15 April 2004

Powell Urges Continued Polish Support in Iraq

Secretary speaks with Kamil Durczok of Polish Public TV

Poland's contributions to bringing freedom, democracy and stability to Iraq are part of a "noble" effort, and "we should remain steadfast and do what is necessary to give the Iraqi people the kind of country they deserve," Secretary of State Colin Powell said in an interview on Polish Public Television April 15.

Asked about the strategy for dealing with the insurgency against coalition forces, Powell replied, "what we want to do is defeat these old elements of the former regime, defeat the terrorists who are coming in, build up Iraqi security forces so that increasingly the Iraqi people can see they're being protected by their own army. ... And then we will leave."

He added that it would be "irresponsible" to allow those elements to force the coalition out of Iraq.

Powell said Poland played an important part in preparing for the liberation of Iraq, and he lauded the bravery of Polish coalition troops.

Referring to a new audiotape purportedly from terrorist fugitive Usama bin Laden offering a truce to those European countries that withdraw their forces from Muslim lands, he said:

"I think the Polish people know, and the Polish Government knows, and I know your soldiers on the ground know, that this is not the time ... to have a terrorist dictate to the civilized world. ... This is the time for all of us to be ever more resolute."

Poland gave the interview at the State Department in Washington.

Following is the State Department transcript of the interview:

(begin transcript)

U.S. Department of State
Office of the Spokesman
April 15, 2004

INTERVIEW

SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN L. POWELL ON POLISH PUBLIC TELEVISION WITH KAMIL DURCZOK

April 15, 2004
Washington, D.C.

MR. DURCZOK: (Via interpreter.) Good afternoon, Mr. Secretary. Let's start with latest message from Usama bin Laden. It's rather clear that bin Laden tries to (inaudible) differences between United States and its alliance by offering peace to those European countries which would withdraw their forces from Muslim territory.

Is it already possible for you to confirm that the voice on the tape is bin Laden's?

SECRETARY POWELL: The information I have suggests that it is Usama bin Laden.

MR. DURCZOK: Aren't you afraid, Mr. Secretary, that bin Laden's plan may become reality? They are fighting in Iraq. People are dying. Foreigners are being kidnapped. And after Madrid, we can hear, especially after Madrid, we can hear stronger and stronger voices in Europe: Let's leave Iraq.

SECRETARY POWELL: We can't leave Iraq. Iraq is an important country. It is a country that deserves to be supported as it tries to find its way to democracy, to freedom. We have gotten rid of a tyrant. We have gotten rid of a dictator that filled mass graves, that gassed people, who destroyed a country. And the international community has come together to liberate Iraq.

Poland played a very important part in getting ready for this operation. Poland is playing a very important part now with your brave troops on the ground, and we appreciate their being there. They are doing noble work.

And I think the Polish people know, and the Polish Government knows, and I know your soldiers on the ground know, that this is not the time to be terrorized by a terrorist, to have a terrorist dictate to the civilized world any terms coming from the terrorists. This is the time for all of us to be ever more resolute and say to Usama bin Laden: "No, we will not listen to any of these demands. You are the one who is wrong. You are the one who must be brought to justice."

MR. DURCZOK: Yeah, but, Mr. Secretary, how do you want to pursue it? Do you urge the alliance and your fellow the Americans that military presence in Iraq is still necessary?

SECRETARY POWELL: The American people understand that it is still necessary. The American people know that most of the 24 million people of Iraq want the same things that all Americans want and all Poles want, and that is to live in peace, to have a democracy, to be secure in one's homes, to have a good economy that will create jobs for people.

We're not keeping this from happening. The ones who are keeping this from happening are the terrorists and those old individuals left over from the previous regime. They're the ones causing this trouble.

And so what we have to do is stay the course, be firm, use our military and the police forces and security forces belonging to the Iraqis to defeat this enemy on the battlefield, and then use the reconstruction money that is coming and all the international assistance that is coming to help the Iraqis build a better nation for themselves.

Most Iraqis condemn this kind of attack. They want us to deal with these attacks, and we will deal with these attacks.

MR. DURCZOK: But don't you think that any American military presence in Iraq will always cause a rebellion, uprising and fighting?

SECRETARY POWELL: There are those in Iraq who oppose our presence. We don't want to stay a day longer than we have to, just as I'm sure our Polish colleagues do not want to stay a day longer than is necessary.

And so what we want to do is defeat these old elements of the former regime, defeat the terrorists who are coming in, build up Iraqi security forces so that increasingly the Iraqi people can see they're being protected by their own army, their own police force, their own militia. And then we will leave. But it would be irresponsible of us to leave now or to be tossed out, forced out, by these criminals and these thugs and these former regime elements and terrorists.

MR. DURCZOK: One year ago, when the monument of Saddam Hussein in Baghdad was overthrown, obviously, nobody said it's the end of dictatorship, it's the end of problems. But don't you have the feeling that the United States Administration has forgotten about something important, something that would now create other problems?

SECRETARY POWELL: Well, when the statue of Saddam Hussein came down, that dictatorship was over. And it is gone. It is gone forever. But we knew there would be many problems ahead. We did not know how tough the resistance would be a year later from these former regime elements and terrorists, but we are adapting to the situation. We are changing our tactics on the ground. We are doing other things with respect to putting money into the economy and with respect to returning political control to the Iraqis to deal with this challenge.

But even though the past couple of weeks have been very tough, I think we are even tougher, and we should remain steadfast and do what is necessary to give the Iraqi people the kind of country they deserve, a country that they deserve, that the region deserves and the rest of the world deserves.

And I would say to my Polish friends that your participation in this effort is noble. Your soldiers are doing great work. Your political leaders have shown great determination and courage in being a part of this coalition. They are deserving of your support. The Iraqi people are deserving of your support.

And we must not fall for the kinds of threats that are coming from individuals like Usama bin Laden, who spends his time and energy and the money he had going around murdering innocent people. They must be fought, they must be defeated, whether the terrorists go by the name of former regime elements in Iraq or go by the name of Usama bin Laden.

MR. DURCZOK: Mr. Secretary, thank you very much.

SECRETARY POWELL: You're welcome.

(end transcript)

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