In February 24 remarks to UNSC, says it is "a time of hope for Iraq"

Despite terror attacks and sabotage, much has been accomplished in the past three months, with visible steady progress, making this "a time of hope for Iraq," U.S. Ambassador John Negroponte told the Security Council February 24.
 
Reporting to the Security Council on the situation in Iraq, Negroponte outlined the successes accomplished by the Iraqi people and the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) and urged the international community to support the Iraqi people as they confront the challenges ahead.
 
"The United Nations has a vital role to play in Iraq -- both before and after July 1," the ambassador said. "The Iraqi people, the United Nations and the coalition all support the transfer of sovereignty by June 30 as well as direct national elections as soon as practical thereafter. . . . Between now and June 30 there is much to be done."
 
Listing the accomplishments, Negroponte said that:

-- the transitional administrative law that will govern Iraq during the transition to full democracy is nearing completion;
-- the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps, the Facilities Protection Service, and the Iraqi Armed Forces have more than doubled in size and the Iraqi police force has grown to 75,000;
-- Saddam Hussein was captured in December with extensive information about the network of former regime loyalists in Iraq, which led to the disruption of the network's activities;
-- the end of the oil-for-food program went smoothly and the Iraqi Ministry of Trade, the CPA, and the World Food Program have assumed responsibility for the program; and
-- work continues on finding evidence of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction programs with the Iraq Survey Group maintaining a sizable number of specialists to continue interviewing scientists, analyzing documents, and assessing WMD sites.
 
Difficult and significant challenges remain, the ambassador said. A campaign of terror and destruction continues to plague the Iraqi people, coalition partners, non-governmental organizations, and the United Nations, as well as target critical infrastructure throughout the country.
 
"But together, the Iraqi people and those helping them will triumph in the effort to open a new chapter in their proud history -- a chapter defined by the emergence of a democratic, pluralistic Iraq," Negroponte said.
 
Following is the transcript of the ambassador's remarks:

(begin transcript)

USUN PRESS RELEASE # 22 (04) February 24, 2004
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Statement by Ambassador John D. Negroponte, United States Representative to the United Nations, on the Implementation of UNSCR 1483, in the Security Council, February 24, 2004

Thank you, Mr. President.

The three months since our last update to the Security Council bear witness to major accomplishments in Iraq. The Transitional Administrative Law is nearing completion and will govern Iraq during the period of transition to full democracy when a duly elected government under a permanent constitution comes into being. Iraqis are working with each other and the international community to map their own way forward politically. The number of Iraqis contributing to the security effort has virtually doubled, and is increasing every day. Saddam Hussein is in custody and will undergo due process for crimes committed against the Iraqi people and humanity. In sum, after decades of oppression, we see the Iraqi people asserting their own vision for Iraq by assuming greater responsibility for security, by managing their natural resources for the benefit of all, and by taking the first steps towards representative democracy.
 
Against the backdrop of these successes, difficult and significant challenges remain. Former regime loyalists, foreign fighters, and hardened international terrorists continue to plague the Iraqi people with attacks, at police stations, at Eid al-Adha gatherings, at schools. These forces have also directed their deadly efforts against any who try to help the Iraqi people -- Coalition partners, non-governmental organizations, and, yes, the United Nations itself. The campaign of terror and destruction also targets critical infrastructure throughout Iraq. But together, the Iraqi people and those helping them will triumph in the effort to open a new chapter in their proud history -- a chapter defined by the emergence of a democratic, pluralistic Iraq.
 
The international community understands what is at stake in this struggle. Many nations have stepped forward to assist in the rebirth of Iraq -- with humanitarian and economic assistance, debt relief, diplomatic support, expert assistance and training to the Iraqi ministries, and contributions to the Multinational Force. In the coming months, the international community must support the Iraqi people to confront the challenges ahead.
 
As President Bush has stressed, the United Nations has a vital role to play in Iraq -- both before and after July 1. The efforts of the Secretary-General, Mr. Brahimi, and the members of the United Nations team deployed to Iraq as part of the Fact-Finding Mission vividly demonstrate the United Nations' vital role. The Iraqi people, the United Nations, and the Coalition all support the transfer of sovereignty by June 30, as well as direct national elections as soon as practical thereafter. According to polls three weeks after the November 15 Agreement, some 77 percent of Iraqi people were aware of and supported the June 30 target date -- a powerful and persuasive reason to support the most rapid possible transfer of sovereignty.

Between now and June 30, there is much to be done. We welcome the active engagement of the United Nations in helping the Iraqis define their own future and transition to a democratic, pluralistic society at peace with its neighbors.

Security and Stability

Mr. President, let me address the security situation first.
 
U.S. forces captured Saddam Hussein in a small underground bunker near the city of Tikrit on December 13, 2003. He had extensive information with him about the network of former regime loyalists in Iraq, which has led to the disruption of its activities and detention of its members. Since Saddam's arrest, the number of attacks against Multinational Force troops has decreased. However, the attacks on both Iraqi security forces and civilians have increased in the past two months. In spite of this, the determination of the Iraqi people to assume primary responsibility for their own security remains undeterred, and the courage and bravery of the Iraqi people has not waned: on the morning Saddam's capture was announced, there was a record spike in the number of Iraqis signing up to serve in the Civil Defense Corps, especially in the Tikrit area.
 
Mr. President, in November, I provided a comprehensive description of the various Iraqi security forces, specifically the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps, the Facilities Protection Service, the new Iraq Armed Forces, border security, and the police force.
 
In the past three months, the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps has more than doubled in size. It performs a range of duties, including fixed-site security, route/convoy security, patrols, cordons, establishment of checkpoints, and other tasks under Multinational Force command arrangements. As of February 13, more than 25,000 Iraqi Civil Defense Corps personnel have been hired and trained, and 3,600 are currently undergoing training.
 
The Facilities Protection Service, charged with protecting Iraq's strategic infrastructure, government buildings and cultural and educational assets, has also more than doubled since November. As of February 15, there are more than 70,000 guards on duty.
 
The number of Iraqi Armed Forces personnel has also more than doubled. As of February 15, more than 3,500 personnel had been recruited; nearly 2,000 are operational and over 1,700 are in training.
 
The number of Iraqi border police and immigration and customs inspectors has also almost doubled, from 12,000 to approximately 23,000.
 
And finally, the Iraqi police force has also continued to grow to approximately 75,000 personnel -- about 10,000 more than in November. On January 29, the first 466 of the 35,000 officers to be trained in Jordan graduated from the multinational training program for police recruits. Germany has agreed to provide police experts in forensics to train approximately 150 Iraqi police in the United Arab Emirates. Additionally, the Coalition Provisional Authority is also making progress in developing special capabilities within the Iraqi Police Force, including in counterterrorism and in basic criminal investigation.
 
The Iraqis themselves are at the forefront of the effort to stabilize Iraq, but troops deployed from the 35 countries participating in the Multinational Force are also bravely supporting the Iraqi people. The Government of Japan has made a historic decision to deploy 1,000 Japanese Self Defense Forces personnel in and around Iraq. The Republic of Korea, also a force contributor, has committed to deploy additional soldiers in the coming weeks, bringing the total of their deployment to some 3,000 personnel. And other countries have taken political decisions that will soon make their offers of forces a reality on the ground. New and renewed contributions, in accordance with Resolutions 1483 and 1511 and bilateral agreements, represent the international community's commitment to improving the future of Iraq. We continue to urge the international community to provide additional manpower and resources to further assist the efforts of the Multinational Force.

Advancing Iraqi efforts to restore and establish national and local institutions for representative governance

Mr. President, I'd now to say a few brief words on the issue of governance.

A solid local government system in Iraq is the foundation upon which a democratic national government can be built. Effective local governance encourages citizen participation, fosters dialogue among competing groups, and delivers essential services based on community priorities. With our support, Iraqis have held numerous and well-attended town meetings to discuss Iraq's transition to democracy. The Coalition Provisional Authority continues to support a transparent process of consultations and elections for the Iraqi people to choose representatives who reflect the makeup and character of their communities.

The broad framework of the political process will be underpinned by the work underway within the Iraqi Governing Council to draft a Transitional Administrative Law -- the basis for the Iraqi transitional government until a permanent constitution is ratified. This important document will define basic tenets for Iraq's transitional government and fundamental protections for civil, religious and political liberties for every Iraqi.

On December 30, the Governing Council requested that the Secretary-General dispatch a United Nations team to Iraq to assess the feasibility of direct elections within the June 30 timeframe and, if not, what alternatives could be recommended. This request was followed by productive discussions in New York among the representatives of the Governing Council, the Coalition Provisional Authority, and the United Nations on January 19. The Secretary-General subsequently dispatched a Fact-Finding Mission to Iraq. The Coalition Provisional Authority provided security and other support to ensure their successful visit.
 
The UN team has returned from Baghdad, and we welcome their just-issued report providing detailed recommendations on what is required to conduct elections in Iraq. The report made clear that free and fair elections could not be held by June 30, the date by which all agree that the transfer of sovereignty should take place. As the Secretary-General notes in his report, resolving the question of the timing of elections provides an opportunity for Iraqis and the Coalition Provisional Authority to engage in a dialogue on the mechanism through which sovereignty will be transferred on June 30. The mechanism for governing Iraq between the transfer of sovereignty and the national elections remains to be worked out. The Iraqi people, the Governing Council, the Coalition Provisional Authority and the United Nations will work to reach agreement on a transition mechanism that will have the broad-based support of the Iraqi people. We look forward to further consideration of the team's report and the continued engagement of the United Nations in the political process ahead.

Oil-For-Food Program

Mr. President, on the Oil-For-Food program, I am pleased to report that, in accordance with Resolution 1483, the program terminated on November 21, 2003, and that the transition went smoothly.

The United Nations World Food Program is currently assisting the Coalition Provisional Authority and the Iraqi Ministry of Trade with procurement and logistics assistance necessary to keep the Public Distribution System supplied with food basket goods. Shipments of food and other humanitarian supplies are managed by the newly established Coordination Center, jointly staffed by Iraqi and Coalition officials. The Center's role is to ensure the steady, secure, and managed flow of remaining Oil-For-Food goods and newly procured goods. The Ministry of Trade will take complete control of procurement on April 1 and will assume full responsibility for all aspects of the program on July 1.
 
Disarmament

Mr. President, on the disarmament of Iraq: the Iraq Survey Group continues its work to search for and eliminate Iraqi weapons of mass destruction, prohibited missile delivery systems and related infrastructure.

In January, Charles Duelfer, formerly Deputy Executive Chairman of the United Nations Special Commission on Iraq, assumed leadership of the Survey Group, replacing Dr. David Kay, whose efforts are greatly appreciated. Dr. Kay has reported that the Survey Group had been unable to confirm some pre-war intelligence assessments by the United States and other nations about Iraq's weapons stockpiles. Additional work remains before the question of Iraq's stockpiles can be fully and completely addressed. Dr. Kay also reported that the Survey Group had discovered clear evidence that Saddam's regime hid ongoing WMD-program activities from UNMOVIC, and concluded that Iraq was in violation of previous Security Council Resolutions. It is clear that Saddam Hussein's regime was intent on and continued to deceive the international community.

To meet the tasks ahead, the Iraq Survey Group maintains a sizable number of specialists dedicated to the following three disarmament activities: (1) interviewing individuals connected with Iraq's WMD programs; (2) obtaining and analyzing documents, computer hard-drives, and other materials; and (3) assessing and exploiting potential WMD-related sites.
 
Some Iraqis clearly are cooperating in this effort; however, fear of reprisals may be inhibiting cooperation by others. Some officials with close ties to Saddam's regime seem determined to avoid cooperating in any way. In addition, document analysis has been obstructed by the methodical destruction of documents and computers in the immediate post-conflict period at some Iraqi facilities.

The Iraq Survey Group will continue its important work.
 
Conclusion

Mr. President.

For those of us in the international community who are actively involved in Iraq's transition, progress is not always as rapid as we would have hoped. Despite this sober assessment, this is a time of hope for Iraq. Even in the three months since our last update, much has been accomplished, and despite efforts at sabotage, steady progress is visible.

Iraq's neighbors and regional partners have a unique opportunity to play a constructive role in this transition. All those in the international community with the resources to contribute should come forward to help the Iraqi people.
 
I thank you very much, Mr. President.

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(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)