27 June 2004
Rice Says European Union, NATO Help Expected for a Free Iraq
New Iraqi leadership will prevail despite terror attacks, she says
By Jane Morse
Washington File Staff Writer
The United States is getting "a very favorable reaction" from European nations for supporting the new Iraqi government, says National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice.
In a June 27 interview on "Fox News Sunday," Rice said "it's time for everybody to pull together and support this new Iraqi government as it tries to build a stable and secure Iraq."
Rice, who is in Turkey with President Bush to attend the NATO summit, predicted that Iraq's interim leader, Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, will get assistance from NATO member countries for training Iraq's new security forces as well as "strong political commitment" from NATO.
Rice expressed concern over the high level of violence within Iraq as the June 30 date approaches for the handover of sovereignty to Iraq.
"It's absolutely obvious that those who have no future in the new Iraq and the foreign terrorists are trying to derail this political transition. But Prime Minister Allawi and the Iraqi government have been very strong in saying that they are not going to succeed, that they are going to proceed. We are going to proceed with the handover to the Iraqis," she said. She added that reconstruction of Iraq's infrastructure will continue despite recent attacks to derail the process.
Rice acknowledged that some Iraqis believe that there are some people who have security training from the army who can be brought back. While some of these former army personnel already have been brought back into service, the primary concern is "that people with blood on their hands not be brought back," she said. Iraqis recognize, she said, "that the future of Iraq cannot be built on the pillars of the worst of the old Baath Party."
Concerning questions about the linkage between Al Qaida and Saddam Hussein, Rice explained that although there is no evidence that Iraq exercised operational control and direction of Al Qaida activities, there is strong evidence that "there have been contacts and connections between security personnel from the Iraq security services and Al Qaida." The regime of Saddam Hussein, Rice said, provided Al Qaida with bomb-making expertise, document forgery, safe haven and financing.
These activities made Saddam Hussein's regime a sponsor of terrorism, Rice said.
Certain public perceptions of "a relatively benign Iraq" are at odds with the regime's behavior for decades, Rice said.
"We overthrew one of the worst tyrants of the 20th century," she said. "The Middle East is safer for it. America is safer for it."
In response to questions regarding Iran's suspected nuclear weapons program, Rice said it is the U.S. view that "Iranians are trying to acquire undercover civilian nuclear production, trying to acquire military uses for nuclear power, maybe even nuclear weapons."
The United States, Europe, and the leaders of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), have been working to make clear to Iran that the country has only two choices, she said. "One is cooperate; the other is face isolation."
Iran's nuclear ambitions, Rice acknowledged, represent "a very tough situation, but we believe that this is one that still has a diplomatic solution within sight."
Regarding the situation in Sudan, where genocidal killings are taking place, Rice said Secretary of State Colin Powell will be visiting the country to focus international attention on the tragic events there, and a USAID mission is on the way to provide help. The United States has committed more than $100 million in humanitarian relief efforts, she noted.
"We're working with others, with the Libyans, to try to get a third route for supplies to get in to Darfur," she said. "And we've been putting a lot of pressure on the Sudanese government to stop the Jingaweit militia" from committing atrocities.
(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
This page printed from: http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2004&m=June&x=20040627150651ajesrom0.6658594&t=livefeeds/wf-latest.html
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
