONSIBLE FOR ANALYZING THIS INFORMATION.  GERMAN FM 
FISCHER RESPONDED TO MANY QUESTIONS FROM THE PRESS-- 
INCLUDING ONE ON THE ILLEGAL EXPORT OF GERMAN GOODS TO IRAQ 
-- BY RECOMMENDING ONGOING, INCREASED AND STRENGTHENED 
INSPECTIONS.  BULGARIAN FM PASSY NOTED THAT THE RIFT BETWEEN 
THE U.S. AND SOME EUROPEAN STATES WAS DECREASING, WHILE THE 
POSSIBILITY FOR A UNANIMOUS SOLUTION WAS INCREASING.  SYRIAN 
PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE WEHBE STATED THAT SECRETARY 
POWELL,S PRESENTATION WAS THE FIRST TIME HE HAD HEARD ABOUT 
ANY LINK BETWEEN IRAQ AND "SO-CALLED" TERRORIST 
ORGANIZATIONS, AND STATED THAT HE WAS PLEASED BY FISCHER,S 
"PEACEFUL" STATEMENT.  IRAQI PR AL-DOURI PRESENTED A PREPARED 
STATEMENT TO THE PRESS, AND NOTED THAT HE WOULD DEFER A MORE 
DETAILED REACTION PENDING THE PRESENTATION OF THE OFFICIAL 
GOI RESPONSE LATER IN THE AFTERNOON. (COMMENT:  THE HEAVY 
RELIANCE ON PREVIOUSLY PREPARED TEXTS, EVEN IN ADDRESSING THE 
PRESS, SUGGESTED THAT DELEGATIONS HAD YET TO DETERMINE HOW TO 
RESPOND TO THE SECRETARY'S PRESENTATION. END COMMENT.)  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
FRANCE 
 
2. (U) FM DE VILLEPIN OF FRANCE THANKED SECRETARY POWELL FOR 
SHARING HIS INFORMATION AND "SUSPICIONS," A TERM HE 
REPEATEDLY USED IN DESCRIBING THE CONTENT OF THE 
PRESENTATION.  VILLEPIN IS NOW EXPECTING ANSWERS FROM IRAQ, 
WHICH MUST ANSWER.  HE NOTED THAT FRANCE MUST COMPARE THE 
INFORMATION PROVIDED BY SECRETARY POWELL WITH ITS OWN 
INTELLIGENCE.  VILLEPIN SEES AN OPPORTUNITY TO ENHANCE 
INSPECTIONS, UNDER UNSCR 1441. REPEATING ELEMENTS OF HIS 
STATEMENTS TO THE COUNCIL (REFTEL), HE DEEMED THE COUNCIL 
COULD ASK MORE OF IRAQ, AS WELL AS DOUBLE OR TRIPLE THE 
NUMBER OF INSPECTORS, INCREASE THE INTELLIGENCE PROVIDED TO 
INSPECTORS, AND ENHANCE THE CAPACITY FOR AERIAL OBSERVATION. 
ALL OF THIS WAS NECESSARY BEFORE RESORTING TO FORCE, HE SAID. 
ASKED IF SECRETARY POWELL,S PRESENTATION CONVINCED HIM IN 
ANY RESPECT, VILLEPIN RESPONDED THAT THE PRESENTATION 
CONTAINED "NO ABSOLUTE PROOF, ONLY SUSPICIONS."  QUESTIONED 
FURTHER ABOUT IRAQ,S ONGOING DECEPTION, VILLEPIN STRESSED 
THAT THERE ARE INSPECTORS ON THE GROUND, WHO ARE "THE 
COUNCIL,S EYES AND EARS."  SO LONG AS INSPECTORS ARE "IN A 
POSITION TO DO WORK, WE REMAIN IN THE FIRST PHASE" OF 1441. 
IF THE SITUATION REACHES A DEADLOCK IN THE VIEW OF THE 
INSPECTORS, WHICH WILL BE COMMUNICATED THROUGH A REPORT, 
"THEN WE WILL HAVE REACHED THE SECOND PHASE AND SHOULD BEGIN 
TO WORK ON A NEW RESOLUTION." 
 
3. (U) HE STATED THERE WAS NO NEED FOR A NEW UNSCR, GIVEN THE 
CONTINUED PRESENCE OF INSPECTORS ON THE GROUND. THE FM NOTED 
THAT EFFORTS SHOULD BE MADE THROUGH 1441 AS LONG AS THERE IS 
PROGRESS, AND THAT THE FIFTEEN MEMBERS OF THE SECURITY 
COUNCIL, "NOT ANY ONE COUNTRY" -- HAVE THE FULL 
RESPONSIBILITY TO DECIDE THE PATH FORWARD.  QUESTIONED ON THE 
STATE OF THE FRENCH-AMERICAN RELATIONSHIP, HE NOTED THAT THE 
CENTURIES-OLD FRIENDSHIP OF THE TWO NATIONS EXISTS TODAY AND 
WOULD EXIST TOMORROW.   WHEN ASKED IF FRANCE WOULD COUNTER 
THE U.S., ONLY TO JOIN FORCES IN THE END, HE EXPRESSED A 
PREFERENCE FOR SOLIDARITY, YET EMPHASIZED ABOVE ALL THE CORE 
FUNCTION OF THE UN  IN ADDRESSING THE SITUATION. (COMMENT: 
VILLEPIN SEEMED ILL AT EASE, SOMEWHAT DEFENSIVE, AND 
GENERALLY UNPREPARED TO DEAL WITH THE SITUATION AT HAND.  HE 
EXPLICITLY IGNORED A PARTICULAR (UNIDENTIFIED) JOURNALIST WHO 
REPEATEDLY CALLED OUT A QUESTION ABOUT VILLEPIN'S VIEWS OF 
WHETHER OR NOT IRAQ WAS IN MATERIAL BREACH. END COMMENT.) 
 
CHINA 
 
4. (U) IN COMMENTS TO THE PRESS WHICH WERE ENTIRELY 
CONSISTENT WITH CHINA'S PREVIOUS STATEMENT TO THE COUNCIL, 
CHINESE FM TANG WELCOMED SECRETARY POWELL,S INFORMATION AND 
EVIDENCE, WHICH HE FOUND CONSISTENT WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF 
UNSCR 1441 AND THE NEED FOR GREATER TRANSPARENCY. THE 
STATEMENT REINFORCED HIS BELIEF THAT THE INSPECTIONS MUST 
CONTINUE.  HE STRESSED THAT INFORMATION IN THE HANDS OF 
MEMBER STATES SHOULD BE HANDED OVER TO THE INSPECTORS. TANG 
NOTED THAT IRAQI RESPONSE IS NOW CRITICAL, AND URGED ALL 
EFFORTS TO BE FOCUSED ON ENSURING AN IRAQI STATE WITHOUT 
WMD.   HE NOTED THAT WHILE THERE IS "MUCH TALK OF WAR," CHINA 
STILL FAVORS A POLITICAL SOLUTION THROUGH THE SECURITY 
COUNCIL NO MATTER HOW LITTLE HOPE FOR PEACE REMAINS, AND WILL 
CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TOWARD THIS 
END. 
 
GERMANY 
 
5. (U) GERMAN FM FISCHER STATED THAT THE SECRETARY,S 
PRESENTATION NEEDED CAREFUL EXAMINATION.  REFERRING TO SADDAM 
HUSSEIN'S REGIME AS "INHUMANE AND BRUTAL," HE NOTED THAT IRAQ 
MUST PROVIDE CLEAR ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS RAISED BY BOTH THE 
SECRETARY AND DR. BLIX.  THE NEXT STEP IN THIS PROCESS WILL 
BE THE TRIP BY BLIX AND EL-BARADEI TO IRAQ, FOLLOWED BY AN 
UPDATE TO THE SECURITY COUNCIL.  FISCHER SAID THE DANGEROUS 
CONSEQUENCES OF MILITARY ACTION WERE CLEAR, AND HE ARGUED 
THAT INSPECTIONS REQUIRED MORE TIME.  INSPECTIONS, HE SAID, 
SHOULD BE STRENGTHENED IN ORDER TO "GUARANTEE FULL AND 
LASTING DISARMAMENT."  HE SAW "THE FRENCH PROPOSAL" 
(PRESUMABLY REFERRING TO AUGMENTING THE NUMBER OF INSPECTORS 
AND OTHER INSPECTIONS CAPACITY) AS "INTERESTING AND WORTH 
CONSIDERATION."  IN RESPONSE TO A QUERY ABOUT IRAQ,S ONGOING 
DECEPTION OF INSPECTORS, FISCHER CALLED THE INSPECTIONS TEAMS 
"VERY IMPORTANT" AND STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE OF CONTINUED 
INSPECTIONS.  FISCHER DECLINED TO COMMENT ON WHETHER IRAQ WAS 
IN MATERIAL BREACH, TRYING TO SIDESTEP THE QUESTION BY 
EXCUSING HIMSELF ON THE GROUNDS THAT HE WAS NOT AN 
INTELLIGENCE EXPERT AND THAT "EXPERTS MUST DECIDE."  PRESSED 
TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS WAS A POLITICAL AND NOT AN INTELLIGENCE 
DECISION, FISCHER ALLOWED THAT IT WAS A POLITICAL DECISION 
THAT HAD TO BE BASED ON FACT.  PRESSED ON PAST ILLEGAL 
EXPORTS TO IRAQ BY GERMAN NATIONALS, FISCHER JUDGED SUCH 
CASES TO BE "IN THE PAST," NOTING SUBSEQUENT CHANGES IN 
GERMAN EXPORT REGULATIONS.  HE STATED THAT A STRENGTHENED 
INSPECTIONS REGIME WOULD FURTHER HINDER REPETITION OF SUCH 
INFRACTIONS.  (COMMENT:  PERHAPS REFLECTING THE CONVICTION OF 
GERMANY'S POSITION, FISCHER'S DELIVERY, PARTICULARLY AS 
COMPARED TO VILLEPIN'S, WAS SMOOTH AND DELIBERATE.  DESPITE 
APPEARING COLLECTED, HE WAS NONETHELESS PUT ON THE DEFENSIVE 
BY A NUMBER OF THE TOUGHER QUESTIONS.  END COMMENT.) 
 
BULGARIA 
 
6. (U) BULGARIAN FM PASSY OPENED HIS STATEMENT BY SHARING HIS 
BELIEF THAT THERE IS STILL A CHANCE FOR A PEACEFUL RESOLUTION 
BASED ON PRODUCTIVE COOPERATION.  HE ASSERTED THAT, ALTHOUGH 
STILL PRESENT, THE "DIFFERENCES" BETWEEN THE U.S. AND SOME 
EUROPEAN STATES WERE DECREASING, WHILE THE CHANCES OF FINDING 
A SOLUTION UNANIMOUSLY ARE INCREASING.  IN RESPONSE TO A 
QUERY, HE NOTED THAT A NEW RESOLUTION WAS NOT OUT OF THE 
QUESTION.  PASSY WAS QUESTIONED ABOUT BULGARIA,S ABSENCE 
FROM THE DECLARATION OF EUROPEAN STATES SUPPORTING THE U.S., 
TO WHICH HE RESPONDED BY NOTING HIS NATION,S SUPPORT OF THE 
DECLARATION AND STATED THAT BULGARIA JOINS THE COMMON 
DEMARCHE OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE EU.  FM PASSY SAID 
SECRETARY POWELL,S PRESENTATION CONTAINED "VERY CONVINCING 
ARGUMENTS, FOR WMD, FOR TERRORISM, FOR HUMAN RIGHTS" SAYING 
HE FELT MORE HOPEFUL NOW THAN HE DID ON HIS FLIGHT FROM 
SOFIA. IN CLOSING, HE MENTIONED THAT IRAQ COULD STILL BE 
GIVEN ANOTHER CHANCE TO HELP FIND A PEACEFUL SOLUTION. 
 
SYRIA 
 
7. (U) SYRIAN PERMREP WEHBE NOTED THAT HE HAD LISTENED TO 
SECRETARY POWELL,S PRESENTATION AND WAS PLEASED TO HEAR THE 
"PEACEFUL TUNE (SIC)" EXPRESSED BY FISCHER, WHICH CAPTURED 
THE FEELING OF "MOST MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL."  HE STRESSED 
THAT THE COUNCIL MUST BE THE CENTER OF ANY SOLUTION AND THIS 
SOLUTION MUST BE FOCUSED ON PEACEFUL MEANS.  HE URGED THAT 
ALL OF THE INFORMATION PROVIDED BY SECRETARY POWELL BE GIVEN 
TO IAEA AND UNMOVIC FOR ANALYSIS.  WEHBE NOTED THAT MANY 
MINISTERS ELABORATED ON THE "DANGEROUS CONSEQUENCES" WAR 
WOULD HAVE ON THE IRAQI PEOPLE AND THE REGION, AND STATED 
THAT WAR WOULD REPRESENT A FAILURE BY THE COUNCIL AND THE 
WORLD ORDER TO RESPECT THE PRINCIPLES OF THE UN CHARTER.  HE 
SAID THAT IRAQ SHOULD COOPERATE FULLY AND PROACTIVELY, NOTING 
STATEMENTS BY HIGH LEVEL IRAQI OFFICIALS ACKNOWLEDGING THAT 
THEY WERE "VERY READY TO COOPERATE," AS WELL AS THEIR 
INVITATION TO HAVE BLIX AND EL-BARADEI BACK TO BAGHDAD ON 8 
FEBRUARY.  HE ALSO NOTED THAT HE HAD NOT HEARD, "BEFORE OR 
NOW," OF A LINK BETWEEN IRAQ AND "SO-CALLED" TERRORIST 
ORGANIZATIONS.  HE CITED "A NEW YORK TIMES ARTICLE TWO DAYS 
AGO THAT WE ALL HAVE SEEN" THAT SHOWED THE U.S. LACKED 
EVIDENCE LINKING IRAQ TO TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS.  HE ALSO 
ASSERTED THAT A UK STATEMENT FROM FEBRUARY 5 ACKNOWLEDGED THE 
ABSENCE OF INTELLIGENCE LINKING IRAQ TO TERRORISM.  WHEN 
ASKED IF IRAQ WAS CURRENTLY IN MATERIAL BREACH, WEHBE SIMPLY 
WALKED AWAY FROM THE PODIUM. 
 
IRAQ 
 
8. (U) IRAQI PERMREP AL-DOURI ARRIVED WITH A PREPARED 
STATEMENT.  HE REMARKED THAT SECRETARY POWELL,S PRESENTATION 
DID NOT ACHIEVE ITS INTENDED RESULTS.  HE STATED THAT COUNCIL 
MEMBERS HAD MADE CLEAR THAT ANY INFORMATION SHOULD BE 
PROVIDED TO THE INSPECTORS AND THAT THE INSPECTIONS ARE 
SUCCESSFUL AND WORKING.  FOR THIS REASON, HE CONTINUED, OTHER 
MEANS TO DISARM THEM SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED.  HE CALLED 
SECRETARY POWELL,S PRESENTATION "A SET OF ACCUSATIONS EASILY 
REFUTED," AND IN CLOSING SAID THAT IRAQ WOULD CONTINUE WITH 
THE INSPECTIONS IN A PROACTIVE MANNER.  (COMMENT:  AL-DOURI 
WAS FAIRLY CUT AND DRIED, DEFLECTING PRESS INTEREST BY 
TELLING THE ASSEMBLED STAKEOUT TO WATCH THE LIVE PRESS FEED 
FROM BAGHDAD LATER IN THE AFTERNOON.  END COMMENT.) 
 
 
NEGROPONTE