SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Good evening. As the President has just announced, the Libyan Foreign Minister earlier tonight has stated that his government would disclose and dismantle all weapons of mass destruction in his country.

The Libyan statement, which we can provide to you, noted that Libyan experts had showed to U.S. and UK counterparts materials and equipment, including centrifuges and chemical munitions, and all programs for internationally proscribed weapons.

Libya, in this statement, promises that, "of its own free will has decided to eliminate these materials, equipment and programs so that Libya may be completely free of internationally proscribed weapons." In the statement, Libya also agrees to restrict itself to missiles with the range consistent with the MTCR parameters, which are 300 kilometers in range, with a payload of 500 kilograms.

In the statement, Libya accepts that these steps will be taken in a transparent and verifiable manner, including immediate international inspections.

And, finally, the Libyan statement confirms that Libya will be bound by the NPT, the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, the safeguards agreement of the IAEA, and the biological weapons convention. And it will accept additional obligations, including the additional protocol to the IAEA safeguards agreements, and the chemical weapons convention.

Colonel Ghadafi has since released a public statement supporting and confirming the statement by the Libyan Foreign Minister. These statements and these commitments follow in-depth discussions held between Libya, on the one hand, and U.S. and UK experts on the other. Discussions or contacts began last March and include two separate visits to Libya by experts -- one held in October, and one in December. Earlier this week, we held policy-level discussions with the Libyans.

Let me go through the progress that I believe we have achieved in four strategic areas. First, on nuclear issues. Libya admitted to nuclear fuel cycle projects that were intended to support a nuclear weapons program, weapons development, including uranium enrichment.

The team was given access in Libya to more than 10 sites connected to Libya's nuclear activities. The team was given access to large amounts of specialized nuclear equipment and related documentation. And the Libyans agreed to eliminate all program elements associated with their nuclear weapons program. The Libyans, as I mentioned, also pledged to declare all of their activities in the nuclear case to the IAEA, to accept the obligations under the additional protocol which allows for expanded inspection rights, and to abide by all of its commitments in the safeguards arrangements and in the NPT.

On chemical weapons, the Libyans showed us a significant quantity of mustard -- a chemical agent -- that was produced near Rabta more than a decade ago. They showed us aerial bombs that were designed to be filled with mustard agent on short notice. They showed us equipment in storage that could be used to outfit a second CW production facility. They showed the team dual use chemical precursors that could be used to produce both mustard and nerve agent. And they reiterated their commitment to complete the Libyan accession to the chemical weapons convention and they committed to destroy all chemical warfare, stocks and munitions.

On biological issues, Libya admitted to past intentions to acquire equipment and develop capabilities related to biological weapons. At the team's request, Libya took our experts to a number of medical and agricultural related research centers that have dual use potentials to support BW-related work. The team was given access to scientists at these facilities, and Libya has committed not to pursue a biological weapons program and to accept the necessary inspections and monitoring to verify that undertaking.

And, fourth, on missile related issues, Libya admitted elements of the history of its cooperation with North Korea to develop extended range scud missiles. They provided us access to this system and related production facilities. The team was given substantial access to Libya's operational scud B missile force and also was able to visit many locations where missile research and development work is conducted. Libya described in detail elements of the history and status of its indigenous missile development efforts. And I think very significantly, Libya agreed to destroy all ballistic missiles with ranges greater than 300 kilometers, and payloads greater than 500 kilometers, the parameters that are set in the missile technology control regime. And, finally, Libya agreed not to develop or deploy missiles beyond those limits.

Just a note on remaining uncertainties. Our experts have assessed that Libya's disclosures about its nuclear, chemical, biological and missile-related efforts are a major step toward revealing and ending those activities. While Libya was forthcoming in many areas and provided considerable detail on past activities, there are a number of issues we continue to explore. We will continue to work to collect additional information and to closely monitor Libya's adherence to the commitments it has made.

In terms of next steps, Libya has pledged to work with the IAEA and the OPCW on the chemical side, and other appropriate mechanisms to declare fully their nuclear, chemical, biological, and missile-related activities, and to provide the necessary information and access to verify that they are not pursuing these programs.

Libya will be required to make a comprehensive and detailed set of declarations in the near future, and we will work with our international partners and with the Libyans to ensure that there is complete fulfillment of the commitments that have been made today, including its commitments to eliminate all program elements associated with its nuclear weapons programs, all CW stocks and munitions, and all missiles beyond 300 kilometers.

These commitments follow in-depth discussions at the expert level, discussions that have proved to be very fruitful. I think that the commitments on the part of Libya to eliminate its WMD programs and limit its missile force clearly is a result of the President's determination to combat weapons of mass destruction and long-range missiles.

Let me just note that the President stated earlier that the United States is applying a broad and active strategy to address the challenge of proliferation. As he cited, we use diplomacy, we act through decisive measures that are sometimes needed to make diplomacy credible. We have improved our intelligence capabilities in order to be able to trace the dangerous weapons activity that occurs. The President cited the proliferation security initiative, which is designed at a multilateral level to interdict dangerous materials and technologies in transit.

And we have insisted on a multilateral approach with North Korea and have worked, again, in a multilateral context in the IAEA to ensure that Iran fulfills its commitments not to pursue nuclear weapons.

All of these actions by the United States and our allies -- and we have worked every step of the way with our allies -- have, I believe, sent an unmistakable message to regimes that are seeking or that possess weapons of mass destruction: these weapons do not bring the benefits of security, as the President stated; they bring isolation and unwelcome consequences. But the President also emphasized another message, and I think that message is very clear in the Libyan case: leaders who abandon the pursuit of chemical, biological and nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them will find an open path to better relations with the United States.

In summary, I think this is an intelligence victory, it's a diplomatic victory and it's a victory for allied cooperation. The President's policies on non- and counter-proliferation have achieved a major victory. And they have provided an opportunity to other countries to take the same steps that Libya has taken today, and we hope that those other countries will take the right choice -- because there are two paths: one is cooperation, and that's the path that we see unfolding today; the other we have seen in other circumstances.

Let me stop there.

seen at 18:02, 19 December in Whitehouse Press Briefings. Email this to a friend.
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