*EPF417 02/14/2002
Transcript: U.S., Russia Continue to Review Iraq Sanctions
(Powell reiterates no military action against Iraq imminent) (1140)

Secretary of State Colin Powell deflected press speculation that Russia would not support revisions to the U.N.-imposed sanctions regime against Iraq.

He said the Bush administration hopes to see the U.N. Security Council adopt a more tightly defined list of prohibitions that would curb Iraq's access to goods that could be used to produce weapons proliferation, while permitting greater flow of consumer goods to the Iraqi people, by May 2002.

"We're working hard with the Russians," Powell told reporters. "We've had good meetings recently reviewing the goods review list. And I'm confident that we will continue to work closely together with the Russians and try to bring into effect by the deadline in May a reviewed, revised goods review list, and that the whole Security Council will bless it at that time."

Speaking after his meeting with Canadian Foreign Minister William Graham in Washington February 14, Powell reiterated that President Bush has made no decision with respect to military action against Iraq.

"Our policies with respect to Iraq, both in a multilateral sense, with the United Nations Security Council resolutions, and our bilateral position, that the regime ought to change to benefit the people of Iraq and to bring greater stability and peace and opportunity to the region, that hasn't changed," Powell said.

"But the President has not received any recommendation to take additional action, and we'll be in close consultation with our friends as we go along," Powell said.

Following is an excerpt from the transcript of Powell's and Graham's comments to the media containing their remarks about Iraq:

(begin transcript)

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, President Putin said in Moscow this morning that he's not happy with the idea of US action against Iraq. Our own Prime Minister was there, Prime Minister Chretien, and said he's not ready to endorse military action in Iraq yet. Are you worried about the dissensions within the coalition, the coalition even breaking up because of this kind of --

SECRETARY POWELL: Not at all. President Bush has made no decision with respect to any kind of military action, which is the context of your question. And the Minister and I discussed in rather specific terms what President Bush meant by the axis of evil, and we talked about the nature of these three countries. And our policies are well known with respect to North Korea and Iran; they haven't changed. And our policies with respect to Iraq, both in a multilateral sense, with the United Nations Security Council resolutions, and our bilateral position, that the regime ought to change to benefit the people of Iraq and to bring greater stability and peace and opportunity to the region, that hasn't changed.

But the President has not received any recommendation to take additional action, and we'll be in close consultation with our friends as we go along. But of course we have to preserve all options, and we have to preserve the option to act alone if, as the President has said previously, we find that necessary.

So the coalition isn't breaking up. It has been reported as breaking up since about the second day it was formed last September, and my experience over the last five months is that it has grown stronger and stronger, because there is a common vision and a common purpose, and that is to defeat terrorism.

And as the Minister said a moment ago, use this coalition beyond just terrorism for many other purposes that we have a common vision for.

QUESTION: Do you think you'll still get Russian help on smart sanctions? You were fairly confident the other day, before President Putin's negative statement.

SECRETARY POWELL: I don't think President Putin said anything negatively about the sanctions regime.

QUESTION: No, no, about Iraq. Iraq policy.

SECRETARY POWELL: No, but you're asking about the sanctions regime.

QUESTION: Right, but it's still over, I'm asking.

SECRETARY POWELL: You get to pick the question; I pick the answer. (Laughter.)

QUESTION: I want to be sure you understand the question. We need him on sanctions, and do you think they're still there?

SECRETARY POWELL: Yes. We're working hard with the Russians. We have had good meetings recently, reviewing the goods review list. And I am confident that we will continue to work closely together with the Russians, and try to bring into effect by the deadline in May a reviewed, revised goods review list, and that the whole Security Council will bless it at that time. And the Iraqis, from that point on, will have no one to blame but themselves for any deprivation that the Iraqi people are suffering. It's their fault now, and we're going to take away their last excuse when the smart sanctions come into effect.

I have to run, so I'm going to allow the Minister to remain behind, because I have an appointment. Excuse me. Nice to see you.

QUESTION: Minister, why would the Canadian Government be the slightest bit reluctant to back America in wanting to oust Saddam Hussein, who has gassed his own people, defied UN sanctions for a decade? Why aren't you wholeheartedly endorsing his ouster?

FOREIGN MINISTER GRAHAM: Nobody is supporting Saddam Hussein, but everybody recognizes that in international politics you have to have a process which, before you invade a sovereign country, there has to be a reason for it or we're going to lead to international chaos. And what the Prime Minister has clearly said is that Canadians will support an action against Iraq if the causes are there. The two causes that are being cited are a link to the terrorism which occurred on September 11th. That has not been shown.

But if it is shown that they are amassing their weapons of mass destruction with a vision of using them against someone in the immediate future, that is a clear and present danger that we and all the world have to address. And we'll be willing to address it, but I think the Secretary was extremely clear about what he is saying. The President himself and the US administration is regarding this issue with a great deal of caution, and they are looking at what to do. And obviously we believe that what we are doing through the UN, the use of sanctions, is the way that we should presently proceed in order to make Saddam Hussein unable to use his weapons of mass destruction.

QUESTION: If the Americans provide concrete proof that Iraq is linked to the terrorism efforts, does that mean Canada will, in fact, back a military insertion?

FOREIGN MINISTER GRAHAM: That would certainly cause usto look at what action we should take with our American allies, yes.

(end excerpt)

(Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Departmnt of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

(end transcript)

(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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