(20 Feb 2001) English/Nat
XFA
U-S Secretary of State Colin Powell says U-S efforts to contain Iraq over the past decade have been successful, and he says they should continue until Iraq complies with U-N Security Council resolutions.
Powell spoke on Tuesday during a joint news conference with German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer.
Fischer says there is an "understanding" from his government - but not support - for the U-S-British airstrikes last Friday.
A number of Arab countries objected to the strikes but Powell said the criticism was generally moderate.
German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer stopped short of fully endorsing the action of the U-S and Britain in last Friday's air strikes on Iraq.
But he says Germany supports the view that Iraq should comply with U-N sanctions.
SOUNDBITE: (German)
"We talked about this issue of course, and we are very much concerned, as is the American side, about the immense security risk posed by the Iraqi government, both in terms of the spread of weapons of mass destruction and of....missiles. We do agree that it is necessary to get Iraq to comply with the United Nations resolutions, all of them, and we listened with great interest to what Secretary Powell said in this respect in the briefing on this situation. We understand the action our allies has to take in an immensely difficult situation, where they have to make sure that they safeguard the lives of the Kurds as well of their own troops in those regions."
SUPER CAPTION: Joschka Fischer, German Foreign Minister
And Fischer says Secretary Powell also signaled U-S support for a more peaceful means of ending the decade long standoff with Saddam Hussein.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"We appreciate very much what we heard, that you are looking for a political solution, and you underlined that indeed Saddam Hussein and his policy which tries to get the capabilities for weapons of mass destruction and missile technologies is the real reason. And that the embargo policy is not directed against the people of Iraq."
SUPER CAPTION: Joschka Fischer, German Foreign Minister
The session was also a chance for Powell to further defend U-S actions against Iraq.
Despite a smaller Iraqi force at his disposal, Saddam Hussein is still trying to get weapons of mass destruction, says Powell.
And despite criticism from Arab allies in the region, Powell says the U-S effort to contain Saddam Hussein must continue.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"We are flying these missions for the purpose, not of aggression against Iraq, but to keep Iraq from being the aggressor against its own citizens in the north, against the Kurds, and in the south against the Shiites. And as long as we believe that mission is necessary, then we are going to protect our pilots."
SUPER CAPTION: Colin Powell, U.S. Secretary of State
Powell says he hopes to further explain the position of the Bush administration during face- to-face meetings this weekend during his visit to the Middle East.
#ColinPowell #Fischer #Germany #USA
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