30 June 2003
Powell Says All Palestinian Terrorist Militias Must Be Abolished
(June 30 Interview with Fox News) (1280)
Following is a transcript of Secretary of State Colin Powell's June 30
interview on the American television news program "On Fox & Friends."
(begin transcript)
Secretary of State Colin L. Powell
On Fox & Friends with Brian Kilmeade
June 30, 2003
Washington, D.C.
MR. KILMEADE: Mr. Secretary, thanks for joining us this morning.
SECRETARY POWELL: Thank you, Brian.
MR. KILMEADE: Well, we knew it was inevitable, it was going to happen.
Both sides virtually admitted to it. But already this morning, about
ten minutes ago, we understand there's been a shooting on the West
Bank. An Israeli has been hit.
What is the process Israel will go through, will go through before
they actually take action, if they choose to do so, under this
agreement?
SECRETARY POWELL: Well, I cannot tell you what the Israelis might do
in response to a specific shooting incident. The positive development
of the weekend, notwithstanding this incident, is that both sides have
agreed to turn over Gaza from Israeli control to Palestinian control.
It is with the expectation that the Palestinian Authority will make
sure that no terrorist incidents come out of Gaza and that they will
make sure that Gaza remains secure and at peace, and no rockets or
mortars will be fired at Israel.
So this is part of the roadmap process, where both sides had
obligations and commitments, and both sides are starting down that
road to meeting their obligations and commitments. So it is a positive
development. We knew, however, that there would be those who would try
to derail it, there would be those who would say, "We don't want to
see progress. We don't want to see peace. We don't want to see a
Palestinian state. So let's do what we can to disturb it and disrupt
it."
I am pleased that three organizations, Palestinian organizations, have
agreed to ceasefires. That won't be enough. It is not just a ceasefire
we need. We need the end of terrorist attacks even in the future, if a
ceasefire were to come to the end, which means we have to get rid of
the capability of these organizations to conduct a cease -- to conduct
terrorist activities.
Israel has an inherent right of self-defense, and Prime Minister
Sharon understands that as he defends the State of Israel he has to do
it in consideration of the overall situation and how it affects our
ability to move forward.
MR. KILMEADE: By the way, just to correct -- an Israeli -- the Israeli
was not hit, but there was a shooting on the West Bank. So that is
relatively good news. So there was one incident.
Now, just looking at the terrorist organizations a whole, Hamas in
particular says they have a military wing and they have a political
wing. Is there a difference?
SECRETARY POWELL: I don't think we can acknowledge that difference any
longer. Hamas, over the years, has provided funds to people in need.
It has a social component to it. It provides help to people. But, you
know, you can no longer separate it out. If it is a terrorist
organization, it is a terrorist organization. If it has a military
wing that is killing innocent Israeli citizens, how can you separate
that out from its social wing or its civilian wing?
And so it is time for all terrorist organizations to be abolished, to
give up that capability. And I believe that Prime Minister Abbas
understands that if he is going to have a state, a Palestinian state,
then all militias and all organizations with the capacity to conduct
terrorist activities have to be dismantled. All arms have to be under
the power of the state, not under the power of terrorist organizations
that are not answerable to the state. That is what a democratic state
involves. And we will have to reach that point.
And this is a start. The ceasefire is a start, but it cannot be the
end. We have to move on from here.
MR. KILMEADE: We know National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice is in
the region. You just left the region. It seems as though this
Administration is focused like never before. In your estimation, Mr.
Secretary, do you think you would have had this type of power, the
Administration be taken this seriously, if it wasn't for the operation
in Iraq? Did it give you something to make this possible?
SECRETARY POWELL: I think it did. The operation in Iraq succeeded in
eliminating one of the strategic threats to Israel -- Saddam Hussein's
regime -- and it also showed that the President was a man of his word,
a man of principle. And he had told everyone that we have a roadmap,
and as soon as the Palestinians come forward with responsible
leadership, we will deliver that roadmap and we will be engaged.
The Palestinians did that by making Prime Minister Abbas the Prime
Minister of the Palestinian Authority. We instantly presented the
roadmap to both sides, and in a relatively short period of time we had
the summits at Sharm el-Sheikh, bringing the Arab world together, and
then we had the summit at Aqaba, bringing Prime Minister Abbas
together with Prime Minister Sharon and President Bush.
And now you see Dr. Rice and I doing tandem work there to show that
this Administration is unified in our approach to the roadmap, and
involves the President of the United States putting his prestige on
the line, but beyond that, putting his considerable powers of
persuasion on the line as well.
MR. KILMEADE: And finally, Mr. Secretary, when will you decide -- and
I know it's the Presidential wish and he decides who's going to be in
his cabinet, and you know he's going to go back to you again and say,
"Stay with me." Will you say, "Yes, I'm going to stick around for the
next four years, if we are, in fact, reelected"?
SECRETARY POWELL: I serve at the pleasure of the President. That's the
only answer I've ever given to that question, no matter what form it
comes in.
MR. KILMEADE: Yeah, I thought you might change for me. Since we had
your son on Friday, I thought you'd say, "Well, wait a second, we
should do that."
Did Michael mention --
SECRETARY POWELL: What did he say?
MR. KILMEADE: He was actually -- he gave us inside information which
he doesn't want me to reveal to you. I'm only kidding.
SECRETARY POWELL: Okay.
MR. KILMEADE: I wanted to back you into a corner. It didn't work.
But did he mention his appearance on Friday, because we certainly
enjoyed talking to him because, thanks to him, I'm on my way to no
longer getting bothered at dinner with these direct sales marketing to
my phone. For that, I am forever grateful to your family.
SECRETARY POWELL: Well, my congratulations to my son on that, as well
as to the Federal Trade Commission and the President. I think it's
terrific. I tried to get online that very afternoon to do what my son
said to do, but the website was totally jammed so I was not able to
turn off all the dinner callers who continue to call me at home.
MR. KILMEADE: All right, we're going to work on that. But you're never
home at dinner. You're too busy. Thanks a lot, Mr. Secretary. I
appreciate it. And we're on our way, hopefully, to the roadmap to
peace. An important step, a pullout in Gaza. Bethlehem is just right
around the corner.
Thank you very much.
SECRETARY POWELL: Thank you.
(end transcript)
(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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