24 October 2001
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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