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Powell: U.S. Should be Ready for Long Term Commitment

Aired February 13, 2003 - 13:33   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.


KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: A long road ahead: Secretary of State Colin Powell says the American people should be prepared for a fairly long-term commitment in Iraq. Powell testified before the House Budget Committee, giving some details of the administration's vision of a post-Saddam Hussein Iraq.
CNN's Andrea Koppel live at the State Department now -- Andrea.

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, that's right. Secretary Powell telling legislators today for the third day in a row that there would likely be a U.S. military occupation in the event following a U.S. invasion of Iraq, but that it would be as quick as possible, transitioning to a civilian authority, and eventually a full-fledged democratic Iraqi government.

Most of the questions, as you might imagine, did focus on Iraq, with many asking Secretary Powell about the growing schism -- the growing rift between the United States and many of its closest NATO allies.

Secretary Powell will be going up to the United Nations tomorrow. This was really a last-minute decision, when he heard that the foreign ministers from France, Russia, China, and Germany would be attending the Hans Blix-Mohamed ElBaradei report at the United Nations tomorrow.

Secretary Powell making the decision that it made sense for him to go up there, not only to listen to this report, but also to press his colleagues on the Security Council to make a decision as quickly as possible that Iraq has failed, in U.S. eyes, its last chance to disarm peacefully, and that any other possible push -- as France and Germany would like -- to add more inspectors into the mix in Iraq is really a nonstarter.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: We'll hear from Dr. Blix and Dr. ElBaradei tomorrow, and then a debate will begin as to what should be the next step. Some suggest, Well, just double or triple the number of inspectors. It isn't a lack of inspectors that's causing the problem. It's Iraq noncompliance. So that, I'm sorry, is a diversion. Or give them more technical capability. Dr. Blix would love any additional support he gets, but as he has said -- he has said, not Colin Powell -- he has said Iraq still doesn't understand that it has to disarm.

(END VIDEO CLIP) KOPPEL: Powell acknowledging that the U.S. is concerned about the strains with its allies in the NATO alliance. Obviously, also, at the United Nations, many of them members there as well, but saying that the U.S. has seen this before, Kyra, in the United States' more than 50-year relationship with NATO, and that they've gotten through it before, and he hopes and expects that they will get through it this time as well -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Andrea, meanwhile, this small U.S. government plane that crashed in Colombia, have you been able to find out anything? What can you tell us?

KOPPEL: Well, I spoke to a State Department official, who did confirm that a U.S. government Cessna -- single engine Cessna 208 did crash in an emergency landing in Florencia, Colombia. It was en route from Bogota. According to the State Department, there were five people on board. A pilot, co-pilot, three passengers. They do not know what caused the crash, but they believe that it could have been engine failure. Having said that, Colombian authorities are saying that they believe that there were four Americans on board and one Colombian. But again, the State Department not confirming that -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. We're still continuing to work the story. Andrea Koppel, thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired February 13, 2003 - 13:33   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: A long road ahead: Secretary of State Colin Powell says the American people should be prepared for a fairly long-term commitment in Iraq. Powell testified before the House Budget Committee, giving some details of the administration's vision of a post-Saddam Hussein Iraq.
CNN's Andrea Koppel live at the State Department now -- Andrea.

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, that's right. Secretary Powell telling legislators today for the third day in a row that there would likely be a U.S. military occupation in the event following a U.S. invasion of Iraq, but that it would be as quick as possible, transitioning to a civilian authority, and eventually a full-fledged democratic Iraqi government.

Most of the questions, as you might imagine, did focus on Iraq, with many asking Secretary Powell about the growing schism -- the growing rift between the United States and many of its closest NATO allies.

Secretary Powell will be going up to the United Nations tomorrow. This was really a last-minute decision, when he heard that the foreign ministers from France, Russia, China, and Germany would be attending the Hans Blix-Mohamed ElBaradei report at the United Nations tomorrow.

Secretary Powell making the decision that it made sense for him to go up there, not only to listen to this report, but also to press his colleagues on the Security Council to make a decision as quickly as possible that Iraq has failed, in U.S. eyes, its last chance to disarm peacefully, and that any other possible push -- as France and Germany would like -- to add more inspectors into the mix in Iraq is really a nonstarter.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: We'll hear from Dr. Blix and Dr. ElBaradei tomorrow, and then a debate will begin as to what should be the next step. Some suggest, Well, just double or triple the number of inspectors. It isn't a lack of inspectors that's causing the problem. It's Iraq noncompliance. So that, I'm sorry, is a diversion. Or give them more technical capability. Dr. Blix would love any additional support he gets, but as he has said -- he has said, not Colin Powell -- he has said Iraq still doesn't understand that it has to disarm.

(END VIDEO CLIP) KOPPEL: Powell acknowledging that the U.S. is concerned about the strains with its allies in the NATO alliance. Obviously, also, at the United Nations, many of them members there as well, but saying that the U.S. has seen this before, Kyra, in the United States' more than 50-year relationship with NATO, and that they've gotten through it before, and he hopes and expects that they will get through it this time as well -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Andrea, meanwhile, this small U.S. government plane that crashed in Colombia, have you been able to find out anything? What can you tell us?

KOPPEL: Well, I spoke to a State Department official, who did confirm that a U.S. government Cessna -- single engine Cessna 208 did crash in an emergency landing in Florencia, Colombia. It was en route from Bogota. According to the State Department, there were five people on board. A pilot, co-pilot, three passengers. They do not know what caused the crash, but they believe that it could have been engine failure. Having said that, Colombian authorities are saying that they believe that there were four Americans on board and one Colombian. But again, the State Department not confirming that -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. We're still continuing to work the story. Andrea Koppel, thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com