For Immediate Release
January 13, 2005

Global Message

From Secretary of State Powell in an interview on NPR with Juan Williams, 1/11/05

The Iraqi Interim Government and the Iraqi Election Commission want to move forward with the elections on Jan. 30.

The elections can not be delayed because that will mean a victory for terrorists, murderers, and former regime elements who are trying to stop the elections from happening.

Coalition and Iraqi forces are adjusting their tactics and strategies to try to deal with potential security issues surrounding the elections.

Hopefully, the Iraqi people will come out to vote in resounding strength, not only in the 14 provinces that are secure, but in others as well. Then it would become even clearer to the murderers that they will not succeed.

People said Afghanistan was too insecure, and that people would not come out to vote, but they did. Afghans faced the danger and had a successful election. They are saying the same things about Iraq, yet 14 million Iraqis are registered to vote.

An elected government that reflects the will of the Iraqi people -- and is not a government put in place by the coalition or by UN resolution -- should serve to improve the security situation because the Iraqi people will know it is their government that is being assaulted, not an appointed government.

Printer-Friendly Version

Email this page to a friend