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The Standoff with Iraq

U.S. to Iraq: Diplomacy 'running out'

Albright

Albright going overseas to explain U.S. position

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• Stuck Mideast peace talks also on agenda
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January 28, 1998
Web posted at: 4:10 p.m. EST (2110 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Secretary of State Madeleine Albright warned Saddam Hussein on Wednesday that the "diplomatic string is running out," as she prepared to leave on a six-day trip to Europe and the Mideast, to discuss with allies a possible military strike against Iraq.

"I am not going anywhere to seek support," she said. "I am going to explain our position."

While in the Mideast, Albright also planned to see what can be done to break the peace process deadlock between Israel and Palestinians.

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The State Department announced that Albright will travel to three European capitals to emphasize the U.S. desire for a diplomatic solution to the arms inspector impasse in Iraq, but also to seek backing in case a U.S.-led force goes ahead with military action.

Her European itinerary calls for stops in:

• Paris on Thursday

• Madrid on Friday (to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov).

• London on Saturday

"Saddam's goal ... is to achieve the lifting of U.N. sanctions while retaining and enhancing Iraq's weapons of mass destruction programs. We cannot, we must not and we will not let him succeed," Albright told reporters at a State Department news conference.

"In recent months he has attempted to dictate the terms and conditions of U.N. inspections and denied access to important suspect sites. These flagrant acts of obstruction pose a profound threat to the international security and peace," she said.

Britain has been supportive of the U.S. position. While Russia and France support pressure to allow the U.N. inspections to resume, they oppose the use of force.

The United States says it is authorized to use that force by previous U.N. Security Council resolutions.

"We cannot allow Saddam Hussein to ... brandish weapons of mass destruction and use them to intimidate Iraq's neighbors and threaten the world."

"Over the next few days," Albright said, "I will be explaining the American position to leaders in the countries I visit while making it clear that in confronting the clear and present danger posed by Iraqi lawlessness, the diplomatic string is running out."

Stuck Mideast peace talks also on agenda

The secretary also said she was "neither optimistic, nor pessimistic" about the future of stalled U.S.-led Mideast peace talks.

After leaving Europe, Albright will fly to Israel for a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. She will also travel to the West Bank and Gaza for a meeting with Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat.

"I cannot be optimistic because leaders in the region remain reluctant to make the hard decisions and to offer the flexibility required to reach an agreement," she said. "I cannot be pessimistic because I'm convinced the majority of all faiths and communities in the region desire peace and that a basis exists for an Israeli-Palestinian agreement and, over time, a comprehensive Israeli-Arab settlement."

When Arafat and Netanyahu were in Washington last week for separate talks with President Clinton, they were given a set of U.S. ideas for a step-by-step reciprocal plan to restore mutual confidence between the negotiating parties and to nudge the peace process back on track.

They were asked to think of the ideas and, according to the State Department, both were "grappling seriously" with the plan.

Netanyahu has said he could accept the American ideas. But Arafat has told reporters he could not and would be prepared to resign rather than accept what he considered inadequate Israeli concessions.

After talking to Netanyahu and Arafat, Albright will fly to Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt, returning to Washington on February 3, the State Department said.

Correspondent Steve Hurst contributed to this report.

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