*EPF104 07/29/2002
Transcript: Powell Hails Thailand's Support in War on Terror
(Cites Thai construction battalion slated for Afghanistan) (2601)

Secretary of State Colin Powell, during his visit to Bangkok, lauded Thailand's efforts to fight against international terrorism.

In a July 29 television interview in Bangkok, Powell told reporters that he is "pleased with everything that Thailand has been doing, and I do not have any weakness to identify. I am very satisfied with the energy that is being put into it (the antiterrorism campaign) and the resources that have been put into the effort. "

The Secretary of State said the United States and Thailand are both "partners and friends," and he noted that Thailand fought alongside the United States in both the Korean War and the Vietnam War.

"And now they are fighting with us in the campaign against terrorism," Powell said.

"They have been supportive of our efforts in Afghanistan especially, and I am very pleased that Thailand will be offering a construction battalion at the end of the year to go to Afghanistan to help the people of Afghanistan and to help our efforts," Powell said.

"Let me congratulate Thailand for what it has been doing in East Timor, and the very fine work that the soldiers who have been deployed to East Timor have performed, and the very skilled manner in which your commanders have handled that operation," he added.

Powell said the United States and Thailand conduct the largest joint exercise involving U.S. forces in the region, and that the U.S. military is prepared to assist the Thai military "in any way that the Thai military believes they can use assistance."

Following is a transcript of Secretary of State Colin Powell's July 29 television news conference in Bangkok:

(begin transcript)

Secretary Powell TV Interview in Bangkok

Publication: Department of State Office of the Spokesman
Date: 07/29/2002
Author: Office Of The Spokesman (Bangkok, Thailand)

For Immediate Release July 29, 2002 2002/675

SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN L. POWELL TV INTERVIEW WITH CHANNEL 11 Bangkok

July 29, 2002

Q: Mr. Secretary, welcome to Thailand.

SECRETARY POWELL: Thank you. It's a great pleasure to be here.

Q: I believe that this is your first visit to Thailand. Why did it take you so long to get here?

SECRETARY POWELL: Well, the fault is all mine. I should have been here years ago. And I have been looking forward to visiting Thailand for many years, but although I am late in arriving, I assure you I am pleased to be here and I'm touched by the graciousness of the welcome that I have received by the Thai people that I have met as well as from the leadership.

Q: Did you have a chance to see anything yet in Bangkok?

SECERTARY POWELL: Regrettably only through the car window. But my wife is also with me, and she is able to see a little bit more than I am able to see.

Q: You just had lunch with the Prime Minister. What would the two most important messages you would like to deliver to him?

SECRETARY POWELL: Well what I want to do is make sure he understood that the United States treasures this relationship with Thailand, a relationship that goes back to 1833. We have been through many crises together, and Thailand has always stood beside the United States and the United States has also stood beside Thailand. And we reaffirmed to strengthen that relationship.

We also touched on a number of regional issues, the situation in India and Pakistan, the salutation across the border in Burma. The Prime Minister was also anxious to tell me about the work he has done with respect to Asian discussions, bringing other Southeast Asian leaders together to discuss regional issues. He was quite interested in the ASEAN initiative, and we talked about that as well.

Q: I see. Given that the long relation, as well as treaty allies, do you think Thailand will live up to the expectations of the United States?

SECRETARY POWELL: Oh, yes. Thailand has lived up to our expectations in so many ways. They fought with us in Korea and Vietnam, and now they are fighting with us in the campaign against terrorism. They have been supportive of our efforts. They have been supportive of our efforts in Afghanistan especially, and I am very pleased that Thailand will be offering a construction battalion at the end of the year to go to Afghanistan to help the people of Afghanistan and to help our efforts. It is symbolic of the kind of work that Thailand has been doing in peacekeeping and helping nations who are in need.

In that same light, let me congratulate Thailand for what it has been doing in East Timor, and the very fine work that the soldiers who have been deployed to East Timor have performed, and the very skilled manner in which your commanders have handled that operation.

Q: In fighting the war on terrorism, is it possible that someday the US troops will return to Thailand, like in the Philippines?

SECRETARY POWELL: Well, that is always something to be discussed between the two sides. We are partners and friends. I think that Thailand is quite capable of handling its internal challenges with respect to terrorism, but if there is ever anything we can do to help Thailand, we would certainly stand ready to do so.

In the case of the Philippines, it's a situation where we have returned only in the sense that we are there on a temporary basis to help the Philippine army become more proficient, to help them with their training. But there is no effort on our part to reinsert ourselves on any permanent basis in the Philippines. That is not what we do now. What we do is we work with our friends, to see what kind of support and assistance we can provide them, and if they ask for it and if they want it, then we will provide it. And then when the need is normal over there, we will return home.

Q: So from your assessment, what area do you think Thailand would need to improve to be part of this global anti-terrorism campaign?

SECRETARY POWELL: I think Thailand is doing a great deal now. In my conversations earlier today with the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, I was pleased to hear that in the near future Thailand would be able to ratify all the outstanding counter-terrorism protocols and treaties that are out there. They have done five so far, with another seven to come. That shows that we have made a political commitment to the campaign against terrorism. I think Thailand is cooperating with us on law enforcement activities, on intelligence exchange activities. And so, I am pleased with everything that Thailand has been doing, and I do not have any weakness to identify. I am very satisfied with the energy that is being put into it and the resources that have been put into the effort.

Q: Has the United States helped Thailand in training the Thai troops fighting terrorism?

SECRETARY POWELL: I do not know any particular program, but you know we have such a rich program of exchange with Thailand. Our two militaries have done a lot of things together over the years, and the COBRA Gold exercise, as you all know, is the largest military exercise that we conduct in this part of the world. So, I think there are solid relations. The United States military, through our military personnel here in our Embassy, are prepared to assist Thailand in any way that the Thai military believes they can use assistance.

Q: Well since you mentioned COBRA Gold, there are some fears that the United States would turn COBRA Gold into a regional sort of collaboration of militaries cooperation against China. What is your comment on that?

SECRETARY POWELL: No, COBRA Gold is not directed against any particular nation, and certainly not against China. It is a way for the militaries of the region, especially the United States and Thai militaries, to cooperate with each other, to get to understand the kinds of procedures that are needed to operate together in an effective way. And the United States -- and our presence in Asia has always been for defensive purpose and for the purpose of friendship and cooperation with friendly nations and not of an aggressive intent against anyone.

Q: Talk about ASEAN, how you've been trying to sign an anti-terrorists pact with the groupings and with the hope that you will turn the grouping into a bulwark against international terrorists. Do you think you can achieve that?

SECRETARY POWELL: Well, we'll see. I'll be in Brunei in another day or so, and the reports I've received so far indicate that there is strong support for the document that is being hammered out. But of course you have to wait and make sure everybody agrees to it, all have to agree, and I hope that that will be the case.

Q: There was some difference of interpretation, of wording?

SECRETARY POWELL: There are always those sorts of differences as one negotiates an agreement, and I hope that by time I arrive in Brunei, those differences will have been worked out. And if they have been worked out, then we will be able to join the consensus on this document. If not, I understand that all sides were willing and the spirit is there, but we may have some language difficulties with one country or another. But I'm optimistic that we might be able to solve all of these or all of those who are in Brunei now working on it will be able to solve it before the ministers arrive.

Q: You need all the help you want, but do you think the new farm bill will weaken your effort trying to enlist regional coalitions in the region to fight against terrorism?

SECRETARY POWELL: I don't think it will have an effect. As people come to understand the farm bill that you are making reference to, I think people will see that it does not represent regression in the way of US attitudes towards open trade and unsubsidized trade. In fact, the new US farm bill will cap subsidies to our farmers at a level that will be equal to or below levels of recent years. And so, in effect, we are capping the amount of subsidization that we are going to be giving to our farmers, and in fact, it is a lot below what the European Union and other trading organizations do.

So, I don't think the United States has anything to apologize for this farm bill. I think it's a good farm bill. But I think it is also important to note that in the last few days, our Agricultural Secretary Ms. Veneman and Trade Representative Mr. Zoellick announced a new US initiative where over the next ten years, hopefully in a ten-year period, we will be able to get all of the trading groups in the world to cut out a lot of the farm subsidies and other subsidies that exist in the system, harmonize the various subsidies and bring it down to a lower level, and remove a lot of what is really unfair government subsidization of different industries, especially within the agricultural field.

Q: Were the Thai leaders convinced of your explanation?

SECRETARY POWELL: I think they understand. Yes, I think they understand. And I think they know that we are very sensitive to Thailand in this regard. The recent bill that cleared our House of Representatives just the other day with respect to Trade Promotion Authority in the Andean Trade Preference Act took note of the importance of tuna exports from Thailand, and I think the Thai Government was pleased with that.

Q: In your own words, how do you describe the Bush Doctrine to the Thai and ASEAN leaders?

SECRETARY POWELL: The Bush Doctrine is one of promoting democracy, promoting a free market system, and recognizing the individual worth of every single man and woman on Earth; and it is our desire to have friends and partners around the world who recognize that working with us and moving in the direction of democracy and free enterprise will benefit both sides, both the United States and all our friends and partners.

The Bush Doctrine also, with respect to Asia, recognizes that the United States is a Pacific nation, an Asian nation to some extent, that we have responsibilities in the Asian Pacific region, and we will meet those responsibilities with the continued deployment of US forces, not as a threat to anyone, but as a stabilizing presence in the region working with friends and making sure that we, perhaps, watch over those who might have more aggressive intent or have yet to see the more productive way to move with respect to relations in this region. I have in mind, for example, North Korea, a country that I hope will soon realize that the path it has been following is an incorrect path.

We will keep our presence here in the region because we believe it has been so useful for the region ever since we came here in strength after World War II, and we intend to remain.

Q: Thank you very much for your time.

SECRETARY POWELL: My pleasure. Thank you.


(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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