14 January 2002

Powell To Meet With Afghan Leader

Secretary of State Colin Powell said he plans to meet the head of the interim Afghan government, Hamid Karzai, in Kabul and later in Tokyo to offer U.S. help to the Afghan leader.

"Afghanistan is in need of many things -- a police force, a new military that is committed to the Afghan people -- and all of the nations of the world are coming together to help Mr. Karzai," Powell said in an interview with CNN in Washington January 14.

Between January 15 and 21, Powell visits South Asia then Tokyo to attend an international conference on the reconstruction of Afghanistan.

Powell also praised Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf's efforts against terrorism.

"President Musharraf made a very important speech, an Islamic leader saying that jihad should be for the purpose of educating people and for the purpose of lifting people out of poverty, and extremism has no place in his society," Powell said.

Regarding the tensions between India and Pakistan, Powell said the United States wants to see both sides pull their forces away from their common border to reduce the opportunity for an incident that could spark a conflict.

Concerning Iraq, Powell said it is clear that Iraq is a state sponsor of terrorism, but the Bush administration has not made any decision about whether to change its policy toward the regime.

Following is the transcript of Powell's interview with CNN:

Question: Well, the ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan are among the top agenda items for Secretary of State Colin Powell when he leaves tomorrow for Asia. Secretary Powell is expected to visit both Islamabad and New Delhi, as well as make a stop in Afghanistan and go to a conference in Tokyo. Secretary of State Powell joins me now here in Washington.

Mr. Secretary, I want to ask you first about Afghanistan. You are going to be meeting with the interim leader, Hamid Karzai. People are beginning to ask, here is someone who does have the title of being in charge, but he has got a country, very little police force, very little security; he's having to share the palace, we're told, with the former president. To what extent is Hamid Karzai really in charge of the country?

Secretary Powell: Well, he is very much in charge of the interim authority, and he is very much in charge of the country. And we're trying to help him in every way that we can. That's why I am going to visit with him in Kabul, and then join him at the reconstruction conference in Tokyo next Monday.

Afghanistan is in need of many things -- a police force, a new military that is committed to the Afghan people -- and all of the nations of the world are coming together to help Mr. Karzai. He will work out his problems with Mr. Rabbani as to who should be in the palace in due course. That doesn't trouble me. But we really do have our work cut out for us here, and that's the purpose of my trip, to reassure him that the international community will stand alongside him, stand behind him. We didn't just ask him to take this job on alone. A lot of people are waiting to help, and a lot of resources are going to be available. We are in the process of getting access to Afghan money, money that has been held in various accounts around the world, so that he will have money in which to start the rebuilding process in Afghanistan.

Question: Mr. Secretary, to India and Pakistan now. Much of the focus in the last few days on Pakistan, and President Musharraf saying he is now prepared to crack down on terrorists operating in his country. That's where the focus has been, but now people are asking, what about Indian troops on the border with Kashmir. Are you going to be asking Indian leaders to do something about that?

Secretary Powell: We're going to be discussing all of these issues. I am pleased at the developments of the last two or three days. President Musharraf made a very important speech, an Islamic leader saying that jihad should be for the purpose of educating people and for the purpose of lifting people out of poverty, and extremism has no place in his society.

He spoke out against all forms of terrorism, and he spoke out against terrorism emanating from anywhere in Pakistan or under Pakistan control. And at the moment we have a very tense, delicate situation along the line of control in Kashmir, and also along the international border. And I think we have stabilized things right now to the point where we can continue working the diplomatic and political track and persuade everyone that that is the direction we should continue to move, and the last thing we want to see happen right now in South Asia is a war between these two nuclear-armed states.

President Musharraf has done more than just speak. He is taking action. He has banned terrorist organizations, he is arresting people, and the Indians have taken note of all of this. So I think I have quite a bit to work with when I go there later this week in my discussions with both sides.

Question: But you do want them to remove -- the US does want India to remove those troops?

Secretary Powell: We want to see us get back to a situation where the Indian Army is no longer mobilized, they move back to their original positions. We want to find a solution which will allow Pakistan to move its forces away from the border so that we have less tension at that border, less opportunity for some incident to spark a conflict between the two sides.

Question: A question about Iraq. Today Senator Joe Lieberman said in a speech that the United States must now add Iraq to the war on terrorism. He called for, in his words, "liberating the people of Iraq from the regime of Saddam Hussein." He said it's something that should have happened 10 years ago. He said the US should act alone, if necessary. Do you agree with him?

Secretary Powell: Well, I thank the Senator for his thoughts, which are always very, very well informed, and we take them into consideration. We have no illusions about the nature of the Iraqi regime. It's a state sponsor of terrorism. We have said so. Our sanctions regime has constrained Mr. Hussein's ability to rebuild his forces, and we have constantly under review what might be done to bring about regime change. And the President has made no decisions as to how he will move forward with respect to Iraq, or other sources of terrorism in the world, or especially with respect to Iraq, those nations pursuing weapons of mass destruction. And the President's advisors have not given him a recommendation yet with respect to Iraq.

Question: All right. Well, Mr. Secretary, we're going to have to leave it there. I know you are off on this trip by tomorrow morning, and we thank you very much for joining us.

Secretary Powell: Thank you, Judy.

Question: Have a safe journey.

Secretary Powell: Thank you.