By Judy Aita
Washington File United Nations Correspondent

United Nations -- Holding Iraqi elections by the end of January 2005 "is reasonable, it is feasible, and that is the goal," Secretary of State Colin Powell said September 22.

Powell, who has been meeting with world leaders attending the opening of the 59th U.N. General Assembly, has been discussing ways that the international community can help in Iraq, from joining the coalition forces helping to secure the country to providing personnel and funds for a battalion to protect U.N. staff members who are helping with elections and rebuilding the country. Iraqi Interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi has also been at the United Nations meeting with officials and is scheduled to address the assembly later in the week.
 
Powell said the leaders of coalition countries with troops in Iraq " have reaffirmed their understanding of the challenge we face and they're going to stick with the mission as it was set out. "
 
"We've got to defeat this insurgency and give the Iraqi people a chance to decide their own leadership, decide their own constitution. We will not allow these insurgents, these terrorists to take us back to the past," the secretary said at a press conference.
 
"It is an insurgency that can be defeated and it will be defeated and that is the message we delivered here," he said.
 
Nations can help Iraq in many ways, the secretary said. "Some nations can give military forces, others can provide training assistance. NATO has an alliance -- all 26 nations -- will help with the training of Iraqi forces through the creation of an academy," Powell said.
 
The secretary met with Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Shara September 22 and discussed the situation along the Syrian/Iraq border among other issues. He said that he sensed "a new attitude" of willingness to cooperate on Iraq.
 
"We discussed the need for all of us to do more and I think the Syrians are anxious to do more working with the coalition and especially -- and more importantly -- working with the Iraqi Interim Government," Powell said.
 
"So we will be working with them," he said.

The secretary said that he expects Allawi to visit Syria in the near future and pointed out that Iraq's deputy prime minister "has also had constructive discussions with the Syrians."
 
"I hope that the Syrians now understand the need for all of us to do as much as we can in the tripartite manner -- Syria/Iraqi Interim Government/the coalition -- to stop illicit, improper traffic across that border," Powell said.
 
"It is a tough military mission, it's a tough political mission, but I sensed a new attitude from the Syrians. But, of course, it all depends on actions, not just attitudes," he said.

When asked about the killing of two American hostages in Iraq, Powell responded that even though the United States deeply regrets the murder of the two American hostages in Iraq, U.S. policy on dealing with terrorists remains unchanged.
 
"If there is one thing we've learned over time is that you can't negotiate with these kinds of terrorists. You can't give in to them because all it does is incite them to do it again," the secretary said.
 
Powell also said that there is no reason why elections should not take place in Afghanistan on October 9.
 
The United States as well as Italy and Spain have added forces to provide security. In addition, Afghan security forces are increasingly capable, the secretary said.
 
In President Bush's September 21 conversation with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, "there was not the slightest suggestion that the security situation would keep the elections from going forward," Powell said.
 
"Let there be no doubt there are individuals who want to go back to the past who don't want the Afghan people vote for their own leaders, but on the other side of the coin over 10 million Afghan citizens have registered. They want to vote. They want to go in peace and security to polling places to decide who should lead them. And we cannot let these forces of the past take them backward," Powell said.