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CNN Live Event/Special

America's New War: Powell Holds Press Briefing

Aired September 21, 2001 - 14:06   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
AARON BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: I believe here the White House briefing (UNINTELLIGIBLE) second and switch over to the secretary of state, who is also briefing at the same time. Secretary of State Powell here now.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... trying to be especially helpful to the United States, given it's geography?

COLIN POWELL, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: It has influence in that region. It has knowledge and information. It has intelligence that might be of help to us. And our counterterrorism experts will be getting together next week to explore every way in which the two sides can cooperate.

QUESTION: Secretary, can I ask you about Iran. As you know, the British foreign secretary Jack Straw in going to be in Iran I believe today. You've had conversations on the last day with your British colleagues. What message have you asked the British to pass on, or what message would you like them to pass on to Iran?

POWELL: Well, we did talk to the prime minister about foreign minister Straw's visit to Iran. We've also had other communications from Iran through other channels. And as I said, previously, we're anxious to explore whatever opportunities and cooperation there might be in the fight against all forms of terrorism, not just one kind of terrorism. But I think it's best that I let foreign minister Straw deliver whatever message he chooses to deliver after our conversation, rather than discuss it here.

QUESTION: Would this be a new page in U.S. Iranian relations?

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE) China is quick (ph) to support on U.S. military action in that area, Afghanistan area?

POWELL: I made the point to the foreign minister that we would be looking at a complete campaign that would involve going after finances, information, intelligence, law enforcement, and might have a military component. But we didn't get into those -- any details of a military component, nor did I ask the Chinese government what their reaction might be, or nor did they suggest to me any participation. It just didn't -- it didn't come up, military cooperation.

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE), what will it mean specifically -- what will it mean specifically, for as the president says, the United States will pursue those countries that harbor and aid terrorism. And specifically, what will that mean for those states that are already designated as sponsors of terrorism by the State Department?

POWELL: We have designated those as sponsors to terrorism and they are subject to a variety of sanctions, so that is one way of pursuing them.

And you notice the president said, who continue to do this. Perhaps these states will now be -- will now come to their senses that it is not in their interest, now that the entire international community is mobilized, it is not in their interest to continue acting in this way because they will risk further isolation and increasing pressure if they participate in such activities. And hopefully the message will get through and they'll start to change passed patterns of behavior.

Thank you. I've got to go.

BROWN: Secretary of State Powell, who is meeting with the Chinese foreign minister. It was interesting to us last night when the president talked about ideologies that clearly have failed, he left out -- he talked about Nazism, Totalitianism, he left out Communism, knowing this meeting with the Chinese coming up. The U.S. government would very much like the Chinese support, both for practical reasons and symbolic reasons, to show that the entire world is involved in this effort, and that was a nod to that reality.

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