Interview by Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation

(12:00 p.m. EDT)

QUESTION: Its clear that the amended American resolution on Iraq is facing some opposition from certain countries on the Security Council. France and Germany want to introduce some changes to the text, will you accept that?

UNDER SECRETARY GROSSMAN: First, thank you very much for the opportunity to be here. It's a pleasure.

I would have to take issue a little bit with the beginning of your question. We have put a resolution to the United Nations. We think it's a good resolution. It returns sovereignty to Iraqis quickly. It highlights the vital role of the United Nations. And I think what we've seen today from other Security Council members is some new ideas. We've been negotiating this resolution for weeks now, and I'm not at all surprised that there are some new ideas.

We'll take a look at them. We'll see what can be accommodated. We've already accommodated many, many suggestions from our allies and from other members of the Security Council. I hope we'll have a vote in a few days. I think you'll be pleased. There's going to be a resolution, and I believe we'll get the broadest possible support.

QUESTION: You say that it’s a good resolution but some members of the council feel that this new resolution does not live up to expectations of the Iraqi people. How do you respond to that?

UNDER SECRETARY GROSSMAN: Well, I think that's up to the Iraqi people. The Security Council has, over the past year or so, spoken clearly about Iraq. It spoke clearly first about weapons of mass destruction. It spoke about the need for the allies and the coalition to do something about that. It spoke in 1483 about the future of Iraq.

And I think if you look at this resolution, it's a very good document, it's a very complete document, and I think both the Security Council and the Iraqi people will be pleased with it because, as I said, it does very important things. It does important things in terms of sovereignty, the vital role of the United Nations, it creates a multinational force. I think it's very helpful and I hope it will pass in the days ahead.

QUESTION: Are you optimistic that the resolution will pass?

UNDER SECRETARY GROSSMAN: Oh, this resolution won't fail.

QUESTION: U.S. policy in Iraq is facing harsh criticism from many quarters, will this criticism make you reassess your strategy in Iraq or will you continue to follow the same strategy?

UNDER SECRETARY GROSSMAN: With respect to that, as I think the Secretary told you when he visited with you at the end of July, we have a very clear strategy in Iraq, and that is to create an Iraq that's democratic, has its territorial integrity, doesn't have any weapons of mass destruction, isn't connected to terrorism, is at peace with its neighbors. And we're trying to do exactly that.

And yes, there's criticism. People in Iraq have, after all of these years, become free and they want things to move faster, and I can certainly understand that. But if you look at where we stand today, compared to where we were six months ago -- six months ago there was hardly any electricity in Iraq, and today there's about 4,200 megawatts a day. Schools in Iraq are open. Iraq had no functioning democracy. Today, in Baghdad alone, there are 88 local councils. The mayor of Baghdad has just turned over the first peaceful turnover, really, in Iraqi history.

Of course, the security situation is very important to us. But what we have created, and really what the Iraqis have created, in the areas of health, education, and the economy is very important. The security situation is extremely important. But there, too, six months ago, there were no Iraqi policemen, there was no Iraqi army. And today, there are thousands of Iraqi policemen. The first new unit of the Iraqi army has been trained and 60,000 Iraqis are involved in their own security. And more is going to happen in that area as well.

QUESTION: It seems clear to whoever follows the development of the Iraqi issue in Washington that there is a certain level of confusion amongst the U.S. officials about who really is in charge of your policy in Iraq? And has the Secretary of Defense been sidelined on this issue?

UNDER SECRETARY GROSSMAN: Again, as Secretary Powell said to you when he visited with you, the President is in charge of our policy toward Iraq. And the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense and all of us who have the privilege to serve the United States follow the President's policy. And that's the answer.

QUESTION: Thank you for joining us.

UNDER SECRETARY GROSSMAN: You're very welcome.