20 September 2001
Excerpt: Secretary Powell Calls for Action from Taliban
(Powell at US-EU press Sept 20 Press Conference) (1410)
Asked by reporters September 20 about the recommendation made by
Afghan clerics that Usama bin Laden leave Afghanistan, Secretary of
State Colin Powell said, "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."
Speaking at a joint press conference with European Union President
Louis Michel at the Department of State, Powell noted that the
international coalition forming in the wake of the September 11 has
much longer-range objectives than bringing Usama bin Laden to justice.
"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," he said.
Questioned about whether the visiting Saudi Arabian foreign minister
offered concrete assistance to the worldwide effort, Powell noted
that, in a meeting with President Bush September 20, the Saudi
representative directly addressed what his nation will do to support
the international effort. Powell declined to enumerate the specific
steps Saudi Arabia said it would take.
The secretary reiterated the international, sustained cooperation
planned to counter global terrorism. These include greater cooperation
among law enforcement authorities and exchange of information, tighter
aviation security, tighter immigration and visa controls and our
export control and nonproliferation regimes, blocking sources of
support, and international cooperation to bring terrorists and those
aiding and abetting them to account.
Following are excerpts from the transcript of the U.S.-EU press
conference containing Powell's comments about Usama bin Laden, Saudi
cooperation and other aspects of the anti-terrorism campaign:
(begin excerpt)
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.
(on Saudi Arabia)
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: 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 American people 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.
(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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