*EPF504 09/12/2003
Transcript: Powell Says U.S. Liberates, Not Occupies, Other Countries
(On France's TV2, says U.S. will return sovereignty to Iraqis "as soon as we can") (1430)

The United States is a nation that liberates, not occupies, other countries, said Secretary of State Colin Powell. As such, it will return sovereignty to the Iraqi people as soon as a government is in place.

Powell, speaking September 12 with Alain de Chalvron of France's TV2, reminded the French audience of their own experiences as both an occupied and a liberated country.

"Liberators come in, remove occupiers and return sovereignty," said Powell. "And Paris saw that several times in the last century in the presence of American soldiers as friends and allies and partners of France."

In Iraq, the United States has "done a very good thing for the Iraqi people and for the world," he said. "We have gotten rid of one of the worst dictators on the face of the earth."

He said that "nobody wants to turn sovereignty back to the Iraqi people as fast as the United States does, President Bush does, and I do," but stressed that there was no one yet available in the country to govern.

"We have to create a government. We have to create a parliament. We have to put in place a constitution after it's been written. We have to have elections," said Powell.

The Secretary said the challenge before the international community is now "to help the Iraqi people take advantage of this liberation and create a new government."

When asked about Israel's plan to expel Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, Powell said the United States was waiting to see what the decision meant, but said the Israelis "have also taken note that the United States does not think this is a good idea."

Turning to Afghanistan, Powell said the Bush administration was aware that much remains to be done in terms of security and reconstruction.

"But on balance," he said, "we have gotten rid of a terrible regime. We have freed women and children to pursue their dreams. We have an economy that is starting to function and we have a democratic government that is starting to function, and becoming more effective over time."

Following is a transcript of Secretary Powell's interview with TV2:

(begin transcript)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
September 12, 2003

INTERVIEW

Secretary of State Colin L. Powell
On TV2 with Alain de Chalvron

Conducted on: September 11, 2003
Washington, D.C.

(4:50 p.m. EDT)

MR. DE CHALVRON: So what do you think about the decision of the Israeli Security Cabinet to expel Arafat?

SECRETARY POWELL: Well, I'm waiting to examine it in greater detail. The news just broke. What I understand they have said is they have made a decision in principle to expel him, and that they have asked their army to come up with plans, but they have also taken note that the United States does not think this is a good idea; and so we will see what this decision means as we hear more about it.

MR. DE CHALVRON: And what do you think about this "reapparition" of bin Laden on the worlds' screens? Bad surprise, I guess?

SECRETARY POWELL: Well, we -- we know that he is still in hiding. We are chasing him. I'm confident that eventually he will be caught. We can't confirm the accuracy of all of these tapes. Some of them are tapes that were done months ago, but we will not be deterred and we will not be thrown off our course by these kinds of threats or these kinds of sudden appearances of people who no longer have a future.

MR. DE CHALVRON: Doesn't it mean that you should have concentrated your force to Afghanistan?

SECRETARY POWELL: We have forces in Afghanistan, and we are raising up an Afghan national army to take responsibility for its own country and its own borders. And we believe we have sufficient force in Afghanistan to deal with this matter. I mean, Afghanistan still has difficulties and there are still dangers there, and we're concerned about the resurgence of some Taliban activity.

But on balance, we have gotten rid of a terrible regime. We have freed women and children to pursue their dreams. We have an economy that is starting to function and we have a democratic government that is starting to function, and becoming more effective over time.

We're very pleased with what we have done in Afghanistan, but we're also mindful that a great deal more has to be done. So as part of our request to the Congress this past week for more money, money was in there for our efforts in Afghanistan.

MR. DE CHALVRON: So you're flying tomorrow, I think, to Geneva?

SECRETARY POWELL: Yes.

MR. DE CHALVRON: You will meet with the four other countries in the UN, and France, particularly. What message do you have for France, which has been a little bit treated as an enemy these days?

SECRETARY POWELL: France is not an enemy. France is a friend and an ally. And I never hesitate to say that, and you don't have to prompt me. But we've had disagreements with France. There's no question about it. We had a serious disagreement earlier this year over the second resolution. And France felt strongly that we should not have gone into Iraq. But we did, because we felt strongly it was the right thing to do. And we liberated Iraq.

And now the challenge before the international community is to help the Iraqi people take advantage of this liberation and create a new government.

My French colleagues keep saying that what we need to do is give sovereignty back to the Iraqi people. And my answer to that is, "Yes, as soon as we can. But to whom to we give it? We have to create a government. We have to create a parliament. We have to put in place a constitution after it's been written. We have to have elections. Nobody wants to turn sovereignty back to the Iraqi people as fast as the United States does, President Bush does, and I do."

And so let there be no questions that when we meet in Geneva, this is one thing we can all agree upon. Now there will obviously be spirited discussion and debate about how to accomplish this and who should have what role. We believe that there is a vital role for the United Nations to play. We believe there is an equally vital role for the Coalition Provisional Authority under Ambassador Bremer to play. He can't suddenly just step aside and turn it over -- to whom?

And since the United States and its coalition partners have invested a great deal of political capital, as well as financial resources, as well as the lives of our young men and women -- and we have a large force there now -- we can't be expected to suddenly just step aside.

But the point I would make to your viewers is America is a nation that liberates. We are not a nation that occupies. Our history is clear on this. Occupiers take away sovereignty. Paris saw that a number of times in the past century. Liberators come in, remove occupiers and return sovereignty. And Paris saw that several times in the last century in the presence of American soldiers as friends and allies and partners of France.

And so the point I will make to all of my colleagues in Geneva and to my good friend and French colleague, Dominique de Villepin, is that we believe in the logic of liberation. And liberators return sovereignty. And that's all we want to do, intend to do, and will do, as quickly as we can -- but only when we are sure that the Iraqi people are ready to put in place a government and a nation that is committed to peace, not to invade its neighbors, not to have weapons of mass destruction, and to be a nation we can all be proud of.

We have done a very good thing for the Iraqi people and for the world. We have gotten rid of one of the worst dictators on the face of the earth. And I hope that as people find reasons to criticize the United States, they will remember that Saddam Hussein is no longer there, and no more mass graves are being created for him to fill.

MR. DE CHALVRON: Thank you.

(end transcript)

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

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