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Powell: No List of Countries to Hit Next
Aired April 15, 2003 - 13:01 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: Now to pressuring Syria. Tensions are running high between that Iraqi neighbor and the U.S. after a spate of charges. Among them, that Damascus has provided safe haven to fleeing Iraqi leaders. We join Andrea Koppel at the State Department for more on how the Bush administration is trying to make its point -- Andrea.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, some other allegations by the Bush administration that Syria has an active chemical and biological weapons program, that it has been allowing Iraqi officials, perhaps senior Ba'ath Party official, perhaps even scientists to come into -- excuse me, to cross from Iraq into Syria.
These are all allegations the Syrian government strongly denies. They say they are baseless. They say they've asked the U.S. government for hard evidence and have not been provided it.
Nevertheless, following the U.S. apparent victory in Iraq, perhaps even emboldened by that victory, some governments around the world are questioning, who could be next? In fact that was a question one foreign journalist asked Secretary Powell last hour at a press conference he held. Secretary Powell pointedly said Syria is not on a U.S. hit list.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: We have concerns about Syria. We have let Syria know of our concerns. We also have concerns about some of the policies of Iran. We have made the Iranians fully aware of our concerns.
But there is no list. There is no war plan right now to go attack someone else, either for the purpose of overthrowing their leadership or for the purpose of imposing Democratic values.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOPPEL: Now, just yesterday secretary Powell threatened and hinted to Syria that if it didn't end its weapons program, it didn't prevent scientists and other Iraqi officials from coming into the country. And if it didn't stop support for various terrorist organizations like Hezbollah and Hamas, that the U.S. could impose economic sanctions. They already exist, but could perhaps impose additional economic sanctions. And interestingly, Kyra, the U.S. has diplomatic relations with Syria, the only one of seven so-called state sponsors of terrorism. The U.S. does have an embassy there. And Powell also hinted that perhaps the U.S. could downgrade that relationship.
But as things stand right now, the U.S. has been saying for years now that Syria has a chemical and biological weapons program. For years now, that Syria has supported various rejectionist groups like Hezbollah and Hamas, terrorist organizations.
So the question is why is the U.S. stepping up the rhetoric against Syria right now? And the answer privately when we speak to U.S. officials is, they want to scare Syria. They want to scare Iran. They want to scare other governments around the world that are both supporting terrorism and perhaps had their own weapons program to say, do you want to be next, without explicitly saying that.
But as Secretary Powell said, there is no U.S. war plan to go after Syria, iran, or any other government -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right, our Andrea Koppel live from the State Department. 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 April 15, 2003 - 13:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Now to pressuring Syria. Tensions are running high between that Iraqi neighbor and the U.S. after a spate of charges. Among them, that Damascus has provided safe haven to fleeing Iraqi leaders. We join Andrea Koppel at the State Department for more on how the Bush administration is trying to make its point -- Andrea.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, some other allegations by the Bush administration that Syria has an active chemical and biological weapons program, that it has been allowing Iraqi officials, perhaps senior Ba'ath Party official, perhaps even scientists to come into -- excuse me, to cross from Iraq into Syria.
These are all allegations the Syrian government strongly denies. They say they are baseless. They say they've asked the U.S. government for hard evidence and have not been provided it.
Nevertheless, following the U.S. apparent victory in Iraq, perhaps even emboldened by that victory, some governments around the world are questioning, who could be next? In fact that was a question one foreign journalist asked Secretary Powell last hour at a press conference he held. Secretary Powell pointedly said Syria is not on a U.S. hit list.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: We have concerns about Syria. We have let Syria know of our concerns. We also have concerns about some of the policies of Iran. We have made the Iranians fully aware of our concerns.
But there is no list. There is no war plan right now to go attack someone else, either for the purpose of overthrowing their leadership or for the purpose of imposing Democratic values.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOPPEL: Now, just yesterday secretary Powell threatened and hinted to Syria that if it didn't end its weapons program, it didn't prevent scientists and other Iraqi officials from coming into the country. And if it didn't stop support for various terrorist organizations like Hezbollah and Hamas, that the U.S. could impose economic sanctions. They already exist, but could perhaps impose additional economic sanctions. And interestingly, Kyra, the U.S. has diplomatic relations with Syria, the only one of seven so-called state sponsors of terrorism. The U.S. does have an embassy there. And Powell also hinted that perhaps the U.S. could downgrade that relationship.
But as things stand right now, the U.S. has been saying for years now that Syria has a chemical and biological weapons program. For years now, that Syria has supported various rejectionist groups like Hezbollah and Hamas, terrorist organizations.
So the question is why is the U.S. stepping up the rhetoric against Syria right now? And the answer privately when we speak to U.S. officials is, they want to scare Syria. They want to scare Iran. They want to scare other governments around the world that are both supporting terrorism and perhaps had their own weapons program to say, do you want to be next, without explicitly saying that.
But as Secretary Powell said, there is no U.S. war plan to go after Syria, iran, or any other government -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right, our Andrea Koppel live from the State Department. 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
