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Disarmament DocumentationBack to Disarmament Documentation '[O]nce we have verified that those programs have been eliminated, the United States is prepared to enter into a political dialogue with Libya', US Secretary of State Colin Powell, January 9'Powell Foresees Political Dialogue with Libya after Resolution of WMD', Interview with Abu Dhabi TV January 9, 2004. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE INTERVIEW Secretary of State Colin L. Powell January 9, 2004 MR. ALAZAWI: (Via interpreter). The opponents of the U.S. policy regarding Iraq are seeing some chaos taking root in Iraq. The Federation Project, the Kurds claim, in Kirkuk, will put an end to the consensus within the Iraqi Governing Council. How do you see the American project? Do you think that it will succeed in Iraq? SECRETARY POWELL: Yes, I think we'll succeed. The President's made it clear from the very beginning that we don't want to see Iraq break up into its constituent parts. It has to be one nation. And so there will be some very difficult discussions among the Iraqis as they determine how this one nation will be formed, how it will be organized, what the nature of the political system will be, what the authorities will be in the different parts of the country. We want to help them with this discussion and dialogue. We have some views about it, and Ambassador Bremer is in conversation with Kurdish leaders and Sunni leaders, Shia leaders and other leaders. But we believe it's important that the country remain together. But you know, what we have done over the last several months is put in place a group of individuals in the Iraqi Governing Council that are now speaking for the Iraqi people; give them a forum to discuss these issues. And we have a plan called, "The November 15th Plan," which will lead to a transitional assembly and a transitional government by the middle of next year. What we want is Iraqis to take responsibility for their own future, to determine how they will be organized and governed. But we knew it would be a difficult task because of the different points of view that exist within the country. That's what democracy is all about -- reconciling these different points of view to come up with a common approach to the problem. MR. ALAZAWI: (Via interpreter). Iraq -- Libyan President Qadhafi is confused. He doesn't know how to please President Bush. He settled the issues of Lockerbie, of weapons of mass destruction. He put an end to supporting movements of liberation, even though the U.S. sanctions are persisting. What does -- what has Qadhafi to do in order to please the U.S. Administration? SECRETARY POWELL: I think President Qadhafi has done a great deal. It was important to get the Pan Am 103 matter behind us. We've done that. And now, in the last few weeks, we have announced -- the United States, the United Kingdom and Libya -- that Libya is going to give up all of its weapons of mass destruction programs, programs they denied having earlier. We had meetings with the Libyans this week to discuss how we would verify that they have eliminated those programs. And once we have verified that those programs have been eliminated, the United States is prepared to enter into a political dialogue with Libya about all of the matters of interest to Libya, whether it has to do with sanctions, investment in Libya, a variety of things that we can do to improve the lives of the Libyan people and to put relations with Libya on a more normal track. So things will happen in the future in the political sphere, but we have to get the verification problem dealt with, the verification challenge resolved. And I think people should be patient. President Qadhafi has made the right decision, a bold decision, and the Libyan people and the people of the region will see how it will benefit the Libyan people. MR. ALAZAWI: (Via interpreter). Last question, regarding Iran. We saw a kind of rapprochement between the U.S. Administration and Tehran. Is there any indication or willingness to send a delegation from the State Department or Congress to Iran, and how do you see what's going in Iran now? SECRETARY POWELL: Iran has taken some decisions recently, which we found encouraging. Their agreement to enter into an additional protocol of the Nonproliferation Treaty, the work they did with the European Union foreign ministers in resolving concerns about their nuclear weapons program. I think there is more that they have to do with respect to their nuclear weapons program to satisfy the international community, and we think there is more that they can do with respect to terrorism and other activities. So there are still serious political differences between the United States and Iran, but we couldn't help but note that when the Iranian people, as a result of the earthquake, were in such desperate need, the United States felt obliged to offer support to the Iranian people, and the Government of Iran accepted that support. So it showed that in a crisis like that we could cooperate, and maybe that will lead to other areas of cooperation. But we should not think that just because of this humanitarian rapprochement it immediately leads to a political rapprochement. But I think it has opened up some opportunities for dialogue with Iran... Source: US State Department, Washington File, http://usinfo.state.gov. © 2003 The Acronym Institute. |