Interview by Ellen Ratner of Talk News Radio Service

8:30 a.m. EST  
 
QUESTION:  Secretary Armitage, you're here on Radio Day in -- at the Pentagon.  You're Secretary -- Assistant Deputy Secretary of State.  Why here?  Why you today?
 
DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE:  Well, actually, I'm today the either acting or pretending Secretary of State depending how you look at it.  Secretary Powell is in India and on his way to Pakistan.
 
I'm here today because we are closing in on the one year after the initiation of Iraqi Freedom Operation.  But it's interesting to note that 16 years ago today, the people of Halabja, Iraq, suffered a terrible tragedy by being attacked by their own government with chemical agents, an interesting irony.
 
QUESTION:  It is an interesting irony.  When you look at this year, what have been the things that were real winners, we just did great in, and some things that still need improvement?
 
DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE:  Well, clearly, the skill and daring and speed with which our military forces conducted the operation has to be a big plus.  I think the garnering, since May of 2003, four UN Security Council resolutions on Iraq is a significant endeavor.  I think the fact that almost all of Iraqi infrastructure is in better shape today than it was pre-war is a plus.  And obviously, the biggest disappointment --
 
QUESTION:  Now, let me just say something --
 
DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE:  Obviously the biggest --
 
QUESTION:  -- that's not saying a lot.
 
DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE:  Well, no, when it --
 
QUESTION:  I was there.  I mean, it was like the old Soviet Russia; there was nothing working there.
 
DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE:  No, you're right, unless you lived in Saddam Hussein's hometown or near one of his palaces, you were lucky to get four hours of electricity a day and now you're much more likely to get about 16 hours.
 
But I was going to go to the big disappointment, which is the other part of your question.  Of course we're disappointed not to have found the actual weapons of mass destruction as well as -- we have found programs.  We haven't found the weapons.
 
QUESTION:  But you throughout this year were at State Department, of course, not the Pentagon.
 
DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE:  Right.
 
QUESTION:  Which made it -- did it make it difficult for you, in terms of negotiating with your allies, working with your allies, trying to sell this war in a diplomatic fashion to our friends and allies.
 
DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE:  I don't know, maybe others are best suited to judge that.  We were pretty successful, as I've said, four UN Security Council resolutions, 24 countries standing alongside us in Iraq and 39 countries who have pledged some sort of assistance.  We've got a pretty good record going.
 
QUESTION:  And then in terms of allies, Spain, of course, is the issue of the day.
 
DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE:  Yeah, the decision of the voters of Spain to vote out the previous government and put in the Socialists is one that I think was affected by the recent terrorist attack.  But I think it was much more affected by the fact that the government, the sitting Government of Spain, was seen as not handling this attack correctly.  It wasn't the terrorist event itself.  It was the handling of it, I think, that cost the government the election.
 
QUESTION:  What happened in these past few days between the bomb and what happened with the elections in Spain?
 
DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE:  Well, first of all, you saw -- we all saw millions of Spaniards standing in the streets with their arms raised.  They were not singing for peace, they were raising their arms against terrorism.  So in that regard, the terrorists have made a big mistake.  But we then saw the government being voted out of office, I think because it was seen as mishandling this situation. 
 
And finally, we've seen statements by the new government that they intend to pull their troops out of Iraq at the end of June unless the UN does not take over in some unspecified way.  We'll see how that plays out.
 
QUESTION:  Now I haven't been to Iraq since June.  But there was -- it was pretty clear to me that, in some respects, you almost have three countries -- you know, you have the Kurds, you have the Shia, Sunni, and I just don't see -- I mean, my non-foreign mind here -- I don't see how it's really going to be pulled together.
 
What is the connection that need to happen besides a constitution, that is going to make this a country, as opposed to three very different ethnic people sharing some space?
 
DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE:  Clearly, all Iraqis, whether they're Kurds, Shia, Sunni, for that matter, Caldian, Turkomen or Syrians, are going to have to feel that by hanging together they're in better shape than hanging separately.
 
I think what happened on March 8th, with the signing of the Transitional Administrative Law or basic law, and an embryonic constitution, if you will, was a huge step in that direction and one that should not be underestimated.
 
QUESTION:  Okay.  I want to sort of move around the globe.  I also did a not so -- after that recent trip to Syria, another trip to Saudi Arabia in the last couple of years, and we took talk show hosts on all of them with us.
 
Most people in the Mideast will say to you, "Look, if you really want to get a handle on terrorism, solve the Mideast crisis."  It takes part of their, you know, stuff away from them.  It will not allow them to have the same vehements that they had.  What about -- and this Administration has been criticized for not being as active as, perhaps, they should.  What do we need to do to get that off the table?
 
DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE:  First of all, let's get to the facts.  It was only well after we had gone after Usama bin Laden in Afghanistan that he could even find it in his vocabulary to speak the words "Palestinian."  So he's a Johnny Come Lately to the peace process.  We're not involved in something that is just Israel and Palestine.  We're involved in a battle of ideas.  That's what this war is about.  Those who want to do us harm are attempting to do away with western secular governments.  That's what they're opposed to, and it has very little to do with the peace process.
 
Having said that, I think it is true that having the neuralgic and violent situation that exist between Israel and Palestine continue is something that does allow a certain amount of recruitment to accrue to terrorists.  We've just had three of our top diplomats in the region for the second time in three weeks meeting with the Israelis and we're working rigorously on that.  Sometime in the -- an unspecified time in the future, I think we'll have Mr. Sharon here and we'll work on the peace process with him.
 
But don't underestimate what's going on more broadly in the Middle East.  There was a stunning statement out of Alexandria, Egypt, yesterday in their regional conference on reform.  And it's such a stunning statement to bring tears to the eyes of those who are Arabists because there is a lot of change going on in the Arab world, and a lot of that change has been brought about by the new winds that are blowing out of Iraq.
 
QUESTION:  What about the wall?  Some people are saying it's not being built on the green line.  It's being built on Palestinian territory.
 
DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE:  Well, that's why the wall or the barrier has been problematic to us.  It's problematic if it prejudges the final outline of a solution.  It's problematic if it confiscates Palestinian land.  I am pleased to report that the Israelis have shortened the barrier, and they have moved it to areas inside of Israel.  So they've been responsive to our concerns on this.
 
QUESTION:  Let's keep rolling around the world here.
 
DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE:  Sure.
 
QUESTION:  Stop off in Port-au-Prince.  We'll go to Haiti for a second.  That has been a big issue, I'm sure, in your Office of Political Military Affairs, for the past few weeks and it continues to be one.  What's the latest in Haiti?
 
DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE:  President Aristide, former President Aristide is back in Jamaica, and I think our friends in Jamaica are wondering why they made the offer for him to come.  You've seen the Government of Haiti has withdrawn their Ambassador from Jamaica.  They're going about their business trying to actually improve the lot of the Haitian people rather than just rabble rousing publicly.
 
QUESTION:  I'm going to say something inflammatory.  I actually think --
 
DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE:  Imagine my surprise.
 
(Laughter.)
 
QUESTION:  I think that this is really a coup sponsored by the United States, I mean, I do.  I know you're going to disagree and say it's not the case.  But he was democratically elected.  Now you can say there were some problems with the election -- democratically elected.  We withdrew our support.  Why didn't we support him?
 
DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE:  You know, it's a real conundrum, isn't it?  It must be a real blow to you to realize that a democratically elected president was governing undemocratically.  He was sponsoring violence in the streets.  He was having his armed Chimeres or thugs go out and actually kill people.  Now is this something that you want to put your name behind and support him?  I don't think so.
 
Now I'm not going to argue with you whether it was or not a coup because the facts on the ground speak for themselves.  It was not.  He voluntarily signed a letter that he wrote.  We didn't dictate for him.  He left the country in the presence and accompanied by his armed security guards, albeit, on an American plane.  That doesn't sound like a coup or a kidnapping to me, when your own security guards with arms are allowed on the plane with you, and then they say, "Of course, this wasn't a coup or a kidnapping.  We were with him the whole way."
 
QUESTION:  Why not let him do -- why not let him come to the United States?  I mean, his wife is a U.S. --
 
DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE:  I think his wife is welcome to come to the United States.
 
QUESTION:  Right, but we supported him before.  Why not have him -- and if he's guilty of war crimes, try him?
 
DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE:  He has no visa, first of all, to travel to the United States, though his wife does.  Second of all, we had him here before.  He's not welcome in the United States.
 
QUESTION:  Also, on this -- back to the resignation, did it happen, how it happened, we both, Ellen and myself, heard from Congressman Rangel, that he wrote a letter in Creole that it wasn't accepted, that he was demanded to write it in English. That it was dictated by an American envoy (inaudible).  The mechanics of that resignation is a bit fuzzy.
 
DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE:  I would call your statement, well, an eight letter word.  (Laughter.)  It's nonsense.
 
QUESTION:  Let me just ask you one other --
 
DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE:  Nonsense.
 
QUESTION:  -- one other question before we get to other parts of the world because I do want to get to our allies in Asia, et cetera.  But in terms of America, there are American businesses in Haiti.  What are we doing to support them to make sure that they continue, et cetera?
 
DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE:  Well, I would say the most important thing we have done is to bring two or three successive nights with very little violence, stopped a lot of the armed thugs from roaming through the streets, shops are opening again.  And this government and a Prime Minister and President Alexander appear to be intent on actually improving the lives of all Haitians, not just a few.  That's a pretty good start.
 
QUESTION:  We're talking about all of these different conflicts and issues around the world.  North Korea and the Korean Peninsula is a big issue.  Talks are ongoing in that region of the world, in China, the United States -- the Koreas, Japan.  What is the latest there, given also the political instability of sorts in South Korea?  They have domestic insecurity.
 
DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE:  First of all, regarding North Korea, we are engaged in talks with our five allies about the makeup of the working groups which have been agreed, and we hope to get those or have those working group meetings in the not-too-distant future.  And we will have a meeting of six, the six-party talks, before the end of June.
 
Regarding the impeachment proceedings against President Roh is South Korea, this is an internal matter.  Things appear to be moving forward in a constitutional manner.  It wasn't really surprising to us, but it's not something that we can effect, and it will work itself out over time.
 
The relationship with China is quite good.  We're all watching the elections this weekend in Taiwan to see how, not only they come out, which is an internal Taiwanese matter, but to see what effect that has on northeast Asia.
 
And I'm pleased and proud to announce that our relationship with Japan could not be better.  And if there is a country that's really changing right before our eyes for the good, it is Japan.
 
QUESTION:  One last question, Syria, there is a question of sanctions on Syria.  A lot of people are saying they're exporting terrorism, et cetera.  They wouldn’t be my first candidate, in terms of exporting terrorism.  And when I was there it seemed, honestly, that the current President Assad is miles better than the last President Assad.  They also claim that they are doing -- that they have worked with the United States on some basis.
 
What can be done to change that relationship so that it works positively and not --
 
DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE:  Ms. Ratner, there is not a question of sanctions, there will be sanctions, and there will be very firm sanctions very soon.  Second, it is correct that, to some extent against al-Qaida, that the Syrians have helped us.  It is equally correct that the combination of Iran and Syria have continually supported Hamas and Hezbollah.
 
QUESTION:  No question.
 
DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE:  So they're kind of high up in my pantheon of supporters for terrorism.
 
QUESTION:  They don't even deny it.
 
DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE:  Now whether young Assad is the same man as his father, not yet.  You can dislike his father enormously, but I think his father had the ability to make decisions.  We will see if President Assad can.  He is faced with a decision now.  He's at a fork in the road, and he can either go and have a fine life or he can be further isolated and be the only Baath Party left in the region.
 
QUESTION:  Secretary Armitage, thank you.
 
DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE:  Thank you.

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