Remarks at Stakeout After Taping the Charlie Rose Show

(5:40 p.m. EDT)

QUESTION: Are you encouraged by President Chirac's comments that he doesn't see himself vetoing, that he feels that unless the U.S. makes some kind of provocative statement that perhaps you might be able to come to some agreement?

SECRETARY POWELL: My hopes are, and I'm pleased with President Chirac's statement, and we look forward to -- I know the President looks forward to seeing him later this week.

QUESTION: What do you think of his proposal to Iraq? What do you think about that proposal

SECRETARY POWELL: Well, I've commented on it previously, that it's unrealistic because there is no one to turn over sovereignty to in the very near future. We've got to develop institutions of government, and we have to write a constitution. They have to write a constitution, and then they have to have elections before we have a government to turn it over to. And that takes time. We all have the same goal, and that is to get Iraq into the hands of the Iraqi people as soon as practical and possible.