Military

DATE=2/17/02

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=U-S UNILATERALISM (L-O)

NUMBER=2-286565

BYLINE=JESSICA BERMAN

DATELINE=WASHINGTON

CONTENT=

INTRO: The Bush Administration is again answering criticism from some of its allies for President Bush's "axis of evil" comment. V-O-A'S Jessica Berman reports.

TEXT: In his recent State of the Union address, President Bush described Iraq, Iran, and North Korea as an "axis of evil." The foreign ministers of France and Germany - two of the U-S's closest anti-terrorism allies - expressed concern that the phrase is dangerous, simplistic, and threatens the alliance.

Not so, says Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz.

/// WOLFOWITZ ACT ///

What I would say to people who say we are being simplistic is it sounds an awful lot to me like people who said, when the war in Afghanistan started, "the Americans are attacking Afghanistan, it is going to send the Arab world, the Muslim world, up in flames". We were not attacking Afghanistan, we were liberating the Afghan people.

/// END ACT ///

Mr. Wolfowitz made his comments on the television program, "Fox News Sunday."

In Iran, the "axis of evil" remark was greeted the next day with large street demonstrations. Appearing Sunday on the N-B-C television program "Meet the Press," Secretary of State Colin Powell said the comment by President Bush was intentional.

/// POWELL ACT ///

I can assure was part and parcel in the drafting of that speech and I knew exactly what the president was going to say. And he was speaking to the Iranian people and letting the Iranian people know that their un-elected leadership was not serving them well by using their treasure to develop nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction, and the means to deliver them.

/// END ACT ///

Secretary Powell says he does not believe the "axis of evil" remark stalls U-S efforts to open a dialogue with Iran. (SIGNED)

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