BELGIUM: U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN POWELL BIDS A NOSTALGIC FAREWELL TO NATO AT NEWS CONFERENCE IN BRUSSELS
Record ID:
222887
BELGIUM: U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN POWELL BIDS A NOSTALGIC FAREWELL TO NATO AT NEWS CONFERENCE IN BRUSSELS
- Title: BELGIUM: U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN POWELL BIDS A NOSTALGIC FAREWELL TO NATO AT NEWS CONFERENCE IN BRUSSELS
- Date: 9th December 2004
- Summary: (EU) BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (DECEMBER, 9 2004) (REUTERS) 1. FLAGS 0.05 2. WS: EXTERIOR NATO HEADQUARTERS 0.10 3. (SOUNDBITE) (English) JAAP DE HOOP SCHAFFER, NATO SECRETARY GENERAL SAYING TO U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN POWELL: "And in the NATO-Russia Council there were two rounds of immense applause for everything Colin Powell has done as a Secretary of State during his ten year for the Atlantic Alliance, always having being a staunch supporter, let me say now Colin I wish you all the very best, and thanking you also publicly in front of all the press again for the tremendous effort and everything you've done for this unique alliance, Colin thank you very much." 0.39 4. WS: AUDIENCE AND COLIN POWELL 0.45 5. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SECRETARY STATE COLIN POWELL SAYING: "There is no reason we can't have a full, fair and free election in Iraq except for one thing and that's the terrorists who are trying to keep it from happening. Let's make it absolutely clear that the Iraqi people want an election, they said so, their leaders have said so, the commission that has been set up wants to go forward with elections on the thirtieth. We are working hard to make a security environment by increasing the numbers of U.S. troops that will be there, numbers of coalition troops by doing everything we can by building the Iraqi policing security forces, by bringing in observers, by asking the U.N. to increase its presence in the country to assist the Iraqis. Registration is on the way. So clearly the energy is there to have these elections, to have the right kind of elections by the end of January and we are committed to that." 1.40 6. WS: AUDIENCE 1.45 7. (SOUNDBITE)(English) U.S. SECRETARY STATE COLIN POWELL SAYING: "With respect to Iran, we are pleased that the EU three were able to come up with this agreement with Iran that would cause Iran to suspend its conversion and enrichment activities, but we have to concerned that it is only a suspension which means it can be terminated at a time of Iran's choosing. We hope that in subsequent negotiations with the EU three this can be made a thing that is permanent. We continue to have concerns and suspicions about the Iranian nuclear programme. It has been underway for 18 years and for 18 years they have been hiding parts of the programme." 2.26 8. JOURNALISTS 2.31 9. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SECRETARY STATE COLIN POWELL SAYING: "It's a little joke that Joschka and I have played on each other for several years. I expressed my admiration for German Flip top beer, at the time where the little tops pop off and Joschka sent me a case, and I enjoyed it very much and the next time I saw him, since he is a member of the Green party I gave him the empties back." 2.58 10. AUDIENCE LISTENING 3.01 11. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SECRETARY STATE COLIN POWELL SAYING: "I am pleased that Russia was able to join us with NATO in agreeing with the statement today. In OSCE I think it would not have been that difficult for Russia to agree two days ago and give us consensus there but different organisations different issues are involved and I think what we ought to do is accept what we see today in a NATO-Russia Council as a statement of the Russian position and I am pleased we leave here today with a union of views with respect to what happens next in the Ukraine, thank you." / POWELL WALKS AWAY 3.48 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 24th December 2004 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM
- Country: Belgium
- Reuters ID: LVA8CJ6FCSFHFJSM1VUE48P5PS8P
- Story Text: Powell addresses NATO news conference at his last
Alliance meeting.
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell bid a nostalgic
farewell on Thursday (December 9) to the NATO Western
security alliance he first served as platoon commander
facing down the Soviet army 46 years ago.
Making what is likely to be his last visit to Europe
before stepping down, Powell was showered with praise by
European officials who view him as one of the few friendly
faces in a markedly hawkish Bush administration.
The retired four-star general reminisced about his long
association with NATO that began as a 21-year-old
lieutenant at the Fulda Gap on the border between East and
West Germany and included service as the White House
national security adviser, as the top U.S. military officer
and as Secretary of State.
NATO was riven by divisions over U.S. President George
W. Bush's decision to invade Iraq last year to topple
Saddam Hussein, with key allies like France and Germany
opposing a war that has resulted in a fierce, bloody
insurgency.
On Iraq, Powell said "There is no reason we can't have
a full, fair and free election in Iraq except for one thing
and that's the terrorists who are trying to keep it from
happening." He added that the U.S. was working hard to
make a secure environment for the January elections.
His colleagues were generous in their praise.
During the meeting NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop
Schaffer thanked him for his "tremendous effort" and
everything he had done for the alliance.
Powell focused on the alliance's spectacular success
with the collapse of the Soviet Union and joked about his
misgivings when former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev once
told him the Soviet bloc no longer represented a threat to
the West.
However, the tone on Iran was not so jovial.
"We (U.S.) continue to have concerns and suspicions
about the Iranian nuclear programme," he said.
Powell was also quick to praise the agreement made with
Russia over Ukraine.
"I think what we ought to do is accept what we see
today in a NATO-Russia Council as a statement of the
Russian position and I am pleased we leave here today with
a union of views with respect to what happens next in the
Ukraine."
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