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CNN Live Event/Special
British Foreign Secretary, Colin Powell Speak to Press
Aired October 15, 2002 - 11:42 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.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: We are going to take you now to Washington. Jack Straw, the British foreign secretary, is now speaking. He's with Colin Powell.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
JACK STRAW, BRITISH FOREIGN MINISTER: ... Secretary Powell has said, discussions about a resolution or resolutions continue. But one of the things I am clear about is that, in the period since President Bush made his historic speech to the United Nations General Assembly on September the 12th, there is a much better and greater understanding worldwide, as I have noticed when I've been on my visits around the world, about the evil nature of the Iraqi regime and the paramount need to deal with the Iraqi regime's weapons of mass destruction.
Thank you.
QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, we keep asking how close you are to moving on a resolution, but maybe I can vary it a bit. Would the U.S. go ahead with a resolution just to make a point even if you don't have the votes?
COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: I wouldn't comment on that. I think what we have to do is continue the discussions that are under way. We were in touch with the French yesterday. They had some ideals. We'll be responding to those ideals. And we'll see how things unfold. I don't think I want to start speculating as to what we might or might not do under hypothetical circumstances.
QUESTION: Mr. Secretary and Foreign Secretary, don't events in Bali show that your focus on Iraq is just a distraction from the war on terror and the campaign against al Qaeda?
POWELL: Not in my judgment. It shows that terrorism can raise its head in many different ways. And I think when we talk about the campaign against terror we're going after those responsible for what happened in Bali, those who are responsible for 9/11, and those regimes that are supporting terrorists and developing weapons of mass destruction. And that nexus between developing weapons of mass destruction and supporting terrorist activities is focused in Iraq. And that's why I think Iraq is very much a part of this overall campaign.
STRAW: I share this view, and I'm making a speech later on today in Chicago in which I'm talking about three linked threats to international security: from weapons of mass destruction, from rogue and failing states -- rogue states like Iraq, failing states like Afghanistan -- and from international terrorism. And if you want a safer and more peaceful world, we have to address and deal with all three threats together.
HARRIS: You were listening there briefly to the comments that were being made by the British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell. They are just leaving the State Department. They were asked whether the bombings that we saw happen in Bali over the weekend were proof that this concentration on Iraq is something of a distraction of the U.S. focus on the war against terrorism. And the secretary says no, terrorism raises its head in different ways and this is proof of it. He says that the nexus between weapons of mass destruction and support for terrorism by rogue states is quite evident in Iraq and all this is proof of it.
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 October 15, 2002 - 11:42 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: We are going to take you now to Washington. Jack Straw, the British foreign secretary, is now speaking. He's with Colin Powell.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
JACK STRAW, BRITISH FOREIGN MINISTER: ... Secretary Powell has said, discussions about a resolution or resolutions continue. But one of the things I am clear about is that, in the period since President Bush made his historic speech to the United Nations General Assembly on September the 12th, there is a much better and greater understanding worldwide, as I have noticed when I've been on my visits around the world, about the evil nature of the Iraqi regime and the paramount need to deal with the Iraqi regime's weapons of mass destruction.
Thank you.
QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, we keep asking how close you are to moving on a resolution, but maybe I can vary it a bit. Would the U.S. go ahead with a resolution just to make a point even if you don't have the votes?
COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: I wouldn't comment on that. I think what we have to do is continue the discussions that are under way. We were in touch with the French yesterday. They had some ideals. We'll be responding to those ideals. And we'll see how things unfold. I don't think I want to start speculating as to what we might or might not do under hypothetical circumstances.
QUESTION: Mr. Secretary and Foreign Secretary, don't events in Bali show that your focus on Iraq is just a distraction from the war on terror and the campaign against al Qaeda?
POWELL: Not in my judgment. It shows that terrorism can raise its head in many different ways. And I think when we talk about the campaign against terror we're going after those responsible for what happened in Bali, those who are responsible for 9/11, and those regimes that are supporting terrorists and developing weapons of mass destruction. And that nexus between developing weapons of mass destruction and supporting terrorist activities is focused in Iraq. And that's why I think Iraq is very much a part of this overall campaign.
STRAW: I share this view, and I'm making a speech later on today in Chicago in which I'm talking about three linked threats to international security: from weapons of mass destruction, from rogue and failing states -- rogue states like Iraq, failing states like Afghanistan -- and from international terrorism. And if you want a safer and more peaceful world, we have to address and deal with all three threats together.
HARRIS: You were listening there briefly to the comments that were being made by the British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell. They are just leaving the State Department. They were asked whether the bombings that we saw happen in Bali over the weekend were proof that this concentration on Iraq is something of a distraction of the U.S. focus on the war against terrorism. And the secretary says no, terrorism raises its head in different ways and this is proof of it. He says that the nexus between weapons of mass destruction and support for terrorism by rogue states is quite evident in Iraq and all this is proof of it.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
