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Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

22 March 2003

Powell Says U.S. Consulting Closely with Turkey

(Discussions cover overflights and Northern Iraq) (1240)
Secretary of State Colin Powell said that the United States is
consulting with Turkey about final resolution of overflight permission
for U.S. and coalition aircraft, as well as the question of a Turkish
military presence in Northern Iraq.
Powell spoke briefly to reporters following a March 21 meeting with
President Biya of Cameroon.
"At the moment, we don't see a need for any Turkish incursions into
Northern Iraq," Powell said, "and we are talking with the Turkish
authorities to see whether or not there is some planning we should do
with respect to any humanitarian needs that might arise along the
border."
In response to a question about the worldwide expulsion of Iraqi
diplomats, Powell said: "We believe that as we watch this regime come
to an end, it would be appropriate to let all of our friends know that
it was time to cease the activity of the Iraqi missions in their
countries and the leading members of those missions should be asked to
leave."
Powell praised Cameroon as "a place of stability in that part of
Africa," adding that "we want to do everything we can to strengthen
the government and to strengthen our relationship."
Following is the transcript of Secretary Colin Powell's remarks on
March 21, after meeting with President Biya of Cameroon:
(begin transcript)
Remarks After Meeting With Cameroon President Biya
Department of State 
Secretary Colin L. Powell 
Washington, D.C. 
March 21, 2003
SECRETARY POWELL: Good morning.
QUESTION: Are you having a problem with Turkey on military operations?
Are they being a little difficult?
SECRETARY POWELL: Well, Turkey, as you know, through its parliament,
approved overflights night before last, and we're having some
difficulty in operationalizing that, and I will be speaking to Turkish
leaders, I hope, within the next hour. I had a long conversation with
Prime Minister Erdogan about it last night, and I hope we can clear it
up. If not, we'll have to find alternate arrangements, but I'm still
hopeful it can be cleared up and I'll be speaking to them in the next
hour or so.
QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, it looks increasingly clear that the Turkish
military is trying to block the overflights so that they can move
their troops into Northern Iraq. How concerned are you about this, and
what are the potential consequences if this happens?
SECRETARY POWELL: I'm not saying that's perfectly clear. You are. What
I'm saying is that we are in contact with the Turks about the
overflight issue. They have to publish the parliament's decree in
their equivalent of the Federal Register.
And we are in contact with them about their desire to have a presence
in Northern Iraq. At the moment, we don't see a need for any Turkish
incursions into Northern Iraq and we are talking with the Turkish
authorities to see whether or not there is some planning we should do
with respect to any humanitarian needs that might arise along the
border.
But our position is that these two items should be separable. Let's
deal with the overflight issue and deal with the need for making sure
that there is not a disturbance along the Turkish-Iraq border.
QUESTION: Yesterday, the Department asked all its allies to -- anyone
with an Iraqi diplomatic presence, to cut off that presence and expel
the diplomats. Already, two strong allies, Canada and Russia, have
said they're not going to do that, they don't think that's the right
move. How big a problem is this going to be for you?
SECRETARY POWELL: That is their choice. We believe that as we watch
this regime come to an end, it would be appropriate to let all of our
friends know that it was time to cease the activity of the Iraqi
missions in their countries and the leading members of those missions
should be asked to leave. If some countries choose not to do that,
that is their choice.
QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, is the State Department, in fact, in touch
with any elements within Iraq to try and get Saddam Hussein to
surrender, resign?
SECRETARY POWELL: There are a number of channels open to Baghdad.
There are a number of individuals in countries around the world who
have been conveying the message to the Iraqi regime that it is now
inevitable that there will be a change. Coalition forces are doing
very well. The operation is going, I think, in a very fine manner. And
in order to prevent any loss of life beyond that which may have
occurred already, it would be wise for Iraqi leaders to recognize that
their day is over and that this is going to happen.
I also want to express my sympathy and condolences for the lives of
coalition soldiers, both United States, U.K., especially United States
Marines who have been lost so far. War is a terrible thing and,
unfortunately, lives are lost. So the sooner we can get this over in a
decisive way that brings a better life to the people of Iraq, the
better off we will be.
QUESTION: Secretary of State, you have received the President of
Cameroon. May we know how you defined your relations between Cameroon
and the United States today?
SECRETARY POWELL: Relations between our two countries, I think, are
excellent, and President Biya had a fine visit here. He had a good
discussion with President Bush yesterday and dinner with President
Bush, and we just completed a good series of discussions here.
We'll be working with Cameroon in the Security Council as we move
forward and we have plans to assist them with some of their economic
development activities and aid activities and their interest in
pursuing more aggressively the campaign against terrorism.
Cameroon is a place of stability in that part of Africa and we want to
do everything we can to strengthen the government and to strengthen
our relationship with Cameroon. One more.
QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, President Chirac has said in Brussels that he
is opposed, France is opposed, to the U.S. and the U.K. taking over in
Baghdad by U.N. resolution, that he would oppose that. (A) Does that
surprise you? And (B) do you intend to seek a U.N. resolution to do
that?
SECRETARY POWELL: We are in consultation with coalition members as
well as other members of the Security Council as to what is
appropriate as we move forward. With respect to the Oil-for-Food
program and any other broader resolution that might be appropriate,
I'm not quite sure what President Chirac is referring to.
All I know is that the liberation of Iraq is underway and we want to
do it in a way that will demonstrate to the world that we come as
liberators, that we are going to put in place a better life for the
people of Iraq, a representative form of government, and we are going
to use the assets of the people of Iraq, especially their oil assets,
to benefit their people and to no longer develop weapons of mass
destruction and to be used to threaten their neighbors. And I hope
that France will want to be a partner in such an effort, but that
remains to be seen.
It is time for us to realize that the liberation is underway and it is
inevitable. Thank you.
(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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