USA: SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN POWELL MEETS WITH SPANISH FM ANNA PALACIO AND ADDRESSES MEDIA ON INVASION OF IRAQ
Record ID:
222908
USA: SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN POWELL MEETS WITH SPANISH FM ANNA PALACIO AND ADDRESSES MEDIA ON INVASION OF IRAQ
- Title: USA: SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN POWELL MEETS WITH SPANISH FM ANNA PALACIO AND ADDRESSES MEDIA ON INVASION OF IRAQ
- Date: 27th March 2003
- Summary: (W8) WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (MARCH 25, 2003) (REUTERS) 1. MV U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN POWELL AND SPANISH FOREIGN MINISTER ANA PALACIO EXITING THE STATE DEPARTMENT 0.09 2. (SOUNDBITE) (English) SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN POWELL SAYING: "I am proud of the actions of the coalition military forces who have been able to advance into Iraq in a very short period of time and I remind everyone that it's been six days, less than a week and we're hundreds of miles inside Iraq and on the outskirts of Baghdad. There obviously will be some difficult days ahead, but this is a plan that is being carried out with great professionalism and skill by the coalition military." 0.40 3. WIDE OF POWELL LISTENING TO REPORTER'S QUESTION 0.48 4. (SOUNDBITE) (English) REPORTER ASKING: " How do you think you go about winning the hearts and minds of the iraqi people who have been so badly battered over the past 12 years" (SOUNDBITE) (English) POWELL SAYING: "They have been battered over the past 20 odd years by the policies and action of Saddam Hussein who has squandered the treasury of the Iraqi people. When I think that they have access to $20 billion a year in oil revenue and he spent it on weapons of mass destruction, he spent it on oppressive instruments of his regime, he spent it on attacking his neighbors. When you think that some 20 or 25 years ago Iraq had the GDP of , say Portugal and all of that was destroyed by Saddam Hussein. Once that regime has been eliminated once we have an opportunity to get in there and work with the Iraqi people and help them put in place a responsive government. A government that reflects all of the people of Iraq, that wishes to help all of the people of Iraq, a government that is committed to getting rid of all the weapons of mass destruction, a government that is committed to using this 20 billion United States dollars a year on good purposes, not evil purposes I think the people of Iraq will welcome all of this and understand that we have come in peace, not as conquerors but as liberators." 1.58 5. WIDE OF POWELL AND PALACIO SPEAKING TO REPORTERS; POWELL AND PALACIO WALKING OFF (2 SHOTS) 2.18 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 11th April 2003 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: WASHINGTON, D.C. UNITED STATES
- City:
- Country: USA
- Reuters ID: LVA4DCKEN76RV8N3CK6KM95O5P70
- Story Text: U. S. Secretary of State Colin Powell has said he was
proud of the progress coalition forces have been able to
accomplish in only six days, but warned of "difficult days
ahead."
Powell, after meeting with Spanish Foreign Minister
Anna Palacio at the State Department on Tuesday (March 25, 2003),
said the plan to disarm Iraq, is "being carried out with great
professionalism and skill by the coalition military."
Powell responding to a reporter asking how the Iraqi
people might be won over after the conflict is over said the
Iraqi people will "understand that we have come in peace, not
as conquerors but as liberators."
Powell said Saddam Hussein has squandered the 20 billion
United States dollars a year from the treasury of the Iraqi
people spending the money on weapons of mass destruction and
attacking Iraq's neighbours.
Powell said the U.S. and its partners will work with the
Iraqi people to institute "a responsive government" that will
use Iraqi resources on "good purposes."
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