20 September 2001

Secretary Powell Calls for Action from Taliban

Asked by reporters September 20 about the recommendation made by Afghan clerics that Usama bin Laden leave Afghanistan, Secretary of State Colin Powell said, "Voluntarily or involuntarily, we believe that Usama bin Laden has to be put under control and turned over to authorities who can bring him to justice, and it should be done rather quickly."

Speaking at a joint press conference with European Union President Louis Michel at the Department of State, Powell noted that the international coalition forming in the wake of the September 11 has much longer-range objectives than bringing Usama bin Laden to justice.

"This isn't a campaign against one individual, but also the network that he is the leader of. And when we have dealt with al Qaida, the network, Usama bin Laden, the individual, we will then broaden our campaign to go after other terrorist organizations and forms of terrorism around the world," he said.

Questioned about whether the visiting Saudi Arabian foreign minister offered concrete assistance to the worldwide effort, Powell noted that, in a meeting with President Bush September 20, the Saudi representative directly addressed what his nation will do to support the international effort. Powell declined to enumerate the specific steps Saudi Arabia said it would take.

The secretary reiterated the international, sustained cooperation planned to counter global terrorism. These include greater cooperation among law enforcement authorities and exchange of information, tighter aviation security, tighter immigration and visa controls and our export control and nonproliferation regimes, blocking sources of support, and international cooperation to bring terrorists and those aiding and abetting them to account.

Following are excerpts from the transcript of the U.S.-EU press conference containing Powell's comments about Usama bin Laden, Saudi cooperation and other aspects of the anti-terrorism campaign:

Question: Mr. Secretary, can you give us a reaction to the action or the statements by the clerics today in Afghanistan on the fact that they would be willing to see Mr. bin Laden go if he wants to go voluntarily?

Secretary Powell: Voluntarily or involuntarily, we believe that Usama bin Laden has to be put under control and turned over to authorities who can bring him to justice. And it should be done rather quickly. And so I saw the clerics' statement, but we want action, not just statements.

He should not be given haven in that country. He is responsible for tragedies around the world, he is responsible for causing Afghanistan and its regime to be looked down upon by the rest of the world. And the sooner he leaves and is brought to justice, the better off I think the world will be and the better off I think the Afghan people will be.

Question: Mr. Powell, in Europe you have -- in the European Union you have 50 countries with sometimes different sensibilities. Not all countries perhaps want to go as far as, for example, giving troops, planes and so on. The American public sometimes thinks that countries who don't want to go as far as that are not completely solidarity. How do you understand that?

Secretary Powell: We are very sensitive to what individual countries can do and it's not just the 50 countries you referenced in Europe, but there are 180 countries and many of them have come forward and offered their support. In some cases, it may just be support in terms of support in principle, rhetorical support, because that's all they're capable of doing. In other instances, it may be more aggressive action, working with us on getting after financial flows, getting after information flows. It might involve helping us with tracking down people and arresting them. It might be intelligence sharing. And at the end of the day, it might be joining us in a military operation if that is what is required.

The United States understands that each country will have to make its own individual, sovereign decision as to the extent with which it can participate in this coalition. But there is a place for everyone to participate if they are against this common enemy.

Question: Mr. Secretary, you spoke a few days ago about possible American communication with the Taliban, direct communication between the United States and the Taliban. Has the failure of the Pakistani efforts rendered that unnecessary at this point?

And a question for Mr. Michel. Would you favor an additional UN Security Council resolution before the United States undertook military action?

Secretary Powell: We don't rule it out. We don't see a basis to initiate a conversation. But that may well be a possibility if they are prepared to do what's required, and that's turn over Usama bin Laden, not talk about turning over Usama bin Laden. But turn him over, and not just Usama bin Laden but all of the other lieutenants and the infrastructure that exists within Afghanistan.

This isn't a campaign against one individual, but also the network that he is the leader of. And when we have dealt with al-Qaida the network, Usama bin Laden the individual, we will then broaden our campaign to go after other terrorist organizations and forms of terrorism around the world.

It is a long-term campaign. It will be done in a deliberate way, it will be done in a decisive way. And we will show patience, but we will also show persistence and perseverance until we are successful in this campaign.

on Saudi Arabia

Question: We are hearing here explicit measures. At the White House, the Saudi Foreign Minister is speaking of support but it's just a general statement. Are there any specifics behind it? In fact, there's a report that the Saudis would freeze the bank accounts of some of bin Laden's primary supporters. Is there anything to that? Is there anything specific from that end?

Secretary Powell: I met with Prince Saud last night and was with him this morning when he spoke to the President. And he may have spoken in general terms at the time you heard him, but he was rather specific in our conversations about things they will do within the kingdom to support us in this effort. And I would prefer to let the Saudis, however, announce what their specific measures are rather than me.

Question: Secretary Powell, is the European Union in Europe for the US the prime partner in the battle against terrorism? Or is the US more working with individual countries?

Secretary Powell: I think it's both. We have been enormously gratified how institutions, organizations, have come forward, whether it's NATO, the European Union, the Organization of Islamic Conferences, the OAS invoking the Rio Treaty. But we are also pursuing our agenda with individual countries as well. And I have been very gratified by the response we have gotten from organizations as well as from individual countries. And there are many ways to go after this and we are pursuing all of those ways, either through organizations or with bilateral contacts.

Question: Secretary Powell, today a group of influential conservative voices here in the United States wrote a letter to the White House asking this administration to broaden the campaign, irrespective of whether or not there are direct links found to state sponsors like Iraq. Is this a reasonable expectation and is this something you could see, when you are talking about broadening the campaign, that would be included?

And I would like to ask Foreign Minister Michel also for his comments, please.

Secretary Powell: I have read about the letter, I haven't seen it. But we welcome views from everybody as to how we might go about this campaign. But the President has a clear idea in his mind and has given us our instructions as to how we will begin this campaign, and what the focus of our efforts will be initially, and I'm sure he will describe this to the American people tonight in his speech.

President Michel: Well, I think, first of all, it's important to remember that it is a campaign against terrorism, that is the first objective, is the first aim. Now, maybe we can consider -- we'll see -- we can consider there are new opportunities to build up new relationship with some countries. But we have to examine that and it is not really the moment to examine that now. The first aim is to win against terrorism.

end excerpt