ACCESSION NUMBER:280676

FILE ID:NFS366

DATE:04/28/93

TITLE:U.S. TO URGE ESTABLISHMENT OF IRAQI WAR CRIMES PANEL (04/28/93)

TEXT:*93042866.NFS 04/27/sec state prior to iraqi nat'l congress/#mcj yb kf

*NFS366   04/28/93 *



U.S. TO URGE ESTABLISHMENT OF IRAQI WAR CRIMES PANEL

(Transcript: Christopher remarks, 4/27/93)  (570)

Washington -- Secretary of State Warren Christopher, prior to meeting at

the State Department with members of the Iraqi National Congress (INC)

April 27, told reporters that the Clinton administration intends to urge

that the United Nations establish an Iraqi War Crimes Commission.



"The government of Iraq, at the present time, has a really abysmal record on

the subject of human rights," Christopher said.  For that reason, the

United States will encourage the UNSC to look into war crimes, and will

also support the unified opposition in Iraq.



The following is the official transcript of the Secretary's remarks to news

media:



(BEGIN TRANSCRIPT)

SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: I'm here today to welcome the leaders of the Iraqi

National Congress to the State Department.  The INC, as it's known, has

made real progress in unifying the principal opposition groups in Iraq.

They have chosen a representative group of leadership to meet with me here

today.   They've indicated to me that their goal is a territorially

unified, democratic and pluralistic Iraq, which respects the rights of its

neighbors and can live in peace with its neighbors.



As I've said many times, a goal of the United States is to ensure that the

present government of Iraq lives up to and follows all the United Nations

resolutions.  I'll be discussing that with the members of the INC here

today.  The government of Iraq, at the present time, has a really abysmal

record on the subject of human rights, a great many violations of human

rights throughout the country.



And as I've informed these gentlemen just before going into the meeting, the

United States will propose that the Security Council establish a

commission, to consider the creation of a commission, to investigate Iraqi

war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.  The United States will

be urging the United Nations Security Council to consider the creation of

such a commission.  We believe that only through respect for legitimate

rights of its own people, only through respect for its neighbors can Iraq

have any opportunity to return to the community of nations.



Thank you very much.  And I do welcome all these gentlemen.  I look forward

to an opportunity to meet with them.



QUESTION:  Mr. Secretary, what do you know about efforts by Iraqi

intelligence agents to assassinate President Bush when he was in Kuwait

recently?



SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER:  I don't know anything about those reports at all,

I'm sorry to say.



QUESTION:  Mr. Secretary, can I ask a question on your support for the Iraqi

opposition?  Is this -- what you said today about the human rights

commission -- the ultimate support you are going to give the INC, or will

you discuss other forms of support you are going to give them?



1ECRETARY CHRISTOPHER:  Well, as I've said, we are going to be urging the

United Nations to consider the creation of a commission to look into the

various war crimes and other matters that I indicated.  By meeting here

with these gentlemen today, I've indicated the United States' support for

the wide-range of opposition groups in Iraq, of which these gentlemen are

important members.  They've been chosen to represent the leadership of the

unified opposition in Iraq.



Thank you very much.

(END TRANSCRIPT)

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