QUESTION: Madame Secretary, you just came back from a trip in the Middle East to gather ideas. Did you get any new ideas?
SECRETARY RICE: Yes. It was a very useful trip. I asked how people would like to go forward for the acceleration of the roadmap and to really now begin to work for the establishment of a Palestinian state. And out of those discussions, it became clear that a set of informal talks between Prime Minister Olmert and President Abbas would be useful, so to speak, to break the ice with it. They've not talked about the issues concerning the establishment of the state for six years. And so I will go back sometime in the next few weeks to help facilitate those talks between them. They will continue their bilateral channel to work on the issues on which I think they've gained considerable momentum on improving movement and access and so forth. But I think this is a good way to start work toward the establishment of a Palestinian state.
QUESTION: So you see signs that the dangerous situation in the Middle East can be defused?
SECRETARY RICE: I do believe it can be. The Chinese have a character for crisis; it's danger and opportunity. And our job now is to press the opportunity. Obviously, it's a complicated time in the Middle East. But there are -- out of difficult times very often opportunities come and we'll try to pursue those opportunities.
QUESTION: Madame Secretary, how much time will the U.S. Government grant the Maliki administration to prove that this time they are serious about disarming the militia?
SECRETARY RICE: Yes. Well, the Maliki government came to us to say that this was a time to deal with the problems in Baghdad. And I think that they understand very well that that means being evenhanded, dealing with Sunni and Shia death squads. The disarming of the militia is, of course, a part of the Prime Minister's plan. I believe that they will do that.
But the first goal really is to get a hold of -- to deal with the population security problem in Baghdad. And that is why the President has -- will make available additional American forces to help reinforce the Iraqis as they deal with their neighborhoods and try to give the population a sense of security. At a point in time, it will be important also to disarm the militias. You can't have militias in a democratic state. But I think the first thing they will try to do is to deal with the death squads and the people who are really causing the dangers to the population.
QUESTION: When do you hope to see results?
SECRETARY RICE: Well, the forces will start to come in in February -- February 1st, again February 15th. I think we will know in a few months whether or not this is a having an effect. They have a very developed plan of military districts in Baghdad of army, police and local police to patrol and to work on the problem. And I do believe that if they follow the rules of engagement that the Prime Minister says he will and they really go after death squads, no matter who they are, then this has a very high chance of working.
QUESTION: And so you would say the war is winnable in Iraq?
SECRETARY RICE: Oh, absolutely I think it is. It's not easy. This is a revolution really in the Middle East, a political-social revolution. Iraq was drawn on the fault lines of ethnic and religious differences. For the first time they're being challenged to resolve their differences by politics, not by the repression of one group by another. There are very deep grievances that sometimes spring to the surface, and so it's not easy.
But when you talk with Iraqi leaders or with just the Iraqi people, they want what everyone else wants: They want a stable and peaceful life. And I think the defeat of those extremists who are trying to deny them that kind of Iraq is what really needs to be done. It's not as if all Iraqis are running through the streets fighting each other, Sunni and Shia. These are people who are intermarried, their tribes are very often both Sunni and Shia, but they are being challenged by violent extremists and by death squads. And --
QUESTION: Smaller groups?
SECRETARY RICE: I think -- I don't know how small, but certainly not large, not the majority of the Iraqi people.
QUESTION: And you wouldn't say it's a civil war, at least?
SECRETARY RICE: No, because the Iraqi people and their government have not given up on a unified Iraq. You don't hear Iraqi leaders saying, oh, we cannot work with the Sunni or the Shia. They have a national reconciliation plan. And so I think we should talk about this the way they talk about it, which is the need to reestablish civil order.
I'm going to have to go pretty soon, so can I give everyone a question?
QUESTION: Were you -- in your talks in Berlin, were you confronted with any skepticism or criticism as to the Iraq strategy of the United States?
SECRETARY RICE: I found the German Government quite understanding of what we are trying to do. I think that everyone -- and I found this by the way in the region, too -- is impressed with and pleased that there is an American recommitment to Iraq, that the President is not following the voices of some who would say, well, just leave the Iraqis to their own problems at this point, because we feel a responsibility to the region, to the world, to help stabilize Iraq. But we recognize that the responsibility really rests with the Iraqi Government for what kind of Iraq this is going to be, and with the Iraqi people. The United States needs to play its part and I've found broad support for what the President is prepared to do.
QUESTION: Don't you think it's about time to have direct talks to Iran?
SECRETARY RICE: No, I don't. I think the Iranians are in violation every day of international demands. I think they are engaged in activities that are in Iraq leading to the deaths of American soldiers. I think they are behind much of the instability and the -- in Lebanon, in the -- with the rejectionists in the Palestinian territories.
I think everybody knows what Iran needs to do. We don't need to tell them. And I, by the way, would have reversed 27 years of American policy to sit with my Iranian counterparts, if only they would meet the demands of the international community. So the question isn't why will we talk -- why will we not talk to them. The question should be why will they not talk to us.
QUESTION: What informations do you have concerning Iranian support to militias and insurgents in Iraq?
SECRETARY RICE: We believe that there are networks that are financed by, sometimes perhaps trained by, because the -- by some elements in Iran because, for instance, some of these explosive devices are extremely sophisticated and these are not technologies that one gets off the shelf, so to speak. So the President has made clear that we will go after those networks. We will do it in Iraq. This --
QUESTION: So you don't cross the border into Iran?
SECRETARY RICE: General Pace was asked this and he said the American military has not even asked about that because they believe this is something that can be done in Iraq. We are not trying to escalate this. Our plan is to try to respond to Iranian activity that is harming us.
QUESTION: Do you believe there is a risk of escalation if you go behind the Iranian networks in Iraq?
SECRETARY RICE: I think the Iranians should stop what they're doing. We're not going to sit by and let them engage in activities that kill our soldiers.
QUESTION: Could you give us some more minutes just to make a little a little bit of transatlantic relations?
SECRETARY RICE: Yeah.
QUESTION: We'll really hurry up.
SECRETARY RICE: Okay, all right, okay.
QUESTION: But just a little bit on the sanctions. Do you have any proposals as to a new set --
SECRETARY RICE: We'll talk to the allies about what do in the next round.
QUESTION: You would like to see sharper sanctions -- sharper shanctions -- sharper sanctions. Sorry for that. Should German companies and banks curtail their business relations or stop it altogether?
SECRETARY RICE: This is a decision for the private sector. But I will say this, I've been a corporate director, I've been in that world. And you know, I think people ought to think about the risk of doing business with Iran. I think people ought to think about the risk of further sanctions. The United States is clearly sanctioning Iranian banks and our laws are very tough on those who deal with banks that we have sanctioned.
And so I would just say that this is a time for everybody to look at what Iran is. Iran is a state in Chapter 7, under Chapter 7 resolution. They're in very, very small company along with North Korea and Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo which I think will get out of Chapter 7 now, Liberia which will get out of Chapter 7. This is hardly the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval to be in Chapter 7 and I think it will have an effect.
Last question. Yes.
QUESTION: You made a comment a few minutes ago. So this international conference, the Baker Commission that proposed -- this -- it's not a good idea? You prefer to go step by step, talk to all the players?
SECRETARY RICE: Well, let's remember that there's a lot of diplomacy going on. The Iraqis are running their own diplomacy, so they are going to talk to Iran, they're going to talk to Syria. The region has what they are calling Arab Initiative for Reconciliation, which is an Arab League initiative. That includes everyone. The international compact which Iraq and the UN run together is an opportunity for all of Iran's neighbors -- Iraq's neighbors to be there, including Iran and Syria. We had a meeting in New York. The Iranians were there. The Syrians were there. This was at the time of the United Nations General Assembly. So there are fora.
If the Iranians and the Syrians wish to support stability in Iraq, there are plenty of ways for them to do it. The absence of the United States talking to them one on one shouldn't -- somehow the notion that if we would just talk to them, then they would suddenly be prepared to stabilize Iraq, I think it's just not right. In fact, I think the danger is that the -- you can't just talk about talks. You have to say what would come of this. So we sit with the Iranians. Does anyone really believe that they will say, all right, we'll talk about stabilizing Iraq over here, but we have no demands about our nuclear program. Or with the Syrians, oh yes, we’ll talk about stabilizing Iraq, but we have no demands about Lebanon. Of course, the reason that -- the only reason to talk to us would be to extract a price; and that's not diplomacy, that's extortion.
QUESTION: And these talks between Syria and Israel, did you support it?
SECRETARY RICE: I think the Israeli -- these were apparently not government-sponsored and the Prime Minister has spoken. Everybody would like to see peace between Israel and Syria, too. But Syria is currently engaged in behavior that is not stabilizing in the region. And in fact, just as the world is trying to strengthen Abu Mazen, they continue to deal with elements of the Palestinians that are trying to destabilize.
QUESTION: But isn't it useful to pull Syria over, talk about Golan Heights and so on?
QUESTION: Engage them, no?
QUESTION: Engage them. Isn't it --
SECRETARY RICE: As I've said to you, they don't need us to tell them what they need to do. And I'm concerned that the purpose of having the discussions with us might be to extract a price, and it's a price we're not prepared to pay.
QUESTION: Thank you very much.
SECRETARY RICE: Thank you.
2007/T1-14