US Department of State Dispatch,
Vol 2, No 6, February 11, 1991
Title: Opportunities To Build a New World Order
Baker
Source: Secretary Baker
Description: Statement as delivered to the House Foreign Affairs
Committee; Washington, DC
Date: Feb 6, 19912/6/91
Category: Speeches, Testimony, Statements
Region: MidEast/North Africa
Country: United States, USSR (former), Iraq, Kuwait,
Israel
Subject: Arms Control, Mideast Peace Process,
Environment, Science/Technology, Trade/Economics
[TEXT]
It's a privilege, again, to appear before the committee, this year
even more so than most years. I think the funds that we are
requesting in our budget submission should be seen [as] an
investment in a better future, a world of secure nations, free
peoples, and peaceful change.
I realize that as armies fight in the Persian Gulf, such a world
seems far distant. Yet, I believe it's vitally important to see the
challenges that we face also as opportunities-opportunities to build
a more secure and a more just world order. And, so today, I really
would like to spend some time commenting before the committee,
to and with the committee, about our ideas on post-crisis
challenges and arrangements as we begin the process of examining
what our policy should and will be in the aftermath of the crisis.
Persian Gulf War
The international coalition has now been waging war against Iraq
for 3 weeks with what I think are very clear objectives: to expel
Iraq from Kuwait, to restore the legitimate government of Kuwait,
and to ensure the stability and security of this critical region.
I would like to make several observations about the course of
the conflict so far. First of all, I would note that the international
coalition has held steadily to its purpose and steadily to its course.
An outstanding achievement of the current crisis has been the
ability, I think, of the United Nations to act as the founders
intended.
Before January 15, a dozen Security Council resolutions
guided the United States and other nations as together we waged a
concerted, diplomatic, political, and economic struggle against
Iraqi aggression. We did so, of course, because we all share a
conviction that this brutal and dangerous dictator must be stopped,
and he must be stopped now.
Since January 16, in actions authorized by Security Council
Resolution 678, we have been able to wage war because we are
equally convinced that all peaceful opportunities to end Saddam's
aggression had been explored and had been exhausted.
Let me give you, if I could, some idea of those exhaustive
efforts, both by the United States and by other nations. In the 166
days between the invasion of Kuwait on August 2, 1990, and the
expiration of the UN deadline for Iraq's withdrawal on January 15,
1991, I personally held over 200 meetings with foreign dignitaries,
conducted 10 separate diplomatic missions, and traveled over
100,000 miles.
For over 6 1/2 hours, as you know, I met with the Iraqi
Foreign Minister-
6 1/2 hours-during the full course of which the Iraqi leadership
rejected the very concept of withdrawal from Kuwait; even the
mention of withdrawal.
As you know, many others also tried. The Arab League tried;
the European Community tried; the UN Secretary General tried, at
least twice; kings, presidents, and prime ministers tried. None
succeeded, because Saddam Hussein rejected each and
every attempt.
A second observation I would make is that the coalition is
sharing responsibility for the economic burdens of this conflict.
Support for US military outlays covers both 1990 commitments for
Desert Shield and 1991 commitments for the period of January
through March for Desert Shield and Desert Storm. In addition,
funds have also been forthcoming to offset the economic costs that
are confronting some of the front-line states in the region.
To date, we have pledges of over $50 billion to support our
military efforts and over $14 billion to assist the front-line states
and others with their economic needs.
A third observation is that our unfolding military strategy
fully reflects our political purposes. This is the place to restate, I
think, as the President has done so often, that we have no quarrel
with the Iraqi people. Our goal is the liberation of Kuwait. It is not
the destruction of Iraq. It is not changes in the borders of Iraq.
A thoroughly professional and effective military campaign is
underway. Our young men and women and the forces of our coalition
partners are writing new annals of bravery and skill. But the task
is formidable, and no one should underestimate Saddam Hussein's
military capabilities.
After all, Iraq is not a third-rate military power. Billions of
dollars have been diverted from peaceful uses to give this small
country the fourth largest army in the world. Iraq has more battle
tanks than the United Kingdom and France combined. It has more
combat aircraft than either Germany, France, or the United Kingdom.
Ejecting Iraq from Kuwait will not be easy, but as the President
said, "So that peace can prevail, we will prevail."
We are also trying our best to wage a just war and to wage it
in a just way. Our targets are military, and we are doing all that
we can to minimize civilian casualties and to avoid damage to
religious and cultural sites. As [allied commander] General
[Norman] Schwarzkopf has pointed out, the coalition forces are even
putting themselves in danger to minimize the risk to innocent lives.
In shocking contrast, I think, Saddam Hussein's conduct of the
war has been not unlike his conduct before the war. That is, a
relentless assault on the values of civilization. He has launched
missiles against Israeli cities and Saudi cities, missiles aimed not
at targets of military value but fully intended to massacre
civilians. He has abused and paraded prisoners of war. He says he's
using them as human shields-actions totally in violation of the
Geneva Convention. He has even attacked nature itself, attempting
to poison the waters of the Persian Gulf with the petroleum that is
the patrimony of the region's economic future.
We've heard, and we take at face value, Saddam Hussein's
threats to use chemical and biological weapons. We have warned
him, and he would be well advised to heed our warning that we will
not tolerate the use of such weapons. Any use of chemical or
biological weapons will have the most severe consequences.
We will continue to insist that Iraq fulfill its obligations
under the Geneva Convention with respect to coalition prisoners of war.
I think that our conduct of the war is, in itself, a great
strength. It is the strength that comes from doing the right thing in
the right way. Saddam's continuing brutality redoubles our resolve
and the entire coalition's conviction about the rightness of our
course. Ending Saddam's aggression will also be a blow to state-
sponsored terrorism.
This is also the place to note our deep appreciation and great
admiration for the extraordinary restraint of the government of
Israel. Israeli cities have been attacked by Saddam Hussein because
part of his strategy has been to consolidate his aggression by
turning the Gulf crisis into an Arab-Israeli conflict.
Despite its clear right to respond, the Israeli government has
acted with restraint and with responsibility. The United States has
been, and it will continue to be, in close contact at the highest
levels with Israel. We have offered, and Israel has accepted, batteries
of Patriot missiles, some with American crews, to defend against Scud
attacks. We continue to devote special military efforts to destroying
the Scuds and to destroying their launchers. Everyone should know when we
speak about our unshakable commitment to Israeli security, we mean it.
The fourth observation I would make is this: The great
international coalition that is now winning the war must also be
strong enough to secure the peace. Winston Churchill once observed
that, "We shall see how absolute is the need of a broad path of
international action pursued by many states in common across the
years, irrespective of the ebb and flow of national politics."
If we are going to redeem the sacrifices now being made by
the brave men and women who defend our freedom with their lives,
then we must fashion a peace which is worthy of their struggle.
That can be done if we can hold together in peace a coalition
tempered by war.
I believe that when Congress voted the President authority to
use force in support of the UN resolutions, it voted also for peace, a
peace that might prevent such wars in the future. I believe that the
American people support our role in the coalition, not only to defeat
an aggressor but to secure a measure of justice and security for the
future.
We and every nation involved in this conflict are thinking
about the post-war situation and planning for the future. It would
be irresponsible of us not to do so. At the same time, it would be
both premature and unwise for us to lay out a detailed blueprint for
the post-war Gulf or, for that matter, the region as a whole.
The war itself and the way it ends will greatly influence both
the security of the Gulf and the rest of the area. The deepest
passions have been stirred. The military actions now underway
necessarily involve many casualties, great hardships, and growing
fears for the future. So tough times lie ahead.
We should, therefore, approach the post-war problems with a
due sense of modesty. Respect for the sovereignty of the peoples of
the Gulf and the Middle East must be uppermost in our minds. In an
event, modern history has shown that no single nation can long
impose its will or remake the Middle East in its image. After all,
that is partly why we are fighting Saddam Hussein.
Yet, among all the difficulties we face, I think one fact stands
out: The peoples of the Gulf and, indeed, the entire Middle East,
desperately need peace. I truly believe that there must be a way,
working in consultation with all of the affected nations, to set a
course that brings greater security for all and that brings enduring
peace.
We should, therefore, make every effort not just to heal the
Persian Gulf after this war but also to try to heal the rest of the
region which needs it so badly. So I would like to discuss several
challenges that I believe we should address in a post-war period.
Greater Security For the Persian Gulf
After two wars in 10 years, this vital region needs new and
different security arrangements. In our view, there are three basic
issues that have to be resolved:
First, the purposes or principles of the security arrangements;
Second, the role of the local states, regional organizations,
and the international community; and
Third, in the aftermath of the war, the military requirements
until local stability is achieved, as well as thereafter.
I think we would find already a wide measure of agreement on
the principles. They would include deterrence of aggression from
any quarter; territorial integrity. There has to be respect for
existing sovereignty of all states and for the inviolability of
borders. Peaceful resolution of disputes: Border problems and
other disputes that have long histories-and there are many, many
beyond the Iraq-Kuwait example-should be resolved by peaceful
means as prescribed by the UN Charter.
These principles must be put into action first and foremost by
the local states so that conflicts can be prevented and aggression
deterred. We would expect the states of the Gulf and regional
organizations such as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to take the
lead in building a reinforcing network of new and strengthened
security ties. No regional state should be excluded from these
arrangements. Post-war Iraq could have an important contribution
to play, and so could Iran, as a major power in the Gulf.
There is a role, too, for outside nations and the international
community, including the United Nations, to encourage such
arrangements and to stand behind them.
As for the United States, we have deployed small naval forces
in the Persian Gulf ever since the Truman Administration in 1949.
We had, and we continue to have, strong bilateral ties with Saudi
Arabia and other local states. And through the years, we have
conducted joint exercises with and we have provided military
equipment for our friends in the region.
The President has said that we have no intention of
maintaining a permanent ground presence on the Arabian Peninsula
once Iraq is ejected from Kuwait and the threat recedes. Before
security is assured, however, important questions must be
answered. We will be going through an important transitional phase
in the immediate aftermath of the war as we try to establish stability.
Let me list just a few of the questions that need to be
answered. Should there be a permanent locally stationed ground
force made up of local troops under UN auspices or under regional
auspices such as the GCC? How can the international community
reinforce deterrence in the Gulf-whether by contributing forces or
through other political arrangements such as resolutions or
security commitments?
No one yet has the answers to these and other questions.
Some may never be answered, but we will eventually proceed. We
will conduct extensive consultations among all of the concerned
parties to such arrangements.
Regional Arms Proliferation and Control
A second challenge will surely be regional arms proliferation and
control. This includes both conventional weapons and weapons of
mass destruction. The terrible fact is that even the conventional
arsenals of several Middle Eastern states dwarf those of most
European powers. Five Middle Eastern countries have more main
tanks than the United Kingdom or France. The time has come to try
to change the destructive pattern of military competition and
proliferation in this region and to reduce arms flow into an area
that is already very over-militarized.
That suggests that we and others and outside the region must
consult on how best to address several dimensions of the problem:
How can we cooperate to constrain Iraq's postwar ability to retain
or rebuild its weapons of mass destruction and its most
destabilizing conventional weapons? How can we work with others
to encourage steps toward broader regional restraint in the
acquisition and use of both conventional armaments and weapons of
mass destruction? What role might the kinds of confidence-
building measures that have lessened conflict in Europe play in the
Gulf and the Middle East? And, finally, what global actions would
reinforce steps toward arms control in the Gulf and Middle East?
These, for instance, could include rapid completion of pending
international agreements, like the chemical weapons convention, as
well as much tighter supply restraints on the flow of weapons and
dual-use technology into the region. And what implication does that
have for arms transfer and sales policy?
Economic Reconstruction and Recovery
A third challenge will be economic reconstruction and recovery. An
economic catastrophe has befallen the Gulf and the nations trading
with it. Kuwait has been looted and wrecked. Hundreds of
thousands of workers have lost jobs and have fled. Trade flows and
markets have been disrupted. I'm confident that the people of
Kuwait will rebuild their country. As we have worked with the
Kuwaitis in their moment of trial, so we shall look forward to
cooperating with them in their hour of recovery.
And no one should forget that for the second time in a decade
the people of Iraq will be recovering from a disastrous conflict.
The time of reconstruction and recovery should not be the
occasion for vengeful actions against a nation forced to war as a
result of a dictator's ambition. The secure and prosperous future
everyone hopes to see in the Gulf has got to include Iraq. Of
necessity, most of the resources for reconstruction will be drawn
from the Gulf. Yet, should we not be thinking also of more than
reconstruction?
It might be possible for a coalition of countries, using both
local and external resources, to transform the outlook for the
region-in expanding free markets and investment, in assisting
development, and in promoting growth-oriented economic
development policies which have taken root across the globe.
Any economic effort must have a special place for water
development. Well over half the people living in the Middle East
draw water from rivers that cross international boundaries or
depend on desalinization plants. We have all been incensed by
Saddam Hussein's deliberate poisoning of the Gulf waters, which
could affect a large portion of Saudi Arabia's desalinized drinking
water.
Finally, we will want to consult with governments both from
the Middle East and from other regions about specific arrangements
that might best serve the purposes of region-wide economic
cooperation. Such cooperation would surely be helpful in
reinforcing our overall objective, reducing one by one the sources of
conflict and removing one by one the barriers to security and
prosperity throughout the area.
Search for Peace and Reconciliation in Middle East
A fourth challenge is to resume the search for a just peace and real
reconciliation for Israel, the Arab states, and Palestinians. By
reconciliation, I mean not simply peace as the absence of war but a
peace based on enduring respect, tolerance, and mutual trust. As
you know, I personally had devoted considerable effort before the
war to facilitating a dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians,
which I think is an essential part of an overall peace process.
Let's not fool ourselves, though. The course of this crisis has
stirred emotions among Israelis and Palestinians that will not yield
easily to conciliation. Yet, in the aftermath of this war, as in
earlier wars, there may be real opportunities for peace if the
parties are willing. And if they really are willing, we are
committed to working closely with them to fashion a more
effective peace process.
The issues to be addressed are, of course, familiar and more
challenging than ever: How do you go about reconciling Israelis and
Palestinians? What concrete actions can be taken by each side?
What will be the role of the Arab states in facilitating this process
and their own negotiations for peace with Israel? How will
regional arms-control arrangements affect this process? What is
the best diplomatic vehicle for getting the process under way?
Again, we will be consulting and working very closely with
our friends and all parties who have a constructive role to play in
settling this conflict.
Reduce US Energy Dependence
And a fifth and final challenge concerns the United States. We
simply must do more to reduce our energy dependence. As the
President has stressed, only a comprehensive strategy can achieve
our goals. That strategy should involve energy conservation and
efficiency, increased development, strengthened stockpiles and
reserves, and greater use of alternative fuels.
We must bring to this task the same determination that we
are now bringing to the war itself. As you can see, some of these
elements are political, some are economic, and some of necessity
are related to security.
That suggests that we should view security not just in
military terms but as part and parcel of the broader outlook for the
region. We are not going to have lasting peace and well-being in the
absence of sound economic growth. We're not going to have sound
economic growth if nations are threatened or invaded or if they are
squandering precious resources on more and more arms. And,
surely, finding a way for the peoples of the Middle East to work
with each other will be crucial if we are going to lift our eyes to a
better future.
US--Soviet Relations
Before closing I'd like to say few words on another challenge that
we face, mentioned by Mr. [William] Broomfield [ranking minority
member]: our relations with the Soviet Union. The President has
spoken often of a new world order in which freedom and democracy
might flourish, secure from the fears of the Cold War. We have been
hopeful about such an order, partly because of the growing
cooperation between the United States and the Soviet Union.
In the fall of 1989, I described that cooperation as "a search
for points of mutual advantage." And this search has yielded good
results. Three examples, I think, will suffice.
First, over the past year, a democratic Germany, fully a
member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, was united in
peace. The Iron Curtain has vanished and with it the Cold War;
Second, the countries of Central and Eastern Europe have
emerged in their own right once more, free to pursue democracy and
economic liberty; and
Third, the Soviet Union has joined the international coalition
confronting Iraqi aggression.
As Foreign Minister [Aleksandr] Bessmertnykh reiterated last
week, the Soviet Union continues to completely support the full
implementation of the UN Security Council resolutions.
While we both have worked at finding these and other points
of mutual advantage, it has long been clear to both sides that the
potential for long-term cooperation, or even partnership, between
our countries would depend ultimately on the course of the Soviet
Union's domestic reform. That is why when last fall I called for
"pathways of mutual advantage," not just discrete points. I also
announced our desire to see a broader democratic dialogue with
Soviet reformers. Not just economic reform but essential political
reform could transform the Soviet Union into a very different
society.
Over the course of several summits and numerous meetings,
we have become much more familiar with the ups and downs of
perestroika, the enormous and daunting difficulties of changing
after 70 years a society's basic direction and many of its values.
In the last several months, however, we have seen a series of
unsettling events. They include the tragic violence in the Baltics,
an apparent turn toward economic recentralization, a less free media,
extension of army and KGB authority, and the resignation or departure
from the government of key reform advocates.
These actions are completely inconsistent with the course of
peaceful change, democratic principles, the rule of law, and real
economic reform. There is simply no justification at all for the use
of force against peaceful and democratically elected governments.
Our hearts go out to the courageous people of the Baltic states who
have acted throughout with dignity and with restraint.
The President and I have had extensive discussions recently
with President Gorbachev and other Soviet officials about these
developments. We and our European allies have pointed out the
inevitable consequences if the Soviet government continues on this
path, and we have stated our belief that the Soviet Union cannot
hope to succeed in meeting its own objectives if it should abandon
perestroika, democratization, and glasnost.
On the Baltics, I could do no better here than to quote the
President's words from the State of the Union Address: "Our
objective is to help the Baltic peoples achieve their aspirations, not
to punish the Soviet Union."
We have had representations from the Soviet leadership about
their continuing commitment to reform, to peaceful dialogue with
the Baltics, and to creating a society ruled by law-not by force.
We're going to watch this situation closely to see whether these
representations become enduring realities.
I hope that the Soviet Union will relearn quickly the lesson
from its own hard experience. The old ways are not the right ways.
Perestroika cannot succeed at gunpoint. Clearly, we cannot rule out
the possibility that matters may still turn more for the worse, but
at the same time we must be careful not to jump to premature
conclusions.
The Soviet leadership is at a crossroads. We have made clear
that their first several steps have taken them down a path of no
benefit for them or for us or for anyone else. For the sake of
history and for the sake of the world, I hope they resume the march
that has given the entire world hope for a better future.
The Need for US Leadership
I want to sum up these comments with this observation. When I
appeared before you a year ago to review our overall foreign policy,
we were well on the way to a whole and free Europe, secured by
expanding US--Soviet cooperation in resolving the continent's
outstanding political and military problems. The possibility-even
the idea-of this terrible conflict in the Gulf was beyond anyone's
imagination, yet now we face the challenges of hot war in the Gulf
and growing uncertainty about the course of Soviet reform.
There can be different views of how to handle this situation.
I look forward to your counsel and good words on both issues, yet on
one point I believe we are in very basic agreement-and that is on
the need for American leadership. If we do not do our part, then
Churchill's broad path, pursued by many states in common, will not
be possible. And as Churchill warned, "The middle path adopted
from desires for safety and a quiet life may be found to lead direct
to the bull's-eye of disaster."
More clearly than we could have ever imagined a year or even
6 months ago, the world emerging from the end of the postwar era
will be shaped by the United States of America and by its
international allies. Our constant purpose must be to make of that
world a fitting place for free peoples to live.
US Department of State Dispatch,
Vol 2, No 6, February 11, 1991
Title: International Affairs Budget: Fulfilling Freedom's
Challenge
Date: Feb 11, 19912/11/91
Country: United States
Subject: State Department, Trade/Economics,
Democratization, Human Rights,
Development/Relief Aid
[TEXT]
The United States is at the forefront of a world community
increasingly receptive to democracy, market economics, and
cooperation against aggression. Together with our allies and
friends, we will continue to support those who share our values and
interests. Effective diplomacy and foreign assistance are essential
to a successful US foreign policy.
The FY 1992 international affairs budget will advance US
values and interests around the world through diplomatic
initiatives, foreign economic and military assistance, information
and cultural exchange, and support of international organizations.
Rarely has US foreign policy operated amid such far-reaching and
rapid international change, from supporting the peaceful
transformation of Europe, to resolving long-festering regional
conflicts in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, to leading an
unprecedented international coalition against the aggression of
Iraq's Saddam Hussein.
Accelerating economic interdependence and the global spread
of new technologies are further blurring the lines between foreign
and domestic affairs. Effectively coordinating and deploying the
instruments of foreign policy under such highly volatile
international conditions, while adhering to strict budget limits,
require clarity of purpose and enhanced flexibility in managing the
international affairs budget.
US Objectives
Five major and mutually reinforcing goals will guide American
policy beyond the Cold War and through this defining moment in
history.
Promoting and Consolidating Democratic Values
.
This is our first and preeminent foreign policy challenge, affecting
long-term US national security, economic prosperity, and social
well-being. In an era of instant global communication, all nations
are experiencing unprecedented degrees of political
interdependence. Human rights have no frontiers and are indivisible.
Transitions toward democracy, however difficult, cannot be
accomplished in isolation from the rest of the world. The essential
ingredients of democracy-respect for human rights, the rule of law,
free and fair elections, and economic opportunity-are also the basic
building blocks of the new world order.
US foreign affairs programs, while adapting to local
circumstances, will emphasize the strengthening of democratic
institutions, such as effective electoral bodies, responsive public
administrators, independent court systems, and a free press. Close
cooperation with funding agencies of other democracies and
broadening partnerships with US civic and educational organizations
can improve the reach and effectiveness of US assistance.
Promoting Market Principles and Strengthening US Competitiveness
US diplomacy and assistance encourage economic policy reform and
support market-oriented, sustainable development. Political and
economic liberty go hand in hand. Fragile democracies are
reinforced by strong economies. Open societies spur the creativity
and entrepreneurship essential to economic success. Strategies of
deregulation, privatization, and market-based structural
adjustment work. Free and open markets are the key to broad-based
and sustainable economic growth.
The United States will continue to assist strong, adequately
funded, multilateral economic institutions to foster more open and
productive local and world markets. Trade liberalization also will
remain a high foreign policy objective. In addition, bilateral
assistance programs to improve the capacity and effectiveness of
the private sector in democratizing countries should have greater
participation by US private institutions. Universities can have a
larger role in overseas business training. American business can
take advantage of incentives in foreign capital projects to increase
investment and trade. An expanding US business presence abroad can
be an important complement to building democracy and promoting
market-oriented development. Increased exports also mean more US
jobs and a more efficient economy able to compete effectively in
international markets.
Promoting Peace
Timely security assistance backed by skillful diplomacy continues
to be a key tool of American foreign policy. Substantial resources
will be required in the 1990s to achieve comprehensive and
verifiable arms control; to deter the proliferation of nuclear,
chemical, and biological weapons and the spread of advanced
missile delivery systems; to help avoid and resolve regional
conflicts; and to enhance UN peace-keeping capabilities. US
assistance also is needed to sustain peaceful development and to
ensure rapid reconstruction and recovery so that long-sought peace
agreements do not unravel.
International and regional security is necessary for
democracy and free enterprise to flourish. Saddam Hussein's
aggression against Kuwait is a dramatic reminder of the continuing
need to protect weaker countries. The world response to his
aggression underscores the ability of the international community
to join forces to oppose such threats. Today, most violent conflicts
occur within-not among-nations. In an increasingly politically and
economically interdependent world, efforts to promote
international security must deal with racial, religious, and ethnic
conflicts and the denial of human rights. Such "local" conflicts
carry the risk of escalating suddenly in new and dangerous ways.
Protecting Against Transnational Threats
A major challenge in the 1990s is to work with allies, friends, and
traditional adversaries to protect the world community against new
global dangers. Traditional concepts of what constitutes a threat to
national and global security are being updated and extended to such
divergent concerns as environmental degradation, narcotics
trafficking, terrorism, or other criminal actions by groups or
individuals. All directly affect individual freedom and well-being
and can ultimately be overcome only through conscientious and
sustained citizen involvement. Government policy and assistance
seek to promote such public action.
Protecting and restoring the environment, in ways conducive
to sustainable economic development and democracy, has become a
widely shared concern of aid donors and recipients. At the global
level the issues of climate change, the loss of bio-diversity, and
the destruction of tropical rain forests are high on the international
agenda. Addressing these and more limited transnational
environmental issues also will require new bilateral, regional, and
global arrangements, with extensive participation of private
enterprise and nongovernmental organizations. Americans have a
strong interest and much relevant experience and technology to
share in protecting and restoring local environments and in
demonstrating the effectiveness of market-based policies. The
environment is a good example of the new challenges that cut
across all five major foreign affairs objectives.
Meeting Urgent Humanitarian Needs
The United States has an unequaled record in responding quickly and
substantially to alleviate suffering and the plight of refugees
caused by natural or man-made disasters. Famine, environmental
degradation, epidemics, and the flow of refugees caused by civil
wars, repression, and unwise economic policies continue to demand
our attention. US private voluntary agencies, reflecting the
generosity of the American people, play a major role in this type of
assistance. Private/public partnerships in this area should be
expanded in the future.
Humanitarian assistance responds to a wide variety of needs.
Yet economic policy reform, democratization, and humanitarian
assistance should reinforce each other whenever possible. This
assistance can help alleviate many effects of radical economic
restructuring and stem the flow of refugees and migrants by
providing the necessary economic incentives not to leave home.
Investing in diplomatic initiatives to resolve local conflicts can
yield substantial returns by avoiding human suffering and the costs
of providing humanitarian relief.
Revitalizing US Assistance
Current US foreign assistance programs and procedures cannot
match the rapidly changing and unpredictable events of the post-
Cold War era. The effectiveness of US foreign assistance has been
constrained by the proliferation of many small "earmarked"
programs, which are further restricted by rigid reporting
requirements. Therefore, the Administration proposes to revitalize
US assistance through new legislation that would revise and reduce
the number of program objectives and provide for greater flexibility
in the allocation of scarce resources. These reforms are essential if
the United States is to take advantage of fast-breaking and often
fragile opportunities to advance political and economic reforms
within and among democratizing nations. Flexibility also brings
other advantages, such as the ability to reach burden-sharing
arrangements with other donors, to leverage support from the
private sector, and to promote the activities of multilateral
organizations, including peace-keeping operations.
Restructuring and reintegrating economic, security, and
humanitarian assistance will require a transition period of several
years. This will allow the Administration and the Congress to
assess better the long-term implications of major international
changes underway or on the horizon. A high priority for the 1990s
is building consensus and mutual trust between Congress and
the executive bn assistance priorities and greater flexibility in aid
disbursement.
US Department of State Dispatch,
Vol 2, No 6, February 11, 1991
Title: FY 1992 International Affairs Budget Overview
Date: Feb 11, 19912/11/91
Category: Fact Sheets
Region: North America
Country: United States
Subject: State Department
Summary
The President requests $34 billion in budget authority for
international affairs programs in fiscal year (FY) 1992. Of this
amount, $12.2 billion is for an increase in the US quota for the
International Monetary Fund (IMF). Such quota increases occur only
once or twice in a decade and do not involve outlays.
Excluding the IMF increase, the international affairs request
is $21.9 billion. This is $1.7 billion in budget authority (the
authority to commit funds) above the FY 1991 enacted level. Outlays
(actual spending) amount to $19.6 billion-$874 million more than
the 1991 enacted level. The request is within the limits on budget
authority and outlays set by the Budget Enforcement Act of 1990.
The President's budget proposes to increase the following key
program areas:
Enterprise for the Americas Initiative
. To
support the process of democratic change and the movement toward
free and open markets, the President's budget proposes $410 million
for the debt restructuring and investment fund components of the
initiative.
War on Drugs
. The budget requests $611
million for international counter-narcotics programs to combat the
flow of illegal drugs into the United States. This is an increase of
$155 million (34%) above the 1991 level. These programs help
dismantle major drug-trafficking organizations, reduce illicit crop
production, and interdict drugs as they move from source countries
through transit countries to the United States.
Support for International Organizations.
At
a time when the international community has shown unprecedented
ability to stand against aggression and more foreign policy
challenges require multilateral cooperation for solutions, restoring
the financial stability of the United Nations and other international
organizations is critical. The President's budget requests an
increase of $417 million to make payments primarily on US arrears
to these organizations.
Supporting Democracy, Promoting Economic Growth,
and Meeting Urgent Humanitarian Needs
. In addition to the
Enterprise for the Americas Initiative, the President's budget
proposes a $443-million increase in budget authority for
development and humanitarian assistance programs to support
democratic change, movement toward free and open markets, and
economic growth and development, and to alleviate human suffering.
This includes an 8% increase in the bilateral assistance program
for Eastern Europe.
Supporting and Protecting our Diplomatic Presence
Overseas
. Now more than ever, we need to adequately
maintain our diplomatic presence and leadership overseas to work
effectively with the democratic forces at work in many countries
and protect against transnational threats which may be directed at
US citizens. The President's budget proposes a $342-million
increase to reverse the alarming deterioration in the infrastructure
that supports this presence and protects it from terrorist attacks.
Composition of Budget
About one-half of the FY 1992 international affairs budget
(excluding the IMF increase) is for economic, development, and
humanitarian programs (see chart on p. 1). Military assistance
accounts for 22% of the budget and diplomatic activities for 13%.
Of the $15.9 billion proposed for foreign assistance (economic,
military, and humanitarian), $5.3 billion is requested for assistance
to Israel and Egypt.
The economic, development, and humanitarian assistance
programs support a broad range of activities, from providing
economic support for emerging democracies to combating
malnutrition and famine in drought-stricken countries. Programs
are being carried out in more than 70 countries around the world.
Military assistance is concentrated in fewer countries, with
the bulk of the assistance supporting military modernization in
Israel, Egypt, and key NATO and regional allies (Turkey, Greece,
Portugal, and Philippines), or to countries assisting in the war on
drugs.
Program Highlights
International Development and Humanitarian
Assistance
(Budget Subfunction 151)
The United States continues to play a major role in alleviating
suffering and promoting sound economic policies in the developing
world. Programs in this category help promote the growth of
market-oriented economies through budgetary support, finance
development projects, and provide expert advice to foreign
governments and private entities. They also provide relief supplies
and funds to meet major natural and man-made disasters and to aid
refugees abroad and to resettle them in the United States.
International Development and Humanitarian Assistance:
Discretionary Budget Totals
($ million)
1990 1991 1992
Budget
Authority 6,147 7,040 7,893
Outlays 5,744 5,717 6,724
Enterprise for the Americas Initiative
. In
support of the process of democratic change and the movement
toward free markets and open economies in this hemisphere, the
President announced on June 27, 1990, the Enterprise for the
Americas Initiative, an integrated program to increase free and fair
trade, promote capital flows, reduce debt burdens, and improve the
environment.
The budget includes $310 million in budget authority to cover
the cost of the debt restructuring aspects of the initiative in 1992.
As part of debt restructuring, environmental trust funds would be
established to provide resources to support environmental programs
and projects. The Administration also requests $100 million for a
contribution to a multilateral investment fund to support market-
oriented investment policy initiatives and reforms in Latin
American countries. The fund would be managed by the Inter-
American Development Bank.
Eastern Europe
. The Administration is
requesting $470 million in assistance to Central and Eastern Europe
in FY 1992, a $30-million increase from the 1991 enacted level,
including $70 million for a contribution to the European Bank for
Reconstruction and Development. These programs support the
transition to democracy and market economies in the area and
help improve the quality of life in these societies. In addition to
special assistance programs in the budget, the US provides food aid
to the region and is the major contributor to the World Bank and the
International Monetary Fund, which have committed significant
resources to Central and Eastern Europe. US assistance programs
complement other traditional programs carried out by various US
agencies, such as the Department of Commerce and the US
Information Agency.
Counter-narcotics
The budget requests $172
million for that part of the Administration's international counter-
narcotics program implemented by the State Department's Bureau of
International Narcotics Matters. These programs combat the entry
of illicit drugs into the United States. Major emphasis will continue
to be placed on narcotics programs that reduce illicit crop
production, interdict drugs as they move from source countries
through transit countries into the US, and build host country
capabilities to deter drug traffickers. More than one-half of the
total 1992 request ($100 million) will be used to implement the
law enforcement aspects of the President's Andean strategy
focusing on the coca-producing countries of Colombia, Peru, and
Bolivia and to help other Latin American governments dismantle
trafficking organizations, seize drug shipments, and reduce illicit
production. These programs complement military assistance and
economic development counter-narcotics programs. The request
will also maintain other important country programs worldwide, an
inter-regional aviation support program, contributions to
international organizations, and other inter-regional counter-
narcotics programs.
Development Assistance
. The $2.8 billion
development assistance request for the US Agency for International
Development (excluding operating expenses) combines continued
emphasis on sustainable, broad-based economic growth and
humanitarian assistance with new initiatives aimed at emerging
opportunities and needs in the rapidly changing international
environment. These initiatives include support for democracy,
establishing a partnership with American business to expand its
involvement in development, and a new focus on the family's role in
development.
Food Aid
. The $1.3 billion requested for the
PL 480 Food for Peace program will support the export of 5.9
million metric tons of US commodities to meet the food needs of
developing countries. The program provides emergency relief to
counter the effects of drought and pestilence, direct-feeding
programs to reduce the incidence of malnutrition among the poor,
and import assistance for countries attempting to improve their
food security. The program also promotes the expansion of overseas
markets for US commodities.
Multilateral Development Banks.
The
Administration requests $1.7 billion for contributions to the
multilateral development banks (MDBs). The MDBs play a vital role
in promoting economic reform and market-led growth in developing
countries and Eastern Europe.
US support for the MDBs is very cost effective. The US
contribution of $72.1 million in paid-in capital for the World Bank
leveraged a total World Bank lending program of more than $15
billion in lending in FY 1990. The World Bank expects to lend more
than $9 billion during the next 3 years to aid the process of
economic and political transformation in Eastern Europe. The new
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development also will play an
important role in this region.
Refugee Programs
. The $511 million request
for refugee programs in 1992 includes $491 million for migration
and refugee assistance and $20 million for the Emergency Refugee
and Migration Assistance Fund. Of the total amount, $233 million
has been requested for assistance programs overseas which will
give priority to basic life-sustaining activities and support for
lasting solutions to refugee problems through opportunities for
voluntary repatriation and local integration.
The request also includes $192 million to finance the
admission and initial resettlement of an estimated 120,000
refugees in this country, the majority of whom will come from the
Soviet Union and Vietnam. The request also includes $40 million to
assist in the resettlement of refugees in Israel and $15 million for
contributions to the International Organization for Migration and
the International Committee of the Red Cross.
International Security Assistance
(Budget Subfunction 152)
The US pursues key national security and foreign policy objectives
by helping friendly and allied countries to defend themselves and by
promoting the development and growth of market-oriented
economies. Programs in this category are intended to strengthen the
ability of our friends and allies to deter and defend against
aggression while promoting fundamental economic reforms which
are essential for long-term economic and political stability.
Programs in this category also provide funding for multilateral
peace-keeping operations and international military education and
training.
International Security Assistance: Discretionary Budget
Totals
($ million)
1990 1991 1992
Budget
Authority 8,884 7,945 7,986
Outlays 8,936 7,848 7,749
Middle East.
What we must now accomplish
by force of arms, we intend to maintain by supporting friends that
need our help. Establishing a secure and stable Middle East is among
the most critical challenges that we now face. Accordingly, nearly
three-fourths of security assistance resources are devoted to the
countries in the region either directly participating in Operation
Desert Storm or profoundly affected by the crisis, such as Israel,
Egypt, Turkey, Morocco, Oman, and Jordan.
Counter-narcotics
. A total of $425 million
of our request for security assistance will support the military
assistance and economic development aspects of the President's
Andean counter-narcotics initiative. Two-thirds of this assistance
will be provided in the form of Economic Support Funds to reduce
economic dislocation and promote alternative development and
income substitution in narcotics-producing areas. Military
assistance to the Andean nations will assist the military forces of
Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia in carrying out counter-narcotics
missions in support of national narcotics control programs.
Other Key Programs
. Other key components
of the request include:
-- About 6% of security assistance will support Greece and
Portugal in the continued military modernization of these NATO and
Persian Gulf coalition partners;
-- Some 5% of security assistance is for Central America, of
which three-quarters is in economic aid to promote broad-based,
sustainable economic growth; and
-- 4% of assistance helps promote the security and
development of the Philippines, a key Asian friend.
Conduct of Foreign Affairs
(Budget Subfunction 153)
The dramatic events of the last 2 years have created watershed
challenges and opportunities for the United States abroad. State
Department operations for the conduct of foreign affairs amount to
less than one-half of 1% of the entire federal budget. Nonetheless,
this relatively small budget has come under increasing pressure as
our posts abroad protect American citizens and facilities, report on
changing basic world realities, and cope with high rates of overseas
inflation and a significant decline in the value of the dollar.
The FY 1992 request aims to provide the Department of State
with the resources necessary to meet ongoing obligations, including
support for the UN and other multilateral organizations, and to
respond to new requirements related to both recent and anticipated
foreign policy developments. A partial list of important policy
challenges that our request seeks to meet includes: the evolving
crisis, and now war, in the Persian Gulf; continuing changes in
Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union; efforts to consolidate the
return to democracy in Panama and Nicaragua; growing demands for
emergency consular services for American citizens abroad; and
increased costs related to immigration processing.
All of these challenges underscore the importance of a budget
adequate to provide the nation with skilled professionals, operating
out of appropriate facilities and supported by an effective
infrastructure, including modern telecommunications and
information systems. To manage these systems and ensure that our
nation's foreign policy is implemented effectively and efficiently,
the US government also must fund modern and functional financial
and administrative support systems.
Conduct of Foreign Affairs: Discretionary Budget
Totals
($ million)
1990 1991 1992
Budget
Authority 2,928 3,161 4,117
Outlays 3,046 3,385 3,528
State Operations
. The 1992 request of $2,050
million for the Department's primary operational account (Salaries
and Expenses) will provide the necessary resources to meet ongoing
diplomatic and consular operations as well as fund increases to
respond to the nation's highest priority foreign policy challenges.
-- In response to continuing diplomatic, political, social, and
economic changes in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union, we plan to
expand and reorient our diplomatic presence in the area. This
includes increasing resources devoted to various arms control
verification operations and bilateral and multilateral cooperation,
security, and disarmament efforts.
-- The 1992 request also will provide the resources necessary
to meet the increased immigrant visa workload resulting from the
Immigration Act of 1990, and continue required investments to
improve the Department's information management, internal
control, and financial management systems
-- In response to the crisis in the Persian Gulf, we are
preparing to meet increased terrorist threats to the Department's
overseas personnel by requesting increased funding for residential
security measures and counter-terrorism research projects.
Foreign Buildings
. The $570 million request
for 1992 is the beginning of a 5-year, $2.5 billion program to
address the Department of State's most urgent facility replacement
priorities including embassies in Bangkok, Bogota, and Moscow.
Given the aging and rapidly deteriorating condition of the
Department's valuable inventory of overseas facilities, this
investment is essential to restore the safety, efficiency, and
security of these buildings. In addition, the request includes funds
for leased residential, office, and support facilities, as well as for
critical maintenance and rehabilitation requirements of current
facilities.
International Organizations
. The 1992
request recognizes our international obligations and reflects the
President's strong commitment to restoring the financial stability
of the UN and other international organizations. Events in the Gulf,
combined with positive developments in Africa, Central America,
and Southeast Asia, confirm the important role multilateral
organizations can play, with US leadership, in helping to create a
new world order based on the rule of law. Continued success
requires patience, including our ability to meet financial
commitments.
The 1992 request of $1,327 million, consistent with statutory
and policy restrictions, represents:
-- Full funding ($824 million) of our assessed contributions to
51 international organizations and 3 UN peace-keeping forces and
for international conferences; and
--$503 million to continue funding of cumulative arrearages
in accordance with the President's plan for payments over a 5-year
period (FY 1991-95). Under this plan, in 1992 we anticipate paying
about $131 million in arrearages. Payment of these arrearages will
be directed toward special activities that are mutually agreed upon
by the United States and respective international organizations and
would be conditional upon such agreements.
Foreign Information and Exchange
(Budget
Subfunction 154)
An important objective of the Administration is to increase
international understanding of American society and US foreign
policy. The United States Information Agency seeks to do this
through personal contacts, academic and leadership exchanges,
satellite television broadcasting, Voice of America (VOA)
broadcasts by radio, distribution of books and periodicals, English-
language teaching, and the operation of libraries and cultural
centers abroad. The Board for International Broadcasting provides
radio broadcasts to the people of Eastern Europe and the Soviet
Union. This category of spending also supports information and
exchange activities between the US and Asia.
Foreign Information and Exchange: Discretionary Budget
Totals
($ million)
1990 1991 1992
Budget
Authority 1,315 1,227 1,294
Outlays 1,102 1,340 1,387
United States Information Agency
. The FY
1992 request of $1,059 million contains $16.7 million for
initiatives in the Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East
across a broad range of cultural and informational activities,
including initial costs for establishing a new Moscow cultural
center; augmenting staff in several key East European posts and in
the Middle East; re-establishing a post in Kabul, Afghanistan;
creating more Fulbright and other academic exchange and
international visitor grants; providing additional VOA and television
broadcasts to Eastern Europe; and providing more American
lecturers and books. These increases will be funded partially
through reductions in programming in Western Europe and in other
activities.
USIA will continue its support for Operation Desert Storm by
broadcasting around the world important US speeches and
announcements, such as President Bush's announcement of the
beginning of military operations to liberate Kuwait.
Board for International Broadcasting
. With
the establishment of democratic governments and the development
of reliable, free media in Eastern Europe, the need for Radio Free
Europe/Radio Liberty broadcasts to the region is diminishing. As
recent events in the Baltic countries show, however, there remains
continuing need for the surrogate domestic radio services that they
provide. The budget of $218 million for this program represents a
gradual phase-down.
International Financial Programs
(Subfunction 155)
This category of international affairs spending includes funding for
two major financial institutions, the Export-Import Bank
(Eximbank) and the International Monetary Fund, as well as a
Presidential Contingency Fund.
International Financial Programs: Discretionary Budget
Totals
($ million)
1990 1991 1992
Budget
Authority 752 761 12,734
Outlays -513 449 225
Export-Import Bank of the United States
.
Eximbank helps finance nearly $8 billion annually in US commercial
export sales of American goods and services using loan, guarantee,
and insurance programs. A pilot program to finance commercial
sales of defense exports is being considered for inclusion in
Eximbank's proposed FY 1992 budget of $9,525 million in loan and
guarantee authority. Such a defense export financing program would
enhance US exporters' ability to compete with foreign suppliers who
already benefit from official subsidy programs for military exports.
The proposed $110 million for the War Chest, a tied-aid credit
fund, provides leverage in Organization for Economic Cooperation
and Development (OECD) negotiations. Such assistance is targeted
toward sectors and markets of commercial interest to US exporters
where tied-aid credits are used extensively by foreign competitors.
The War Chest allows US firms to offer more competitive terms on
sales.
IMF Quota Increase
. The FY 1992 budget
contains $12.2 billion in budget authority for the proposed increase
in the US quota in the International Monetary Fund. The US quota
increase is part of a general increase in all IMF quotas to help
ensure that the Fund has the resources necessary to fulfill its
responsibilities as the world's principal monetary institution. The
IMF is critical to important US foreign economic policy interests,
such as the strengthened debt strategy for less developed countries,
economic reform in Eastern Europe, and responding to the effects of
the Persian Gulf crisis.
Presidential Contingency Fund
. The budget
requests $20 million in FY 1992 for the Presidential Contingency
Fund. While this modest amount would be insufficient to meet major
unanticipated demands of the magnitude encountered in 1990
supplemental appropriations for Panama and Nicaragua, it would
allow the President to respond quickly to a number of smaller
unexpected needs that may arise during the course of the year. In
this time of dramatic changes in world events, this fund would
allow some flexibility to address new requirements without
diverting resources from other important programs.
International Affairs Discretionary Programs: FY 1990-92,
Budget Authority
($ million)
[Budget Authority 1990 1991 1992]
International Security Assistance
Foreign Military Financing 4,811 4,708 4,650
Economic Support Fund 3,957 3,145 3,240
Military Training and other 116 92 96
Subtotal 8,884 7,945 7,986
International Development and Humanitarian Assistance
Agency for International Development 2,559 3,196 3,275
Assistance for Eastern Europe (88) (370) (400)
Enterprise for the Americas Initiative 0 * 410
Debt Restructuring (0) * (310)
Multilateral Investment Fund (0) (0) (100)
Multilateral Development Banks 1,469 1,619 1,685
Food Aid 978 1,011 1,301
Refugee Programs 513 521 511
Voluntary Contributions to Int'l. Orgs. 274 285 250
State Department Narcotics Assistance 130 150 172
Peace Corps 166 186 200
Other 58 72 89
Subtotal 6,147 7,040 7,893
Conduct of Foreign Affairs
State Dept.. Salaries and Expenses 1,792 1,870 2,050
Foreign Buildings 293 228 570
United Nations Programs 702 910 1,327
New Payments (702) (793) (824)
Arrearage Payments (0) (117) (503)
Other 141 153 170
Subtotal 2,928 3,161 4,117
Title: Foreign Information and Exchange Activities
US Information Agency 927 1,006 1,059
Board for International Broadcasting 373 206 218
Other 15 15 17
Subtotal 1,315 1,227 1,294
Title: International Financial Programs
Export-Import Bank 612 750 556
International Monetary Fund (IMF) 0 0 12,158
Other 139 11 20
Subtotal 752 761 12,734
TOTAL (excluding IMF quota)
20,026 20,134 21,864
GRAND TOTAL
20,026 20,134 34,022
* Under current budget law, the debt restructuring proposed
in 1991 will require
no budget authority or outlays. Under credit reform principles to be
implemented in
1992, the 1991 program would be $98 million in budget authority
and outlays.
Source: The Budget of the United States Government, FY 1992
International Affairs Discretionary Programs: FY 1990-92. Budget Outlays
($ million)
[Budget Outlays 1990 1991 1992]
International Security Assistance
Foreign Military Financing 4,704 4,248 4,223
Economic Support Fund 3,719 3,263 3,394
Military Training and other 513 337 132
Subtotal 8,936 7,848 7,749
International Development and Humanitarian Assistance
Agency for International Development 2,358 2,328 2,746
Assistance for Eastern Europe (12) (141) (274)
Enterprise for the Americas Initiative 0 * 325
Debt Restructuring (0) * (310)
Multilateral Investment Fund (0) (0) (15)
Multilateral Development Banks 1,429 1,307 1,484
Food Aid 978 1,120 1,120
Refugee Programs 544 463 520
Voluntary Contributions to Int'l. Orgs 265 273 257
State Department Narcotics Assistance 111 128 146
Peace Corps 156 182 198
Other -98 -84 -72
Subtotal 5,744 5,717 6,724
Conduct of Foreign Affairs
State Dept.. Salaries and Expenses 1,822 1,898 2,005
Foreign Buildings 356 377 399
United Nations Programs 727 940 956
New Payments (727) (823) (825)
Arrearage Payments (0) (117) (131)
Other 141 170 168
Subtotal 3,046 3,385 3,528
Foreign Information and Exchange Activities
US Information Agency 888 1,034 1,056
Board for International Broadcasting 208 282 314
Other 6 24 17
Subtotal 1,102 1,340 1,387
International Financial Programs
Export-Import Bank 357 542 185
International Monetary Fund (IMF) -741 0 0
Other -129 -93 40
Subtotal -513 449 225
TOTAL (excluding IMF quota)
18,315 18,739 19,613
GRAND TOTAL
18,315 18,739 19,613
* Under current budget law, the debt restructuring proposed
in 1991 will require
no budget authority or outlays. Under credit reform principles to be
implemented in 1992, the 1991 program would be $98 million in
budget authority and outlays.
Source: The Budget of the United States Government, FY 1992
Supplemental Information
(Charts and Graphs Omitted)
The following information is taken from graphs and charts
shown in the hard copy. Source: The Budget of the United
States Government, FY 1992.
FY 1992 International Affairs Budget: $21.9
billion*
Economic Development and Humanitarian Assistance - 51%
Military Assistance - 22%
Diplomatic Activity - 13%
International Organizations - 6%
Information and Exchange - 6%
Other - 2%
* Excludes IMF quota increase.
FY 1992 International Affairs Programs* ($
million)
Budget Authority
- 1991 Enacted - 20,134;
- 1992 Request - 21,864
Outlays
- 1991 Enacted - 18,739;
- 1992 Request - 19,613
*Discretionary budget authority; excludes IMF quota increase
FY 1992 Economic, Development, and Humanitarian
Assistance: $11.1 billion*
Israel - 11%
Egypt - 8%
Africa - 8%
Eastern Europe - 4%
Central America - 5%
Enterprise for the Americas - 4%
Food Aid - 12%
Multilateral Development - 15%
Other - 33%
*Discretionary budget authority.
Note: Food aid provides additional assistance to countries and
regions identified separately. Eastern Europe includes $70 million
for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
FY 1992 Request for Military Assistance: $5
billion*
Israel - 36%
Egypt - 26%
Turkey - 13%
Greece - 7%
Philippines - 4%
Portugal - 2%
Central America - 2%
Andean countries - 3%
Other - 7%
*Program level; includes $314 million in loans, requiring only $40
million in budget authority.
FY 1992 Request for International Development and
Humanitarian Assistance: $7.9 billion
($ million)\
US Agency for International Development - $2,875 (37%)
Assistance for Eastern Europe - $400 (5%)
Enterprise for the Americas Initiative - $410 (5%)
Multilateral Development Banks - $1,685 (21%)
Food Aid - $1,301 (17%)
Refugee Programs - $511 (6%)
Peace Corps - $200 (3%)
Other - $511 (6%)
FY 1992 Request for International Security Assistance: $8
billion
($ million)
Foreign Military Financing - $4,650 (58%)
Economic Support Fund- $3,240 (41%)
Military Training and Other- $96 (1%)
FY 1992 Request for Conduct of Foreign Affairs: $4.1
billion
($ million)
State Department Salaries and Expenses - $2,050 (50%)
UN Programs - $1,327 (32%)
Foreign Buildings - $570 (14%)
Other - $170 (4%)
FY 1992 Request for Foreign Information and Exchange
Activities: $1.3 billion
($ million)
US Information Agency - $1,059 (82%)
Board for International Broadcasting - $218 (17%)
Other - $17 (1%) (###)
US Department of State Dispatch,
Vol 2, No 6, February 11, 1991
Title: News Conference: North American Free Trade
Agreement/Persian Gulf
Bush
Source: President Bush
Description: Opening statement and question-and-answer session;
Washington, DC
Date: Feb 5, 19912/5/91
Category: Speeches, Testimony, Statements
Region: North America
Country: Canada, Mexico, Turkey
Subject: Trade/Economics
[TEXT]
This morning, I spoke with President Salinas [of Mexico] and Prime
Minister Mulroney of Canada, and together we intend to pursue a
trilateral free trade agreement that would link our three economies
in bold and far-reaching ways.
Successful conclusion of the free trade agreement will expand
market opportunities, increase prosperity, and help our three
countries meet the economic challenges of the future. A free trade
area encompassing all three countries would create a North
American market of 360 million people, with annual production of
more than $6 trillion.
This agreement would be a dramatic first step toward the
realization of a hemispheric free trade zone, stretching from Point
Barrow in Alaska to the Straits of Magellan.
I've informed the Congress of this decision and notified them
of my intent to use the fast-track procedure for this North
American Free Trade Zone. In cooperation with Mexico and Canada,
we will work actively to conclude these negotiations expeditiously.
And I am-let me shift to the budget for a second-I am very
pleased at the generally constructive reception that our budget is
receiving and, in particular, am pleased at the positive receptions
that the governors gave yesterday concerning our budget proposal
for transferring $15 billion-worth of government programs to the
states-fully funded, I might add.
It will put the states at the forefront of problem-solving and
provide the necessary flexibility for administrating government
programs. And I believe this can open up a whole new era of
cooperation, as well as state responsibility that can only have a
beneficial impact.
This morning I also spoke with President Ozal of Turkey,
regarding the coalition efforts in the Persian Gulf. We're nearing
the end of the third week of Operation Desert Storm-almost 21 days
to the hour. And I'm pleased to report that we remain on course and
on schedule.
US and coalition forces continue to perform their assigned
missions with great professionalism and, thankfully, with only
modest casualties on our side. I'd like to emphasize that we're
going to extraordinary, and, I would venture to say, unprecedented
lengths to avoid damage to civilians and holy places.
We do not seek Iraq's destruction, nor do we seek to punish the
Iraqi people for the decisions and policies of their leaders. In
addition, we are doing everything possible-and with great success-
to minimize collateral damage, despite the fact that Saddam is
now relocating some military functions, such as command and
control headquarters, in civilian areas such as schools.
I'd also emphasize that our goals have not changed. We
continue to seek Iraq's full compliance with the 12 relevant UN
Security Council resolutions.
Our soldiers have performed with courage and bravery that
should make all Americans proud. And I believe our country is
giving them the support that they need and deserve. As we move
into the fourth week of this conflict, I ask all Americans to
continue their prayers for our valiant men and women in the Gulf.
And just let me end with this-that I have asked Dick Cheney,
the Secretary of Defense, and General [Colin] Powell [Chairman of
the Joint Chiefs of Staff] to travel to Saudi Arabia late this week to
meet directly with [Desert Storm forces Commander General] Norm
Schwarzkopf and his staff. The purpose of this trip, which will be a
short one, will be for them to get a firsthand status report. And I
would then look forward to their returning here quickly and meeting
with me and my other senior advisers.
Q. Mr. President, your new budget contains relatively little
money for the Persian Gulf war, which some analysts think could
cost as high as $1 billion a day if it goes into a ground conflict. If
the war goes on for months, how will you pay for it with an
economy that's in a recession and a deficit that's climbing past
$300 billion?
A. Well, I think that in the budget some $15 billion is
included. I think what people that are concerned about this have not
realized is that we are getting significant support committed from
overseas. And I'm confident that what we have in there will take
care of it-[there] will be testimony on this up on the Hill, but we're
talking about having commitments of close to, I think it's $50 or
$51 billion from others added to the $15 billion that we have
budgeted. That's $66 billion, and we believe it should be sufficient.
Q. Would you under any circumstances consider a surtax to
pay for the war if it goes on?
A. Too hypothetical, but I can see no reason for a war surtax.
I don't think it's necessary, and I've heard very little call for that,
as a matter of fact, because I think people realize that these cost
estimates are pretty accurate.
Q. I think that you showed today that you are a little
disturbed that people might think the goals have changed. But you
don't deny, do you, that in addition to driving the Iraqis out of
Kuwait, there is a sort of systematic destruction of the
infrastructure-the essentials of daily living in Iraq? I mean, and
that may be-
A. No, that's not what we're doing. No, we are not trying to
systematically destroy the functions of daily living in Iraq. That's
not what we're trying to do, nor are we doing it.
Q. No water, no electricity, no fuel.
A. Well, I would say that our effort, our main goal, is to get
this man to comply with the resolutions. But we are not trying to
systematically destroy the infrastructure or to destroy Iraq. For
example, I can tell you about-on targeting petroleum resources,
we're not trying to wipe out all their ability to produce oil. We're
not trying to wipe out all their ability to refine oil. We are trying
to wipe out and keep them from resupplying their military machine.
Q. May I follow up?
A. Yes.
Q. You say everything is on schedule, on course. What is the
schedule for ending this war?
A. Well, we'll have to just wait and see. That's a very
complicated question.
Q. Is it all a secret?
A. But the war has been going on for something less than 21
days now, fully, and I think it is going very well, indeed. And so we
will keep going, and I will avoid making-
Q. Do you have an end in sight?
A. I will avoid making predictions as to when it will end, but
it won't be-I've said this over and over again-it will not be a
Vietnam. I don't believe it's going to be long and drawn out. And it
is going as we planned. It is going on schedule. It is going very
well.
Q. Does the Cheney-Powell visit over there signal that a
decision is at hand on the commencement of a ground war?
A. No, it doesn't signal that.
Q. Well, let me follow by asking you, there is a perceptible
increase in anti-American sentiment in the streets of a number of
capitals in the Middle East. Does this add to the pressure on you to
wrap this war up and get it over with?
A. No, it doesn't because what we overlook when we see the
demonstrations on the television is the fact that there's strong
support in many Arab countries. And I am staying in very close
touch with our coalition partners, and I am always encouraged when
I talk to them about the support in their countries and in other parts
of the Arab world for what we're doing. Yes, it's divided, and, yes,
we've seen-I've seen the demonstrations in Amman, I've seen some
of the demonstrations in the Magreb. But to get back to your
question, they will not influence my decisionmaking on the timing
involved, say, for the use of ground forces.
Saddam Hussein will not set the timing for what comes next.
We will do that. And I will have to make that decision if we go to
ground forces, and I will do it upon serious consideration of the
recommendations of our military, including our Secretary of
Defense and the Chairman, of course, but also of our commanders in
the field.
But I see those demonstrations and I understand that some
look at this and-some in the-more in the fundamentalist [countries],
particularly-differently. But I also am gratified with the support in
the Arab world, and I think it's strong. I think a lot of them want to
see this man comply with these resolutions fully and not see this
aggression rewarded, no matter what's happening in the streets.
Q. The White House and the State Department were cool, even
indifferent, to the Iranian peace initiative. Why so? Why would you
not encourage an initiative which called for the full withdrawal
from Kuwait by Saddam?
A. I don't think that there was an initial-I don't think there is
an Iranian proposal. I have not seen it. I just hung up talking to
President Ozal of Turkey, and he doesn't think there is a specific
Iranian proposal because-and I think the reason is that people
realize that this man has to comply with these resolutions without
equivocation; that he has to go forward, no concession, no
compromise and do what the world has called on him to do. And at
that point, then there can be some cessation of hostilities. But I
have not seen a specific five-point program out of Tehran.
Q. Well, there are reports from Tehran that do give several
points. But beyond that-
A. They did what?
Q. There are reports out of Tehran that, in fact, do include
several points which do include the withdrawal from Iraq. But the
problem-
A. Let me stop you there if I could, and then I'll get back to
your question. If that were the case, it would seem to me that Iran
would have conveyed such a proposal to the United States, and that
is not the case.
Q. The problem seems to be an impression is being given that
you will be disappointed if the war ends with Saddam Hussein still
in power.
A. I see. No, I don't think that's the case, but the war will not
end with Saddam Hussein standing with his view that he will not
withdraw from Kuwait. I believe one of the things we'll see that
came out of these recent meetings with Hammadi-the Iraqi [Deputy
Prime Minister Sa'dun Hammadi]-in Iran is that Iraq is showing no
flexibility whatsoever in terms of withdrawing from Kuwait. So we
get right back to square one. There's nothing to negotiate about.
There's nothing to be conciliatory about when you have a person who
is steadfast in his refusal to comply with the fundamental purpose,
and that is to get him out of Kuwait. But we haven't shifted our
objectives on this.
Now, would I weep? Would I mourn if somehow Saddam
Hussein did not remain as head of his country? I thought [British]
Prime Minister Major spoke very well about it-spoke very
convincingly about it, and he reflected my view that there will be
no sorrow if he's not there. In fact, it would be a lot easier to see a
successful conclusion because I don't believe anybody other than
Saddam Hussein is going to want to continue to subject his army to
the pounding they are taking or his people to the pounding that is
going on. So I would like to think that somehow, some way that
would happen. But I have no evidence that it will.
Q. Back on the timing of the ground offensive: You said last
week at Fort Stewart, Georgia, and again here today that the United
States and its allies and not Saddam Hussein would determine that.
Three weeks into the war, what are the prospects for avoiding
ground warfare in the Gulf?
A. Well, I think one of the things that I look forward to
hearing from General Powell and Dick Cheney is the answer to that
question. And I guess you could rephrase it and say, would air
power alone get the job done? And I-my own view is I'm somewhat
skeptical that it would, but I'm very interested to hear from our
Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs.
Q. Well, we've heard conflicting reports about what happened
in Khafji last week. Some reports have it that it was a skirmish,
others that it was a major engagement, some that the Iraqis fought
very poorly, and some that they put up quite a bit of resistance.
What is your reading of that?
A. My reading is to refer to General Schwarzkopf and the
Pentagon briefing on that, which I thought were very clear. And,
obviously, there were devastating losses on the Iraqi side. No
question about the amounts of armor that were killed and,
regrettably, the loss of life. But there's no question that this was a
humiliating defeat. But I'd rather leave the details of that to the
Pentagon briefers or to the briefers out in Saudi Arabia-who,
incidentally, both of whom are doing a superb job of keeping the
American people informed, keeping the world informed. And they
have my full support for the way in which they're briefing.
Q. You just mentioned the pounding that these Iraqi troops are
taking. And I wonder how you have approached the decision where
you obviously, if you continue this aerial bombardment like this, run
the chance of slaughtering, literally, tens of thousands of Iraqi
troops. The two-part question is, first, do you draw any conclusion
that Saddam is either out of control of that decision or lost his
senses?
A. On what decision?
Q. On allowing the United States, basically, to pound his
troops who are virtually defenseless from the air.
A. I'm not sure he has the full-I've never known for [a] fact,
[for] certain, how much he's told. You mentioned Khafji; the
question was raised. I don't know how much information he has
about what happened there in spite of the full coverage that takes
place. But let me be very clear. What concerns me are the lives of
our troops. What concerns me are the lives of our coalition forces,
the Saudi and the Qatar forces that went into Khafji very
courageously. My first worries are about them. And Saddam
Hussein should be concerned about the Iraqi forces. But how
concerned he is, I don't know. Because when you shove people into
battle, pushing them from behind to be defeated clearly and surely;
or when you send your airplanes up, and the score is totally one-
sided-in fact, every engagement in the air, the Iraqi planes and
pilots have gone down-you have to wonder how he looks at what
you're asking about, how he feels about that.
But here's a man that used chemical weapons on his own
people. Here's a man that gassed the Kurds. Here's a man who has
no hesitancy to recklessly throw city-busting Scuds, population-
killing Scuds, into Israel or into Saudi Arabia. Here's a man that
brutally parades prisoners of war. Here's a man that has launched
environmental terrorism. I can't figure out what he's thinking, and
neither do the coalition partners with whom I am in touch; neither
can they figure it out.
But we're going to pursue this to achieve our objectives. And
clearly, I want those objectives achieved with the most limited
loss of life possible. It works on my mind every day. And I want to
be sure that we pursue our ends with that in mind. But we are going
to prevail, and I'm going to do whatever is necessary to be sure that
we do and be sure we do it in relatively timely fashion.
Q. It's already been suggested, though, that he is willing to
suffer that level of casualties to his forces to increase a wave of
anti-American sentiment in the region after the war, to hurt you
politically after the war. Is that a consideration?
A. I wouldn't be surprised if that's what he's trying to do. But
I think that after the war, when we prevail-and we will-and when
the coalition prevails-and it will-there will be a renewed
credibility for the United States, a renewed credibility for the
United Nations. And, thus, I worry far less about that than about
other things because I think we then have an enormous potential to
join with others in being the peacemakers.
Q. On the question posed about Iran, is the problem with any
Iranian peace effort simply the fact that it is Iran and your
relations with Iran themselves are not good?
A. No, not at all. And there are other-let's be fair about it,
there are other countries that have offered up a willingness to try
to bring peace to the area. I think of my friend, [President] Chadli
Bendjedid of Algeria; I think of what the Arab League early on tried
to do; I think of the Secretary General of the United Nations.
There's a lot of people who are obviously concerned about peace,
would like to find a way to bring this to a conclusion.
So the fact that Iran would like to see the war end is
encouraging. And Iran is conducting itself, in my view, in a very
credible way here. They've said that those airplanes that come in
there are going to be impounded, and we take them at their word on
that. They have not been violators of the sanctions that we're
aware of. They have wanted to remain neutral. They are concerned
about continued US ground force presence in the Gulf, and I keep
saying, not just to reassure Iran but everybody else, we have no
intention of leaving forces in that area. We are there as part of a
coalition under the UN resolutions to get this job done.
So I have no argument with the way Iran is conducting itself.
The only thing I was disputing a little is whether there was a
specific peace proposal. And I don't think there is because, I think,
Iran knows that he has to-that Saddam has to comply fully with
these resolutions and start a credible, visible withdrawal; then the
new regime of legitimate leaders comes back to Kuwait.
And that's the way it could end if Saddam could come to his
senses. But I keep coming back to the point that in all these talks
there is no indication that he is prepared to get out of Kuwait. It's
always the bottom line. They talk and talk and talk and then: "But
this is Province 19, we're going to stay there."
Q. If I could follow quickly, just to touch on a second
neighbor. The reports are that Syria is now engaged in fighting and
shelling on the ground. Do you have a full commitment from Syria to
go with you on a ground war, and is that representative-
A. Well, I again would refer that out. I have no reason to be
dissatisfied with the commitment there, but I just can't tell you-
I'm not going to go into the game plan as to who is supposed to be
doing what.
Q. You sound very much like you've come to the conclusion in
your own mind that Saddam Hussein will never surrender-never.
Have you come to that conclusion, and what does that mean about
the length of the war and ferocity of his fighting forces?
A. No, I haven't put it in terms of surrender; I've been putting
it in terms of compliance with the resolutions. But I don't know.
As I've said, it is very difficult to read somebody who is doing these
horrible things that he is doing to civilian populations, to prisoners,
to the environment, and to many other things. So I just can't predict
it, but all I know is, we are going to prevail. The coalition will
prevail. He will comply with the UN resolutions, and that means he
will be totally out of Kuwait one way or another.
But I don't know-I can't give you a clear picture of exactly
which way will achieve that result.
Q. Well, there has been quite a lot of denigrating of his forces
early in this war. That is, they won't fight. If they're not supplied
in time, they'll give up in large numbers. Have you changed your
view of his ground forces?
A. No. The one serious engagement on the ground forces is
they've been obliterated. So I haven't changed my view on it. But
having said that, we will conduct ourselves in such a way as to
minimize-I mean, to see that the risk to coalition forces is
minimum. And that is what I've asked our Chairman and our
Secretary to do and to look into when they go out there.
Q. I'm wondering if you could tell us the latest you've heard
from the International Red Cross or anyone else who is trying to
find out the fate of the POWs [prisoners of war] and the personnel
who are missing there?
A. So far all I've heard is a frustrating silence of his
willingness to permit people to do what should be done, and that is
to inspect and talk to the people involved. That's all I've heard.
Q. As a follow-up, do you, following your experience in World
War II, feel any personal kinship with these pilots who were shot down?
A. Well, it doesn't have anything to do with my experience,
particularly, many, many years ago. It has a lot to do with the fact
that they are courageous Americans. And the answer to your
question is, yes, I feel very strongly about it. And I had a chance to
say that to some of the spouses and I-but it's not some kind of
psychological tie into the fact that 50 years ago I was flying
airplanes. It's the fact that I'm just-you see that, and you see these
prisoners paraded, and it just turns my stomach. It just says
something about the brutality of this person. And that's what really
motivates me.
Q. I'd like to change the subject briefly and ask you about the
Soviet Union-whether you feel that [President] Mikhail Gorbachev is
still in charge and is still a person with whom the United States
should be dealing and placing its trust?
A. Well, he is still in charge, and he is still the President of
the Soviet Union, and thus we will deal with the President of the
Soviet Union. He has enormous problems at home, and we've
discussed them. His new Foreign Minister was here and said they
were going to do certain things. We're watching to see if they will
all be done. Some have been done. And so it's a very troubling
situation inside the Soviet Union right now. But he's the President
and I'm the President of this country, and, of course, we will deal
with the authorities there. You don't set up 25 other diplomatic
initiatives with a country; it's not the way you treat somebody. You
deal in normal ways. And I'm going to do that. But we are looking
for-that does not diminish my desire to see the people of the
Baltics, for example, fulfill their destiny.
Q. If I could follow, do you feel the era of glasnost and
perestroika is over?
A. The era of it? No. I think it will never go back, no matter
what happens, to the totalitarian, closed society days of the Cold War.
Q. You've made the point many times that the world needs to
stop Saddam now, unlike in the 1930s when it failed to stop Hitler.
In retrospect, do you ever think that this war might have been
avoided if the United States had been tougher with Saddam long
before he invaded Kuwait?
A. Yes, yes.
Q. Is there any lesson to be drawn from that, in other words?
A. Well, we tried the peaceful route. We tried working with
him and changing through contact. I don't know what the lesson is.
The lesson is clear in this case that that didn't work. But whether
there's a lesson in the future that you reach out to regimes--I think
it was proper that we have reached out to the Soviet Union, when
you look at the dramatic changes in Eastern Europe, you look at the
changes in the unification of Germany, you look at the withdrawal
of Soviet forces from a lot of Eastern Europe. I mean, at times you
want to try to go forward with regimes. I think [former US
President Richard] Nixon's going to China was a very appropriate and
courageous diplomatic move that has made the world a little better
in spite of setbacks. That's the way I approach it.
Q. Saddam Hussein has not yet used chemical weapons on the
battlefield, but some analysts believe that may be something that
we will face in the future. Have you made a decision on what the US
response would be if he does turn to chemical weapons? And have
you ruled out the idea that the United States might in turn use
weapons of mass destruction?
A. Well, I think it's better to never say what option you may
be considering or may or may not do. But, yes, he has used chemical
weapons on his own people, so the only way--I would like to take the
opportunity in responding to your question to say he ought to think
very carefully about doing that--very, very carefully. And I will
leave that up to a very fuzzy interpretation because I would like to
have every possible chance that he decides not to do this.
And you talk about turning world opinion further against this
brutal man, that would do it. But how we will respond or
something, I would wait for recommendations, and I would not
discuss options ahead of time one way or another.
Q. I understand that you're not going to tell us what you would
do, but have you in your own mind made a decision on what you
would do, even though you can't reveal it?
A. No.
Q. Can you say with 100% presidential guarantee that you will
not reinstate the draft?
A. I have absolutely no intention of reinstating the draft. I've
heard no discussion from any of our people about the need to
reinstate the draft. We have an all-volunteer army that is totally
capable of getting this job done.
Q. So the answer is, no, you will not?
A. No, I will not what?
Q. Reinstate the draft?
A. You're right-no, I will not reinstate the draft.
Q. In an interview published this morning, General
Schwarzkopf spoke rather eloquently of the emotional burden he
carries sending-giving orders to troops that may cause combat
casualties. As Commander in Chief, is that a nagging concern of
yours that might lead you to extend the air war longer before
committing land troops?
A. Well, I would think-in the first place-and Norm
Schwarzkopf understands, Powell understands, Cheney understands-
that that's a decision the President has to make. But I don't feel any
loneliness about that or-the loneliness at the top. I have very able
people to depend on. And it is a decision that I'm perfectly prepared
to make upon recommendation of these people in whom I have so
much confidence.
But I wouldn't go against sound military dogma-or doctrine, I
mean-in order to just delay for the sake of delay-hoping that it
would save lives.
Q. There seems to be an increasing--
A. I said at the beginning-let me finish just one more thought
and then I'll get back-I said at the beginning I am not going to
second-guess. Now, there may be times when I have to say we're
not going to do it this way or we may have to do something that
way, but I don't think that this would be one of those cases at all.
And I would bear the full responsibility for that very difficult
decision. But I feel rather calm about it because we have a game
plan, and we've stayed with the game plan, and we are on target.
And unless I get recommendations from these men in whom I have
so much trust, we're going to remain on the plan.
Q. There seems to be an increasing feeling on the Hill among
Republicans as well as Democrats that we should wait longer; some
say even up to June. What's the downside of waiting that long and
continuing to pound away at targets?
A. I would simply say that I want to let this be determined by
people that understand the military plan and that are prepared to
implement it. And I remember before January 16th there was the
same feeling-please let the sanctions work. I mean, I can
understand the feeling on the Hill. I can understand those who say
let air power do it alone.
But I'm going to make these calls. These are the
responsibilities of the Commander In Chief-that kind of decision.
And I will make that decision after full consultation with the chief
out there and the two main military people upon whom I depend
here-Secretary of Defense and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs.
So I'm not trying to say it wouldn't be a difficult decision, but
I am saying, one, I'm prepared to make it, and, two, I have total
confidence that this decision will not be recommended to me unless
the people that I've just mentioned know that it's the right thing to
do.
Q. There are some reports circulating that if Saddam Hussein
were to begin a withdrawal from Kuwait you would still continue to
prosecute this war at least for a while until you were satisfied
certain conditions were met. Now, obviously, this is semi-
hypothetical. He hasn't gotten out, of course. But could you tell us
something about your conditions for agreeing to a cease-fire in the
event that he did begin a withdrawal?
A. It would have to be a credible, visible, totally convincing
withdrawal. There would be other things that I will not state here
that I would want to see happen. That would mean immediate
supervision of the withdrawal. It would mean a return of the
legitimate government right away. And so there are several things.
But the reason I want to pull back a little and not give you a 10-
point program is that he's got to say, I'm going to get out of Kuwait
now, and I'm going to get out fast, and I'm going to do it so
everybody knows that I'm not making this up, that I'm going to go
forward. No trust, no concession--"I'll get out if you'll get out"-
we've passed that. We tried that--diplomatic effort after diplomatic
effort.
Now we're in a war with this man. And he will comply with
these resolutions fully, without concession. And then we can
determine what niceties or what little details need to be done. But
what has to happen to begin with is a credible withdrawal from
Kuwait without concession, without condition. And all the rest of
this then can fall into place.
Q. We've heard from your wife recently that you haven't been
sleeping so well, and we've also heard that the drums outside are
keeping you awake. My question is, if you could just share with us
what kind of personal toll this war has taken on you as far as your
routine, your moods, your emotions?
A. Look, my wife-normally I stick by everything she says, but
I'm sleeping very well. The drums have ceased, oddly enough. And
there was a slight hyperbole there because the drums could only be
heard from one side of the White House. However, when they got up
over the 60-decibel count limit, a protest was raised by a hotel
over here because they were on the wrong side and they heard the
drums. And, lo, people went forth with decibel count auditors-and
they found the man got-the incessant drummers got to over 60, and
they were moved out of there. And I hope they stay out of there
because I don't want the people in the hotel to not have a good
night's sleep. I'm sleeping quite well, as a matter of fact. And I say
this not frivolously, because you ask a more serious question. And I
can't tell you that I don't worry a lot about our families of the
troops.
I'll tell you what was emotional for me-and I don't think I've
had a press conference since then-was this visit down to the three
bases I went to. It was very, very moving. But what I came back
with was this sense of wonder at the way these spouses stand
together, totally supportive of their spouses across the way. So
when I said I got lifted up, my morale was not down; it's been good.
And I'm just so confident of how this thing is going to work out.
But it was better-my morale was better when I saw these families.
And when I talked to some who had loved ones missing or held
prisoner, I just wondered at their strength.
And I have had some other contacts with people that are in
that description. One most beautiful letter from a wife of a pilot
who is killed in action, and her spirit and the way she approached
this whole conflict over there in the face of her own loss has been
inspiring-it has been totally inspiring to me.
So my own feeling is, I know what I've got to do. I've got very
good people helping me do it. I really don't lose sleep. I can't tell
you I don't shed a tear for families and for those that might be lost
in combat. We've had very few losses, and yet I've got to tell you I
feel each one. But we're going to continue this, and we're going to
prevail.( ###)
US Department of State Dispatch,
Vol 2, No 6, February 11, 1991
Title: North American Free Trade Agreement
Date: Feb 5, 19912/5/91
Category: Speeches, Testimony, Statements
Region: North America
Country: Mexico, United States, Canada
Subject: Trade/Economics
[TEXT]
Joint statement issued by the United States, Canada, and Mexico
The President of the United States, George Bush; the President of
the United Mexican States, Carlos Salinas de Gortari; and the Prime
Minister of Canada, Brian Mulroney, announced today their intention
to pursue a North American free trade agreement creating one of the
world's largest liberalized markets.
Following consultations among their ministers responsible for
international trade, the three leaders concluded that a North
American free trade agreement would foster sustained economic
growth through expanded trade and investment in a market
comprising over 360 million people and $6 trillion in output. In so
doing, the agreement would help all three countries meet the
economic challenges they will face over the next decade.
Accordingly, the three leaders have agreed that their trade
ministers should proceed as soon as possible, in accordance with
each country's domestic procedures, with trilateral negotiations
aimed at a comprehensive North American free trade agreement.
The goal would be to progressively eliminate obstacles to the flow
of goods and services and to investment, provide for the protection
of intellectual property rights, and establish a fair and expeditious
dispute settlement mechanism. (###)
US Department of State Dispatch,
Vol 2, No 6, February 11, 1991
Title: Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1990
Source: Bureau of Human Rights/Humanitarian Affairs
Description: Washington, DC
Date: Jan 30, 19911/30/91
Subject: Human Rights
[TEXT]
Following is the text of the overview to the State Department's
report to Congress "Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for
1990." Electronic text of the full report is available through the
State Department's Computer Information Delivery Service. (For
information on how to subscribe to the service, call the CIDS
Information Center at 703-802-5700.) It also is available on some
database services, such as Lexis-Nexis. You may obtain hard copies
of the full report after March 1, 1991, from the Government
Printing Office, Superintendent of Documents, Washington, DC
20402-9325 (stock no. 052-070-06712-8).
1990 Human Rights Report Overview
This report is submitted to the Congress by the Department of State
in compliance with Sections 116(d)(1) and 502B(b) of the Foreign
Assistance Act of 1961, as amended. (See box on p. 103.) The
legislation requires human rights reports on all countries that
receive aid from the United States and all countries that are
members of the United Nations. In the belief that the information
would be useful to the Congress and other readers, we have also
included reports on the few countries which do not fall into either
of these categories and which thus are not covered by the
congressional requirement.
Congress amended the Foreign Assistance Act with the
foregoing sections of law so as to be able to consult these reports
when considering assistance programs for specific foreign
countries. One of the very important consequences-perhaps
unintended-of these legislative provisions is that they have made
human rights concerns an integral part of the State Department's
daily reporting and daily decisionmaking. A human rights officer in
an embassy overseas who wants to write a good annual human
rights report on the country in which he or she works must
carefully monitor and observe human rights developments
throughout the year on a daily basis. As a consequence, he or she
will report on such developments whenever something of human
rights significance happens in the country of assignment. In the
past 12 years, the State Department has become decidedly better
informed on and sensitized to human rights violations as they occur
around the globe.
A year ago in this space we posed the question whether the
human rights gains of 1989 in Eastern Europe and other parts of the
world would be lasting achievements or whether there was danger
of relapse. For most of 1990, the gains of 1989 were being largely
consolidated, in spite of major problems encountered by the
countries making difficult transitions from command to market
economies and from totalitarian communism to democracy. Iraq's
brutal invasion of Kuwait on August 2, 1990, initiated a reign of
terror and human rights abuses that reminded the world of the
dangers that repressive regimes can pose to regional security and
international order.
Europe
. In Europe, multi-party elections had
taken place in the countries which had been joined to the Soviet
Union in the Warsaw Pact. Following such elections, the former
German Democratic Republic had, by decision of a democratically
elected government, joined the Federal Republic of Germany. Freely
contested elections had also taken place in all of the constituent
republics of Yugoslavia. Even in hard-line Albania, there was
evidence of increasing popular pressure for greater freedom.
Across Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union, the process of
democratization was in some areas hampered by the totalitarian
legacy and by interethnic antagonisms that had been suppressed for
decades. The United States expressed concern about violence
against social and ethnic groups in Romania. The repressive
measures taken by the Serbian republic against ethnic Albanians
were among the worst in Europe in 1990. Yet, there were also some
positive developments in interethnic relations in the region. Under
the impact of democratization and increasing concern for human
rights, Bulgaria was able to improve significantly the treatment of
its ethnic and religious minorities.
In the Soviet Union in 1990, vast numbers of citizens
continued to exercise newly won political rights, including
freedoms of expression, assembly, and religion. Hundreds of
thousands were permitted to emigrate. However, reforms were
unevenly implemented in the country as a whole, and many are not
yet secured by law or buttressed by an independent judiciary.
Toward the end of the year and in early 1991, the central
government's moves to reassert authority over the republics,
particularly the use of military force in Latvia and Lithuania, raised
concern over the future of the recent reforms, with dangerous
implications for the entire country.
Africa
. While Europe was struggling to
consolidate its democratic gains, new democratic ferment was
most clearly in evidence in Africa. There was significant movement
away from apartheid in South Africa, and in many other Sub-Saharan
African countries, important steps were taken toward democratic
rule. Following multi-party elections, Namibia joined the ranks of
independent states in March. A government pledged to democracy
and human rights succeeded the regime of Benin. Laws authorizing
new political parties, which would thus allow for free, contested
elections, were enacted in Gabon, Cote d'Ivoire, Congo, and Zambia.
Contested elections were, indeed, held in Gabon and Cote d'Ivoire. In
Cape Verde and Sao Tome and Principe, the one-party governments
lost free elections and have said they will honor the results.
However, the intergroup rivalries that beset many parts of the
continent resulted in large-scale death and devastation. The
hostilities surrounding the fall of President Doe of Liberia, clan-
based or intratribal warfare in Somalia, civil strife in Ethiopia
with Eritrean and Tigrean insurgents, the civil war in Sudan, the
measures taken by Mauritania against its black population in the
south, and the violence in South Africa among black groups caused
many hundreds of deaths in some countries and thousands in others.
The Sudanese government's failure to cooperate in food deliveries
may lead to widespread starvation in southern Sudan in 1991.
Western Hemisphere
. In the Western
hemisphere, the election and inauguration of a democratic
government in Nicaragua left the repressive dictatorship of Fidel
Castro the only Marxist-Leninist regime in the region. After close
to 17 years of military rule, a democratically elected president and
congress took office in Chile. A new president was elected in Haiti
in a free and fair election. Democratic government and respect for
human rights were further consolidated in other countries of the
hemisphere, though the struggle for democracy continued in
Suriname. In four democratic countries-Colombia, El Salvador,
Guatemala, and Peru-leftist insurgencies (in Colombia and Peru at
times in alliance with narco-traffickers) and excessive responses
by government security forces have resulted in scores of noncombat
deaths in El Salvador, hundreds in both Colombia and Guatemala, and
3,000 to 4,000 in Peru.
Asia
. Cultural patterns and political systems
differ widely on the huge Asian continent. Yet some of the
developments, both positive and negative, which could be noticed
elsewhere in the world affected a number of Asian countries as
well. Two widely different countries, Marxist-Leninist Mongolia
and the traditional monarchy of Nepal, moved toward democracy in
the course of the year. There is hope now that democracy will gain
a foothold in Bangladesh. In China, North Korea, Vietnam, and, to a
lesser extent, in Laos, Cambodia, and Afghanistan, Marxism-
Leninism continues to be the official political ideology. North
Korea remains one of the most severely repressive regimes in the
world.
In China, serious human rights abuses continued in 1990. As
the year ended, hundreds of Chinese people remained imprisoned for
their role in the democracy movement, while students and
intellectuals who took leadership roles in the 1989 protests were
being brought to trial and sentenced to prison terms.
Severe and brutal repression of all forms of political dissent
characterizes the situation in Burma. There a military government
had allowed free elections and then refused to accept the outcome,
thus rejecting the overwhelming desire of the people to return to
parliamentary democracy.
Two South Asian democracies, India and Sri Lanka, were beset
by domestic conflict based on ethnic, religious, and political
differences, leading to thousands of deaths in each of these
countries.
Middle East
. In the Occupied Territories, the
Palestinian intifada continues. In both Israel and the Occupied
Territories, a total of 148 Palestinians and 17 Israelis were killed
in violence between Palestinians and Israelis, while 165 people
were killed in intra-Palestinian violence.
As the human rights balance sheet for 1990 is drawn and as
we look for further progress in 1991, one of the key questions will
be posed by the Soviet Union. Will the combination of entrenched
conservative forces, economic turmoil, and social upheaval bring
the reform era to an end? Or, alternatively, will the disparate
democratic forces and proponents of the free market overcome the
counterattack of the hardliners and solidify and institutionalize the
human rights progress thus far achieved? If they do, their success
will be felt not only in the Soviet Union but elsewhere in the world
as well.
Another important region to watch is Sub-Saharan Africa.
Will the initial democratic stirrings ripen into further significant
political movements? Will the region's authoritarian regimes allow
free and fair elections to be held and then surrender power
peacefully to the choices of the people?
And, finally, there is the question of the aftermath of the
world community's move to halt the international outlawry
perpetrated by Saddam Hussein. What will be the spillover effect
for international support for human rights principles?
This year, as last, there are 168 separate reports. The
guidelines followed in preparing the reports are explained in detail
in Appendix A. In Appendix B is a discussion of reporting on worker
rights, as required by Section 505(c) of the Trade Act of 1974, as
amended by Title V of the Trade and Tariff Act of 1984 (Generalized
System of Preferences Renewal Act of 1984).*
Although the legislation requires reports on worker rights
only in developing countries that have been beneficiaries under the
Generalized System of Preferences, in the interest of uniformity
and to provide a ready basis for comparison we have here applied
the same reporting standards that we have applied to all countries
on which we prepare reports. Appendix C contains a list of 12
international human rights covenants and agreements and indicates
which countries have ratified them. Appendix D contains
explanatory notes on the statistical table in Appendix E, which
shows the amounts obligated for US economic and military
assistance for fiscal year 1989.
Definition of Human Rights
Human rights, as defined in Section 116(a) of the Foreign
Assistance Act, include freedom from: torture or other cruel,
inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment; prolonged detention
without charges; disappearance due to abduction or clandestine
detention; and other flagrant denial of the rights
to life, liberty, and the security of the person. Internationally
recognized worker rights, as defined in Section 502(a) of the Trade
Act, include the right of association; the right to organize and
bargain collectively; prohibition on the use of any form of forced or
compulsory labor; a minimum age for the employment of children;
and acceptable conditions of work with respect to minimum wages,
hours of work, and occupational safety and health.
In addition to discussing the topics specified in the
legislation, our reports, as in previous years, cover other
internationally recognized political and civil rights and describe
the political system of each country.
In applying these internationally recognized standards, we
seek to be objective. But the reports unashamedly reflect the US
view that the right of self-government is a basic political right,
that government is legitimate only when grounded on the consent of
the governed, and that government thus grounded should not be used
to deny life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Individuals in a
society have the inalienable right to be free from governmental
violations of the integrity of the person; to enjoy civil liberties
such as freedom of expression, assembly, religion, and movement,
without discrimination based on race, ancestry, or sex; and to
change their government by peaceful means. The reports also take
into account the fact that terrorists and guerrilla groups often kill,
torture, or maim citizens or deprive them of their liberties; such
violations are no less reprehensible if committed by violent
opponents of the government than if committed by the government
itself.
We have found that the concept of economic, social, and
cultural rights is often confused, sometimes willfully, by
repressive governments claiming that in order to promote these
"rights" they may deny their citizens the right to integrity of the
person as well as political and civil rights. There exists a profound
connection between human rights and economic development.
Experience demonstrates that it is individual freedom that sets the
stage for economic and social development; it is repression that
stifles it. Those who try to justify subordinating political and civil
rights on the ground that they are concentrating on economic
aspirations invariably deliver neither. That is why we consider it
imperative to focus urgent attention on violations of basic political
and civil rights. If these basic rights are not secured, experience
has shown, the goals of economic development are not reached
either. This is a point which the Soviet Union's reformers seem to
have recognized.
US Human Rights Policy
From this premise, that basic human rights may not be abridged or
denied, it follows that our human rights policy is concerned with
the limitations on the powers of government that are required to
protect the integrity and dignity of the individual. Further, it is in
our national interest to promote democratic processes in order to
help build a world environment more favorable to respect for human
rights and hence more conducive to stability and peace. We have
developed, therefore, a dual policy, reactive in the sense that we
continue to oppose specific human rights violations wherever they
occur but at the same time active in working over the long term to
strengthen democracy.
In much of the world, the United States has a variety of means
at its disposal to respond to human rights violations. We engage in
traditional diplomacy, particularly with friendly governments,
where frank diplomatic exchanges are possible and productive.
Where we find limited opportunities for the United States to exert
significant influence through bilateral relations, we resort to
public statements of our concerns, calling attention to countries
where respect for human rights is lacking. In a number of
instances, we employ a mixture of traditional diplomacy and public
affirmation of American interest in the issue.
The United States also employs a variety of means to
encourage greater respect for human rights over the long term.
Since 1983, the National Endowment for Democracy has been
carrying out programs designed to promote democratic practices
abroad, involving the two major US political parties, labor unions,
business groups, and many private institutions. Also, through
Section 116(e) of the Foreign Assistance Act, funds are disbursed
by the Agency for International Development for programs designed
to promote civil and political rights abroad. We also seek greater
international commitment to the protection of human rights and
respect for democracy through our efforts in the United Nations and
other international organizations and in the process devised by the
Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe.
Preparation of these annual reports constitutes an important
element of our human rights policy. The process, since it involves
continuous and well-publicized attention to human rights, has
contributed to the strengthening of an international human rights
agenda. Many countries that are strong supporters of human rights
are taking steps of their own to engage in human rights reporting
and have established offices specifically responsible for
international human rights policy. Even among countries without
strong human rights records, sensitivity to these reports
increasingly takes the form of constructive response or at least a
willingness to engage in a discussion of human rights policy. In
calling upon the Department of State to prepare these reports,
Congress has created a useful instrument for advancing the cause of
human rights.
[signed]
Richard Schifter, Assistant Secretary of State for Human Rights and
Humanitarian Affairs
Relevant Sections of the Foreign Assistance Act
[pertaining to the annual Human Rights Report]
Section 116(d)(1) of the Foreign Assistance Act provides as
follows:
The Secretary of State shall transmit to the Speaker of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the
Senate, by January 31 of each year, a full and complete report
regarding . . .
(1) the status of internationally recognized human rights, within
the meaning of subsection (a) . . .
(A) in countries that received assistance under this part, and
(B) in all other foreign countries which are members of the United
Nations and which are not otherwise the subject of a human rights
report under this Act.
Section 502(B)(b) of the Foreign Assistance Act provides as
follows:
The Secretary of State shall transmit to Congress, as part of the
presentation materials for security assistance programs proposed
for each fiscal year, a full and complete report, prepared with the
assistance of the Assistant Secretary of State for Human Rights
and Humanitarian Affairs, with respect to practices regarding the
observance of and respect for internationally recognized human
rights in each country proposed as a recipient of security
assistance. (###)
US Department of State Dispatch,
Vol 2, No 6, February 11, 1991
Title: The Last Glacier: The Korean Peninsula and the Post-
Cold War Era
Solomon
Source: Richard H. Solomon, Assistant Secretary for East
Asian and Pacific Affairs
Description: Address before the Korea Society, New York, New York
Date: Jan 17, 19911/17/91
Category: Speeches, Testimony, Statements
Region: East Asia
Country: North Korea, South Korea
Subject: Trade/Economics, Democratization,
Security Assistance and Sales
[TEXT]
Four decades after the Korean war began, Korea remains the last
glacier of Cold War confrontation. Forty-six years since a line was
drawn across the peninsula at the 38th parallel, Korea remains a
nation divided by an undiminished military confrontation and a
chasm of political mistrust.
The Korean anachronism stands in stark contrast to the
stunning events of the past year in Europe which have broken down
the alignments of the Cold War era: the evaporation of communist
regimes in Eastern Europe, the collapse of the Warsaw Pact, the
reunification of Germany, and new forms of US-Soviet cooperation.
New international patterns and new prospects for the world order
of the 21st century are emerging at a pace that is almost beyond
the influence of political leadership.
Yet even divided Korea has not been immune to these global
trends. South Korean President Roh Tae Woo's historic visit to
Moscow a month ago follows on the normalization of Soviet-Korean
relations last September. We also have seen the agreement on trade
offices between China and South Korea in December, a reflection of
a booming $3 billion bilateral commercial relationship. And the
process of normalizing Japanese-North Korean relations, initiated
last October, indicates that even North Korea is not beyond the
reach of these trends. Perhaps most important for the future of the
peninsula, a series of prime minister-level talks between North and
South Korea is opening up prospects for reconciliation between the
two Korean states. Thus, history's reckoning may also be
approaching in Northeast Asia.
Yet a fundamental reality has yet to change: the heavily
armed standoff on the Korean Peninsula. Nearly 1 million troops in
the North-two-thirds of which are forward deployed near the
demilitarized zone-confront some 650,000 counterparts on the
other side of the line, with each side possessing increasingly
sophisticated weaponry.
North Korea, for its part, seems trapped in a Stalinist time
warp of Cold War confrontation and ideological rigidity and is only
now beginning to inch beyond its self-imposed isolation. Yet the
combined weight of changes in the Soviet Union, the stagnation of
the North Korean economy, and generational changes within the
Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is likely to draw
North Korea toward the mainstream of history, however haltingly.
The Republic of Korea (ROK), faced with an undiminished
military threat, thus straddles this time of profound
transformations, one foot still frozen in confrontation with the
North, the other firmly planted in the global mainstream as a result
of its dazzling economic success and its impressive democratic
reforms.
What are US objectives on the Korean Peninsula? We have no
higher priority than maintaining our commitment to the security
and economic well-being of the Republic of Korea. A central goal of
our policy is to forge a new, more equal security and economic
partnership with South Korea that reflects its dynamism and the
requirements of a new era. At the same time, we seek to encourage
dialogue and reconciliation between North and South, in part by
urging the North to move away from confrontation and self-
isolation. For the longer term, we look to reunification of the
peninsula-on terms acceptable to all Koreans. In short, we seek a
secure and developing Korean Peninsula that is an integral part of
the emerging international system and a dynamic force in the
Pacific.
Toward a New US-Republic of Korea Partnership: Dilemmas
of Success
The new global realities we face, and South Korea's admirable
economic and political achievements, pose new challenges to
stability and economic growth on the peninsula and to our
relationship with the South. In the broadest sense, the challenge
ahead for US-ROK relations is that of transforming what has been
primarily a military alliance into a more equal political, defense,
and economic partnership.
An important principle in achieving a new mutuality is what
Secretary Baker has called "creative responsibility-sharing." In the
realm of US-ROK security cooperation, Secretary of Defense
[Richard] Cheney's consultations with South Korean leaders in Seoul
last February marked the beginning of a process of restructuring the
ROK-US defense relationship. Our goal, as outlined in the East Asia
Strategy Initiative (EASI) presented to the Congress last April, is
to see that US forces make the transition from a leading role to a
supporting posture in the defense of Korea by the year 2000.
Toward that goal, we have begun a modest reduction of the
43,000 US forces in South Korea by 7,000 personnel. This will
come, in the first phase of the adjustment process, through force
rationalization and the assumption by the ROK armed forces of some
roles and missions now performed by American forces. The EASI
program reflects the impact of several factors: US force
modernization efforts, an assessment of the current North Korean
threat, the enhanced military capabilities of the ROK armed forces,
and budgetary considerations.
Let me stress that these changes in no way reduce our
commitment to the defense of the ROK or the combat capabilities of
our combined forces. The United States intends to maintain
appropriate forces in Korea so long as our two governments agree
that the US presence is necessary to deter a renewed outbreak of
hostilities. By restructuring our security relationship to reflect
South Korea's enhanced strengths and capacity for leadership, we
believe that our long-term commitment to the security of the ROK
is reinforced.
In this regard, we have been pleased with progress in cost-
sharing and with the recently completed review of our Status of
Forces Agreement. Sustained progress in these areas, and in the
ROK's force modernization efforts, will be essential to maintaining
a credible deterrent and for the ROK assuming greater
responsibility for its own defense.
I also want to take this opportunity to give recognition to the
Republic of Korea for its timely and significant contribution to the
allied effort in the Persian Gulf. South Korea was the first
government to provide airlift support for Operation Desert Shield
and has offered $220 million in financial support to the military
effort in the Gulf and in economic assistance to countries affected
by the crisis. In addition, Seoul has deployed a military medical
group in the Gulf theater, thus further demonstrating its solidarity
with the UN coalition by way of a physical presence on the ground.
Meeting the Challenge of Engaging the North
For the long term, security in Korea and stability in Northeast Asia
must be based on the reduction of tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
As Secretary Baker observed in a statement to the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee last February:
We believe that the key to a reduction of tension and eventual
reunification lies in a productive South-North dialogue. In this
regard, we firmly support President Roh's initiatives to draw the
North out of its isolation. Since October 1988, we have opened a
dialogue and taken other steps toward Pyongyang. We are looking
for a steady, reciprocal process toward better relations between
North and South Korea and between the US and North Korea.
In our view, the Korean Peninsula is the one place in East Asia
where European-style confidence-building measures-and, in time,
arms reduction initiatives-seem relevant. In Korea, as in Europe,
heavily armed ground forces confront each other across a clearly
demarcated land border. As the North-South dialogue proceeds,
there is great potential for the Koreans to apply to their
circumstances the arms control experience gained in Europe. The
successful CFE [Conventional Armed Forces in Europe] and CSCE
[Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe] accords offer the
Koreans an important example of the progress that is possible when
mutual self-interest is pursued through good faith negotiations in a
spirit of realism.
We are encouraged by the three meetings which have taken
place over the past 6 months between the Prime Ministers of North
and South Korea. These are the highest level encounters ever held
between the two governments. They have provided the two sides an
authoritative forum to discuss a range of issues of immediate
concern to the Korean people: tension-reduction measures,
exchanges of goods, reunion of families, intra-Korean
communications, and the issue of UN membership-to mention the
most significant.
We recognize that for the governments of both North and South
Korea-and, indeed, for all the Korean people-these continuing high-
level talks bring not only new hopes but also new uncertainties.
Both Seoul and Pyongyang are sailing into uncharted waters as they
seek to build mutual confidence, enhance security, and remove the
barriers to eventual reunification. Seoul and Pyongyang alone will
decide how and when the two Koreas shall become one; and the fact
of the prime minister-level meetings after four decades of frozen
hostility must be viewed as a step in the right direction, despite
the modest achievements to date.
This new stage in the North-South dialogue could, with
goodwill on both sides, become an important forum for
reconciliation. And as President Bush told the ROK National
Assembly in 1989, "The American people share your goal of peaceful
unification on terms acceptable to the Korean people." This is
clear, this is simple, and this is American policy.
In his speech before the UN General Assembly last October,
President Bush expressed another aspect of our Korea policy:
"....Universal UN membership for all states is central to the future
of this organization. . . . In support of this principle, and in
conjunction with UN efforts to reduce regional tensions, the United
States fully supports UN membership for the Republic of Korea. We
do so without prejudice to the ultimate objective of reunification
of the Korean Peninsula, and without opposition to simultaneous
membership for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea."
I want to underscore our view that acknowledging the reality
of the two governments of a divided Korea as UN member states is
not an impediment to unification. Indeed, the examples of the
reunification of Germany and Yemen just last year give reality to
this point. Given the United Nations' renewed importance in global
security affairs, the ascension to membership by Seoul and
Pyongyang would clearly serve the interests of regional stability
and national reconciliation.
While the reunification of Korea is a matter to be worked out
by the Koreans themselves, the major powers-the United States, the
USSR, China, and Japan-can support this process. All four powers
have important interests that intersect on the peninsula. And all
four powers have a compelling interest in seeing tensions reduced
and stability maintained. As the North-South dialogue begins to
make substantive progress, we believe there are good prospects for
increasing cooperation among the major powers to facilitate the
easing of tensions on the peninsula and, ultimately, to guarantee
outcomes.
In October 1988, the United States initiated a direct dialogue
with North Korea in hopes of facilitating the North-South dialogue,
clarifying any misunderstandings that might exist, and laying the
basis for improving US-DPRK relations. Thus far we have held 13
meetings with the DPRK in Beijing. We also have encouraged
unofficial academic, sports, and cultural exchanges; eased travel
restrictions to the DPRK; and permitted commercial exports of
goods that meet basic human needs.
In our exchanges with the North, we have suggested a number
of areas in which the DPRK could reciprocate our initiative and
build confidence: progress in the South-North dialogue, concluding
an NPT [Non-Proliferation Treaty] safeguards agreement, returning
Korean war remains, ending anti-US propaganda, agreeing to
military confidence-building measures, including restraint in the
sale of arms abroad, and ceasing support for terrorism. While these
are not preconditions, we and our South Korean ally do expect clear
signs that North Korea is prepared to take steps conducive to
building confidence, so that, as Secretary Baker has said, we can
move ahead on a reciprocal basis.
We acknowledge the beginnings of DPRK cooperation on the
return of remains from the Korean war. The North has turned over
five remains from among the 8,177 US servicemen listed as missing
in the North and has offered to return more in the near future. This
is an issue of serious concern to the American people, and we now
are seeking ways of regularizing and accelerating the pace of
recovering MIAs [missing in action].
Thus, the challenge before us is the need for substantive
progress to reinforce the beginnings of a more positive mood. South
Korea must be assured that the North is approaching the dialogue in
good faith, not seeking to instigate unrest in the South. And we
must see positive steps on one security issue of common concern to
the major powers and the entire international community: North
Korea's reluctance to sign and implement a full-scope nuclear
safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
This is an obligation Pyongyang committed itself to undertake
within 18 months after acceding in 1985 to the NPT. This is a
unilateral commitment that goes to the integrity of the NPT.
North Korea has insisted, at various times, that fulfilling its
NPT obligations depends on preconditions being met. The assertion
that fulfillment of obligations under the NPT should be subject to
extraneous conditions has been rejected not only by us but by
virtually all other NPT signatories. The NPT's safeguards
requirement is without condition. No other NPT party has set
conditions for the acceptance of safeguards. To allow one country
to set conditions would undermine the integrity of the NPT.
Pyongyang's continuing refusal to conclude a safeguards
agreement quite naturally fuels suspicion about the objectives of
its unsafeguarded nuclear program, casting doubt among North
Korea's neighbors about its intentions. These doubts and suspicions
can only increase tensions in Northeast Asia and limit Pyongyang's
welcome in the international community.
For our part, I can say without reservation that we pose no
nuclear threat to North Korea. The United States has provided a
solemn assurance that it will not use nuclear weapons against any
non-nuclear-weapon state party to the NPT. This assurance applies
except in the case of an armed attack on the United States or its
allies by such a state associated with a nuclear weapons state. We
have stated that the assurance applies to all non-nuclear- weapon
state parties to the NPT, including the DPRK, if they meet the
assurance's criteria. Pyongyang's own interests are not served by
continuing uncertainty on the nuclear issue. Nuclear proliferation
on the Korean Peninsula would benefit no one and could only have a
highly destabilizing effect in Northeast Asia.
Despite enduring concerns, we are determined to do our part
to encourage reconciliation in Korea. We want to see the last
glacier melt away, and, to this end, we will continue to seek
initiatives which would build mutual confidence. Dialogue is
essential to this process, as is evident in our strong support for the
primary channel for national reconciliation-the North-South talks.
Yet we will also sustain our direct contacts with DPRK officials,
primarily through the established channel in Beijing. And, when
enhanced contact is warranted by positive developments, we are
prepared to consider other alternatives.
The Economic Dimension
Our contacts with North Korea, as with our security commitment to
the Republic of Korea, are aimed at lessening tensions and providing
a stable environment in which economic development can flourish.
An economically strong South Korea has always been a US policy
goal, and by any measure South Korea has proven itself to be one of
the most dynamic economies in the world. Indeed, in the multi-
polar era we are entering, an independent, economically dynamic,
unified Korea will be an important factor for stability and growth
in Northeast Asia.
South Korea's remarkable economic productivity has attracted
North Korea's principal allies to the South. Indeed, there is no more
dramatic example of the oft-told Pacific Rim success story than
the Republic of Korea. Its annual GNP growth-averaging more than
8% a year for a generation-has lifted South Korea from the ranks of
the world's poorest nations, with an $82 per capita annual GNP in
1960, to an emerging industrial power in 1990 with a GNP per
capita of more than $5,000 a year and total economic output of
$210 billion.
In the stable environment sustained by our security
cooperation, US aid, investment, and technical assistance have
given full play to the hard work and entrepreneurial spirit of the
Korean people, facilitating the ROK's remarkable advance to become
the world's 13th largest economy. Korea is now our seventh largest
trading partner, with two-way trade exceeding $33 billion annually.
The United States absorbs about one-third of Korea's exports, from
the Hyundais on our highways to the VCRs and TVs of Samsung and
Lucky Goldstar in our living rooms. Our two economies are
increasingly linked by a network of joint ventures, financial ties,
and licensing arrangements.
These robust economic ties have become a fundamental pillar
of our relationship that will endure long after the confrontation
between North and South is resolved. And just as we now seek a
more equal security relationship with the ROK, a vital and enduring
economic partnership must be based on equal market access. Open
markets cannot be a one-way street.
As the frontiers of free markets expand into Eastern Europe,
the Soviet Union, and China, countries with successful development
experiences such as South Korea must help set the standards for
free trade and open markets. Over one-third of current world
commerce-agricultural goods and such dynamic growth sectors as
services, investment, and intellectual property-do not fall under
current GATT [General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade] rules. If
trade is to continue to be an engine of world growth, we need new
multilateral arrangements to address these neglected but
tremendously important sectors. South Korea's support for these
initiatives will be an important demonstration of its sense of
responsibility and commitment to the international trading regime.
In this regard, I would be less than candid if I did not mention
what we view as a troubling aspect of our economic relationship.
We have seen in recent months an inward-looking and defensive
tendency in South Korean popular-and on occasion, official-
attitudes. Seoul's failure to meet previous economic commitments
has been a great disappointment. Consequently, some of the
goodwill that South Korea has built up over many years has begun to
dissipate. Of late, we have seen a number of incidents that are
simply inconsistent with the open market access which has been-
and continues to be-vital to Korea's own economic success.
Americans are frustrated by what is seen as an anti-import
campaign directed against foreign goods and services. Incidents of
intimidation against US exporters and their Korean partners can
only further stimulate a protectionist mood in the United States.
Economic issues between our countries urgently need a positive and
constructive response; protectionism in Korea can only lead to
pressure in the United States to restrict the access of Korean goods
to the American market.
Korea's inward-looking mood comes at a time when the future
of the world's open trading system is at risk. The Uruguay Round of
the GATT is at an impasse and in danger of failing. Economies such
as that of South Korea have a tremendous stake in a system of
relatively open trade. If the Uruguay Round fails, we will not
simply return to the status quo. International economic tensions
would fester, the world could fragment into competing trade blocks,
and protectionist tendencies will mount.
During his recent New Year's news conference, President Roh
Tae Woo said it quite clearly:
"Koreans must understand what the Uruguay Round is. . . . Korea lives
on exports, and the Uruguay Round is designed to ensure that the
free trade system that guarantees Korea's overseas markets is
expanded."
In the event of a failure to update the rules of the road for world
trade, the economies of such rapidly developing trading nations as
South Korea will suffer the most.
Despite these concerns of the moment, Seoul can be a
significant leader on international economic issues. This is clearly
demonstrated by the important role South Korea is playing in the
Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) process. APEC is the
recently formed and pioneering effort to enhance cooperation among
the dynamic trading partners of the Pacific Rim. Its objectives are
to foster shared growth in the region based on free-market
principles and to reinforce a global system of open trade and
investment. We hope and expect that the next APEC ministerial
meeting, which will be held in Seoul this fall, will advance these
common goals.
Conclusion
In an era of profound international transformations, Korea now
bridges the past and the future. It is time for the last remaining
confrontation of the Cold War era to give way to dialogue, to
measures that will end the military stalemate and promote national
reconciliation. American policy, which is closely coordinated with
that of our staunch South Korean ally, is designed to achieve these
ends.
Korea's future is being charted by South Korea's
democratization and by its foreign and economic policies. President
Roh's Nordpolitik and the North-South dialogue are helping to melt
the frozen boundaries of four decades of confrontation. And the
economic dynamism of the South is showing many nations the path
to export-led growth. If these political and economic trends can be
consolidated-through substantial progress in the North-South talks
and a successful Uruguay Round-Korea will have positioned itself at
the forefront of the global trends that are shaping the world of the
coming century. (###)
US Department of State Dispatch,
Vol 2, No 6, February 11, 1991
Title: Claims for Property Located in the Territory
of the Former GDR
Tutwiler
Source: State Department Spokesman Margaret Tutwiler
Description: Washingotn, DC
Date: Feb 6, 19912/6/91
Category: Speeches, Testimony, Statements
Region: Europe
Country: Germany
Subject: International Law, State Department
[TEXT]
In July 1990, prior to German unification, the former German
Democratic Republic (GDR) published a law providing for the
registration of certain claims of individuals and corporations
(including claims of non-German nationals) to property expropriated
or placed under state administration by the communist government
of the GDR. This law remains in effect in the united Federal
Republic of Germany (FRG).
Since that time, new German laws have come into effect
modifying and expanding upon the initial claims registration law.
As revised, the domestic German claims program covers the
following three additional categories of property claims with the
filing deadlines noted below.
1. Claims of persons who were persecuted in the period from
January 30, 1933, through May 8, 1945, for racial, political,
religious, or ideological reasons, and who lost property in the
territory of the former GDR as a result of forced sales or
expropriations. The deadline for filing claims falling within this
category is March 31, 1991.
2. Claims for assets which were seized in connection with
criminal proceedings not in conformity with the principle of a state
based on the rule of law, provided that the claimant has applied
under governing German law for review of the criminal verdict or
other prosecution measures. The deadline for filing claims falling
within this category is March 31, 1991.
3. Claims for residential properties which were transferred
to state ownership by expropriation, relinquishment of ownership,
donation, or renunciation of inheritance, on the basis of rents that
did not cover costs and consequent over-indebtedness. The deadline
for filing claims falling within this category was October 13, 1990.
Additionally, it is our understanding that any property claims
filed with the GDR before July 15, 1990, must be resubmitted.
The deadline for claims filed under the original registration
decree for certain claims to property expropriated or placed under
state administration after 1949 by the communist government of
the GDR remains October 13, 1990. Potential claimants should
understand, however, that failure to file a claim by the relevant
deadline does not automatically terminate all potential rights under
the German claims program. Although certain rights may be waived
if a claimant does not file before the relevant deadline, late
declarations of claims will be considered. A claimant who files
after the relevant deadline is still eligible for financial
compensation. Moreover, so long as the administrative agency
responsible for disposing of expropriated property has not sold the
property in question or entered into other long-term legal
obligations, a claimant who files after the relevant deadline may
still seek restitution of the property. Within these limits, the
German government has not yet established a final filing deadline
for its claims program.
The US government continues to pursue a lump-sum
settlement with the FRG of claims adjudicated by the Foreign
Claims Settlement Commission in its GDR program. Since such a
settlement may not preclude persons with such claims from having
the option of recovering under the domestic German claims program,
all individuals with property claims may wish to consider filing
under the domestic German claims program.
Anyone who wishes to receive more information, including
information on how and where to file a claim, should contact the
Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Washington, DC, or
regional German consulates. The German Embassy in Washington,
DC, may be reached at 4645 Reservoir Road, NW, Washington, DC
20007 (tel: 202-298-4000).
In addition, persons may obtain further information from the
Foreign Claims Settlement Commission, Washington, DC 20579,
Attn: David Bradley, Chief Counsel (tel: 202-653-5883), or the
Assistant Legal Adviser for International Claims and Investment
Disputes, 2100 K Street, NW, Washington, DC 20037-7180 (tel:
202-632-5040). (###)
US Department of State Dispatch,
Vol 2, No 6, February 11, 1991
Title: Statement: South Africa
Tutwiler
Source: State Department Spokesman Margaret Tutwiler
Description: Washington, DC
Date: Feb 1, 19912/1/91
Category: Speeches, Testimony, Statements
Region: Subsaharan Africa
Country: South Africa
Subject: Human Rights, Democratization
[TEXT]
We welcome President De Klerk's historic announcement that his
government will introduce legislation to repeal the Group Areas
Act, the Land Acts, and the Population Registration Act. We also
welcome his proposals to begin working toward unified non-racial
local governments. This is further evidence of President De Klerk's
courageous statesmanship.
Once enacted, these dramatic and far-reaching measures will
abolish the remaining legislative pillars of apartheid. They are the
latest evidence that an irreversible process of change is underway
and that substantial progress continues to be made toward
dismantling the system of apartheid and establishing a non-racial
democracy in South Africa.
The focus for all parties must now shift to negotiations on a
new political order. We are pleased that the De Klerk government,
the African National Congress, and others have committed
themselves to an all-party conference which is intended to advance
this process further. We urge those organizations which have not
yet accepted this call to do so. We are also pleased that during this
week Mr. Mandela and Chief Buthelezi began an important process
designed to lower the level of violence so the work of building a
new non-racial and democratic South Africa can proceed in earnest.
(###)
US Department of State Dispatch,
Vol 2, No 6, February 11, 1991
Title: Country Profile: Germany
Date: Feb 11, 19912/11/91
Category: Country Data
Region: Europe
Country: Germany
Subject: History, Trade/Economics,
International Organizations
[TEXT]
Official Name: Federal Republic of Germany
Geography
Area: 357,000 sq. km. (137,838 sq. mi.); about the size of Montana.
Cities: Capital-Berlin (pop. about
3.4 million). Seat of Government-Bonn (pop. 287,000). The
permanent seat of government for a unified Germany will be
addressed by the all-German parliament elected on December 2, 1990.
Other cities-Hamburg (1.6 million), Munich (1.2 million), Cologne
(946,000), Frankfurt (635,000). (All estimates are from December 1990.)
Terrain: Low plain in the north; high plains, hills, and basins in the
center and east; mountainous alpine region in the south.
Climate: Temperate; cooler and rainier than much of the US.
People
Nationality: Noun and adjective-German(s).
Population (1990): About 79 million (December 1990 est.).
Ethnic groups: Primarily German; Danish minority in the north,
Serbian (Slavic) minority in the east.
Religions: Almost evenly divided between Protestant and Roman Catholic.
Language: German.
Education: Years compulsory-10. Attendance-100%. Literacy-99%.
Health: (in the original 11 states):
Infant mortality rate (1990)-6/1,000. Life expectancy at birth
(1990)-women 81 yrs., men 73 yrs.
Work force: 38.9 million (1990 est., including the 10.6 million
workers in the former GDR).
Government
Type: Federal Republic.
Founded: 1949. (Basic Law, i.e., constitution, promulgated on May 23,
1949). On October 3, 1990, the FRG and the GDR unified in
accordance with Article 23 of the FRG Basic Law.
Branches: Executive-president (titular chief of state), chancellor
(executive head of government). Legislative-bicameral parliament.
Judicial-independent, Federal Constitutional Court.
Subdivisions: 16 Laender (states).
Major political parties: Christian Democratic Union (CDU); Christian
Social Union (CSU); Social Democratic Party (SPD); Free Democratic
Party (FDP); Greens/Alliance 90; Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS).
Suffrage: Universal at 18.
Defense (original 11 states, 1990): 2.2% of GNP.
Flag: Three horizontal bands: black, red, and gold, from top to bottom.
Economy
(for original 11 states)
GNP (1989): $1.2 trillion.
Annual growth rate (1989): 4%.
Per capita income: $19,317.
Inflation rate (1988): 2.8%.
Natural resources: Iron, hard coal, lignite, potash, natural gas.
Agriculture (1.5% of GNP): Products-corn, wheat, potatoes, sugar
beets, hops, viniculture, forestry, fisheries.
Industry (40% of GNP): Types-iron and steel, coal, chemicals,
electrical products, ships, vehicles, construction.
Trade (1989): Exports-$367 billion: chemicals, motor vehicles,
iron and steel products, manufactured goods, electrical products.
Major markets (1988)-European Community (EC) 54.3%, other
European countries 18.7%, US 8%, developing countries 6.8%, USSR 1.6%.
Imports-$269 billion: food, petroleum products, manufactured
goods, electrical products, automobiles, apparel. Major suppliers
(1988)-EC countries 51.7%, other European countries 15.9%, US
6.6%, developing countries 10%, USSR 1.6%.
Membership in International Organizations
Council of Europe, NATO, INTELSAT, European Community, Western
European Union (WEU), Organization for Economic Cooperation and
Development, and the UN and related agencies, including the General
Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, International Atomic Energy
Agency, IBRD, International Monetary Fund. (###)
US Department of State Dispatch,
Vol 2, No 6, February 11, 1991
Title: Current Treaty Actions
Date: Jan 30, 19911/30/91
Category: Treaties/Agreements
Region: South America, E/C Europe, Central America, Europe,
East Asia, Southeast Asia, Caribbean
Country: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria,
Chile, Czechoslovakia (former),
Dominican Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Haiti,
Honduras, Hungary, Jamaica, South Korea, Mexico,
Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Peru, Thailand,
Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela
Subject: Science/Technology, Environment,
Military Affairs, Trade/Economics,
Resource Management, International Law, Human Rights
[TEXT]
Multilateral
Aviation
Convention for the suppression of unlawful acts against the safety
of civil aviation. Done at Montreal Sept. 23, 1971. Entered into
force Jan. 26, 1973. TIAS 7570. Accession deposited: Equatorial
Guinea, Jan. 2, 1991.
Convention for the suppression of unlawful seizure of aircraft.
Done at The Hague Dec. 16, 1970. Entered into force Oct. 14, 1981.
TIAS 7192. Accession deposited: Equatorial Guinea, Jan. 2, 1991.
Conservation
Convention on wetlands of international importance especially as
waterfowl habitat, as amended by the Protocol of Paris (Dec. 3,
1982). Done at Ramsar Feb. 2, 1971. Entered into force Dec. 21,
1971; for the U.S. Dec. 18, 1986. (Senate) Treaty Doc. 99-28.
Accessions deposited: Burkina Faso, June 27, 1990; Chad, June 13,
1990; Czechoslovakia, July 2, 1990; Ecuador, Sept. 7, 1990;
Guatemala, June 26, 1990; Guinea-Bisseau, May 14, 1990; Kenya,
June 5, 1990; Sri Lanka, June 15, 1990.
Defense
Memorandum of understanding concerning a cooperative program
for full integration of a radar in the AV-8B weapon system and the
production of life cycle support of a radar-equipped AV-8B (AV-8B
Harrier II Plus), with annexes. Signed at Rome, Washington, and
Madrid Aug. 8 and 31 and Sept. 28, 1990. Entered into force Sept.
28, 1990. Signatures: Italy, Aug. 8, 1990; Spain, Sept. 28, 1990;
United States, Aug. 31, 1990.
Finance
UNIDROIT convention on international factoring. Done at Ottawa May
28, 1988. Enters into force on the first day of the month following
the expiration of 6 months after the date of deposit of the third
instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval, or accession.
Signature: United States, Dec. 28, 1990.
UNIDROIT convention on international financial leasing. Done at
Ottawa May 28, 1988. Enters into force on the first day of the
month following the expiration of 6 months after the date of
deposit of the third instrument of ratification, acceptance,
approval, or accession.
Signature: United States, Dec. 28, 1990.
Maritime Matters
International convention on standards of training, certification, and
watchkeeping for seafarers, 1978. Done at London July 7, 1978.
Entered into force Apr. 28, 1984.1
Accession deposited: Saudi Arabia, Nov. 29, 1990.
Pollution
Protocol of 1978 relating to the international convention for
the prevention of pollution from ships, 1973. Done at London Feb.
17, 1978. Entered into force Oct. 2, 1983.
Accession deposited: Seychelles, Nov. 28, 1990.
Convention for the protection and development of the marine
environment of the wider Caribbean region, with annex, with
protocol concerning cooperation in combating oil spills in the wider
Caribbean region, with annex. Done at Cartagena Mar. 24, 1983.
Entered into force Oct. 11, 1986. (Senate) Treaty Doc. 98-13.
Accessions deposited: Dominica, Oct. 5, 1990; St. Vincent and the
Grenadines, July 11, 1990.
Convention for the protection of the ozone layer, with annexes.
Done at Vienna Mar. 22, 1985. Entered into force Sept. 22, 1988.
(Senate) Treaty Doc. 99-9.
Accession deposited: Czechoslovakia, October 1, 1990; Malawi, Jan.
9, 1991.
Montreal protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer,
with annex. Done at Montreal Sept. 16, 1987. Entered into force
Jan. 1, 1989. (Senate) Treaty Doc. 100-10.
Ratification deposited: Argentina, Sept. 18, 1990.
Accessions deposited: Czechoslovakia, Oct. 1, 1990; Yugoslavia,
Jan. 3, 1991; Malawi, Jan. 9, 1991.
Rubber
International natural rubber agreement, 1987, with annexes.
Done at Geneva Mar. 20, 1987. Entered into force provisionally Dec.
29, 1988; definitively Apr. 3, 1989. (Senate) Treaty Doc. 100-9.
Ratification deposited: Thailand, Sept. 24, 1990.
Safety at Sea
International convention for the safety of life at sea, 1974, with
annex. Done at London Nov. 1, 1974. Entered into force May 25,
1980. TIAS 9700.
Accessions deposited: Iraq, Dec. 14, 1990.
Women
Convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination
against women. Adopted at New York Dec. 18, 1979. Entered into
force Sept. 3, 1981.1
Ratification deposited: Grenada, Aug. 30, 1990.
Bilateral
Argentina
Agreement on the development and facilitation of tourism.
Signed at Buenos Aires Sept. 25, 1990. Entered into force Sept. 25,
1990.
Memorandum of understanding for the exchange of technical
information directly applicable to the safety of operating civil
power and research reactors, with appendix. Signed at Buenos Aires
Nov. 30, 1990. Entered into force Nov. 30, 1990.
Agreement regarding mutual assistance between customs
services. Signed at Buenos Aires Dec. 4, 1990. Entered into force
provisionally Dec. 4, 1990; definitively, upon notification by the
parties that national legal requirements have been fulfilled.
Bolivia
Agreement regarding the consolidation and rescheduling of
certain debts owed to, guaranteed by, or insured by the US
government and its agencies, with annexes. Signed at La Paz Nov.
27, 1990. Enters into force upon receipt by Bolivia of written
notice from the US that all necessary domestic legal requirements
have been fulfilled.
Brazil
Agreement extending the memorandum of understanding of May 8,
1984, as extended, concerning the Landsat system. Effected by
exchange of notes at Brasilia Sept. 3 and Oct. 18, 1990. Entered
into force Oct. 18, 1990; effective May 8, 1990.
Brunei
International express mail agreement, with detailed regulations.
Signed at Bandar Seri Begawan and Washington Dec. 15, 1990 and
Jan. 8, 1991. Enters into force Feb. 18, 1991.
Bulgaria
Agreement concerning the establishment of a Peace Corps program
in Bulgaria. Signed at Washington Sept. 27, 1990. Entered in force
Sept. 27, 1990.
Chile
Agreement concerning the reciprocal exemption from income tax of
income derived from the international operation of aircraft.
Effected by exchange of notes at Washington and Santiago Aug. 6 and
December 4, 1990. Entered into force Dec. 4, 1990; effective with
respect to taxable years beginning on or after Jan. 1, 1987.
Czechoslovakia
Agreement on trade relations, with related exchanges of letters.
Signed at Washington April 12, 1990.
Entered into force: Nov. 17, 1990.
Agreement on the program of the United States Peace Corps in
Czechoslovakia. Signed at Prague June 25, 1990. Entered into force
June 25, 1990.
Dominican Republic
International express mail agreement, with detailed regulations.
Signed at Santo Domingo ∧ Washington Dec. 3, 1990 and Jan. 8,
1991. Enters into force Feb. 18, 1991.
Finland
Memorandum of understanding for cooperation in energy research
and development. Signed at Washington Oct. 23, 1990. Entered into
force Oct. 23, 1990.
France
Agreement for the exchange of technical information and
cooperation in the regulation of nuclear safety, with patent
addendum. Signed at Paris Sept. 4, 1990. Entered into force Sept. 4,
1990.
Agreement extending the agreement of Dec. 12 and 19, 1988, for
cooperation in high energy laser-matter interaction physics
research and development. Effected by exchange of letters at
Washington and Paris Nov. 6 and Dec. 6, 1990. Entered into force
Dec. 6, 1990.
Germany
Agreement extending the technical exchange and cooperative
arrangement of Dec. 20, 1974, as amended and extended (TIAS 9067,
10040), in the field of management of radioactive wastes. Effected
by exchange of letters at Bonn and Washington Sept. 3 and Oct. 10,
1990. Entered into force Oct. 10, 1990; effective Dec. 3, 1989.
Haiti
Agreement amending and extending the agreement of Sept. 26 and
30, 1986, as amended, relating to trade in cotton, wool, and man-
made fiber textiles and textile products. Effected by exchange of
notes at Port-au-Prince July 18, Nov. 19 and 28, 1990. Entered into
force Nov. 28, 1990; effective Jan. 1, 1990.
Honduras
Agreement regarding the consolidation and rescheduling or
refinancing of certain debts owed to, guaranteed by, or insured by
the US government and its agencies, with annexes. Signed at
Tegucigalpa Dec. 20, 1990. Enters into force upon receipt by
Honduras of written notice from the US that all necessary domestic
legal requirements have been fulfilled.
Hungary
Arrangement for the exchange of technical information and
cooperation in nuclear safety matters, with patent addendum.
Signed at Budapest Sept. 24, 1990. Entered into force Sept. 24,
1990.
Jamaica
Agreement amending the agreement of Aug. 27, 1986, as amended
and extended, relating to trade in textiles and textile products.
Effected by exchange of notes at Kingston Oct. 29 and 31, 1990.
Entered into force Oct. 31, 1990.
Agreement regarding the consolidation and rescheduling or
refinancing of certain debts owed to, guaranteed by, or insured by
the US government and its agencies, with annexes. Signed at
Kingston Dec. 20, 1990. Enters into force upon receipt by Jamaica
of written notice from the US that all necessary domestic legal
requirements have been fulfilled.
Korea
Agreement amending the agreement of Nov. 21 and Dec. 4, 1986, as
amended and extended, concerning trade in certain textiles and
textile products. Effected by exchange of letters at Washington
Nov. 30 and Dec. 3, 1990. Entered into force Dec. 3, 1990.
Mexico
Agreement amending the agreement of Feb. 13, 1988, as amended,
concerning trade in cotton, wool, and man-made fiber textiles and
textile products. Effected by exchange of notes at Mexico April 20,
July 25, and Aug. 1, 1990. Entered into force Aug. 1, 1990.
Agreement amending the agreement of Aug. 28, 1972, as amended
(TIAS 7438), to eradicate screw-worms. Effected by exchange of
notes at Mexico Oct. 19 and Dec. 7, 1990. Entered into force Dec. 7,
1990.
Mongolia
Agreement relating to scientific and technical cooperation, with
annex. Signed at Washington January 23, 1991. Entered into force
January 23, 1991.
Nepal
Agreement, with memorandum of understanding, amending the
agreement of May 30 and June 1, 1986, relating to trade in cotton
textiles and the administrative arrangement of July 28 and Aug. 18,
1986, relating to a visa system for exports of Nepalese textile
products. Effected by exchange of notes at Kathmandu Nov. 19 and
28, 1990. Entered into force Nov. 28, 1990; effective Jan. 1, 1991.
Pakistan
Agreement amending the agreement of May 20 and June 11, 1987, as
amended, concerning trade in textiles and textile products.
Effected by exchange of notes at Washington Nov. 30 and Dec. 20,
1990. Entered into force Dec. 20, 1990.
Peru
Agreement amending the agreement of Jan. 3, 1985, relating to
trade in cotton, wool, and man-made fiber textiles and textile
products. Effected by exchange of notes at Washington July 11 and
Oct. 4, 1990. Entered into force Oct. 4, 1990.
International express mail agreement, with detailed regulations.
Signed at Lima and Washington Oct. 29 and
Nov. 30, 1990. Entered into force Jan. 14, 1991.
Thailand
Agreement extending the memorandum of understanding of Oct. 3,
1985, on logistic support. Effected by exchange of notes at Bangkok
Sept. 26 and Oct. 3, 1990. Entered into force Oct. 3, 1990.
Agreement relating to the reciprocal granting of authorizations to
permit licensed amateur radio operators of either country to
operate their station in the other country. Effected by exchange of
notes at Bangkok Oct. 11 and 30, 1990. Entered into force Dec. 14,
1990.
Memorandum of understanding concerning interoperability
management of tactical command and control procedural standards,
with annex. Signed at Bangkok Dec. 3, 1990. Entered into force Dec.
3, 1990.
Trinidad ∧ Tobago
Agreement amending and extending the agreement of Oct. 15 and 23,
1986, relating to trade in cotton, wool, and man-made fiber textiles
and textile products. Effected by exchange of notes at Port-au-
Spain Dec. 5, 1989 and Nov. 8 and Dec. 14, 1990. Entered into force
Dec. 14, 1990.
Venezuela
Agreement for scientific and technological cooperation, with
annex. Signed at Caracas Dec. 8, 1990. Enters into force on the date
on which the parties notify each other that they have complied with
the necessary constitutional and statutory requirements.
1 Not in force for the US.
(###)