*EPF305 07/21/2004
Transcript: Powell Praises Courage of Iraqis in Confronting Security Threat
(Says U.S. continues to seek diplomatic solution to Iran nuclear threat) (2080)

Secretary of State Colin Powell praised the courage of the Iraqi leaders and citizens who are stepping forward to establish security and order in Iraq.

"They are stepping forward to serve in these positions because they know it is the only way forward for their country, and they're willing to accept the danger that goes with it, they're willing to put their lives at risk, and it is our responsibility to support these brave people, whether they be in the police, whether they be in the army, or whether they be ministers," Powell said during a radio interview July 21.

The secretary took particular note of the Iraqi prime minister's efforts to lead his nation forward. "Prime Minister Allawi is showing a great deal of courage and leadership, and he is determined that the Iraqi people will move to free and open elections by the end of the year, January of 2005, and then get the process under way to write a constitution," he said.

Powell said that he would have liked to see greater international support for the reconstruction of Iraq over the past year, but he spoke of encouraging signs that the international community is now coming together behind this effort.

"We have gotten good support on the recent resolution that went through the United Nations Security Council, Resolution 1546. The president has had considerable success at the G-8 meeting in Sea Island and at the NATO and EU meetings in generating international support for Iraq," he said.

Turning to the issue of Iran's nuclear program, Powell said, "Iran has, frankly, been caught out. We have discovered things that they have been doing that are inconsistent with their international obligations."

He said that the findings of the International Atomic Energy Agency had raised concerns not only in the United States but also in Russia and the European Union.

"We hope Iran will come to its senses and realize that the possession of such a weapon will not make them any more secure; it'll make them less secure and it'll make them less able to provide for their people," he said.

Powell said the United States will continue to pursue a diplomatic solution to this problem but added, "The president has made it clear that he would take no option off the table, and he has also made it clear that he does not believe it would be responsible of the international community to allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon."

Following is the transcript of Powell's interview:

(begin transcript)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
July 21, 2004

INTERVIEW

Secretary of State Colin L. Powell
On The Neal Boortz Show

July 21, 2004
Washington, D.C.

(9:06 a.m. EDT)

MR. BOORTZ: On the phone right now we have Secretary of State Colin Powell, and good day, Mr. Secretary. How are you, sir?

SECRETARY POWELL: I'm fine, Neal. How are you and how are things in Atlanta?

MR. BOORTZ: Bright and sunny, and we've got a former President about a mile and a half down the road getting ready to sign some books. (Laughter.) So it's a good day to be locked up in my own studio, I suppose.

SECRETARY POWELL: Well, Atlanta is a favorite place of mine. I used to be stationed down there at Fort MacPherson.

MR. BOORTZ: Wow, Fort Mac.

SECRETARY POWELL: Yep.

MR. BOORTZ: Absolutely. So, by the way, do you have a copy of President Clinton's book yet?

SECRETARY POWELL: No, I do not.

MR. BOORTZ: You don't? Maybe we can arrange to have one sent to you. (Laughter.)

SECRETARY POWELL: Well, I, you know, thought maybe I'd be getting a courtesy copy, but I have not received mine yet. Might be still in the mail. Who knows?

MR. BOORTZ: Yeah, yours probably went out in the same batch mine did. (Laughter.)

So what is your assessment right now, Mr. Secretary, of the state of affairs in Iraq? Things still, of course, fairly rough over there. There's a lot of people that do not want to see free and open elections happen here in a couple of months.

SECRETARY POWELL: Yeah, we still have a difficult situation with the insurgency. There are people who do not want to see free and fair elections, they don't want to see a democracy, they don't want to see the Iraqi people living in freedom. They want to go back to the past, a world of Saddam Husseins, and that's not going to happen; we're going to fight it.

Increasingly, though, that fight is being waged by the Iraqis themselves. We have put in place a new interim government. In fact, they are taking over. Prime Minister Allawi is showing a great deal of courage and leadership, and he is determined that the Iraqi people will move to free and open elections by the end of the year, January of 2005, and then get the process underway to write a constitution.

Imagine that: In Iraq, a constitution that will protect the rights of all the people, that will protect minority rights, that will put in place a representative form of government with the military under civilian control and an independent judiciary. It's going to be something revolutionary in that part of the world and it's a revolution that we're going to make sure is successful. And we can't let these terrorists who have come into the country or the old regime elements who are still there causing most of the trouble, they cannot be allowed to succeed.

MR. BOORTZ: How might things be different today in Iraq if there had been more bipartisan support for our ongoing efforts over there in the last year?

SECRETARY POWELL: I think it would have been different if we had not just full bipartisan support here in our own Congress, but if we'd had greater support from within the international community; and those nations that didn't think we should go in, I think should have quickly signed up for all the post-war efforts at reconstruction and at supporting the Iraqi people.

And I think that's happening now. We have gotten good support on the recent resolution that went through the United Nations Security Council, Resolution 1546. The President has had considerable success at the G-8 meeting in Sea Island and at the NATO and EU meetings in generating international support for Iraq.

And so I think the international community is coming back together. The United Nations has appointed a special representative to go in there, Ambassador Qazi, and work with the Iraqi people. So the political side is going well, Neal. We are -- the government is in place, it's up and running, it is a government of Iraqis. You haven't seen many American faces on television lately. You've seen Iraqi faces, Iraqi leaders.

So that part of it is going very well and I'm pleased with that part of it. Ambassador Negroponte is there as our Ambassador to this new government. The part where we still have a lot of work to do is on the security part and putting down this insurgency.

MR. BOORTZ: I wonder sometimes, how do, or why do these Iraqi men sign up to be part of the Iraqi security forces when they obviously are the primary target of these insurgents over there right now?

SECRETARY POWELL: Because they want what their people want. They want to bring peace to their country, they want to see a democracy, and they're willing to put their lives on the line. And most -- it's more of them getting killed than American troops or coalition troops.

MR. BOORTZ: Yeah.

SECRETARY POWELL: Iraqi officials are being assassinated. I tell you what, if here in the United States, we had the assassination level of the kind that we're experiencing in Iraq right now, you would find not many people wanting to be in appointed or elective offices; yet Iraqis are standing up for this, they are stepping forward to serve in these positions because they know it is the only way forward for their country, and they're willing to accept the danger that goes with it, they're willing to put their lives at risk, and it is our responsibility to support these brave people, whether they be in the police, whether they be in the army, or whether they be ministers.

MR. BOORTZ: Iran's development, probable development, of nuclear weaponry. The Israelis recently said that we, for one, are not going to allow this to happen; we will take action against their nuclear facilities. Would the United States allow Israel to do that, or would we step in and take care of the matter ourselves?

SECRETARY POWELL: Well, I think there is a way to take care of this matter and it's a way that we are pursuing now diplomatically. Iran has, frankly, been caught out. We have discovered things that they have been doing that are inconsistent with their international obligations. The International Atomic Energy Commission is now throwing a spotlight on what the Iranians are doing. The Russians, who were sort of looking the other way for a long period of time, are now seriously engaged in finding a solution and the European Union is deeply engaged.

So I think Iran will have a more difficult time moving forward, but we still firmly believe that they are trying to acquire a nuclear weapon. And we still think there is a diplomatic solution to this problem. We hope Iran will come to its senses and realize that the possession of such a weapon will not make them any more secure; it'll make them less secure and it'll make them less able to provide for their people.

Roughly 60 percent of the people in Iran are under the age of 25 and these youngsters are listening to radio and watching satellite television. They know the kind of world that's out there waiting for them and they want a different kind of future, not a future that is defined by whether or not they have nuclear weapons, but a future defined by whether or not they have good jobs and the prospect of raising families that will be safe and secure and will have a house of their own and education for their youngsters, the same thing we want for our youngsters.

So we believe that, ultimately, the people of Iran will press their government to deal with the fundamental economic and societal problems they have, but we are very wary of this theocratic leadership that continues to have a program to develop nuclear weapons and continues to try to frustrate the international community.

MR. BOORTZ: Well, if we reach the eve of criticality -- I mean, when those reactors, that facility, is scheduled to go critical -- and no diplomatic solution has been reached, can the Western world afford to allow that to happen?

SECRETARY POWELL: Well, I wouldn't want to get into a hypothetical here because the -- I don't know which particular facility you may be referring to. But the President has made it clear that he would take no option off the table and he has also made it clear that he does not believe it would be responsible of the international community to allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon. But we're a long way away from the kind of hypothesis that you put down.

MR. BOORTZ: Now, when Colin Powell goes on his eventual book tour following, you know, perhaps, at the same bookstore the former President is at today, you will come on and be a guest on this show. You will not fear Neal Boortz, will you?

SECRETARY POWELL: Oh, not at all, and I don't anticipate any book tour. I've done a book tour. I know what it's like and I've been to Atlanta on a book tour. I'm not looking forward to any book tours any time in the near future, Neal. But should I ever be in Atlanta for any purpose, I would be delighted to come on your show.

MR. BOORTZ: Give us a call and stop by.

SECRETARY POWELL: Okay, Neal.

MR. BOORTZ: It's good to talk to you again, Mr. Secretary.

SECRETARY POWELL: Thank you very much.

MR. BOORTZ: Thank you very much.

SECRETARY POWELL: Bye-bye.

(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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