Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

DATE=3/19/04

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

NUMBER=2-314284

TITLE=POWELL / IRAQ WRAP (L)

BYLINE=DAVID GOLLUST

DATELINE=KUWAIT CITY

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: Secretary of State Colin Powell visited Baghdad Friday on the first anniversary of the start of the U-S-led invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein. Mr. Powell urged members of the military coalition to persevere in the face of increased attacks by foreign terrorists and supporters of the old regime. V-O-A's David Gollust reports from Kuwait City.

TEXT: Mr. Powell's seven-hour visit, which was not announced publicly until he had arrived in Baghdad, came amid what he described as a "spike" in terrorism and attacks on coalition forces, and political disappointments, including the likely withdrawal from Iraq of Spanish troops.

But in a pep talk to hundreds of U-S and other coalition soldiers at the Coalition Provisional Authority headquarters, and at a closing news conference, Mr. Powell said the United States and its allies will prevail in their goal of transforming Iraq from the tyranny it suffered under Saddam Hussein into a functioning democracy.

Spain's Socialist party, which had opposed the Spanish role in the Iraq coalition, won national elections in the wake of last week's devastating commuter railroad bombings. Asked about the expected pullout of the 13-hundred member Spanish contingent, Mr. Powell said terrorism requires not a retreat but a redoubling of efforts to defeat it.

/// POWELL ACTUALITY ///

This is not the time to say, let's stop what we're doing and pull back. This is the time to redouble our efforts in every way, law enforcement activities, intelligence activities and deal with this threat to the civilized world, and not run and hide and think that it won't come and get us. It will come and get us. It is a threat to the whole civilized world, and the civilized world has to respond.

/// POWELL ACTUALITY ///

Mr. Powell spent all his time in Baghdad inside the former Saddam Hussein palace complex that serves as coalition headquarters, meeting with U-S administrator for Iraq, Paul Bremer, members of the Iraqi Governing Council, and Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari.

They discussed the security situation and plans for the interim Iraqi government that is to assume sovereignty with the official end of the occupation June 30th, as well as the United Nations role in Iraq after that date.

The exact form of the interim administration remains unclear, since a plan for electing its members through nationwide caucuses was abandoned in the face of Shiite opposition.

But Mr. Powell said talks on the interim government are not at an impasse and that various ideas and models are being discussed. Coalition officials said expanding the 25-member governing council to make it more representative is one of those options, but not necessarily the leading choice.

The secretary's news conference began with a protest statement and walkout by dozens of Iraqi reporters over the deaths of two Iraq television journalists, in a shooting incident late Thursday near a coalition checkpoint.

Mr. Powell said he regretted the deaths and said while the circumstances were unclear, he is confident that if coalition troops were responsible it was not a deliberate act.

He also said the walkout was emblematic of the democracy the coalition is seeking to bring to the country despite violent opposition.

/// POWELL ACT TWO ///

This is something that could never have happened at an earlier time in the history of Iraq, and certainly not in the last 30 years. I also regret the loss of life, the two journalists that they commemorated here by their action. I regret any loss of life, whether it is a journalist, coalition soldiers, non-governmental organization workers, missionaries, average Iraqi citizens just going about their daily life. But let's be clear who is responsible for this: terrorists, those individuals left over from the old regime who do not want to see the Iraqi people live in peace.

/// END ACT ///

Mr. Powell went on from Baghdad to Riyadh for talks with Saudi officials, including defacto ruler Crown Prince Abdullah and Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal. He completes a week-long overseas mission Saturday in meetings here with Kuwaiti leaders. (SIGNED)

NEB/DAG/TW/FC