Rice: No 'magic' or 'silver bullets' about Iraq

RAW STORY
Published: Wednesday November 15, 2006

Asked about her thoughts on the soon-to-be released report by the bipartisan Iraq Study Group, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, en route to Vietnam, said that there were no "magic" or "silver bullets" that she knew about.

"I don't think that there are any magic bullets about Iraq," said Rice. "This is a complicated case -- or silver bullets, I guess, is the right phrase."

"But this is a complicated place," Rice continued. "They're in a very difficult time."

Rice said that it "will take some combination of Iraqi responsibility for their politics and also for increased responsibility for their security as well as better help from the neighbors in supporting Iraq as it makes its very difficult transition."

When asked about similiarities between Iraq and Vietnam, Rice said that "historical parallels of that kind are I think not very helpful, and I don't think they happen to be right."

Excerpts from transcript:

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Q Actually, I wanted to ask you about Iraq. You've had a couple of days of meetings in Washington, and I guess some perhaps clarity on what the Baker Commission may be looking at if not what they're going to recommend. Have you heard anything in the last two days that sort of gives you any new ideas of what you would like to see happen in Iraq and anything that changes your mind about whether or not Iran could be helpful and U.S. direct talks with Iran could be helpful in that regard?

SEC. RICE: Well, first, I've been looking at the situation in Iraq and trying to do some deep thinking, deep thoughts into where we are at this particular point in time, now several months into the Maliki Government. I started that process with a trip out to Iraq. But really we've had, inside the Department, several people that have been meeting regularly with me, brainstorming about Iraq, going through a number of issues, really looking in depth what is happening with our reconstruction, what's happening with the politics. So we've been very involved in this now for several weeks. And the meetings at the White House over the last couple of days, the President really then wanted to take what he knew to be several informal or several departmental, I guess I would say, efforts in this regard and put them together. And that's really what he did today.

I don't think that there are any magic bullets about Iraq. This is a complicated case -- or silver bullets, I guess, is the right phrase. But this is a complicated place. They're in a very difficult time. It will take some combination of Iraqi responsibility for their politics and also for increased responsibility for their security as well as better help from the neighbors in supporting Iraq as it makes its very difficult transition.

I can't say -- I don't want to try and prejudge what the Baker- Hamilton Commission will do. We had a very good conversation yesterday, very open. They asked a lot of questions. I talked to them about what I thought we were doing, what differences we were seeing now, and I think we will have to see what ideas come from there, but also what ideas come from others. I think we'll want to hear and I'll want to talk to some members of Congress about their views. And at that point we can step back and see what new ideas might help us chart a more successful way forward because, obviously, we're not making the progress that we want to make.

In terms of the Iranians, there are -- there have been multiple -- we have made multiple overtures to the Iranians about talking to them first and foremost through the nuclear file. If they would simply suspend their enrichment program, which has been a demand of the international community for more than two years, we could talk and we could talk not just about the nuclear issue but also about other issues. We do have the channels that at some point it could make sense to activate between Zal Khalilzad and the Ambassador from Iran. So there are no -- there's no lack of opportunity to talk to the Iranians. I think the question is, is there anything about Iranian behavior that suggests that they are prepared to contribute to stability in Iraq. And I have to say that at this point I don't see it.

Q You mentioned that this is your first trip to Vietnam. And I believe it's the President's first trip to Vietnam as well. Do you see any parallels between Vietnam, the Vietnam War and obviously what's happening in Iraq? I heard somebody said something, and I can't remember who, about a week ago that said something that if the U.S. is really lucky, Iraq will end up as Vietnam did. What do you think of that?

SEC. RICE: Well, if what people are saying is that one would not have guessed in 1975 that Vietnam would look like it does now, I think that's probably true that Vietnam is an extraordinary place given its history. And our relationship with Vietnam is extraordinary given our history with Vietnam.

But no, I think that, first of all, historical parallels of that kind are I think not very helpful, and I don't think they happen to be right. This was a different set of circumstances with different stakes for the United States and a different kind of war. Iraq is in the center of the Middle East. This is a country that we clearly liberated from a dictator. I don't think that most Iraqis disagree that Saddam Hussein was bad for Iraq. And so the U.S. role here is very different than it was in Vietnam. One of the major differences, of course, is just in terms of the history here, volunteer army, not a draft. And probably most importantly, you have an Iraqi Government that is not facing an alternative government in the sense that you had a South Vietnam and North Vietnam facing off for control. In Iraq you have an Iraqi Government elected by twelve and a half million Iraqis -- that's most eligible Iraqis -- who are now in a fight against terrorists and insurgents who have tried to destabilize the country.

Now there is a sectarian element of this, the sectarian violence. But again, I don't think that you can argue that this is a government that's fighting another alternative government. And certainly the role of outside powers is fundamentally different than in Vietnam. So I think if you just go through the list, you'll see that it just does.

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