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04 April 2003

Powell Discusses Post-War Government, U.N. Role in Iraq

(April 3 press conference following meetings in Brussels) (3860)
The work of reconstructing and rebuilding Iraq will require the entire
international community working together, Secretary of State Colin
Powell said April 3 during a press conference in Brussels following
meetings with North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) ministers and
European Union (EU) officials.
After briefing foreign ministers from the 19 NATO countries on the
progress of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Powell told reporters the
campaign is progressing well, that humanitarian aid is starting to
enter Iraq, and that the southern part of the country has been
declared a secure area so United Nations organizations can begin their
work.
"And with each passing day, Iraqi forces become weaker, coalition
forces become stronger," he said. "A very skilled campaign is being
waged, and we all hope that it will come to an end soon, and it is an
end that will certainly be successful."
Powell said he came to Brussels to discuss the future of a new Iraq in
the "post-hostilities period." He said that initially a coalition
military commander would be responsible for stabilizing and securing
post-conflict Iraq, but that the United States plans to establish an
interim Iraqi authority as soon as possible.
"As the interim authority develops capability," he added,
"responsibility will be passed to them to make decisions about the
future of Iraq and how Iraq will be governed and how it will be led
and how it will be administered."
The secretary said the people of Iraq "deserve a government that is
responsive to their needs, that reflects all of the dreams and hopes
and aspirations of the Iraqi people. And it is our obligation, the
obligation of the coalition, the obligation of the international
community, the obligation of all of us, to make sure that that hope is
not deferred or not defeated."
Questioned about the political reconstruction of Iraq, Powell said
that "ultimately, the Iraqis themselves have to create their own
government" but that the interim authority must be a government
representative of all Iraqis and one that preserves Iraq's territorial
integrity.
"I believe that the kind of interim authority that we want to create
and the kind of government we want to see rise up would be a
government that would contain individuals who have fought long and
hard for many years outside of the country for the liberation of Iraq,
as well as individuals within the country who recognize the damage
that Saddam Hussein has done to the country and who are willing to
participate in a new form of government to provide a new life for
Iraq," he said.
Powell also said he hopes U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan will soon
appoint a coordinator who can work with the coalition and Iraqi
interim authority when it is created to "supervise the flow of
humanitarian aid coming from U.N. organizations and also serve as the
eyes and ears of the U.N. in the area."
Regarding what else the U.N. might do in the post-conflict period,
Powell said, "there will definitely be a U.N. role, but what the exact
nature of that role will be remains to be seen."
Following is the State Department transcript of the press conference
in Brussels:
(begin transcript)
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
(Brussels, Belgium)
April 4, 2003
PRESS CONFERENCE
SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN L. POWELL
NATO Headquarters
Brussels, Belgium
April 3, 2003
(4:40 p.m. EST)
SECRETARY POWELL: Thanks and appreciation to the Secretary General and
to the presidency of the European Union for making it possible for me
to be here today with both the NAC [North Atlantic Council] and with
all of the representatives of the European Union in two different
sessions. I also had a series of very productive bilateral
discussions. I came to Brussels today because I wanted to take this
opportunity to discuss with our European colleagues the progress of
our campaign in Iraq, Operation Iraqi Freedom, but beyond just talking
about a military campaign I wanted to talk about the future.
The military campaign is going well. Two weeks into Operation Iraqi
Freedom, coalition forces are slowly but surely reducing the
capability of the Iraqi Armed Forces around the outskirts of Baghdad
approaching Saddam Hussein International Airport, slowly reducing the
remaining pockets of resistance in the south. Humanitarian aid is
starting to flow. We've been able to declare the southern most part of
the country a secure area so that U.N. organizations can begin their
work. And with each passing day Iraqi forces become weaker, coalition
forces become stronger, a very skilled campaign is being waged, and we
all hope that it will come to an end soon, and it is an end that will
certainly be successful.
I briefed my colleagues on that campaign, but as I said, we really
came here to talk about a future -- a future for the people of Iraq. A
future that will be based on a new Iraq, an Iraq that is living in
peace and freedom with a government that is representative of all the
people, that is responsive to the needs of the people, a government
that will no longer be developing weapons of mass destruction or
dealing in terrorism activities or brutalizing its own people; a
government that will use its oil wealth for the benefit of its people
and not for preparing to invade its neighbors or to develop weapons of
mass destruction.
I indicated to my colleagues that the work of reconstruction and
rebuilding will require the entire international community to join
together. We will be going through a phase process obviously in the
post hostilities period. Initially, military commanders, the coalition
commanders will be responsible for stabilizing the situation for
securing the country and people, for making sure that we find all the
weapons of mass destruction, identify them, destroy them, pull out the
infrastructure and capability, making sure that we have disarmed any
remaining remnants of the Iraqi army that might be a threat to their
own people or to coalition forces. But at the same time, that military
commander is performing that job, which is his responsibility as the
commander of the liberating force, we will quickly want to bring in
individuals who can establish an interim Iraqi authority so that the
people of Iraq can very quickly see that their own representatives are
moving into positions of authority and as the interim authority
develops capability, responsibility will be passed to them to make
decisions about the future of Iraq and how Iraq will be governed and
how it will be led and how it will be administered.
We also expect that during this post-hostility period international
organizations will have an important role to play. As President Bush
and Prime Minister Blair and Prime Minister Aznar said at the Azores
Summit a few weeks ago, the U.N. has a role to play as a partner in
this effort. The specific role to be played by the United Nations was
discussed quite extensively here among my colleagues. And these are
discussions that will continue here, and will continue in New York,
and I'll be having conversations with the Secretary-General about what
I heard here as we work on what resolutions might be appropriate as we
move forward.
I think this has been a very successful day from my perspective. It
shows that notwithstanding the disagreements we have had within the
trans-Atlantic communities -- serious disagreements, heated
disagreements, where we came to opposite conclusions on a very
important issue of the day -- we now must move forward and align
ourselves again with the need to serve the Iraqi people.
The people of Iraq deserve a government that is responsive to their
needs, that reflects all of the dreams and hopes and aspirations of
the Iraqi people. And it is our obligation, the obligation of the
coalition, the obligation of the international community, the
obligation of all of us, to make sure that hope is not deferred or not
defeated. Thank you very much and I'd be delighted to take your
questions.
QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, that military job that you envision, once
Saddam Hussein is gone, would that benefit by the participation of
NATO peacekeepers and do you ... are you more optimistic that there
will be a consensus on a U.N. role? Have you made some movements in
that direction today?
SECRETARY POWELL: With respect to the second part of the question,
there will definitely be a U.N. role, but what the exact nature of
that role will be remains to be seen. We are hopeful that the
Secretary General will, in the very near future, appoint a coordinator
who can work with coalition and work with the interim authority when
it is created, and to supervise the flow of humanitarian aid coming
from U.N. organizations and also serve as the eyes and ears of the
U.N. in the area. And so I'll be talking to the Secretary General
about that again. What was the second part of your question?
QUESTION: It was about that, in that immense military task, will NATO
be involved?
SECRETARY POWELL: I would not be able to answer that yet because I
think this would be a judgment that would have to be made by the
coalition military leaders. At some point the combat operation that is
underway will transition into stability and security operations and
ultimately into other kinds of operations, and we will have to make an
assessment at that time of what the needs are. What I am pleased about
today is that all of my NATO colleagues saw that as a possibility, and
were willing to consider it. We placed no request before NATO today.
Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz, when he was here in
December, laid out some suggestions that NATO could consider and they
were tabled and they go to the usual activities such as peacekeeping,
things of that nature. And I'm pleased that there was at least a
receptive attitude here today that NATO as a group is willing to
consider a NATO military role if one is appropriate, and that's a
judgment that will have to be made at some time in the future. So
we've begun a discussion within NATO. The important thing is that
nobody raised any objection to that possibility.
QUESTION: My name is Fabienne Nerac, my husband is missing since your
forces shot on his car. I sent you a personal letter this morning
asking you for information and I would like to know if you are going
to give me this information.
SECRETARY POWELL: Yes ma'am. I received an email from you yesterday,
and when I received the information and realized there was a
possibility that we might have some information about your husband, I
immediately contacted our military authorities. For the last almost 18
hours now they have been hard at work trying to find out whatever they
could about your husband. So far, we have not received any information
back concerning your husband's situation but I want you to know that
it is being looked at with all the intensity that we can bring to the
case, and we'll be back in touch with you as soon as we find out any
information whatsoever.
QUESTION: Will you make me a personal promise that you will check and
give me that information?
SECRETARY POWELL:  Yes ma'am.
QUESTION:  Thank you.
SECRETARY POWELL: I'm very sensitive to this. I understand your
feelings and as soon as we heard of it yesterday from my plane, we
immediately contacted our military authorities in the region and asked
them to look into it, and they have been looking for the last 18
hours, but so far, we have not received any information that would be
useful to you. But I give you my personal promise; we will do
everything we can to find out what happened.
QUESTION: When you came into office you were sort of a diplomatic star
in the view of many Europeans, but in the last few months you have in
the view of many Europeans but also Americans, you have become sort of
a symbol of failing U.S. diplomacy. Do you regret that?
SECRETARY POWELL: I don't believe I'm a symbol of failing U.S.
diplomacy. So I don't accept your premise. U.S. diplomacy --
QUESTION:  It is not my premise (inaudible)
SECRETARY POWELL: We won't go to polls and ratings, but maybe another
time. The issue is, I think U.S. diplomacy is alive and well, that's
why I'm here today. That's why I'm here today to speak to all of my
European Union colleagues and NATO colleagues about a way forward. The
United States took a bold diplomatic step last September when
President Bush went to the United Nations and presented a problem to
the United Nations that one particular dictator and one particular
regime that has been brutalizing its people and had been developing
weapons of mass destruction for 12 years had ignored the will of the
international community.
And we didn't go off unilaterally, we -- multilaterally -- brought it
to the U.N. Seven weeks later, as a result of I think a lot of
effective diplomatic work on the part of the United States and the
other members of the Security Council, we produced a resolution, 1441,
which was voted on unanimously 15 to zero, that said that Saddam
Hussein and his regime is guilty, remains guilty, it's being given one
last chance to come into compliance, and if it does not come into
compliance, serious consequences would flow. And after several months
and listening to the report of the inspectors, the United States and a
number of other nations on the Security Council, and elsewhere in the
world felt it was important that we take action. There were other
countries that felt strongly that no action was appropriate, and we
understand that public opinion in Europe was opposed to such action as
well.
Nevertheless, the United States would not step back from its
responsibilities and the responsibilities it felt the Security Council
had as well. Some people suggested that we should get a second
resolution. We didn't believe one was needed because of sufficient
authority in 1441, which was passed unanimously. Nevertheless, we made
an effort to get a second resolution. We were not successful so we
pulled back because it clear that some members of the council were
going to veto it no matter what it said. And so we decided let's not
go with the resolution. We have enough authority.
And now we have a coalition of willing nations, close to 50 now -- it
might be 50 today -- that have engaged in this operation. And in a
period of two weeks time, through a very successful military campaign
that has been conducted with great skill -- and a lot of commentary,
but with great skill -- is close to achieving its objective.
And so we used skillful diplomacy to get to the point of 1441, but
diplomacy must be backed by force, and diplomacy is useless if one is
not willing to use force to impose the will of the international
community on a nation such as Iraq, which violated the will of the
international community for 12 years.
QUESTION: Mr. Secretary. It's apparent that there's not yet a
consensus within Washington as to what the role of the U.N. should be
in the post-conflict period. But it's very clear here in NATO and
among the European leaders that there is a strong feeling that the
U.N. should have a very central role, a central political role as the
French Foreign Minister described it. What kind of report are you
going to bring back to Washington as to what you've heard here and how
that should shape U.S. policy? And just secondly, do you think there
should be some sort of conference along the lines of the Bonn
Conference to set up an interim authority?
SECRETARY POWELL: What I will report back to the president and my
colleagues in the National Security Council is what I have heard here
today. This was a series of meetings of a consultative nature, and
when you're consulting, you listen as well as speak. And I will report
back what I heard.
We are still examining the proper role for the United Nations. I'm not
surprised that there is not consensus yet because the debate and the
discussion has just begun. And so we had a very healthy dialogue. We
all understand that the U.N. must play a role. The president has said
so; he said it clearly. The nature of that role and how it is to be
played remains to be seen.
But one also has to remember that it was the coalition that came
together and took on this difficult mission at political expense, at
the expense of the treasure -- the money that it costs -- but at the
expense of lives as well. And when we have succeeded, and when we look
down the road to create this better life for the Iraqi people to
rebuild this society, to rebuild this country after these decades of
devastation wrought by Saddam Hussein, I think the coalition has to
play the leading role in determining the way forward. This is not to
say that we have to shut others out, and not to say that we will not
work in partnership with the international community, and especially
with the United Nations.
And so the resolutions that will be required, what will be in those
resolutions and how responsibilities will be set up between different
parties remains to be seen, just as it is in every instance, just as
it has been done in Afghanistan.
How an interim authority will be developed is the subject of
discussion, and I got some good ideas here today, which I will be
sharing with my colleagues when I get home.
QUESTION: Mr. Powell, today has been said plenty words about the
reconstruction of Iraq, but can you say about the reconstruction of --
political reconstruction of Iraq? Who will come instead of the regime
of Saddam? And do you -- are you sure that the opposition of Saddam is
a democratic opposition?
SECRETARY POWELL: We want to put in place a government -- initially
put in place an interim authority so that a government can be raised
up from that interim authority. Ultimately, the Iraqis themselves have
to create their own government. It has to be a government that will
preserve the territorial integrity of Iraq and will be representative
of all the people of Iraq. The opposition leaders we have been working
with are committed to that end.
And I believe that the kind of interim authority that we want to
create and the kind of government we want to see rise up would be a
government that would contain individuals who have fought long and
hard for many years outside of the country for the liberation of Iraq,
as well as individuals within the country who recognize the damage
that Saddam Hussein has done to the country and who are willing to
participate in a new form of government to provide a new life for Iraq
and who will be committed to the values that we believe are important
and which we believe the Iraqi people are deserving of. And so it will
be a combination of those who have struggled from the outside, as well
as those in the inside. But above all, it will be representative.
QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, I'd like to ask, the Europeans seem to be
pushing quite a bit for the road map, and I'd like to know the status
of that and also if you can deliver.
SECRETARY POWELL: The road map is ready to be delivered. And as we
have said and the President has said, we are anxious to present it to
the new Palestinian Prime Minister. We are waiting for him to be
confirmed as Prime Minister. We expect this will happen in the next
week or two. Once he forms a Cabinet and receives the vote of
confirmation or confidence in that Cabinet, then he will be confirmed.
The road map will be delivered at that time, delivered to both parties
and presented to the world.
And the United States will remain deeply engaged in working with both
parties and other nations in the region and interested nations
throughout the world to assist both sides in taking the steps
necessary to move down that road map and to move toward peace.
We have been waiting for new Palestinian leadership to come forward,
and we are now seeing that happen. We know that that new leadership,
in order for there to be success, must be committed to the end of
violence, the end of terror and to responsible government. And we know
that there will be obligations on the Israeli side, as well. And so,
once the road map has been delivered to both sides, they'll have an
opportunity to comment on it and talk to each other about it, what the
mutual obligations are. And we are ready to engage in a very, very --
very, very comprehensive and forceful way.
QUESTION: Mr. Colin Powell, do you still believe in the reasons that
you gave to justify the war, after two weeks with a very strong
resistance from the Iraqi people and no evidence of the weapons you
are looking for? And second, do you have an idea what will happen,
what they're going to do with the Iraqi regime after the war?
SECRETARY POWELL: With respect to what we've been doing for the last
two weeks, we've been fighting a battle, fighting a series of battles,
fighting a campaign. And that's been our priority. We have not yet
started our search for weapons of mass destruction, which we know are
well hidden throughout the country and within the Iraqi industrial
infrastructure, but we will certainly be doing that. We have uncovered
quite a bit of protective gear that the Iraqis have, which certainly
suggested that they were prepared to fight in chemical environments --
so are we, but everybody knows and the Iraqis knew that we didn't have
any chemical weapons to be used in a conflict. And so that's at least
an indication that they were aware that they might be fighting in a
chemical environment produced by themselves. And so we will continue
to search and look for the weapons of mass destruction. I'm quite
confident they will be found. And, I'm sorry?
QUESTION: Second, do you have any idea what they're going to do with
the Iraqi regime after the war?
SECRETARY POWELL: Well, we're going to -- not speaking about
personalities yet -- but this regime will be removed. Those who are
guilty of crimes against their own people or crimes against humanity
will be brought to justice.
Thank you very much.
(end transcript)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)