USA: SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN POWELL PRESS CONFERENCE AFTER MEETING WITH CROWN PRINCE OF BAHRAIN

Record ID: 222941

  • Title: USA: SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN POWELL PRESS CONFERENCE AFTER MEETING WITH CROWN PRINCE OF BAHRAIN
  • Date: 22nd May 2003
  • Summary: (W8) WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (MAY 21, 2003) (REUTERS) 1. MV U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN POWELL STANDING WITH SHAIKH SALMAN BIN HAMAD AL HALIFA, CROWN PRINCE OF BAHRAIN AND COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF BAHRAIN DEFENCE FORCE. 0.02 2. SOUNDBITE (English) POWELL SAYING "The intelligence community has really looked hard at these vans, and we can find no other purpose for them. Although you can't find actual germs on them, they have been cleaned - and we don't know whether they have been used for that purpose or not but they were certainly designed and constructed for that purpose. And we have taken our time with this one because we wanted to make sure we got it right. And the intelligence community, I think, is convinced now that that's the purpose they served." 0.35 3. MV POWELL STANDING WITH CROWN PRINCE OF BAHRAIN 0.41 4. SOUNDBITE (English) POWELL SAYING "What we have to do is do it right and not be in a hurry, but do it right so that we put in place a responsible government, a lasting government, a government that will be reflective of all the people of Iraq, and we should not be in a hurry. And that's the point the President has made repeatedly. We are there to do it right, however long it may take." 1.01 5. MV POWELL STANDING WITH CROWN PRINCE OF BAHRAIN 1.05 6. SOUNDBITE (English) POWELL SAYING "We think it was unfortunate that al Jazeera ran the tape. All it does is heighten tension throughout the region, allowing terrorists to have this kind of access to the airwaves, and I spoke to the Qatari Foreign Minister about it earlier today. I think they are taking some action, but it's too late. The information is already out there on that tape. Do we know if it is an accurate tape? Is it not accurate? Who knows. But in any event, it is heightening tension throughout the world, and it spreads more hatred throughout the world. And I wished they had made a different editorial judgement about it." 1.42 7. MV POWELL STANDING WITH CROWN PRINCE OF BAHRAIN 1.44 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 6th June 2003 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: WASHINGTON, D.C, UNITED STATES
  • City:
  • Country: USA
  • Reuters ID: LVA7GMYKTU3A5H0Z6CJ2PH82ZJ5B
  • Story Text: U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Wednesday
    that the U.S. intelligence community is convinced that
    vehicles found in Iraq were designed for the production of
    biological weapons. He also said that it was unfortunate that
    an arabic language satellite network broadcast a message
    purportedly from al Qaeda.

    Appearing after a meeting with the Crown Prince of
    Bahrain, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said that vans
    found in Iraq have determined to be designed for the
    development of biological weapons.

    "The intelligence community has really looked hard at
    these vans and we can find no other purpose for them.

    Although you can't find actual germs on them, they have been
    cleaned and we don't know whether they have been used for
    that purpose or not but they were certainly designed and
    constructed for that purpose. And we have taken our time with
    this one because we wanted to make sure we got it right. And
    the intelligence community, I think, is convinced now that
    that's the purpose they served," Powell said.

    The Secretary of State also rebuffed reports that plans to
    install an Iraqi interim government have been delayed. Iraq's
    U.S. administrator Paul Bremer said that the Iraqi national
    conference's meeting to choose an interim authority would most
    likely be held in July, later than many Iraqis had hoped.

    Powell said that there had never been a strict time line.

    "What we have to do is do it right, and not be in a hurry
    but do it right so that we put in place a responsible
    government, a lasting government, a government that will be
    reflective of all the people of Iraq, and we should not be in
    a hurry. And that's the point the President has made
    repeatedly. We are there to do it right, however long it may
    take," Powell said.

    Turning his attention to al Qaeda, Powell said that the
    airing of an audio tape aired by arabic language satellite
    television network al Jazeera was broadcast in poor judgement.

    "What we have to do is do it right and not be in a hurry
    but do it right so that we put in place a responsible
    government, a lasting government, a government that will be
    reflective of all the people of Iraq, and we should not be in
    a hurry. And that's the point the President has made
    repeatedly. We are there to do it right, however long it may
    take," Powell said.

    Al-Jazeera aired a tape alleged to be the voice of
    Ayman al-Zawahri, bin Laden's top lieutenant in al Qaeda, the
    group Washington blames for the Sept. 11 attacks on the World
    Trade Centre and the Pentagon that killed about 3,000 people.

    In the recording, the latest purported message from al
    Qaeda leaders who remained silent during the Iraq war, Zawahri
    told Muslims to strike at the embassies and commercial
    interests of several Western nations, including Britain and
    Australia.


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