Rice says French plan for Iraq "unworkable"

Описание: (23 Sep 2003)
1. US National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice walking to podium
2. Reporters in room
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Condoleezza Rice, US National Security Adviser:
"Ambassador Bremer has been talking about a seven step plan... constitution followed by elections and then by the transfer of sovereignty, and it makes perfectly good sense to do this as soon as possible, but to do it in a way that is responsible. I think that as all of us have said the French plan, which would somehow transfer sovereignty to an unelected group of people, just isn't workable."
4. Reporters
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Condoleezza Rice, US National Security Adviser:
"All of the signals are that the international community will be prepared to contribute to that reconstruction because Iraq is going to be an important country in the future and everybody should be a part of that."
6. Side shot of Rice
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Condoleezza Rice, US National Security Adviser:
"The images that are coming from Iraq are hard images to see and the president mourns every death of an American soldier that happens on any given day. The large picture is that we have a job to do in Iraq and finish, and this president is resolute and we will finish it."
8. Reporters in room
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Condoleezza Rice, US National Security Adviser:
"They have an opportunity with low taxes and liberal foreign investment laws, with a very open economic structure to leap frog the entire region once the infrastructure is rebuilt and once the security situation improves."
10. Close-up of Rice
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Condoleezza Rice, US National Security Adviser:
"We've said the same things to the Israelis that we have been saying, that this wall is not really consistent with our view of what the Middle East will one day have to look like... two states living side by side in peace. We understand they have some security concerns and that it is extremely important that if it is going to be built that it not intrude as much as possible on the lives of the Palestinians, and most importantly that it not look like it is trying to prejudge the outcome of a peace agreement."
12. Reporter listening
13. Rice at podium

STORYLINE:

US President George W Bush will resist French and German pressure for a quick surrender of US authority in Iraq in his UN speech on Tuesday, according to US National Security Adviser, Condoleezza Rice.

In a media briefing in Washington on Monday, Rice was openly critical of plans to rush the transfer of power, saying it must come in "an orderly process".

She said the French plan, which she said would transfer sovereignty in Iraq to an unelected group of people, wasn't workable.

Rice added that US public opinion was still in favour of the occupation of Iraq, but she understood that the images of dead and injured US soldiers were eroding confidence.

She said the Bush administration hoped to refocus attention on its successes to date and the 80 per cent of Iraq that is peaceful.

Rice also answered criticism over plans to radically open up the long-closed Iraqi economy, saying that trade liberalisation would make Iraq a beacon for foreign investment and pressure other regional economies to keep up.

Rice also held a closed-door session with an Israeli delegation ahead of the UN briefing.

She told reporters that the US was holding to its position that Israeli plans to build a security wall were "inconsistent" with the shared vision of two nations living side-by-side in peace in the region.

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