Powell Says U.S. Will Liberate Iraq, Give Hope to Iraqis

(Remarks at AIPAC highlight U.S. objectives in Middle East, Iraq) (3750)





Addressing the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) Annual


Policy Conference March 30, Secretary of State Colin Powell stressed,


"We will drive Saddam and his regime from power. We will liberate


Iraq."





"But winning means more than just driving Saddam Hussein from power,"


he continued. "It also means giving hope and a better future to 24


million Iraqis after decades of oppression and misrule."





Before turning to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Powell called for


"more responsible behavior" from states in the region, in particular,


Iran and Syria.





"It is now time for the entire international community to step up and


insist that Iran end its support for terrorists, including groups


violently opposed to Israel and the Middle East peace process. Tehran


must stop pursuing weapons of mass destruction and the means to


deliver them. In addition, we will continue to support the aspirations


of the Iranian people to improve their lives and live in peace and


security with their neighbors," he said.





"Syria now also faces a critical choice. Syria can continue to direct


support for terrorist groups and the dying regime of Saddam Hussein,


or it can embark on a different and more hopeful course. Either way,


Syria bears the responsibility for its choices, and for the


consequences," he said.





"No challenge, no opportunity is more important, more pressing, than


the quest to put an end to the conflict between Israel and the


Palestinians," he said at the conference, which traditionally brings


together some 2,000 pro-Israel activists from across the United


States.





Powell said President Bush's vision of two states existing peacefully,


side-by-side, requires an end to the use of violence and terror as a


tool. This vision, he said, puts clear obligations on both sides in


the conflict.





"The Palestinian state must be based on transformed leadership and


institutions that end terror. The Palestinian government must be


transparent and accountable to the people. Above all, the Palestinian


state must be a real partner for peace with Israel," he said.





Outlining Israel's obligations, including taking steps to ease the


suffering of Palestinians and diminish the daily humiliation of life


under occupation, helping to revive the devastated economies of the


West Bank and Gaza, and ending settlements, Powell said,


"Settlement activity is simply inconsistent with President Bush's


two-state vision," Powell said. "As the president has said, ‘as


progress is made toward peace, settlement activity in the Occupied


Territories must end.'"





Powell said the vision outlined in President Bush's speech of June


24th marked the beginning of "what must be a continuous, determined


journey to peace."





"Israel and the Palestinians must walk the road of peace together, if


either is to arrive at the desired destination," he said.





Following is the complete text of Secretary of State Colin Powell's


remarks at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee Annual Policy


Conference in Washington, March 30.





(begin transcript)





U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE


Office of the Spokesman





March 30, 2003





REMARKS





Secretary of State Colin L. Powell


American Israel Public Affairs Committee's Annual Policy Conference





March 30, 2003


Washington Hilton





(9:10 p.m. EST)





SECRETARY POWELL: Thank you. Thank you so very much. (Applause.) Thank


you so very much. (Applause.) Thank you. Thank you (Applause). Oy!


What a welcome. My goodness. (Laughter.) I've been milking that


Yiddish kid from the Bronx thing for years. I can't tell you.


(Laughter.) It got so intense that once when I was President Reagan's


National Security Advisor some 15 years ago, I went and I visited a


prime minister, and we went into his office all alone, nobody knew


what we were doing in there. I had a private message from Reagan. And


I came out and words went forth in the prime minister's outer office,


and the whole conversation was Yiddish. (Laughter and Applause.) I'm a


kid from New York. I know the Catskills. Why would I deny such a


story? It's a great story. (Laughter.)





But I want to thank you, Ed, for that warm introduction. Howard, Amy,


Tim, and so many others. I want to thank you for inviting me to be


with you here this evening to speak at AIPAC's 44th annual policy


conference.





And there are so many, many people here tonight who are friends of


mine. I can't see all of you, but there is one very dear friend that I


can see and I must acknowledge, and that's my dear friend Shimon


Peres. (Applause.)





And I am very pleased to be sharing the stage this evening with my new


Israeli colleague, Minister Silvan Shalom. (Applause.) The Minister is


a true Israeli success story. He has distinguished himself in so many


ways -- as a journalist, as chairman of the Israel Electric


Corporation, as a member of the Knesset, and as Minister of Finance.


And now he brings his many talents and all of his experience to the


Foreign Ministry at a most important time in the life of the State of


Israel. So Mr. Minister, I congratulate you again on your appointment


and I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to working with


you, sir. Congratulations. (Applause.)





My friends, all of us here tonight are brought together by a deep


commitment to Israel's security, prosperity, and freedom, and to the


strongest possible relationship between Israel and the United States.





AIPAC came into being half a century ago to help the young Israel


state meet the challenges of independence. Since then, AIPAC and its


members have worked tirelessly and effectively on Israel's behalf. You


have a world-class reputation for being one of the most effective such


organizations in that regard.





And at the same time, it is America's commitment that also is long and


enduring, a commitment that stretches back to Israel's founding. From


the very moment of Harry Truman's historic decision, in war and peace,


the United States has stood proudly at Israel's side. (Applause.) Our


two nations and peoples are bound together by our common democratic


values and traditions. So it has been for over 50 years. So it will


always be. (Applause.)





As we meet tonight, our thoughts cannot help but be with the brave


young men and women from the United States, from Britain, from


Australia, and other coalition partners, who are laying their lives on


the line to liberate Iraq from the tyranny of Saddam Hussein.


(Applause.) They are serving their nations and they are serving


humanity, to free the Middle East and the world from the threat of


Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction.





War and force was not our first choice. We gave diplomacy every


chance. We worked hard to pass United Nations Security Council


Resolution 1441, which gave Saddam Hussein one last chance to disarm


peacefully, but it also made it clear in that resolution and in that


15-0 vote that if this time he did not take the chance, if he did not


comply, then serious consequences would follow. And they are now


following. (Applause.)





So we warned him that we built up a massive military force on the


borders to show that this time the international community meant


business. But Hussein spurned that final chance, and -- after 12 years


of Iraqi defiance and deception -- we could wait no longer. He did not


comply. He did not cooperate. And the issue was compliance, not more


time for inspections or more inspectors. (Applause.)





And we should be so proud tonight that there were brave and bold


leaders such as George Bush and Tony Blair and President Aznar and


Prime Minister Berlusconi, Prime Minister Howard, and so many others.


(Applause.)





Forty-nine nations openly associated with this willing coalition. All


of them headed by leaders who have to go against public opinion.


Public opinion -- because nobody wants war. Everybody would like to


avoid war. We did everything to avoid war. But these 49 nations and


their leaders came together and decided that the world had to be rid


of these weapons of mass destruction.





And let there be no doubt about the outcome. We will drive Saddam and


his regime from power. (Applause.) We will liberate Iraq. We will


remove the shadow of Saddam's terrible weapons from Israel and the


Middle East, and we will keep them from the hands of terrorists who


would threaten the entire civilized world. (Applause.)





I know that all of you are as proud as I am of the brave men and women


in uniform who are making our success possible. You see them on your


television sets every evening. Volunteers all. Willing to serve.





We are also thinking of the men and women who spend this night as


prisoners of war. We hold the Iraqi regime accountable for their


treatment and their safety, until we can bring them back home. And we


will bring them home. (Applause.)





Our thoughts and prayers tonight also go out to the families of those


American and British heroes who have given their lives. They will not


be forgotten. (Applause.) And the best way we can honor their


sacrifice and their legacy is to carry on the fight until we win. And


we will win. (Applause.)





You see much on television and you read much in your newspapers as to


how the war is going. Commentary from all directions. Let me just say


this to you. We are only 10 or 11 days into this war. Baghdad is


slowly being encircled. Pockets of resistance are being isolated. The


oil fields are secure. Humanitarian aid is beginning to flow. I have


total confidence in the plan and total confidence in General Franks


and the other leaders who are carrying out that plan. (Applause.)





But winning means more than just driving Saddam Hussein from power. It


also means giving hope and a better future to 24 million Iraqis after


decades of oppression and misrule.





And we are already starting to help Iraqis in need. We are bringing


water to thirsty people. We are clearing Saddam's mines from ports so


we can send in ships with food and medicine to distribute to the


hungry and to the sick.





And once they are liberated, we will work with the Iraqi people to


help them create a country that is peaceful, democratic, and unified,


living in peace with its neighbors. (Applause.) We will help them


build a nation that uses its vast oil wealth to improve the lives of


mothers and children, not to develop terrible weapons or dot the


countryside with lavish palaces.





While we deal with Saddam Hussein, we must not forget the burdens that


the conflict with Iraq has placed on our Israeli friends. I am very


pleased that President Bush has included in his supplemental budget


request that just went to Congress $1 billion in Foreign Military


Financing funds to help Israel strengthen its military and civil


defenses. (Applause.) And that's just for starters. (Laughter.) The


President is also asking for $9 billion in loan guarantees.


(Applause.) These loan guarantees will help Israel deal with the


economic costs arising from the conflict, and will help Israel to


implement the critical economic and budgetary reforms it needs to get


its economy back on track. And I am hopeful that Congress, with your


encouragement -- (laughter) -- will act quickly on this request.


(Applause.)





You know, even as we rid the world of the Iraqi threat and we deal


with these crises, we are also working to meet the other challenges we


face at the dawn of this new century.





Over a year and a half ago, the cowardly attacks of September 11


occurred, and a year and a half later, we are still at war with


terrorism. In Afghanistan, the fight continues to destroy the last


vestiges of al-Qaida and the Taliban. It is still a dangerous place.


Just yesterday, we lost two soldiers. That war is not forgotten. We


will remain engaged in Afghanistan. The two soldiers were lost not


while out looking for combat, they were lost by being ambushed while


they were inspecting a school and a hospital, both being built with


American funding. And we mourn their loss and our thoughts are with


their families.





But we have accomplished so much in Afghanistan in the past year and a


half. We have stood up a new government, a government that is


committed to the rights of all of its people, a government that is


bringing women into the workplace and into the government itself.


(Applause.)





So there is so much going on that is good in Afghanistan and good in


other parts of the world, and we are hard at work on this campaign


against terrorism. With the Kurds of northern Iraq, we are driving


al-Qaida's friends, the Ansar al-Islam terrorists, out of their caves.


(Applause.)





Let there be no doubt. We will pursue al-Qaida and its accomplices in


Afghanistan, in Iraq, and everywhere they plot their murders.


(Applause.) Around the world, around the world, we are working with


coalition members to search out terrorists, break up their networks,


and find their financing. Every day another terrorist is arrested and


put before the bar of justice. There will be no let up, no respite, no


rest until the terrorists are defeated. We will never forget what was


done to us on 9/11 and we will do whatever is necessary to defeat


those who were responsible. (Applause.)





As part of our overall strategy in combating terrorism and dealing


with states that do not follow acceptable patterns of behavior, we are


demanding more responsible behavior from these states, especially


those in the region. It is now time for the entire international


community to step up and insist that Iran end its support for


terrorists, including groups violently opposed to Israel and to the


Middle East peace process. (Applause.) Tehran must stop pursuing


weapons of mass destruction and the means to deliver them. In


addition, we will continue to support the aspirations of the Iranian


people to improve their lives and live in peace and security with


their neighbors.





Syria also now faces a critical choice. (Applause.) Syria can continue


direct support for terrorist groups and the dying regime of Saddam


Hussein, or it can embark on a different and more hopeful course.


Either way, Syria bears the responsibility for its choices, and for


the consequences. (Applause.)





These are sobering issues and sobering realities. We live in difficult


and sobering times. But I am an eternal optimist. And as I think about


the challenges, as I think about these crises, I also try to take time


each day to think about the soaring opportunities that we see


throughout the world to bring liberty and fresh hope to men, women,


and children on every continent.





The spread of democratic and economic freedoms, combined with


breathtaking advances in technology, opens unprecedented opportunities


to lift millions out of misery -- to help people put roofs over their


heads, good food on their tables, and clean water on their parched


lips.





Just a year ago, President Bush saw the need to come forward with a


bold new initiative and to capitalize on these opportunities to kindle


hope in people's hearts. He called it the Millennium Challenge


Account, the most exciting thing we've done in foreign assistance in


many years. It will put large funds of American money behind those


countries that make a real commitment to democracy, to ruling justly,


to investing in people, and embracing economic freedom -- use our


assistance to spur economic growth, and attract not more aid, but


attract investment that is needed to further these nations along the


road to prosperity. (Applause.)





There are so many other opportunities that are now given to us by the


end of the Cold War -- the relationship with Russia and China that


couldn't have been dreamed of just 12 or 15 years ago -- an


opportunity to come together and defeat perhaps one of the greatest


scourges on the face of the earth, HIV/AIDS, which kills millions of


people every day on the face of the earth. (Applause.)





The opportunity to have free trade agreements so that more and more


nations can join in the prosperity of the 21st century. The


opportunity to deal with famine and all of those other issues of a


transnational nature that the people of the world want us to deal with


and look to the United States for leadership, leadership that we will


provide.





Our world is a mix of challenges and opportunities, old and new. But


no challenge, no opportunity, is more important, more pressing, than


the quest to put an end to the conflict between Israel and the


Palestinians. (Applause.)





These are difficult times for Israel. Families live with the reality


that a suicide bomber could tear their lives apart. Just hours ago,


the bombers struck again, in Netanya. We condemn this cowardly attack


and we pray for the victims and their families. (Applause.)





Continued terror and instability is having a terrible effect on the


Israeli economy. Tourism and investment are down. Breadwinners are


worried about their jobs. Young people are increasingly worried about


their economic futures.





The people of Israel are coping. They always do. They always have. But


Israelis should not just cope, not just survive. They should thrive.


And with our help, they will. (Applause.)





We are all here tonight working and praying for the day when Israelis


can go out to dinner and relax and enjoy the evening, without looking


over their shoulders. We are all striving for the day when Israeli


parents can send their children to school without fear, when they can


travel without trepidation, and when they can enjoy the bounty of a


booming economy.





We all know that the solution to these difficulties is peace. That is


why we are working so hard to bring an end to the tragic conflict


between Israel and the Palestinians that has caused both peoples so


much suffering.





Last year, President Bush outlined a bold vision for peace based on


two states existing peacefully, side-by-side -- a secure, Jewish,


democratic State of Israel, and a viable, peaceful, democratic,


independent State of Palestine.





We are not naive. We know it will be hard to achieve this vision,


especially after the terrible violence and suffering of recent years.


Peace will take courage and difficult choices by Israel, by


Palestinians, and by Israel's neighbors in the region.





And one fact is unmistakable. The President's vision requires an end


to the use of violence and terror as a political tool. There is no


other way. Terror must end. (Applause.)





The President's vision puts clear obligations on the Palestinians. The


Palestinian state must be based on transformed leaderships and


institutions that end terror. The Palestinian government must be


transparent and accountable to the people. Above all, the Palestinian


state must be a real partner for peace with Israel.





Israel has clear obligations, too. It must take steps to ease the


suffering of Palestinians and diminish the daily humiliation of life


under occupation. Israel must also help put economic hope in


Palestinian hearts by helping revive the devastated economies of the


West Bank and Gaza. Settlement activity is simply inconsistent with


President Bush's two-state vision. As the President has said, "as


progress is made toward peace, settlement activity in the Occupied


Territories must end." (Applause.)





Today, we have reached a hopeful moment, when progress may again be


possible. Israel has held elections and formed a new government. The


Palestinian Legislative Council has created the office of Prime


Minister for the Palestinian Authority. As written and passed, the law


gives the prime minister real power and authority, and provides direct


accountability to the legislature that elected him.





There was a vigorous debate among Palestinians over this step, but in


the end, the PLC was clearly responding to calls for freedom from the


Palestinian people themselves. We will be watching very carefully to


see how the new Palestinian prime minister exercises his authority,


which is so important for Palestinians' hopes for a better future.





Once the new Palestinian prime minister is confirmed in office, we


will present both sides with the roadmap we have developed to restart


movement toward peace.





The President's vision of June 24th marked the beginning of what must


be a continuous, determined journey to peace. The roadmap we have


developed in close consultation with the parties, our friends in the


region, and our partners in the Quartet - Russia, the European Union,


and the United Nations - describes that journey and the mutual


obligations both sides must meet if we are going to reach our shared


destination.





The roadmap is not an edict, it is not a treaty. It is a statement of


the broad steps we believe Israel and the Palestinians must take to


achieve President Bush's vision of hope and the dream that we all have


for peace.





Israel and the Palestinians must walk the road of peace together, if


either is to arrive at the desired destination. The roadmap offers a


way for the two sides to restart the direct engagement with each other


that their journey requires.





As we move ahead, we must not lose sight of why we are doing this. We


are working so hard for peace because the Israeli-Palestinian conflict


has taken too many lives -- Jewish, Muslim, and Christian -- and


ruined far too many more. We must find a way to ensure that Israeli


children, Palestinian children can grow up in peace and dignity and


live in mutual respect of each other. We must recommit ourselves to


making a better future for men, women, children, and generations yet


unborn.





In the Middle East, such hope depends on security. And Israel's


security ultimately requires a real and lasting peace with its


neighbors. That is the reality behind the roadmap.





My friends, from day one to today, America has been totally committed


to Israel's security and well-being. So has AIPAC.





In good times and difficult times, Israel has always been able to rely


on her friends. The United States and AIPAC have always been there.


And we will always be.





Thank you so very much.





(end transcript)