Voice of America 4/16/97

CLINTON / CHEMICAL WEAPONS (L-O)

BYLINE=DAVID BORGIDA
DATELINE=WHITE HOUSE
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 

INTRO:  FACING A DEADLINE, THE CLINTON 
ADMINISTRATION IS PRESSING FOR U-S SENATE 
RATIFICATION OF THE CHEMICAL WEAPONS 
CONVENTION -- THE TREATY THAT BANS 
CHEMICAL WEAPONS.  SIGNED BY 161 COUNTRIES 
AND ALREADY RATIFIED BY 70, THE TREATY
IS TO TAKE EFFECT APRIL 29TH.   WHITE 
HOUSE CORRESPONDENT DAVID BORGIDA 
REPORTS ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS 
AND SENATE SUPPORTERS OF THE TREATY 
BELIEVE THEY HAVE NOW TAKEN AN 
IMPORTANT STEP TOWARD ALLAYING THE
CONCERNS OF OPPONENTS.

TEXT:  WITH THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS 
TREATY FAST APPROACHING, PRESIDENT
CLINTON APPLIED SOME DIRECT PRESSURE
ON 10 UNDECIDED OR WAVERING SENATORS 
EARLY WEDNESDAY; HE TELEPHONED THEM 
TO PRESS FOR TREATY RATIFICATION.

AT THE SAME TIME, THE TOP DEMOCRAT ON 
THE SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE, 
JOSEPH BIDEN, DISTRIBUTED A LETTER TO 
COLLEAGUES IN WHICH HE ANNOUNCED 
THAT TREATY OPPONENTS AND SUPPORTERS
HAD AGREED TO KEY CONDITIONS THAT 
ADDRESSED THE CONCERNS OF OPPONENTS.   
NEGOTIATORS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ISSUE 
HAD BEEN NEGOTIATING THE MORE THAN
20 CONDITIONS FOR SEVERAL MONTHS.

OPPONENTS HAVE ARGUED THE TREATY 
WOULD DO LITTLE TO HALT PRODUCTION  
OF CHEMICAL WEAPONS IN ROGUE STATES 
SUCH AS LIBYA AND IRAQ.  AND THEY  SAY 
IT WOULD SUBMIT U-S CHEMICAL COMPANIES
TO INTRUSIVE AND POSSIBLY UNCONSTITIONAL 
INSPECTIONS -- INSPECTIONS THAT COULD 
POSSIBLY LEAD TO INDUSTRIAL ESPIONAGE.

WITH THIS IN MIND, THE CONDITIONS 
ANNOUNCED WEDNESDAY INCLUDE 
AUGMENTING EXISTING PROTECTIONS FOR 
INDUSTRY.  AND TO THOSE CONCERNED 
ABOUT THE ACTIVITIES OF ROGUE STATES, 
THE CONDITIONS ALSO INCLUDE TOUGHER 
REPORTING REQUIREMENTS TO THE SENATE 
ON U-S MONITORING OF INTERNATIONAL 
CHEMICAL WEAPONS ACTIVITIES AS WELL 
AS MORE ROBUST CHEMICAL WEAPONS 
DEFENSES FOR U-S TROOPS.

THE CONDITIONS ARE BINDING BETWEEN 
THE SENATE AND THE PRESIDENT, BUT THEY 
ARE NOT AMENDMENTS TO THE TREATY ITSELF.

IN A BRIEFING WITH REPORTERS WEDNESDAY, 
(PRESIDENT CLINTON'S) NATIONAL SECURITY 
ADVISER, SANDY BERGER, SAID TREATY SUPPORTERS 
ARE HOPEFUL THE CONDITIONS WILL MAKE A 
DIFFERENCE TO TREATY OPPONENTS.  BUT HE 
WAS STILL CHARACTERIZING THE PENDING 
LEGISLATIVE FIGHT AS -- IN HIS WORDS -- 
"AN UPHILL BATTLE."

HE SAID FAILURE TO RATIFY THE TREATY WOULD 
DAMAGE THE U-S LEADERSHIP ROLE IN 
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS.

                        ///BERGER ACT///

IF WE ARE NOT IN THE TREATY AT THE BEGINNING, 
WE WILL NOT BE PART OF SHAPING HOW THE 
INSTITUTIONS OF THIS TREATY TAKE HOLD.  
WE WILL NOT BE PART OF THE INSPECTION
TEAMS, WE WILL NOT PART OF THE EXECUTIVE 
COMMITTEE THAT OPERATES THIS TREATY.  
WE WILL BE ON THE OUTSIDE RATHER THAN 
ON THE INSIDE.

                          ///END ACT///

PRESIDENT CLINTON ALSO MADE HIS CASE FOR 
RATIFICATION LATE IN THE DAY DURING A FOREIGN 
POLICY MEETING WITH VISITING LAWMAKERS.

THE TREATY IS ALSO SUPPORTED BY FORMER 
PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH -- A REPUBLICAN -- 
AND EVERY CHAIRMAN OF THE MILITARY JOINT 
CHIEFS OF  STAFF FOR THE PAST 20 YEARS. (SIGNED)
NEB/BORG/RRM

16-Apr-97 4:38 PM EDT (2038 UTC)
NNNN