SECRETARY POWELL: It's a pleasure to have spent time this afternoon with Minister Bill Graham, our Canadian colleague. On the eve of the second anniversary of 9/11, we spoke about our common cause against terrorism throughout the world. I especially want to take this opportunity to thank the Canadian people, through Minister Graham, for the contribution they have made to the war against terrorism, especially what 1,800 brave Canadian service personnel are doing in Afghanistan, fighting alongside Americans and many other coalition troops who are there. It's indicative of the kind of contribution that Canada has been willing to make in the cause of peace over time.
I briefed the minister on the work that's ongoing with respect to a new UN resolution on Iraq, and the efforts that are underway to empower the Governing Council and the new cabinet of the Iraqi Governing Council. Took note of the fact that we now have a Foreign Minister colleague representing the Iraqi people, and he was accredited to the Arab League a day or so ago and I look forward to seeing him in the not too distant future.
And so we are on the move in the transformation that everybody's been looking for in Iraq, to reach that point that we all have in mind and are committed to, and that is the ability to transfer sovereignty of the country back to the Iraqi people, but to do it in a responsible way.
We also spoke about a number of bilateral issues of a trade nature. And I only have a few moments' time, so I'll stop there. I have to be up on Capitol Hill in a few moments, but let me allow Mr. Graham to say a few words, I'll take a question, and then the Minister will remain after I depart to answer additional questions from the press.
Bill.
FOREIGN MINISTER GRAHAM: Thank you very much, Colin, and I join you in saying to people on this eve of September the 11th, Canada and the United States are linked together in the defense of North America on the war against terrorism. We've been working together on so many bilateral issues, which brings our people together, whether they're trade issues, or security issues. We've come a long way in many respects.
We, as you said -- and I thank you for your reference to the work we're doing in Afghanistan. I told you I was there last week. It was very dramatic to see the Canadian flag raised over an embassy in a country that, you know, we were not present in before. And now we have 1,800 of our young men and women there, and committed to $250 million in development aid, in a joined venture with you to make sure that Afghanistan will be stabilized and it won't be a source of terrorism again.
Similarly in Iraq, we're committed to, of some $300 million, to work with you on the stabilization of Iraq. I wish you well on your trip to Geneva. I wish you well in developing a UN resolution which will bring in the broadest possible coalition. I totally subscribe to what Secretary General Annan said the other day when he said, whatever our feelings about Iraq, we know that that is something we must bring to term, we have to make Iraq a member of the civilized society again, and we all have to work to do that. So, Colin, you're key to that, and I really wish you well in that important endeavor.
SECRETARY POWELL: Thank you.
QUESTION: Many Canadians feel relations with the U.S. have soured since the President canceled his trip to Canada last spring. Will the President invest in rebuilding relations with Prime Minister Chretein, or does he think he might have a better chance with Paul Martin when he takes over, as is widely expected?
SECRETARY POWELL: I will not get into Canadian politics. We treasure the relationship that we have with Canada. There was clearly a disappointment earlier in the year with respect to positions that were taken on Iraq. Minister Graham and I have stayed in the closest touch during this difficult period. I believe we worked ourselves and our two countries through this difficult period. That's why he is here today and I always look forward to seeing him. And we had a productive discussion today. And I'm sure that the President is anxious to work with the Canadian Prime Minister, whoever the Prime Minister may be.
QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, in your speech before the UN in early February, you talked about the grave threat that Iraqi drones posed to the international community. There was a report today in the Wall Street Journal indicating that the Air Force believes that that threat was vastly overblown. How do you respond, sir?
SECRETARY POWELL: I haven't seen -- I'm sorry, I just haven't read the article, and I'm not ducking the question. Once I've read the article, I'll get back to you.
QUESTION: But do you still believe --
SECRETARY POWELL: The information that I presented on the fifth of February was not overblown in any way. It was the most considered analysis from the entire intelligence community. I did not sit in my office and make it up. I spent four straight days going over all that the intelligence community had developed over a period of years, and it represented the objective view of the intelligence community and the judgment made by the Director of Central Intelligence. And we stand by it, and David Kay is hard at work with his team, and we will get a report from Mr. Kay later this month.
QUESTION: Has the United States asked for Canadian support in expanding the NATO force outside of Kabul?
SECRETARY POWELL: We touched on it today. We have seen some indications that the forces there are starting to feel that some expansion in some way outside of Kabul might be useful, whether it's putting in place additional provincial reconstruction teams, or other ways of using the force in a more effective way. These are possibilities -- we touched on them briefly -- but have nothing to announce at this point.
QUESTION: Secretary Powell, there's a new tape just out reported to be from Osama bin Laden. Are you aware of this and what does this say? You've both spoken about Afghanistan and --
SECRETARY POWELL: I have not seen the tape that apparently, you've just heard about, but I've been in meetings, I haven't heard it yet.
QUESTION: Do you know whether the North Koreans have stopped reprocessing at Yongbyon? There's a report that they have stopped now.
SECRETARY POWELL: I've seen a variety of reports with respect to what's going on at Yongbyon. But a lot of material that I have is classified, so I'd rather not comment on it. The North Koreans have claimed they reprocessed all. We have never been able to establish that as a fact, and I'll just leave it, leave it there.
You'll have to forgive me because I do have to go up on Capitol Hill and I'll leave Minister Graham behind.
QUESTION: A small matter of $87 billion --
SECRETARY POWELL: Yes, just a small matter. Okay. Good-bye.
QUESTION: Thanks a lot.
FOREIGN MINISTER GRAHAM: Quite happy to answer some -- yes?
QUESTION: Mr. Graham, you were quoted today as saying that you were horrified at the treatment that Mr. Sampson received in Saudi Arabia and that you weren't going to let this sit --
FOREIGN MINISTER GRAHAM: Yes, Mr. Fife.
QUESTION: Can you tell us what you plan to do, and why it is taking you as long as it has to react this way?
FOREIGN MINISTER GRAHAM: Well, you know why we didn't react in a way which would have interfered with our ability to get Mr. Sampson out alive, Mr. Fife. I think you -- nobody would have wanted us to take any steps which would have caused it more difficult to remove someone who is in a position of possibly losing his life if we made the wrong step.
I believe we and the British and the other governments that were working on Mr. Sampson's relief, and those others who were held there, did the right thing. Now that it's done, now that we hear from Mr. Sampson of exactly what happened to him, we'll be raising this with the Saudi Government, as I said, and we'll be dealing with them and talking to them about the need for international standards and the respect for international standards. And that is what we will do.
QUESTION: Will you expel the ambassador?
FOREIGN MINISTER GRAHAM: We're not going to talk about specific measures at this time. What I said is we will be able to raise this. Again, if we expel the ambassador, we won't be able to raise it, will we? So we're going to keep our diplomatic roots open so that we can raise this issue as we always do in these cases.
QUESTION: The discussions you just had with Secretary Powell -- you said in your opening remarks that Canada stands by the United States in the war on terror. And the other day the President said that the -- Iraq is now the central front in the war on terror. I want to know if Canada buys that, and if we have now bought into the idea that there is terrorism in Iraq, and that Iraq was behind terror.
FOREIGN MINISTER GRAHAM: Well, I don't -- for us, the issue is how do we reconstruct Iraq? There is no question that if Iraq is allowed to deteriorate, as it is at the present, and slide into poverty and desperation and violence, it will become an incredible source of terror. So it is a threat to us all. It is a problem. And that's why Canada has committed $300 million to help the reconstruction of Iraq.
We totally subscribe to the vision of all of us who believe strongly that we need in the reconstruction of Iraq. But go back to what the Secretary General said of the United Nations: "Let's work together. Let's get over all the rhetoric, all the discussions about who did what or anything, and let's talk about how we can rebuild Iraq." That's what we want to do.
QUESTION: But it's your rhetoric, Minister. You said Canada is standing by the United States in the war on terror. I just want to know if Canada believes that Iraq is the central front, as the President said.
FOREIGN MINISTER GRAHAM: I think there are many fronts. We have a domestic front we have to look at. We have the defense of North America, which we are working with the United States on. We are engaged in Afghanistan, and we're engaged in Iraq. And there will be other areas where we'll work with the United States on dealing with this, which is a common threat to all of us. That's absolutely something we have to work on together, completely.
Yes, sir.
QUESTION: Ambassador Bremer has said that reconstruction costs in Iraq will be comprised or worth tens of billions of dollars. You're sending around $300 million. And so are you optimistic that the U.S. and the other coalition allies will have enough money from the international community to fully reconstruct Iraq?
FOREIGN MINISTER GRAHAM: Well, that is the discussion we are presently having. There is another meeting of aid ministers which is coming up after this discussion over the UN resolution. We'll work our way through it. As I said, we have committed to $300 million, which, frankly, for a country like Canada, which has already committed $250 million to Afghanistan, is a very substantial commitment in that region.
We have to look at that in the light of our other aid commitments and what we are doing in other countries, but we're going to try and be as supportive as we can and find ways we can use our aid through providing police training, through creating systems of governance where it will be most effective in Iraq.
QUESTION: Minister, have you discussed with the Secretary, and did you seek support of the Secretary for Mr. Manley to be the next Secretary General of NATO?
FOREIGN MINISTER GRAHAM: The Secretary and I discussed that. As you know, this is a matter which is being discussed. It's very much a question of whether there is a European consensus developing or not. At this time, it's not clear.
So I pointed out that Mr. Manley is, if he were asked, is available. He's a man of tremendous experience. The Secretary agrees with that. It's a question very much amongst the European partners to discuss as well. And that's where we left it.
QUESTION: Mr. Minister, did you walk away from this meeting with no U.S. promise of support should he be a candidate?
FOREIGN MINISTER GRAHAM: I wasn't here to ask for support. I wasn't here -- I don't think the Secretary expected me to ask for support. I don't think Mr. Manley expected that. What we expected was just to share information as to where we're standing at the moment, and Mr. Manley will make his decision, and the other governments involved will make their decision in the light of that.
QUESTION: (Inaudible) states that you wholeheartedly endorse a new UN resolution that has Americans with total political and military control considering that in April you said that you wouldn't endorse such a thing, that there has to be more UN involvement in decision making?
FOREIGN MINISTER GRAHAM: No, what I said to the Secretary is what the Canadian position has consistently been. Other countries will make the decision as to the light of what the resolution provides and how much they accept the controls that it gives them.
No country is going to commit their soldiers, or their treasury, or their taxpayers' money unless they believe they have some role in making a decision about how that money will be spent, or how the lives of our citizens will be risked. And, therefore, I clearly -- I said to the Secretary, I said, "The broader the resolution, the better chance there is of having a broader coalition."
He knows that, everybody knows that. That's why they're going to Geneva. And that's why there will be discussions. This is a resolution. It's being negotiated. Like every other negotiation, it will have an end. But it's not over yet, so let them negotiate something.
I can take one more question, and then --
QUESTION: Mr. Graham --
QUESTION: En Français?
FOREIGN MINISTER GRAHAM: En Français?
QUESTION: Minister Graham, on the eve of the 9/11 anniversary, there are some Canadian -- families of Canadian victims in New York expressing disappointment the Canadian Government has not considered a permanent 9/11 memorial to Canadian victims or some kind of memorial service in Canada. Your response?
FOREIGN MINISTER GRAHAM: Well, as you know, after September the 11th, we had an incredible service. And I remember on the lawn of the Parliament building, we had thousands and thousands Canadians there expressing their support for Americans, expressing our support for our friends in the United States.
