Interview on Netherlands RTL News with Rick Nieman

MR. NIEMAN: Mr. Secretary, thank you very much for joining us. We appreciate it.

SECRETARY POWELL: Thank you.

MR. NIEMAN: As you're well aware, the Netherlands has now some 1,300 troops in Iraq in the province of Al Muthanna in the south. How important is it to the coalition that those troops are there?

SECRETARY POWELL: I think it is very important, not only to the coalition but to the people of Iraq. The Netherlands battalion has been doing a terrific job, providing a sense of security and stability in that part of Iraq, and we are very pleased that they are part of our coalition and the Iraqi people are pleased that they are there.

MR. NIEMAN: It was relatively quiet until now in Al Muthanna, but this week we saw mortar fire directed at the Dutch base. What is your estimate of the security situation in that province?

SECRETARY POWELL: Well, there is a general security problem throughout the country, but in the southern part of the country, and especially in that province, we don't rate the security threat as particularly high. But that's not to say you can't have incidents such as mortar firings of a random nature.

MR. NIEMAN: The Dutch troops are now scheduled to stay until June 30th. What do you think? Should they stay longer?

SECRETARY POWELL: Well, of course, we would appreciate that, but that is a matter for the Dutch Government and the Dutch people to decide. But they have done a great job. They are going to meet their commitment of staying till the 30th of June. And we hope by that time, when people see that sovereignty has been restored to the Iraqi people and there is an interim government in place, and I hope by then we will have a new UN resolution, and we will have transferred our responsibilities to a new Ambassador, Ambassador Negroponte, who is currently our Ambassador in New York, I hope that everybody will review the bidding at that time and see whether or not it would be appropriate to stay for a longer period. Also, perhaps NATO might be encouraged to play a role by that time, as well.

MR. NIEMAN: The Dutch Government wants to take a decision on whether to extend the troops staying in the next few weeks. Will you formally ask the Dutch Government to extend their stay?

SECRETARY POWELL: Well, I don't know if I'll formally ask, but I'll certainly be in touch with my Dutch colleagues to discuss the matter as a decision point becomes nearer.

MR. NIEMAN: Would it be useful if the Dutch were to send more troops than the 1,300 that they currently have sent?

SECRETARY POWELL: Well, additional troops, of course, would be welcome. But this, once again, is a matter for the Dutch Government. I know that this deployment was a difficult one politically, and I'm sure there were difficulties with it, and it is a strain on Dutch forces. Whether or not they'd be able to offer any more forces, I really couldn't speak to that. They would be welcome, but it's a matter for the Dutch Government to decide.

MR. NIEMAN: One more question, sir, about this perhaps new deployment of Dutch troops. Would you ask them, if they were to renew that stay, to stay in Al Muthanna, or would you ask them to perhaps move to another part of Iraq?

SECRETARY POWELL: This will be a matter that I would leave up to my military authorities to work with Dutch military authorities on. I think they would be asked to probably stay where they are now, it would seem to me, because they have gained such experience in that part of the country. But it's a matter that would have to be worked out between the two militaries.

And all I could say is that we're very pleased that the Netherlands made this kind of commitment to the cause of peace and stability in that part of the world. The Iraqi people are going to benefit from the presence of those Dutch troops as we build a democracy for the Iraqi people, and I hope that all the people of the Netherlands are proud of the manner in which their troops are serving.

MR. NIEMAN: The problem is, sir, there was an opinion poll last week, and I'm sure you're aware of the feelings in the Netherlands and the rest of Europe: a majority of the Dutch people have said that under the current circumstances they would favor withdrawing the Dutch troops from Iraq.

What would you say to that?

SECRETARY POWELL: Well, my response would be that I hope you take another look at it, recognize that we are working hard to get the security situation under control. And what we have accomplished over the last year is to remove a terrible regime, a dictatorial regime, a regime that filled mass graves, a regime that suppressed its people, that wasted the treasure of the nation. That's been done away with.

And we're trying now to build a new government, a government that rests of the rule of law, on a foundation of democracy. And I hope that the Dutch people would recognize that it's important for the international community to support that kind of effort and I would hope that the Dutch people would provide us political support, financial support to the Iraqi people and military support of the kind that they have been providing.

But I know it's a controversial issue, but I just wanted to say to the Dutch people that as you debate this issue and discuss it, be proud of what your troops have done in Iraq, know that they have been performing in a noble cause.

MR. NIEMAN: Okay. Finally, sir, the same opinion polls says that if there were to be a UN Security Council resolution about Iraq, then they would support in majority the Dutch troops staying. Are you still working on getting such a resolution?

SECRETARY POWELL: Oh, we are working on such a resolution and I'm confident we'll be able to obtain such a resolution. We're just now beginning to draft the elements of such a resolution. And it's linked, of course, to the plan that Ambassador Brahimi, the Secretary General's representative, the agreement that he brought back that we'll be examining, waiting for the Secretary General to speak about this plan. And once the Secretary General has given his approval for this plan, then we can start to work with our friends in the Security Council to develop and get passed a new UN resolution.

MR. NIEMAN: You're confident this will happen?

SECRETARY POWELL: I'm confident that we can make it happen, yes.

MR. NIEMAN: Okay. Mr. Powell, thank you very much for joining us. Appreciate it.

SECRETARY POWELL: Thank you.

2004/436