20 September 2001
Transcript: Powell, Belgian Foreign Minister Michel Press Availability
(9/20: Sec. State, current EU president discuss terrorism) (2710)
Secretary of State Colin Powell told journalists September 20
following his meetings with European Union officials that they
discussed ways "the European Union can work with the United States and
best pool our strengths to combat terrorism."
Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Louis Michel,
participating in the joint media availability because Belgium
currently holds the EU Presidency, said that he and his colleagues --
Javier Solana, the EU's High Representative for the Common Foreign and
Security Policy, and Chris Patten, the EC's External Relations
Commissioner -- were "here as Europeans in a spirit of total
solidarity, and with feelings of deep sympathy with the American
nation."
"We are in favor of a strong trans-Atlantic coalition to fight
terrorism," Michel said.
Powell said the United States and Europe agreed to intensify law
enforcement cooperation; tighten up on aviation security, immigration
and visa controls, and export control and non-proliferation regimes;
disrupt terrorists' plans and dry up their sources of support; and
bring terrorists to justice and bring those aiding and abetting them
to account.
He said the United States is also working with individual countries
all over the world.
"We are very sensitive to what individual countries can do ... and
many of them have come forward and offered their support," Powell
said. "In some cases, it may just be support in terms of support in
principle, rhetorical support.... In other instances, it may be more
aggressive action, working with us on getting after financial flows,
getting after information flows. It might involve helping us with
tracking down people and arresting them. It might be intelligence
sharing. And at the end of the day, it might be joining us in a
military operation if that is what is required."
He emphasized that the campaign against terrorism will be long-term
and pursued in a deliberate, decisive way. "And we will show patience,
but we will also show persistence and perseverance until we are
successful in this campaign," Powell said.
Following is the State Department transcript:
(begin transcript)
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
September 20, 2001
JOINT PRESS AVAILABILITY WITH HIS EXCELLENCY LOUIS MICHEL, VICE PRIME
MINISTER AND MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF BELGIUM (IN CAPACITY OF EU
PRESIDENCY) AND SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN L. POWELL
Benjamin Franklin Room
Washington, D.C.
SECRETARY POWELL: Well, good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. It's
been my pleasure today to host my European Union colleagues: the
European Union President Louis Michel, also Foreign Minister and
Deputy Prime Minister of Belgium; High Representative Javier Solana,
with whom I do a lot of work on Middle East issues as well; and
Commissioner Chris Patten.
I also might note that earlier this morning, President Bush spoke to
Prime Minister of Belgium Verhofstadt, who is currently the President
of the European Commission. And as you know, the European Commission
will be meeting tomorrow evening to look at the results of our work
today and to take further action with respect to this crisis that we
are all working our way through.
Our meetings today have been very productive, and we have focused on
how the European Union can work with the United States and best pool
our strengths to combat terrorism. We have distributed, and I think
you already have, a joint statement that summarizes our common
commitment to the campaign against worldwide terrorism, and it lays
out a set of follow-up activities.
If there are two words to describe the tenor of our discussion, they
would be "solidarity" and "resolve." The European Union's principled
response to the September 11th attacks and to our call for a worldwide
effort against terrorism is just the latest demonstration of the fact
that a strong united Europe is good, indeed essential for the United
States, for Europe and for the world. Our common objective is security
for our peoples. Let no one doubt the will and the power of our free
societies to defend the security of our citizens, even as we safeguard
our democratic values.
Today, my EU colleagues and I discussed how the European Union and the
United States can join forces with other nations from around the world
in a wide variety of areas. As set out in our joint statement, we have
agreed to intensify cooperation among our law enforcement authorities
and to facilitate the exchange of information; to tighten up on
aviation security, our immigration and visa controls and our export
control and non-proliferation regimes; to disrupt terrorists' plans,
dry up their sources of support and roll up their networks; and bring
terrorists to justice and bring those aiding and abetting them to
account.
As I mentioned earlier, the European Council will meet tomorrow
evening in Brussels in an extraordinary session, and I have no doubt
that the Council's session will result in further concrete expressions
of the solidarity and resolve that characterize our meetings today.
And now I would like to turn the floor over to my colleague, Mr.
Michel.
PRESIDENT MICHEL: I thank you very much, Colin. First of all, I have
to thank you very much for the way in which you have the leadership of
all this, and it is a real pleasure to exchange views with you. And it
makes things easier very often.
I'd like also to say that it is good to be here as Europeans in a
spirit of total solidarity, and with feelings of deep sympathy with
the American nation. We, the EU Presidency, Commission, our High
Representative Javier Solana and member states have been working very
hard to establish a strong partnership with the US. I think honestly
that we succeeded in doing so.
I would now like to give you the general approach of the EU about the
present crisis. I'm also very glad that we have a common statement to
present. This proves the full understanding and solidarity between US
and Europe. Now, what is the European approach of this crisis?
Together, the EU and the US must take the lead in this endeavor. They
must be the nucleus of a strong reply by the international community.
We are in favor of a strong trans-Atlantic coalition to fight
terrorism.
All international organizations and the UN in particular must be
engaged in this endeavor. United Nations Security Council Resolution
1368 considered these recent terrorist attacks as a threat to
international peace and security. Combating terrorism is both about
protecting the lives of our citizens from terrorist attacks and about
safeguarding the fundamental values of our open democratic and
multicultural societies. This EU/US leadership must be based on
permanent, timely and comprehensive consultation at all levels.
Now just a few words about the actions, the future actions of the EU
approach. I think you know we worked already actively on a
comprehensive and effective plan. So I announced some -- several
measures and several decisions that different councils -- European
councils have decided.
EU transport ministers will continue to work on innovative, more
effective air safety measures. It is important that not only the US
but every country takes immediate measures to ensure security of
flights to, from and within its territory.
EU foreign ministers will examine in the coming weeks a report by the
European presidency, the European Commission and the EU High
Representative for concrete measures that will increase the EU
capacity to effectively fight terrorism together with the US and all
the partners.
EU finance ministers will urgently address the issue of the financing
of terrorism. They will need to examine the availability of legal
tools that will prevent terrorists from generating and transferring
funds to finance their attacks against our countries.
And EU justice and interior ministers have met today and agreed on the
need for a European arrest warrant. This important measure is to
improve law enforcement, coordination among EU member states.
Ministers will need to examine if this benefit can also be applied to
extradition requests from non-EU countries. It has been decided that
the EU member states will strengthen their intelligence capacities and
increase their cooperation in this field.
No less than 33 measures were put forward in this council. Eight of
these measures are directly linked with the cooperation with US. And
we also asked our US friends to react to these measures and these
proposals. And, of course, we are hoping, we are waiting for these
reactions in order to discuss them still tomorrow at the council of
heads of states and ministers of foreign affairs, that will take place
in Brussels Friday afternoon.
I think cooperation between US and Europe is very important to fight
against terrorism. It is our common enemy and we must, in a common
way, together, over win this enemy.
SECRETARY POWELL: Thank you very much. Questions?
QUESTION: We are hearing here explicit measures. At the White House,
the Saudi Foreign Minister is speaking of support but it's just a
general statement. Are there any specifics behind it? In fact, there's
a report that the Saudis would freeze the bank accounts of some of bin
Laden's primary supporters. Is there anything to that? Is there
anything specific from that end?
SECRETARY POWELL: I met with Prince Saud last night and was with him
this morning when he spoke to the President. And he may have spoken in
general terms at the time you heard him, but he was rather specific in
our conversations about things they will do within the kingdom to
support us in this effort. And I would prefer to let the Saudis,
however, announce what their specific measures are rather than me.
QUESTION: Secretary Powell, is the European Union in Europe for the US
the prime partner in the battle against terrorism? Or is the US more
working with individual countries?
SECRETARY POWELL: I think it's both. We have been enormously gratified
how institutions, organizations, have come forward, whether it's NATO,
the European Union, the Organization of Islamic Conferences, the OAS
invoking the Rio Treaty. But we are also pursuing our agenda with
individual countries as well. And I have been very gratified by the
response we have gotten from organizations as well as from individual
countries. And there are many ways to go after this and we are
pursuing all of those ways, either through organizations or with
bilateral contacts.
QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, can you give us a reaction to the action or
the statements by the clerics today in Afghanistan on the fact that
they would be willing to see Mr. bin Laden go if he wants to go
voluntarily?
SECRETARY POWELL: Voluntarily or involuntarily, we believe that Usama
bin Laden has to be put under control and turned over to authorities
who can bring him to justice. And it should be done rather quickly.
And so I saw the clerics' statement, but we want action, not just
statements.
He should not be given haven in that country. He is responsible for
tragedies around the world, he is responsible for causing Afghanistan
and its regime to be looked down upon by the rest of the world. And
the sooner he leaves and is brought to justice, the better off I think
the world will be and the better off I think the Afghan people will
be.
QUESTION: Mr. Powell, in Europe you have -- in the European Union you
have 50 countries with sometimes different sensibilities. Not all
countries perhaps want to go as far as, for example, giving troops,
planes and so on. The American public sometimes thinks that countries
who don't want to go as far as that are not completely solidarity. How
do you understand that?
SECRETARY POWELL: We are very sensitive to what individual countries
can do and it's not just the 50 countries you referenced in Europe,
but there are 180 countries and many of them have come forward and
offered their support. In some cases, it may just be support in terms
of support in principle, rhetorical support, because that's all
they're capable of doing. In other instances, it may be more
aggressive action, working with us on getting after financial flows,
getting after information flows. It might involve helping us with
tracking down people and arresting them. It might be intelligence
sharing. And at the end of the day, it might be joining us in a
military operation if that is what is required.
The United States understands that each country will have to make its
own individual, sovereign decision as to the extent with which it can
participate in this coalition. But there is a place for everyone to
participate if they are against this common enemy.
QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, you spoke a few days ago about possible
American communication with the Taliban, direct communication between
the United States and the Taliban. Has the failure of the Pakistani
efforts rendered that unnecessary at this point? And a question for
Mr. Michel. Would you favor an additional UN Security Council
resolution before the United States undertook military action?
SECRETARY POWELL: We don't rule it out. We don't see a basis to
initiate a conversation. But that may well be a possibility if they
are prepared to do what's required, and that's turn over Usama bin
Laden, not talk about turning over Usama bin Laden. But turn him over,
and not just Usama bin Laden but all of the other lieutenants and the
infrastructure that exists within Afghanistan.
This isn't a campaign against one individual, but also the network
that he is the leader of. And when we have dealt with al-Qaida the
network, Usama bin Laden the individual, we will then broaden our
campaign to go after other terrorist organizations and forms of
terrorism around the world.
It is a long-term campaign. It will be done in a deliberate way, it
will be done in a decisive way. And we will show patience, but we will
also show persistence and perseverance until we are successful in this
campaign.
PRESIDENT MICHEL: Well, the decision has been taken already, so for
the rest I think what is important is the cooperation and the
information we will have from together and from each other. That's
important.
Maybe I take permission to answer to the question of the Belgian
journalist. I'd like to say this. Until now, all the countries have
shown total solidarity. And I didn't feel any difference in the
statements of the different countries. So this discussion, if there
are different sensibilities, this discuss maybe can take place. But it
hasn't taken place yet -- until now. So you cannot be suspicious about
the position and the statement of some countries. Just wait and you
will see. I think the solidarity is ready to go much further than you
think.
QUESTION: Secretary Powell, today a group of influential conservative
voices here in the United States wrote a letter to the White House
asking this administration to broaden the campaign, irrespective of
whether or not there are direct links found to state sponsors like
Iraq. Is this a reasonable expectation and is this something you could
see, when you are talking about broadening the campaign, that would be
included?
And I would like to ask Foreign Minister Michel also for his comments,
please.
SECRETARY POWELL: I have read about the letter, I haven't seen it. But
we welcome views from everybody as to how we might go about this
campaign. But the President has a clear idea in his mind and has given
us our instructions as to how we will begin this campaign, and what
the focus of our efforts will be initially, and I'm sure he will
describe this to the Americanpeople tonight in his speech.
PRESIDENT MICHEL: Well, I think, first of all, it's important to
remember that it is a campaign against terrorism, that is the first
objective, is the first aim. Now, maybe we can consider -- we'll see
-- we can consider there are new opportunities to build up new
relationship with some countries. But we have to examine that and it
is not really the moment to examine that now. The first aim is to win
against terrorism.
SECRETARY POWELL: Thank you very much.
(end transcript)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
