Rice: Syria Stirring Up Iraq Woes
U.S. Flag Stomped; Soldier Killed; Sec. Of State Slams Syria
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Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has a word with Iraqi's Planning and Development Minister Barham Salih as they arrive for a press conference at the State Department Friday, May 20, 2005. (AP)
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A woman and child pass by the scene of a car bomb which exploded late Thursday outside the Imam al-Mahdi mosque in Baghdad's Saadiya neighborhood. (AP)
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A boy riding his bicycle looks at the mangled wreckage of a vehicle after a car bomb exploded near the airport road in Baghdad, Iraq Thursday, May 19, 2005. (AP)
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"This is a historic but difficult time, and neighbors must do everything that they can to support the process in Iraq," she said at a joint news conference with Salih.
At the same time, Rice said the Bush administration would do "anything that we can" to support the Iraqi government.
But she stressed that the United States was restricted to a supportive role since Iraq had a sovereign and democratically elected government.
Rice went to Iraq last weekend and her deputy, Robert Zoellick, has been there twice recently.
But Rice dismissed any suggestion the United States was taking a more hands-on approach in the affairs of the frail Iraqi government and deepening U.S. involvement in running the country.
"These are decisions that Iraqis are taking," Rice said, "and I want to be very clear that this is an Iraqi process."
Salih, meanwhile, said "undeniably, we have a challenging transition" from a country that long lacked democracy and freedom.
"Possibly, one has to accept that there are difficulties in this transition," he said.
But he said "it pales in comparison to what we had to endure under the tyranny of Saddam Hussein."
Salih, a Kurdish leader and a favorite of the United States, said Saddam may be about to be placed on trial after 17 months in detention.
The minister said the chief justice of the special tribunal in charge of prosecution in Baghdad had told him that "within the next few months Saddam Hussein could be brought before the court."
After a long search, U.S. forces captured Saddam in December 2003 hiding in a concealed hole in the ground near his hometown of Tikrit, 80 miles north of Baghdad.
©MMV, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Best-selling author Mitch Albom on his first nonfiction work since "Tuesdays with Morrie."
