Albright Hits Back at Critics of Iraq Policy 9/98
WASHINGTON —— Secretary of State Madeleine Albright hit back Wednesday at critics who accuse the United States of weakness on Iraq, insisting that Washington is ready to use force against Baghdad if necessary.
"We have not taken any option off the table, including military force ... The bottom line is that if Iraq tries to break out of its strategic box, our response will be strong and swift,'' she told American war veterans in New Orleans....
ALBRIGHT - CIA - RICHARD PERLE: THE IRAQ QUESTION 11/98
Sec State Madeleine Albright was interviewed by Margaret Warner on the Jim Lehrer Newshour, yesterday. Warner asked whether the impending US strike meant the administration had concluded that the UNSCOM inspection regime was over. Albright replied, "The inspection regime has not been working for eight of the last twelve months. And I think one of our concerns is we can't think that something is working when it is not. That is dangerous."
Wasn't that Scott Ritter's point--"the illusion of arms control is more dangerous than no arms control at all," as Ritter wrote in his Aug 26 resignation letter [see "Iraq News" Aug 28], and subsequently.
Warner also asked, "If air strikes are launched, what will be achieved?" Albright replied, "Well, let me just make the following point: There are people-UNSCOM is not working now. We are very concerned about what is happening in terms of [Saddam's] weapons of mass destruction. . . If in fact, we do take an action of force, it will be designed in order to degrade his ability to develop and deliver weapons of mass destruction and prevent him also or make it less possible for him to upset the neighborhood."
Subsequently, Warner asked, "But the head of the special commission, Richard Butler, and many other experts in this field, have said really that even after massive air strikes, a country like Iraq, with the know-how to make these biological weapons and chemical weapons, can really reconstitute them pretty quickly." Albright replied, "Well, we know that." ....
....Richard Perle, Reagan Asst Sec Def, on CNN's Cross-Fire, yesterday, argued that getting rid of Saddam was the only way to get rid of the proscribed weapons. Perle said that he was afraid the administration had in mind another set of pinprick attacks with fancy weapons which would not have a decisive result. He noted that the administration still would not say that its policy was to get rid of Saddam-to help Iraqis who want to liberate their country. When the administration said that, Perle suggested, the US would have a policy toward Iraq. Bob Novak ended the program, proposing that he suggest an idea to Perle upon which the two might agree. Novak said the administration wanted to carry out its strike on Iraq without convening Congress to consider the matter or having a public debate on the issue. Perle readily agreed.”
Albright Dismisses Critics Of Air Strikes On Iraq 12/98
WASHINGTON -- Secretary of State Madeleine Albright Wednesday scornfully dismissed countries like France and Russia that oppose military action against Iraq.
"The truth is they have no (other) answers as to how to make (the Iraqis) comply'' with U.N. Security Council disarmament demands, she told a Wednesday night news briefing.
"And the bottom line is that it would be very nice if those who do not support our approach had an approach that worked.'' ...
Finally, U.S. Imports Oil from Iraq, but it's news to Albright