6 January 1999
Source:
http://www.usia.gov/current/news/latest/99010604.tlt.html?/products/washfile/newsitem.shtml
USIS Washington
File
_________________________________
06 January 1999
(Annan denies he has evidence of misuse of UNSCOM) (450) United Nations -- UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan issued a statement January 6 in which he denied allegations of having evidence that UN inspectors helped the United States collect intelligence used in alleged American efforts to undermine the Iraqi regime. The allegations were published in a front-page story published by The Washington Post on January 6. (The article was headlined "Annan Suspicious of UNSCOM Role: UN Official Believes Evidence Shows Inspectors Helped US Eavesdrop on Iraq," by Barton Gellman, Washington Post Staff Writer) "We not only have no convincing evidence of these allegations; we have no evidence of any kind," Annan's statement, attributable to his spokesman, says. "We have only rumours. Neither the Secretary-General nor any member of his staff has access to classified US intelligence, although UNSCOM does." The statement also denies allegations that the Secretary-General is trying to pressure Richard Butler, who leads UN weapons inspections in Iraq, to resign. Following is the UN text: (begin text) STATEMENT ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL RE THE WASHINGTON POST ARTICLE All of you have seen the Washington Post story of today saying that the Secretary-General is suspicious that UNSCOM assisted United States intelligence efforts in Iraq. 1. Let me first remind you that the Secretary-General has no operational oversight responsibility for the Special Commission -- that is the Security Council's job, because UNSCOM is a subsidiary body of the Council. He therefore has little detailed information on day-to-day operations. 2. The Secretary-General has, however, been aware for some weeks that a number of journalists have been pursuing this story. When he first heard of these allegations, he asked UNSCOM's Executive Chairman, Richard Butler, about them. Ambassador Butler categorically denied them. 3. We not only have no convincing evidence of these allegations; we have no evidence of any kind. We have only rumours. Neither the Secretary-General nor any member of his staff has access to classified US intelligence, although UNSCOM does. 4. The Secretary-General therefore rejects the characterization of his state of mind attributed to so-called "confidants", such as that he is convinced of things, aware of facts, and so on. 5. Obviously, were these charges true, it would be damaging to the United Nations' disarmament work in Iraq and elsewhere. 6. Finally, the Post says that the Secretary-General is trying to pressure Richard Butler to resign. THIS IS NOT SO. In any case, the issue is not the Executive Chairman; it is how to get on with the work of disarming Iraq of its weapons of mass destruction. (end text)