07 May 2003
Powell, Annan Discuss New Iraq Resolution
(May 7: Powell says resolution will unite international community to help Iraq) (470) By Judy Aita Washington File United Nations Correspondent United Nations -- Secretary of State Colin Powell May 7 discussed a Security Council draft resolution that would lift sanctions on Iraq with Secretary General Kofi Annan and said that the resolution being prepared by the United States includes a role in Iraq for the United Nations and the secretary general. "You can be sure it is a resolution that does not fight the battles of the past but is forward looking. It is a resolution that will unite the international community to help the people of Iraq to a better life and to build a new government. It will lift the sanctions to that end," Powell told journalists after the one-hour private meeting with the secretary general. "I think it is a resolution everybody will be able rally around," the secretary said. Powell said that the United States delegation to the U.N. expects to be able to give a final copy of the draft resolution to the other 14 Security Council members later in the week. He added that the U.S. has been working with Germany, France, Russia and China on the draft. Those nations led the opposition to a U.S. resolution that would have sanctioned the war with Iraq earlier this year, forcing the U.S. and United Kingdom to withdraw their proposed resolution. Powell said that he expects support from those nations on the new resolution. "Whatever happened in the past is in the past. We are not now talking about a matter of war, we are talking about a matter of peace, we're talking about a matter of hope," the secretary said. "We're talking about helping the Iraqi people and this resolution has that as its singular purpose: To help the Iraqi people attain a better life for themselves and their children and to put in place a democratic form of government representing all the people of Iraq that will live in peace with its neighbors and be a responsible nation among the family of nations," he said. "It is also a resolution that will give a role to the secretary general to play and the United Nations to play -- to play the vital role that President Bush has spoken of," the secretary said. Asked about U.S. relations with Turkey, Powell said that "we had been disappointed by actions earlier in the year, but Turkey is a good friend, a good ally and they are working with us now in a very cooperative way." "Notwithstanding that disappointment of a couple of months ago, (Turkey) remains a strong friend and ally and we have a good partnership with Turkey. I'm sure it will continue to grow in the years ahead," he said. (The Washington File is a product of the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
