Powell worried about future of Iraq
US Secretary of State Colin Powell admitted yesterday he is worried about the future of Iraq but said the United States could consider its mission there accomplished once a representative government and an Iraqi security force are in place.
Asked if he was concerned about elections deepening the conflict in Iraq, Powell said: "I think we all are worried about what's going to happen after the elections. But the elections are a necessary next step."
The January 30 vote will neither end the insurgency nor heal divisions between Shia and Sunni Muslims, but "those dangers don't go away by postponing or putting off an election," Powell said, according to an advance transcript of an interview with ABC's "This Week" program.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. "We have to move in a direction where the Iraqi people have the opportunity to choose how they will be governed. What is the alternative to no election? Just continue going along with an appointed government? No, we need this election," Powell said.
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