*EPF203 09/28/2004
Full, Free, Fair Elections in Iraq Are U.S. Goal, Powell Says
(Secretary calls plans for January 2005 elections "quite realistic") (650)

By Peggy B. Hu
Washington File Staff Writer

Washington -- The United States supports Iraqi Interim Prime Minister Allawi's goal of full, free and fair elections throughout Iraq in January 2005, Secretary of State Colin Powell said in talk show appearances September 26.

Speaking on ABC's "This Week With George Stephanopoulos," Powell said the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq and Iraqi security forces have been fighting "an intense insurgency generated by those who want to take Iraq back into the past, as well as terrorists who have come in to make trouble."

These insurgents and terrorists have been increasing their attacks as the time of Iraq's national elections draws closer in the hopes of preventing them altogether, according to Powell.

Speaking to reporters following his interview on ABC, Powell said the insurgents and terrorists "don't want the Iraqi people to have a choice as to how they will be led," and "want to see the tyrannical leadership that was there once before."

"The Iraqi people don't want that. The world can't stand it. And the international community has to stand together. And I can assure you the United States will stand with the Iraqi people as we fight these insurgents and terrorists," the secretary added.

Speaking on CNN's "Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer," Powell said he did not know whether or not Iraq will be able to hold elections in every part of the country, but stressed that the goal "is to give everybody the opportunity to vote in the upcoming election, to make the election fully credible, and something that will stand the test of the international community's examination."

Powell also said the United States and several other countries have discussed holding an international conference in the fall on stabilizing Iraq that would involve Iran, Syria, and the Group of Eight (G8) industrialized nations of Canada, France, Great Britain, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States.

"This is the time to help Iraq so that the region can become stable," he said. "With the presence of the industrialized nations, I think it adds a little bit more 'oomph' to the conference and brings in those who can contribute more in the way of resources to stabilizing the situation and helping the Iraqi people."

Despite the rising level of insurgency in Iraq, Powell said in remarks to reporters, the plan to hold nationwide elections in January 2005 is "quite realistic."

"I'm confident that our military forces are responding appropriately and will be going after these insurgents and will be recovering ... cities and bringing them back under control, they way we did in Najaf and Kufa not too long ago," he said in remarks following his interview on ABC.

Speaking on Fox News Sunday, Powell said that although the insurgents and terrorists may try to disrupt elections, "it is premature to judge that we cannot have full, free elections throughout the country."

"We're getting the U.N. to stand up its electoral support activity. We're going to provide security to U.N. personnel so that the numbers can be increased in the country," he said. He also noted that municipal elections are already under way in Iraq "as a precursor to the national elections that will take place."

Powell stressed the importance of defeating the foreign terrorists in Iraq to prevent them from creating trouble elsewhere.

"These individuals ... did not start in Iraq. They came to Iraq from elsewhere. And the nature of these organizations, especially al Qaeda, is they will seek trouble somewhere," he said. "I would just as soon they not be in Iraq or anywhere else. But if they are in Iraq causing trouble, let's destroy them in Iraq so they can't go anywhere else."

(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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