U.S. and coalition partners engaged in the liberation of Iraq are laying the groundwork to help Iraqis build a country that is whole, peaceful, free of weapons of mass destruction, no longer a haven for terrorists, and moving toward democracy, U.S. Under Secretary of State Alan Larson says.

Briefing reporters April 10 at the Foreign Press Center in Washington, Larson said a near-term goal is creation of an interim authority that would be run by Iraqis until the Iraqi people are able to establish a permanent government.

"We have in mind a broad-based interim authority that would draw from all of the religious and ethnic groups, including Iraqis that are inside Iraq now, as well as those that are outside Iraq," he said.

He also reaffirmed the U.S. belief that the United Nations has a "vital role" to play in Iraq that includes, but is not limited to, the provision of food, medicine and other humanitarian supplies.

United Nations involvement "can include coordinating international contributions to help the Iraqi people as well as providing help for the process of forming the Iraqi interim authority," Larson said.

The Bush administration will seek new U.N. Security Council resolutions to affirm Iraq's territorial integrity, ensure the rapid delivery of aid, and endorse a post-conflict administration for Iraq, Larson said.

U.S. officials welcome the recent decision by U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan to establish a special advisor on Iraq to work with Iraqis and coalition representatives, Larson said. He added that subsequent consultations would determine the "precise role" to be played by the United Nations.

He also stressed that "the coalition, naturally, will have the leading role for a period of time in order to ensure that essential services are provided to the Iraqi people."

In response to a question, Larson said there was no "timetable" for lifting U.N. sanctions against Iraq or for re-starting the "Oil-for-Food" program, but he said "there is certainly a case for addressing those issues just as quickly as they can be addressed."

In the meantime, he said that the international community's response to current humanitarian needs in Iraq has been "outstanding."

To illustrate, Larson noted the Australian government's delivery of 100,000 metric tons of wheat to Iraq under the Oil-for-Food program and an additional Australian pledge of $83 million for the World Food Program.

The Kuwaiti government is providing food rations to Iraq, UNICEF [U.N. Children's Fund] is bringing water into Basra, and the International Committee of the Red Cross is working to rehabilitate several water plants in Basrah and Baghdad, he said.

Coalition forces are securing the southern port of Umm Qasr, and a British ship arrived there on March 28th delivering 300 tons of humanitarian supplies. The United States has provided $124 million to international aid agencies, including $60 million to the World Food Program, as well as $375 million in food commodities to help the Iraqi people with immediate relief, Larson said.

"I think the basic message here is that the supplies that are in country or are approaching Iraq now seem broadly to be adequate," Larson said, adding that U.N. officials are working to make sure that the aid pipeline remains full into the future.

MR. DENIG: Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the Foreign Press Center. With the remarkable progress of the coalition forces in Iraq, everyone's attention is starting to move ahead to the next phase, the phase of humanitarian assistance and reconstruction. We're delighted to be able to welcome here today to the Foreign Press Center to brief on this subject, Alan Larson, the Under Secretary of State for Economic, Business and Agricultural Affairs.

He'll have a brief statement that he'll make and then we'll be very glad to take your questions. And just to remind you, please, when you ask your questions to use the microphone and identify yourself and your news organization.

Mr. Secretary.

UNDER SECRETARY LARSON: Thank you very much. Good morning. Just as we have planned very carefully for a military victory, we've also been planning very carefully on how to build the peace.

We have very clear goals: An Iraq that is whole, free, and at peace with itself and its neighbors; that is disarmed of weapons of mass destruction; that no longer supports or harbors terror; that respects the rights of its own people and the rule of law; and is on the path to democracy.

We're going to work in several important ways to achieve those goals. Some of the details of this will continue to be worked out, and on some of the questions that you may have later, my answer will be, "That's still being worked out."

Several administration officials have stressed our goal of having an Iraqi interim authority that would be run by Iraqis until a permanent government is established by the Iraqi people. We have in mind a broad-based interim authority that would draw from all of the religious and ethnic groups including Iraqis that are inside Iraq now, as well as those that are outside Iraq.

We also have talked about -- the President has talked about -- the vital role that the United Nations will play in the process. This role can take many forms. It can include the provision of food, medicine and other humanitarian supplies. It can include coordinating international contributions to help the Iraqi people as well as providing help for the process of forming the Iraqi interim authority. We will be seeking the adoption of new United Nations Security Council resolutions that would affirm Iraq's territorial integrity, ensure the rapid delivery of humanitarian aid, and endorse a post-conflict administration for Iraq. We welcome the decision by the United Nations Secretary General to establish a special advisor on Iraq to work with the people of Iraq and with coalition representatives.

We have stressed that each situation is different, and Iraq is not exactly like some of the other post-conflict situations that the international community has had to address. At the same time, we think there are some lessons to be learned from those, including the process by which the Afghan interim authority was created.

The precise role of the United Nations is going to be determined in consultation with the Iraqi people, coalition members, and U.N. officials. The coalition, naturally, will have the leading role for a period of time in order to ensure that essential services are provided to the Iraqi people. But the goal of everyone -- certainly the coalition and I think the rest of the international community as well -- will be to return sovereignty to the Iraqi people, a sovereignty that really has been denied them under the regime of Saddam Hussein.

With those remarks, I'd be happy to respond to your questions, particularly on the issue of humanitarian relief and economic reconstruction.

MR. DENIG: We'll start in front here.

QUESTION: Jim Berger, Washington Trade Daily. Just a couple of brief questions. Has there been any initial damage assessment done yet? And also, I wonder when the -- if the United States expects the U.N. to drop its sanctions and re-institute the Food-for-Oil program?

UNDER SECRETARY LARSON: There has not been a comprehensive damage assessment. We are pleased that coalition forces have been able to secure the southern oil fields and that the damage there from sabotage seems to have been minimal. But I think one of the early requirements will be to do a more comprehensive needs assessment -- not just damage. But, you know, the important point here is that the damage that we're talking about is damage that's been done over the course of 23 years by the way the country was governed, and so there will need to be a fairly comprehensive assessment of what needs to be done to help the Iraqi people recover what they've lost over those 23 years.

On the process in the U.N., you were talking about Oil-for-Food, and what was the first part of your question?

QUESTION: U.N. sanctions.

UNDER SECRETARY LARSON: Oh, the U.N. sanctions. I can't give you a timetable on that. That's something that is part of the U.N. consultative process. But I think there is certainly a case for addressing those issues just as quickly as they can be addressed.

MR. DENIG: The gentleman in the back.

QUESTION: Gabbriel Caggiano, the Middle East Broadcast Center. Sir, how contentious do you think the debate will become and the struggle to have the U.N. included to a degree they wish to be included, and how contentious do you think it will become when France and Germany and possibly Russia want to play a larger role in terms of the economic recovery than the coalition or the Iraqis may want them to?

UNDER SECRETARY LARSON: Again, on the U.N. role, we've made clear that we think that there is a vital role for the United Nations that includes a vital humanitarian role. It's not limited to humanitarian, but it certainly includes a very important role there.

I was in New York just last week to have discussions with U.N. specialized agencies about their Flash Appeal. The United Nations has issued an appeal to the rest of the world for help on things like food and medicine and other emergency requirements. The United States has made a contribution to that ourselves, and we've also been very active in encouraging other countries to come forward.

We made clear in the statement that was issued after the President and Prime Minister Blair met that we saw other roles for the United Nations as well, including working with the advisor that the Secretary General has appointed and seeking some additional Security Council resolutions. So there really isn't an issue about there being an important, indeed a vital U.N. role; there are details to be worked out, of course.

On reconstruction, first of all, I think the issue is, who is prepared to put their shoulder to the wheel to help the Iraqi people reclaim their future? I think that there would be a welcome towards countries that would be prepared to come up with resources and to make contributions in line with the wishes of the Iraqi people to help them rebuild their country.

It's another thing to be talking about trying to control an international process that involves other people's money, so I think this is something that's going to have to be worked out over time, but I think what I'd hope we would see in the near-term would be a willingness of countries around the world to come up with resources that would be required to address these needs.

My consultations suggest that there are many, many countries all around the world that are prepared to come forward with help, financial and other kinds of help.

MR. DENIG: Let's take the lady in front here.

QUESTION: Thank you. Leigh Sales from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. You said before that the United States would like a new Security Council resolution to ensure Iraq's territorial integrity. Firstly, how difficult do you think that's going to be to secure given that nations opposed to the war don't want to confer any legitimacy on it? And secondly, do you think that that endorsement by the Security Council is going to be required by bodies like the World Bank for them to get involved in the reconstruction effort?

UNDER SECRETARY LARSON: We don't think that we need a United Nations resolution to confer legitimacy. We are very confident of the legitimacy of the actions that coalition forces have taken. We do believe that the process of helping the Iraqis reclaim their future will require cooperation in the Security Council to address many of these issues. I would hope that there would not be a wish on the part of any Security Council member to stand in the way of helping free Iraqis to reclaim their country and do what needs to be done to recover from 23 lost years.

On the issue of the World Bank, I think there will be meetings coming up in Washington over the next few days where there may be some discussions on the side about the possible role of the World Bank and the IMF. I think that in past, post-conflict situations they have played a very important role. The World Bank, for example, has had a good track record of helping to develop needs assessments in these types of situations. So that would be one logical role, but it would be up to the Bank and its shareholders to make their own decision on that.

MR. DENIG: Okay. Use the microphone, please.

QUESTION: Louise Leduc, La Presse, Montreal, Canada. I was wondering what has to be done in the short time to avoid chaos in Iraq, do you think?

UNDER SECRETARY LARSON: Well, I think there are two broad things that need to be done: One is -- and they are interrelated -- the coalition and many, many other partners are working hard to ensure that there are adequate supplies of food and medicine; and that basic services, such as water and electricity, are restored. I think the response internationally to the appeal from the United Nations for help in each of those areas has been outstanding. We just need to make sure that the response continues and that the supplies are delivered in a timely way.

The second issue is making sure that there is adequate security. And here I'm really talking about issues related to policing more than to military security. It's a common thing in post-conflict periods for there to be a brief period where looting and things of that sort take place. I think we need to work very hard to make sure that this is stemmed very, very quickly. And I believe there will be a requirement for help for Iraqi police forces from other parts of the world -- countries that can make experienced police officials available, and particularly groups that have had experience in the past providing and helping to provide police services in post-conflict situations.

MR. DENIG: The lady in the back row, please.

QUESTION: Margery Friesner with ANSA, the Italian News Agency. I have a follow-up on your answer to the last question. First of all, I think that after the events of yesterday and the news that's coming, I think that the Iraqis and, indeed, the whole world now is looking to see the humanitarian aid now, not that we're working to assure that maybe the supplies will be able to come in. I think that it's immediate, and I think that -- and I'd like to know if something is being done today for that?

And, second of all, when the question about making sure there is adequate security -- you talked about groups that are very good and specialized and have come in to help post-war situations. Were you referring to the Italian Carabinieri, either as an example or as a possible police force, and how soon could that be done, too?

UNDER SECRETARY LARSON: On the humanitarian side, thank you for giving me the opportunity to just get out a few of the facts. You don't have time, and I don't have time to lay them all out, but this is a real time operation. Two Australian ships are delivering 100,000 metric tons of wheat under the Oil-for-Food program, and the Australian Government has committed $83 million for the World Food Program for additional food supplies. Coalition forces are securing the southern port of Umm Qasr, which is the gateway for these relief supplies. A British ship arrived there on March 28th and delivered 300 tons of humanitarian supplies. The Kuwaiti Government is providing food rations. The International Committee of the Red Cross has carried out urgent maintenance work at several water plants in Basra and Baghdad and is providing supplementary drinking water to poorly served areas as well as health centers and hospitals. UNICEF is trekking water into Basra. The World Food Program is shipping food into northern Iraq. The United States has provided $124 million to international aid agencies, including $60 million to the World Food Program, as well as $375 million in food commodities to help the Iraqi people with immediate relief. I referred already to the U.N. Flash Appeal, which is an international call for ongoing assistance.

I think the basic message here is that the supplies that are in country or are approaching Iraq now seem broadly to be adequate. What the U.N. was concerned about when I met with them last Friday was making sure that that pipeline remains full and that there is not a lapse in necessary supplies of things like food and medicine.

Now on your second question, that is really something that should be directed to the Italian Government, not me. But we are aware of the very strong record that the Italian police forces have played in other post-conflict situations and they have a very good reputation, and they are certainly an example of the type of group that could make a contribution.

MR. DENIG: The gentleman in the back, please.

QUESTION: Guy Dinmore of The Financial Times. I wonder if you could explain a little about the awarding of the reconstruction contracts, which I believe USAID are responsible for doing, and yet, Jay Garner's team, which is effectively going to be the provisional administration in Iraq, at least for awhile, is under the Pentagon? And I have heard, for example, the Pentagon has been drawing up a blacklist of European companies that would not be allowed in to work in Iraq with U.S. money. How is the State Department and the Pentagon working these things out?

UNDER SECRETARY LARSON: Well, first of all, I am surprised that we've gone six questions in without the FT [Financial Times] asking a question about contracts. The State Department and the Defense Department are working extremely well across the board. I am in daily contact with a counterpart at the Defense Department. The Defense Department is the lead agency for operations on the ground because General Franks is serving as the head of the coalition forces, and then the Office of Humanitarian Reconstruction Assistance is working there under General Franks' command. So you have a situation, obviously, in a region where fighting is still going on, where General Franks working with his counterparts in the Pentagon, they are in the lead in coordinating activities, and that's natural and appropriate.

We are, on the Washington end, doing our very, very best to make sure that, through U.S. taxpayer funds, there are activities ready to move in quickly to ensure that necessary water, electricity, and other humanitarian supplies and rehabilitation activities are in place as quickly as possible, in a timely way.

And on the issue of contracts, I think Andrew Natsios and I and others have spoken on it so many times we're virtually blue in the face. But the basic point is that these contracts were let according to U.S. Government procedures. They were let in a way that opens up possibilities for companies from other countries to participate in the subcontracting work. And they were let in order to make sure that we could respond quickly to the genuine humanitarian needs that a number of the previous questioners have already mentioned. So, I think there is very little more to be said on this except that -- but I guess the one thing that I can say is that we are working to make sure that information on all of this is as available as possible. And you probably know that USAID has a website where anyone that has questions about the USAID contracts can get answers instantly.

MR. DENIG: Let's go to the gentleman on the right down here.

QUESTION: Hi, this is Toru Yoshida. I work with Nikkei Newspaper, Japan. Now my question is concerning contract also. Russian companies have lots of, shares contract with Saddam Hussein regime on Iraq oil field. Do you think -- and with French companies, also -- so do you think these contacts are still valid after the Hussein regime finished, yeah?

UNDER SECRETARY LARSON: I'm not the person to give you a legal answer to that question. What I can say is that we believe that it will be up to a new Iraqi government to make the major decisions about the future of the Iraqi oil industry and about the treatment of any contracts or other arrangements that may have been negotiated between Saddam Hussein's government and other companies or countries.

MR. DENIG: We'll take the lady in the front row.

QUESTION: I wonder if you could explain to us -- oh, sorry. I'm Marian Wilkinson from the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper. I wonder if you could explain to us the current State Department legal advice on the issue of control of the Oil-for-Food and their contracts and the escrow account and the need of the Security Council to endorse a changeover to a transitional government? And in that, Secretary Rumsfeld said at the Armed Services Committee last week that there were some contracts under the Oil-for-Food program that he would like to see canceled or reorganized. Again, legally, what is your understanding of that situation?

UNDER SECRETARY LARSON: As I suggested in response to the last question, I am not the person to give you a finely tuned legal answer to a complex issue like that. I think what I can say is that the resolution that the Security Council passed a couple of Fridays ago -- and I'll find the reference to it but I think you know which number I'm talking about -- was basically designed to give the Secretary General of the United Nations the authority to prioritize certain contracts and to ensure that funds that are in escrow under the Oil-for-Food program could be made available to help meet immediate humanitarian needs.

I would not be in a position to go beyond that because I would be in over my head in terms of what is essentially a legal issue, if I've understood you correctly.

QUESTION: (Inaudible.)

UNDER SECRETARY LARSON: It's a short-term resolution. That's right. You're absolutely right.

MR. DENIG: To Dmitry up front here.

QUESTION: Dmitry Kirsanov, Russian News Agency TASS. Mr. Secretary, could you describe the tasks, what will be the tasks of an organization that, as Vice President Cheney announced yesterday, will be created to oversee the functioning of Iraqi oil ministry as part of Iraqi interim authority?

UNDER SECRETARY LARSON: I think the starting point is that it is our view that the oil resources of Iraq are there for the benefit of the Iraqi people and must be safeguarded and used for the benefit of the Iraqi people, in the first instance. That is one of the reasons why we are very pleased to have been able to secure the southern fields without serious damage, because this has basically allowed us to ensure that these resources are held in trust for the Iraqi people.

I think that it will be important to have an Iraqi-led process that will allow for the repair, maintenance, and rehabilitation of the production and processing and transportation system for Iraqi oil; and for that oil to be sold and for the revenues from those sales to be used for the benefit of the Iraqi people.

I think that, as I said in response to an earlier question, big issues about the future developments of the Iraqi oil industry are questions that would best be made by a future elected Iraqi government that is representative of the people. I think in the short run there is a very strong case for making sure that the physical assets, that is to say, the production and processing and transportation systems, are maintained and repaired and rehabilitated, and that it's possible to see that oil production from the existing facilities move forward, and for the proceeds from that to be used for the benefit of the Iraqi people.

QUESTION: Sir, with all due respect, what will be the role of (inaudible) organization? Sorry.

UNDER SECRETARY LARSON: I think I just said it -- to safeguard the resource, both the resource in the ground and the physical infrastructure, to make sure that it is maintained, repaired and rehabilitated, and to make sure that at an appropriate moment that current capacity for production is used and that the proceeds from that go for the benefit of the Iraqi people.

QUESTION: Thank you.

MR. DENIG: Here on the left again.

QUESTION: Again Louise Leduc, La Presse, Montreal, Canada. Again on the security issue, I was wondering, last Sunday an Iraqi exile a few weeks in the press briefing was saying that he was very concerned for the -- by the fact that a lot of Iraqis have firearms. And I was wondering -- he was hoping for program where Iraqis could give their arms and get money for those arms. Is that a program that has been sought by you, by the United States?

UNDER SECRETARY LARSON: I have no specific information for you about programs of this type with respect to Iraq. It is a common issue in post-conflict countries. It's certainly something that has been an issue and continues to be an issue in Afghanistan. So it's a logical question, it's a logical concern; I just don't have for you today any specific plans that I have been involved in to which I can point.

QUESTION: Margery Friesner, ANSA Italian News Agency. Yes, I am sorry if you've already addressed this question before I came. What role will Mr. Chalabi have in the immediate future? And from what we gather from the press is that there seems to be a dispute between the Pentagon and the State Department over him, and how is that being worked out because I know he was flown in on a white horse, practically, by the Pentagon into Nasiriya? Thank you.

UNDER SECRETARY LARSON: I think the administration has been very clear in all the statements that have come from the President, Dr. Rice, Secretary Powell and Secretary Rumsfeld and others, and that is that goal is to have a process that is led by Iraqis, that leads towards the development of an Iraqi interim authority that is representative, that is broadly representative of all of the different groups, religious and ethnic, that exist in Iraq, that includes representatives from within Iraq as well as outside of Iraq.

This is not about the United States choosing any particular individual or set of individuals. It's about having a process by which the Iraqis will choose for themselves.

QUESTION: And a follow-up. From what I understand, Mr. Chalabi, who was 13 when he left Iraq, does not have a constituency in Iraq, so what would he be representative of if he were to be placed in a position of authority in the interim?

UNDER SECRETARY LARSON: My point was that we believe that there should be a process that's run by Iraqis that chooses representatives that are broadly representative of all groups in Iraqi society, and that this should include both Iraqis that are presently within the country as well as those that are without.

Many of the representatives from outside of Iraq have worked and thought hard about the type of Iraq they would like to see created when Saddam Hussein and the Ba'ath Party were gone. And we believe that these representatives have a role along with leaders within Iraq who have not been tainted by or corrupted by Saddam Hussein and the Ba'ath Party; and that together, people within Iraq and from outside of Iraq are going to have to take the leadership role in establishing an interim authority.

MR. DENIG: Is there a final question on humanitarian aid and reconstruction? The gentleman right here.

QUESTION: Toru Yoshida, Nikkei Newspaper. Could you explain the coordination within your administration for, like, the construction. We know you are State Department and the State Department has a major role, but I would like to know other department, for example, Treasury Department and the Transportation Department, Energy Department. What's the task for these department?

UNDER SECRETARY LARSON: We -- it depends a lot on the issue, but what I can say is that we have worked very hard to make sure that all the agencies are working in close coordination, certainly broadly under the direction of the President because the President has set the basic framework and the basic direction for us.

You mentioned specifically the Treasury. They are very, very actively involved, particularly on the financial and other economic issues, and Under Secretary Taylor, Under Secretary Zakheim at Defense and I are in very, very constant communication and on many issues there's a group of other agency representatives, as well, that plays a key role. A lot of the most important coordinationis done under the auspices of the National Security Council.

MR. DENIG: Thank you very much, Mr. Secretary. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.

UNDER SECRETARY LARSON: Thank you.