01 February 2002
Transcript: Powell, Straw Urge Iran to Be Helpful in Afghanistan
(Talks on terrorism, Afghanistan, Guantanamo detainees, Zimbabwe)
(1600)
Secretary of State Colin Powell cited the "helpful role" Iran played
at the conference in Germany that established an interim government in
Afghanistan and at the Afghan reconstruction conference in Japan, and
he urged it to continue in this vein.
Iran and all of Afghanistan's neighbors, he said, "should work
together now, not to achieve new levers of influence over Afghanistan,
but to work together to provide hope for the Afghan people and bring
that hope into being, make it a reality and not do things which tend
to destabilize or in some way support any one faction against the goal
of a representative national government."
At the same time, Powell said, the United States is "watching Iranian
actions very closely," particularly with regard to Iranian activities
in the western part of Afghanistan.
Powell spoke with journalists at the State Department January 31 after
meeting with British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw.
Straw said that, while he and the American secretary of State agreed
on continued engagement with reformist elements in Tehran, they also
believed in sending "strong messages to other parts of the government
of Iran about actions and support which we regard as unacceptable."
Powell said he and Straw had "a good exchange of views ... on the
issues of importance between our two countries" including the campaign
against terrorism; the Afghan war detainees at the U.S. military base
in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; and this spring's NATO ministerial in
Reykjavik and the autumn summit in Prague.
Regarding the detainees at Guantanamo, Powell said he briefed Straw
"to make sure that there was no question in anyone's mind that they
are receiving the best care that they can receive, as one would expect
from the United States."
He also said he again thanked Straw -- "and through him the British
people" -- for the outstanding support they have provided to the
United States and to the anti-terror campaign.
Following is a transcript of their remarks:
(begin transcript)
U.S. Department of State
Washington, D.C.
January 31, 2002
REMARKS BY SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN L. POWELL WITH SECRETARY OF STATE
FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS JACK STRAW, COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS OF THE UNITED
KINGDOM
SECRETARY POWELL: Well, good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. It is my
great pleasure to have received Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, and we
had a good exchange of views, as we always do, on the issues of
importance between our two countries. I once again thanked Secretary
Straw, and through him the British people, for all the outstanding
support they have provided to America and to the campaign against
terrorism. I especially congratulated the Foreign Secretary, and
through him the British Armed Forces, for the terrific job they are
doing in Afghanistan as the leading unit within the International
Security Assistance Force.
As you might expect, we spent a lot of time talking about Afghanistan
and looking at the way forward, and pleased at the progress that has
been made, but recognizing there are still difficult challenges ahead
as we help the Afghan people to a better future.
And we talked about other issues, to include the detainees at
Guantanamo, which I briefed the Foreign Secretary on the status of
them and to make sure that there was no question in anyone's mind that
they are receiving the best care that they can receive, as one would
expect from the United States. And we also talked about other matters
of interest with respect to NATO and the upcoming ministerial meeting
in Reykjavik, as well as getting ready for the Prague summit in the
fall. So it is a great pleasure to have the Foreign Secretary here,
and I would invite him to say a word or two.
FOREIGN SECRETARY STRAW: Thank you very much, Secretary Powell. It is
a real pleasure for me to be back here in Washington for these
discussions. Secretary Powell has already expounded on the agenda for
our discussions. One of the key points of this was the future of
Afghanistan. Hamid Karzai has been present here in Washington for
three days. I saw him in London earlier today, just before I left for
Washington, and he then went on to have a discussion with our Prime
Minister Blair during the rest of the day. And what we are discussing
with him is both the military position in Afghanistan, but also the
much wider agenda of the measures which we all have to take to assist
Afghanistan in reconstruction.
I also expressed my profound appreciation to Secretary Powell, the
President of the United States and the people of the United States,
for the resolute stand which they took from the 11th of September to
ensure that there was justice for those who had been killed and
injured on the 11th of September, and also to lay the foundations for
a much safer world. Thank you.
QUESTION: Could I ask you both a question about the issue of Zimbabwe?
The new press laws have just been passed restricting the freedom of
the press. What is your response?
FOREIGN SECRETARY STRAW: We discussed Zimbabwe and the possibility of
sanctions being imposed by the European Union. I discussed the matter
so far as the United States sanctions is concerned. I wholly condemn
the passage of these press laws. I find it almost impossible to
comprehend how free and fair elections can be held in Zimbabwe when
such laws have been passed. And that will be a matter which will have
to be weighed very carefully in the balance by the European Union to
decide whether the sanctions, in principle were decided upon earlier
this week, ought to be triggered.
SECRETARY POWELL: I certainly share the Secretary's view. I have
spoken out strongly in the past with respect to the actions that
President Mugabe is taking within Zimbabwe, and I also condemn the
press laws, as the Secretary did. And we are in close coordination
with our British colleagues and with others as to what action might be
appropriate as we move forward.
QUESTION: Thank you. To both of you, our Mr. Secretary first, what can
you say about the Iranian involvement in Afghanistan? There are
reports that they are training people for an insurrection against the
Karzai government.
And also to Mr. Straw, some of our European allies are said to be a
bit uncomfortable with our President's terming the "axis of evil" to
certain countries, Iran included.
SECRETARY POWELL: Well, we are watching Iranian actions very closely.
The Iranians played a helpful role at the Bonn meetings which produced
the agreement that provided for the Interim Authority to take over
again in Kabul, and they have also played a helpful role in the
reconstruction conference that was held in Japan not too long ago.
But we are also watching with great interest their activities in the
western part of the country, the activities of parts of the Iranian
Government that might be trying to exercise undue influence over the
new government. And so when we detect those kinds of activities, we
call it to the attention of Iranian authorities through a variety of
means to let them know that it is not the time -- this is not the time
for the Great Game to start again, that all of Afghanistan's neighbors
should work together now, not to achieve new levers of influence over
Afghanistan, but to work together to provide hope for the Afghan
people and bring that hope into being, make it a reality and not do
things which tend to destabilize or in some way support any one
faction against the goal of a representative national government.
FOREIGN SECRETARY STRAW: Thank you. We share the profound concern of
the United States administration about terrorism wherever it occurs
and the need for firm action to be taken in respect to that terrorism,
and that is nothing new. And in this respect, I speak for the British
Government and for the British Government alone. It's for other
European nations to express their views, but this is our view, and we
are very clear about this.
So far as Iran is concerned, it is a matter I talked about to Hamid
Karzai this morning, in very similar terms to Secretary Powell. And
their view and our view is that we should stay engaged with the
reformist government, with the things for which we are grateful; at
the same time, send out strong messages to other parts of the
government of Iran about actions and support which we regard as
unacceptable.
And one of the very interesting passages in President Bush's speech
yesterday in respect to Iran was distinguishing pretty clearly between
the different nature of authority inside Iran. There is a reformist
elected government and there is also other parts of the government
which are not elected which exercise strong control over the security
and defense apparatus.
SECRETARY POWELL: Thank you.
FOREIGN SECRETARY STRAW: Thank you very much.
QUESTION: Secretary Powell, could you try and clear something up?
There seems to be some confusion about what happened in your meeting
with King Abdullah this morning. Can you say whether -- are you
convinced that Jordan shares your belief that Arafat needs to be put
under more pressure to take action against --
SECRETARY POWELL: Don't let me speak for --
QUESTION: No, no, I don't want you to speak for him.
SECRETARY POWELL: I don't know what confusion there was in the
meeting, but right now I've got to get to the Chancellor Schroeder
meeting.
Released on January 31, 2002
(end transcript)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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