Rice IV With Chico Menashe of Israel's Channel 10

Interview With Chico Menashe of Israel's Channel 10

Secretary Condoleezza Rice
Jerusalem
January 14, 2007

QUESTION: Shalom, and thank you for having this special interview with Channel 10 News. First of all about Iran, do you think that the very important but quite limited sanctions you achieved in the Security Council can actually stop or halt the Iranian nuclear program? And if not, how far will the U.S. go in order to do it?

SECRETARY RICE: Well, certainly the Security Council resolution, the Chapter 7 resolution, will help. It sends a very strong message to Iran that the world is united against the nuclear program that Iran is embarked upon. But it is not enough and the United States a few days ago has sanctioned an Iranian bank that is engaged in funding of terrorism and weapons of mass destruction. We would hope that others take such actions.

But I do think that the Chapter 7 resolution puts Iran in a very special category of states that have been sanctioned by the international community and that you will see a reaction to that and perhaps states will think twice and companies will think twice and banks will think twice about their dealings with Iran.

QUESTION: And if diplomacy fails, how would you see an Israeli idea about military operations in Iran?

SECRETARY RICE: Well, I think that even talk of such just shows how very serious it would be to have Iran continue its programs unabated. But I still think there is plenty of room for diplomacy, perhaps more muscular diplomacy with financial measures backing up the kinds of things that we're doing in the Security Council. The United States has also, as President Bush made clear in his speech the other night, showing very definitely that it will defend its longstanding interest in the Persian Gulf, that he will help allies in the region who may feel threatened by Iran. But I think that there is still plenty of room for diplomacy here.

QUESTION: Plenty of room and enough time?

SECRETARY RICE: Plenty of room and I do believe enough time here.

QUESTION: Okay. The Israeli Prime Minister has made it quite clear that he won't engage with Syria because of the American interest; he doesn't want to have conflict with the American interest and we understood it quite well. Is there a chance that the two interests are different -- the Israeli and the American -- and maybe the U.S. should let Prime Minister Olmert at least check what is the Syrian President's intentions really are?

SECRETARY RICE: Well, my understanding from the Prime Minister -- I'll have a chance to talk with him about it -- my understanding is that there's been very little signs of Syria having anything positive to say. Syria is, after all, engaged in trying to undermine the Government of Lebanon. Syria is, of course, continuing to play a negative role in the Palestinian conflict. But we obviously would like to see at some point a resolution on the Syria matter, too. But there's just no indication that the Syrian Government has anything but disruptive plans right now.

QUESTION: Are you talking about Security Council resolution regarding Syria?

SECRETARY RICE: Well, there is a Security Council resolution on Lebanon that has certain requirements for Syria, and Syria has not always lived up to them. But more importantly, when you look at what is going on in Lebanon with Hezbollah and the groups that are trying to overthrow the government of Prime Minister Siniora, it is very clear that Syria is not really reconciled to the fact that it had to leave Syria*, that it had to pull its forces out, that it's trying to reassert its authority in Lebanon.

And that's a very bad thing for the Middle East as a whole. Look, we hope for changes in Syrian behavior too and continue to look for evidence that Syria's behavior is changing, that Syria is going to stop supporting the destabilization of Iraq, that Syria will stop supporting the destabilization of Lebanon and that it will be a positive force in the territories. When that happens, I think there's every reason to (inaudible).

QUESTION: You are just back from Ramallah and before your arrival to Israel you said, like Minister Livni, that there's a need to accelerate the roadmap. But from here in Israel, it sounds like a good slogan but with quite little content because we see the Israeli Prime Minister quite weak politically and Palestinian President cannot even stop more than hundred Qassam rockets firing into Sderot, into Israel, almost daily. So about what acceleration are you talking about exactly?

SECRETARY RICE: Well, certainly on the security side it's extremely important to continue to build the Palestinian security forces. General Dayton works very closely with the Israeli Defense Forces, also with the Egyptians and with others. We need to certainly improve their security forces so that they can deal with problems like the Qassams, which they need to do.

And in terms of Israeli politics, I don't follow the issues; this is for Israelis to decide. But I do believe that there is a common view among most Israelis that progress toward two states living side by side in peace so that the Israelis can finally have the security that will really only come from a democratic and peaceful neighbor and the Palestinians can have the life that will come from their own state, that that is something that most Israelis share that view.

QUESTION: And but you know we're not talking about only internal politics here; we're talking about the ability of the leaders to make significant steps. Do you think they have the ability to do this?

SECRETARY RICE: Well, I'm certain that if the significant steps are in the interest of the Israeli people, the Palestinian people, that we'll be able to move forward.

QUESTION: And do you think, like Mrs. Livni that you met last night, there is a need to start immediate negotiations with Mahmoud Abbas, that this is the right time to do it although it skips some -- actually the first phase of the roadmap?

SECRETARY RICE: Well, I don't think we need to skip any phases of the roadmap. I think that the roadmap is intended to be a guide to get to a Palestinian state. But I know that when Prime Minister Olmert and President Abbas met they talked about at some point discussing broader issues, so I would hope that there would be room to discuss anything that might be on the table. But the roadmap needs to be fulfilled and when I was with President Abbas today he reaffirmed the willingness and indeed the desire of the Palestinians to fulfill the obligations under the roadmap.

QUESTION: Looking back to disengagement plan, the unilateral steps, do you think it was a mistake to do it, like many senior Israelis think? What are the lessons from it because from the results you see quite a bad result from the plan.

SECRETARY RICE: You know, when big historical events take place, they don't always go precisely as planned and there will often be both good things and bad things that come of it. But I think that on balance the disengagement was a success.

QUESTION: Yes?

SECRETARY RICE: Yes, because it seems to me that the way that Israelis managed to pull together and to conduct themselves, I was particularly impressed with young officers of the IDF and how they managed this. It is true that security in Gaza has been really problematic, particularly between Palestinians, but indeed as they begin to solve their own political crisis one would hope that if they have a government, one way or another, that is really willing to live up to international obligations, to be internationally acceptable, then the promise of what could be in the Gaza can really be fulfilled. But I have to say that I think that Prime Minister Sharon's vision and then the execution of that is something that when we look back we will realize that that was actually a very important and good step forward for peace.

QUESTION: One last question please, more personal, if I may.

SECRETARY RICE: Yes.

QUESTION: Last night and the day before you heard some personal questions regarding your personal family issues regarding to your ability to make tough decisions. How did you feel when --

SECRETARY RICE: Oh, I just thought it was strange. You know, it certainly didn't offend me. I thought it was strange.

QUESTION: It didn't offend you?

SECRETARY RICE: No, I thought it was strange because of course I am single. I can't believe that people would really think that that would mean that I didn't understand that when people are at war that there are terrible sacrifices. I go out to military hospitals. I meet the people who have been in combat who have lost arms and legs. I meet their families. Indeed, I have a family member who served in Afghanistan. Fortunately, he came back unscathed.

Americans understand -- I don't care if you're single, married, divorced, whatever you are -- that we are in a period of extraordinary sacrifice for the American people. And I think that the decisions that the President is taking and the decisions that I am helping him to take are really not just about today, but they're about the future and they're about the future of somebody's children so that Americans don't have to live in fear that we're under the constant threat of another September 11th someday.

QUESTION: Okay, thank you very much for this interview.

SECRETARY RICE: Thank you.

QUESTION: Thank you. One more minute. I wanted to ask you about the campaigns for 2008, if you're going to run for it.

SECRETARY RICE: No, I'm headed back to California.

QUESTION: Yeah, really? Sure?

SECRETARY RICE: I am positive, yes.

QUESTION: Okay.

SECRETARY RICE: Absolutely, yes. I told President Abbas today, I said we've got two years and then you can visit me in Palo Alto. (Laughter.)

QUESTION: Thank you very, very much.

SECRETARY RICE: Thank you.

* This part of the sentence should read "it is very clear that Syria is not really reconciled to the fact that it had to leave Lebanon,"

2007/T1-5

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