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Secretary of State, Egyptian Foreign Minister Give Press Conference

Aired November 29, 2001 - 10:00   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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Quickly to Washington, the State Department, Colin Powell meeting with the Egyptians' foreign minister. We shall listen for comments now.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

AHMED MAHER, EGYPTIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: ... talked to him. It's very instructive, it's very rewarding, and I will divulge a secret -- it's not such a secret -- by saying that I extended to the secretary an invitation to come soon to visit us in Cairo.

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: Thank you.

QUESTION: The reaction for your speech on the Middle East was very positive and generally positive, but many commentators asked for an assignment schedule and a mechanism for implementation. What's your take on that?

POWELL: Well, I'm pleased at the reaction we received from around the world on the speech. I think it's right to characterize it as positive. I know that some commentators wanted to see a timetable, but I think that will come in due course now that General Zinni is on the ground talking to both sides. As they proceed with their work, obviously, they will come up with a timetable as to how they will go forward.

And so, the fact that it wasn't in the speech doesn't mean it isn't important. That's the kind of work that has to be done on the ground between the two sides, deciding what that timetable should be and not the United States imposing a timetable.

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary...

(CROSSTALK)

QUESTION: How do you...

QUESTION: ... because of September 11 Egypt has a very severe economic and financial problem. Are you ready yet to help Egypt in that matter?

POWELL: Yes.

QUESTION: How? Would you just explain to us?

POWELL: We talked about this bilateral matter between the two sides. We are aware that Egypt is having some financial and economic difficulty now, the drop in tourism, and we are looking at ways that we can accelerate some of our economic cooperation and other programs.

POWELL: And the minister will be meeting with members of my staff and others in the administration to see how this can be brought about as quickly as possible. We want to be as responsive as we can.

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, how do you tell us is your position in Iraq with the position of your closet allies, like Egypt who thinks that the United Nations' resolutions do not allow for the use of force to force the implementation of the resolution, and the German chancellor's position, which was very clear? How do you consult your position in Iraq with your closet ally?

And my question to you, Foreign Minister, is; in the absence of any assurance from the American administration on Iraq that they would not use force, what makes you feel so confident that they would not attack Iraq?

POWELL: There is no difficulty in reconciling our two positions. They are the same; both the United States and Egypt support the United Nations' resolutions that require Iraq to give up weapons of mass destruction and to allow inspectors in. Both of us have a common understanding of the nature of that regime and what a danger that regime presents to the region and to the world, and we all want to keep Iraq contained. But, at the moment, there is nothing for us to disagree about, in my humble judgment.

We will stay in close touch and consultations with our Egyptian friends and our other friends in the region as we go forward. As the president said the other day, we keep a close eye on Iraq. I was pleased that we were able to get the sanctions rolled over again for another six months, but this time in a way that will improve the goods review list of what can be sold to Iraq in a way that the Iraqi people will be benefit, but the regime will not benefit.

And so, we understand the caution that some of our friends have give us with respect to possible future actions, and we will stay in close touch and consultation with our friends.

(CROSSTALK)

MAHER: May I answer the question?

I think we have made our position very clear among friends. We had frank discussions about this matter. And the secretary said that friends and allies of the United States are advising caution, and I think he has heard us. We have been heard. And this has been under discussion and we continue to discuss this matter.

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, there's a report this morning that the Northern Alliance has agreed to accept a multinational force.

QUESTION: Can you confirm this and do you have a comment on it?

POWELL: No, I have not yet heard that particular report, but there are a lot of reports that will be coming out of Bonn over the next several days and I think it's best that we not respond to every single report that comes out, and wait for the parties that are in Bonn, working this all out, to finish their work and then come forward with a single comprehensive statement as to the nature of the provisional government that they, hopefully, will have formed and how that provisional government will work with the United Nations and with the other members of the coalition. And let's support that government they want in the way of peacekeepers, in the way of financial aid and the other things that a brand-new provisional government will require in order for it to be able to do its work.

I'm sure they'll also wish to talk to the international community about humanitarian aid and reconstruction efforts, as well. So I think it's best that we wait until they finish their work and for me not to comment on every report that might come out from moment to moment.

Last one.

QUESTION: The detainees -- the Egyptian detainees and the Arab detainees and the American -- with the American authorities, I understand that the Egyptian government has been asking for the names of those detained and maybe also Saudi Arabia and the U.S. government has been very supportive of good relations between the two peoples, the American and the Arab people. So would you -- have you discussed that? Did you give the names of Egyptian detainees?

POWELL: We did discuss it and the minister expressed his concerns to me, and I know there is concern and anxiety over this issue and I assured the minister that I would look into it. There are some legal constraints and problems and there's some obligations under various international accords that we have and we'll look into all of that.

And I hope that in the very near future, as these investigations continue and as questions are answered and clarified, we'll be able to get this list of detainees down. We want to be as forthcoming as we can, but we do have some legal constraints we have to work our way through.

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, how concerned are you...

POWELL: Last question.

QUESTION: As you know, Mr. Secretary, the Russians have sent in so-called humanitarian workers into Kabul. They've also reopened their embassy there and made their intentions very clear about who they support in their future Afghan government. How concerned are you that the Russians are trying to tilt the balance you spoke earlier this week with the Russian foreign minister?

POWELL: Well, I'm not concerned. The Russian foreign minister and I spoke and the defense minister and Secretary Rumsfeld spoke. We've been in close touch as to what they are doing. They sent in humanitarian workers. They sent in construction people to prepare a building to be opened as their new diplomatic presence in Kabul. They have also set up a humanitarian aid center in Kabul. All these, I think, are positive developments.

We are in close touch with the Russians and I think they have the same view that we do; that you need a government in Kabul that represents all of the Afghan people and not just one single element. The troops that have sent in are, for the most part, medical troops, humanitarian troops and the word "troops" isn't even all that accurate. Many of them are the equivalent of our FEMA, our Federal Emergency Management Agency, who are designed to provide this kind of humanitarian support, and construction people. So I have no concerns at the moment over Russian activities in the area.

Thank you very much.

HEMMER: We're off and running on a Thursday morning. Colin Powell there at the State Department with the Egyptian foreign minister.

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