Powell Says Iran, Syria Should Join Peace Process

(Says U.S. is looking for "comprehensive settlement" in the Middle
East) (2250)
Secretary of State Colin Powell urged Syria and Iran to reject support
for terrorist groups and join other countries in the region in seeking
a peaceful solution to the Middle East conflict between Arabs and
Israelis.
Powell, speaking from Jordan on Al-Arabiyya Television June 23, said
the United States is "looking for a comprehensive settlement that will
include Syria and Lebanon."
"[Y]ou can be sure that the United States will be speaking out for
peace, speaking out for the roadmap in order to move forward, and not
just to level charges back and forth. Iran and Syria would do well to
join this process," he said.
Powell also said the military action taken against Iraq was not
necessarily a precedent for future military against Syria or Iran.
Although he said the Bush administration continues to have concerns
about the two countries, "Iraq was a unique case."
The secretary acknowledged that Iraq's alleged possession of weapons
of mass destruction was "the basis upon which we went in," and said
that the international community, not just the United States, had
shared that belief.
"U.N. resolution after U.N. resolution over a period of twelve years
was based on the understanding that Iraq had weapons of mass
destruction," said Powell. "Resolution 1441 last fall, all fifteen
nations voted for that resolution voted for it because of the
understanding and the belief that Iraq had weapons of mass
destruction. I believe that they did have them and still have them,
and I am confident that as we continue our efforts we will find these
weapons, as well as the programs that supported these weapons."
Powell said the Iraqi people were now looking forward "to a better
life" after the end of Saddam Hussein's regime, with the ability to
use oil revenues towards the country's infrastructure, and the repair
of electrical, sanitation and sewage systems in the short term.
He said the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) will create a
political committee run by Iraqis within a month that will write a new
constitution, paving the way for elections.
"[W]e will do it right and we will not stay any longer than it is
necessary to do it right," said Powell, saying the goal of the CPA
should not be to "get out as fast as you can," but rather to "to do it
right."
The secretary also said that the international war on terrorism will
end "when terrorism is ended." He added that since terrorism had
brought "terrible tragedy" to the Middle East, "every nation in this
region should declare war on terrorism."
Following is a transcript of Secretary Powell's interview with
Al-Arabiyya:
(begin transcript)
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
June 26, 2003
INTERVIEW
Secretary of State Colin L. Powell
With Al-Arabiyya Television
Dead Sea, Jordan
June 23, 2003
QUESTION: (TRANSLATED FROM ARABIC) Secretary Powell, thank you for
this interview with Al-Arabiyya TV. I would like to ask you about the
priorities of the U.S. Administration: the roadmap or Iraq? And how do
you respond to the people's criticisms of the American policies that
are described as biased in favor of Israel?
SECRETARY POWELL: Our priority in this part of the world is the
roadmap, and Iraq, we can't set one aside to do the other, they're
linked. With Iraq we got rid of a dictator, we removed a danger to the
region, and we are now in the process of helping the Iraqi people put
in place a responsible democratic government. At the same time, we
have a top priority with respect to the roadmap, moving forward on the
roadmap. In order to achieve the vision of the President, as well as
the vision of the Arab League, that will bring into being a
Palestinian state that will live side by side in peace with Israel,
and the President is fully engaged. That's why I'm here today, that is
why Dr. Rice will be coming next week, and that is why we have created
a new monitoring team under Ambassador Wolf to stay in the region and
work with the parties. So, the United States is fully committed to
trying to help our friends in the region achieve peace, and also
economic development.
This World Economic Conference that we are having here is an
extraordinary event, as it is titled, because we wanted to come here
and talk about free trade, we wanted to talk about infrastructure
development. We also wanted to talk about our Middle East Partnership
Initiative: we are working with governments in the region to help them
educate teachers, in order for the teachers to educate children, to
empower women, to show people how to participate in the development of
the democratic process. We have a rich agenda of activities, I think
should show the people of the world that the United States is here as
a friend to help the people of this region to a better life.
QUESTION: Until now, no weapons of mass destruction and chemical
weapons have been found in Iraq. That is why some say that the war
that the United States launched on Iraq is illegitimate, since up to
now, none of these weapons were found. Is the United States of America
going to apologize for this war, and is it going to admit that it was
wrong, or are you satisfied with just removing the regime in Iraq
without appointing an alternative regime?
SECRETARY POWELL: We have nothing to apologize for. We are proud of
the fact that the international community, recognizing that Iraq did
have weapons of mass destruction; it wasn't just an independent U.S.
judgment. U.N. resolution after U.N. resolution over a period of
twelve years was based on the understanding that Iraq had weapons of
mass destruction. Resolution 1441 last fall, all fifteen nations voted
for that resolution voted for it because of the understanding and the
belief that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. I believe that they
did have them and still have them, and I am confident that as we
continue our efforts we will find these weapons, as well as the
programs that supported these weapons. The mobile biological
laboratories that were found and presented to the world, I think, is a
further evidence of this, and so, at the same time that we continue
our efforts to uncover those weapons programs, let us celebrate that a
dictator has been removed. I mean, really, were the Iraqi people, was
the region, better off before, when Saddam Hussein was still there and
when he was wasting the oil of Iraq on weapons and on threatening his
neighbors with a large army? The Iraqi people look forward now to a
better life now that we can use their oil to build up their
infrastructure, now that we are repairing the electrical systems, now
that we are repairing the sanitation and the sewage system. This is
all for the benefit of the Iraqi people. But, the basis upon which we
went in were the weapons of mass destruction. You also said, "well,
the Iraqis are not in control of their country," but they will be; the
United States has no desire, Great Britain has no desire to remain any
longer than is necessary to put in place a responsible government, but
that takes time.
QUESTION: But when?
SECRETARY POWELL: Soon, as soon as it can be done. The question
shouldn't be when. The question should be: "Do it right." The
statement should be: "Do it right, are you going to do it right." And
the answer is that we are going to do it right. We are going to put in
place a Political Committee within the next month or so that will
begin to take responsibility. Iraqis, in a political committee, will
be creating a constitutional committee that will write a constitution
for the Iraqi people, written by the Iraqi people. And then that
constitution will permit elections, and these elections will give the
Iraqi people an opportunity, for the first time, to determine who
should lead them. And so, we will do it right and we will not stay any
longer than it is necessary to do it right. But the question should
not be: "Get out as fast as you can." The question should be: "are you
going to do it right, so you do not leave behind chaos." And the
answer is: "we are going to do it right."
QUESTION: Secretary Powell, the way that Iraq was handled, is it going
to used with other countries in the region, and I mean by that Syria
and Iran?
SECRETARY POWELL: Of course not, of course not. Iraq was unique case:
twelve-years worth of U.N. resolutions condemning Iraq, a regime that
would not answer to the international community, a regime that was in
violation of all its obligations. We have concerns about Syria and
Iran. We have concerns about the fact that they support terrorism. And
rather than challenging the United States because we speak out against
Syria and Iran's support for terrorism, everybody in the region should
be speaking out about the fact that Syria and Iran, rather than
supporting the peace process, support terrorism. Why should that not
be outrageous for all of them?
QUESTION: But, Secretary Powell, Israel is a country that exercises
terrorism. At the same, we do not hear from the United States any
clear blame of Israel in the issue of terrorism, the terrorism of the
State of Israel against the Palestinians?
SECRETARY POWELL: We are speaking out in the cause of peace. The
President has made it clear that he is fully behind the roadmap, and
the roadmap will lead to peace; and both sides have obligations and
both sides have commitments; both sides have to make changes to the
policies they have been following in order to achieve peace; both
sides are now working with each other. And so you can be sure that the
United States will be speaking out for peace, speaking out for the
roadmap in order to move forward, and not just to level charges back
and forth. Iran and Syria would do well to join this process, by
stopping support of terrorist activity, and joining in the movement to
peace, because we are looking for a comprehensive settlement that will
include Syria and Lebanon. And this is the time for Iran to realize
that its activities in the past of supporting terrorism and terrorist
organizations and trying to pursue nuclear weapons development are not
policies that will make it a partner for the future, and it is time
for them to adjust their policies. But the United States is not
looking for places to go to war. The United States will fight when it
is necessary, but we really are partners for peace.
QUESTION: Two quick questions for Secretary Powell. First, regarding
the casualties of the U.S. forces as a result of the resistance in
Iraq. Is this resistance directed from outside or is it internal? The
second question is about the list of wanted people. The people on this
list, the fifty-five, is the U.S. going to put them on trial, and if
so, when and where?
SECRETARY POWELL: With respect to the first question, we think we are
seeing a combination of former Ba'athist party members, remnants of
the old regime who don't realize that it is over, and believe that
they can achieve something by inflicting casualties on Coalition
Forces. They will achieve nothing. We are there, and we are there to
help the Iraqi people, and we will get the job done, and we will deal
with these elements. Some of them may be from outside, I can't be
sure. There are also some criminal elements, people who were let out
of jail; there are also people who are just looting; and, that all has
to be stopped. We will establish security throughout the country, so
that the people of Iraq can get on with building their life. With
respect to those individuals who have been detained, on the so-called
list of fifty-five or others, they will be detained, they will
interrogated, and as the Iraqi people put in place their own
government, these individuals should be brought before Iraqi justice.
QUESTION: You have declared war on terrorism on September 11 when the
disaster occurred. When will this war end, and this is my last
question? Thank you.
SECRETARY POWELL: The war will end when terrorism is ended. You should
be pleased that the United States has declared war on terrorism. You
should be pleased that the whole international community has declared
war on terrorism. Terrorism has brought terrible tragedy to the
region. Terrorism affects every nation in the world, specially the
nations in this region. And every nation in this region should declare
war on terrorism. We should speak out against organizations such as
Hamas, which has no interest in peace, which is not trying to help us
create a situation where two states can live side by side in peace.
Terrorism is nobody's friend, terrorism is everyone's enemy.
QUESTION: Secretary Powell, thank you very much. Thank you, sir, for
this interview with Al-Arabiyya.
(end transcript)
(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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Powell Says Iran, Syria Should Join Peace Process
