Excerpt: Powell Calls for Israeli Withdrawal From Area A, Oct 24
(Press Availability with British Foreign Secretary) (1120) "It would be appropriate for the Israeli government to immediately withdraw from the Area A villages that they have occupied," Secretary of State Colin Powell told reporters in Washington October 24 before talks with visiting British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw. Area A is part of the West Bank territories under the rule of the Palestinian Authority. Powell called on Israelis and Palestinians "not (to) let this cycle of violence become even more intense than it has been in recent days." "This is a very volatile period, and I would like to see this start moving in the other direction," Powell said. Asked if the United States could achieve its military objectives in Afghanistan by mid-November before the start of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month, the Secretary said he would like to "see all of those objectives accomplished in the next few days" but avoided speculating on the military situation. "We're sensitive to Ramadan, but we can't let that be the sole determinant of whether or not we continue our military activities," Powell told reporters. Powell reiterated that the United States continues to "keep an eye on Iraq" but said, "our first priority right now is to deal with the al-Qaida network and Usama bin Laden in Afghanistan...then in due course, we will turn our attention to other sources of terrorism, which are so destabilizing in the world." Following is an excerpt of Powell's comments about the Middle East and the war against terrorism from the transcript of the Powell-Straw media availability: (begin excerpt) QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, the situation on the West Bank, a little unclear. But Israel or Israeli forces have made two arrests and, apparently, maybe a half-dozen Palestinians have been killed. You and the President have asked Israel to step back, to pull back. What do you make of all this? Do you approve of the arrests, and I guess you don't approve of the continued presence? SECRETARY POWELL: Well, I think it's important for us to try to get back to where we were a week-and-a-half or so ago, when we started to see some movement toward the Mitchell Committee implementation, interrupted by the tragic, tragic death of the Israeli cabinet minister. But right now, I think it's important for Chairman Arafat to do everything within his power to make the arrests of those who are responsible and to get the violence down to zero, preferably, but to the lowest level possible. And I think at this time, it would be appropriate for the Israeli Government to immediately withdraw from the Area A villages that they have occupied. And let's try not to let this cycle of violence become even more intense than it has been in recent days. It is a very volatile period, and I would like to see this start moving in the other direction. QUESTION: Secretary Powell, just as a soldier, how much do you think you are going to be able to achieve militarily on the ground by this deadline now of mid-November, winter and Ramadan, in terms of removing the Taliban, in terms of eliminating the bin Laden network? SECRETARY POWELL: We are, of course, sensitive to the fact that Ramadan will be beginning in the middle of November, and winter also will start about that same time -- the winter period -- which makes military operations more difficult. But the important point to remember is we have military objectives to accomplish, and I would like to see all of those objectives accomplished in the next few days. And as we approach this period of Ramadan and winter, we will just have to make an assessment at that time as to where we are, and if it's necessary to continue military action, then that is the judgment that I am sure the President will support. And we will wait to hear from our military authorities about it. We are sensitive to Ramadan, but we can't let that be the sole determinant of whether or not we continue our military activities. QUESTION: Do you feel you can get the job done by then? SECRETARY POWELL: I can't say. I think I'd better leave that to how events unfold between now and then, and the judgment of our military authorities, not mine. QUESTION: Can you give us an idea of where the discussion or the debate is regarding whether the US plans to put Iraq on its list of targets very soon, especially now -- SECRETARY POWELL: On its list of what, targets? QUESTION: Goes after Iraq soon. There is a lot of discussion about this, especially now the speculation that some of the biological agents, chemical agents, could be coming from Iraq. And would the British support this as -- SECRETARY POWELL: First of all, that is speculation, and so I can't respond with a concrete answer on that speculation. We keep a close eye on Iraq. We will continue to work on modifying the sanctions regime so we keep the Iraqi regime bottled up with respect to the development of weapons of mass destruction, but we do not hurt the people of Iraq, so that they can get the goods that they need. And I think the entire national community is united around that strategy. But as the President has said, first things first, and our first priority right now is to deal with the al-Qaida network and Usama bin Laden in Afghanistan, and wherever else it is located around the world, or wherever else it has host countries supporting al-Qaida. And then, in due course, we will turn our attention to other sources of terrorism, which are so destabilizing in the world. And we will keep a close eye on Iraq during that whole process. QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, you made reference to it's time for Chairman Arafat to make arrests. SECRETARY POWELL: More arrests. He's made some. QUESTION: Right. Prime Minister Sharon has asked for those arrested to be turned over to Israel. Would it be sufficient, as far as the US is concerned, if the Palestinians prosecute those that they may arrest? SECRETARY POWELL: I don't want to take a position on that. I just want to see -- let's get the perpetrators in solid custody, where they are not just in some form of light house arrest, where they can walk out anytime they wish. Let's get them in solid custody, where they clearly have been arrested and they are no longer in a position to commit new acts of terrorism, and then we can deal with the issue that you raise. (end excerpt) (Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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