U.S.

Powell: No Plan To Take On 'Axis'

By CBSNews.com staff CBSNews.com staff

February 12, 2002 / 2:05 PM EST / CBS

Secretary of State Colin Powell told Congress Tuesday there is no plan on President Bush's desk — "right now" — to start a war with the "axis of evil."

But Powell hedged a bit on Iraq, one of the three nations, along with Iran and North Korea, singled out by the president in his State of the Union speech last month. And, the secretary insisted again there must be a "regime change" in Baghdad, possibly through natural causes.

Powell made his remarks to the Senate Budget Committee while defending the administration's request for $8.1 billion for the State Department and other foreign service operations.

Powell said he is the same age as Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and — with what appeared to be a hopeful chuckle — added: "I believe that I am in better shape than he is."

Meanwhile, two White House officials, reinforcing Powell's message, said Mr. Bush has not decided on how he will achieve his goal of regime change in Iraq.

The officials, asking not to be identified, said Mr. Bush has not decided to take military action, let alone determined what type to take.

They said the ouster of Saddam will be a focal point of Vice President Dick Cheney's planned trip next month to Europe and the Middle East.

It is unclear, officials added, whether Mr. Bush will have decided by then how he wants to depose Saddam. They said Cheney's mission may be limited to building support for whatever action the president settles on.

Ever since Mr. Bush singled out Iraq, Iran and North Korea with tough words, other nations have wondered whether he would take his military campaign against terrorism in Afghanistan to one or all of the three outcast states.

But Powell said, "He has no plan on his desk to start a war with any nation."

Pressed by Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., the committee chairman, Powell specified there is no war plan for Iran and North Korea. But he said Mr. Bush is exploring options for dealing with Iraq.

"Iraq is in a slightly different category," he said.

Pressed again by Conrad, Powell said there is no plan to attack the Arab country at this point.

Some have questioned the president's use of the "axis of evil" phrase.

On Monday, Senate Majority leader Tom Daschle said Mr. Bush was wrong to use the term, giving a hint of Democratic dissent in the war on terrorism.

In an interview on PBS' "The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer," Daschle said Mr. Bush's remarks have had some negative repercussions.

"I think that it's important for us to look at each of these countries as threats to this country clearly, as problems that we've got to address clearly," Daschle said.

"But I think we've got to be very careful with the rhetoric of that kind. We've already seen the moderates in Iran scramble to draw distance between us and them, and I think we've got to be very careful with how we approach all three countries."

White House spokesman Ari Fleischer called Daschle's comments "confusing" given tht Daschle could have leveled those criticisms immediately after the State of the Union address but did not.

"It seems something has changed in Sen. Daschle," Fleischer said. "Perhaps he has had a change of opinion, but it does not appear that he is perfectly consistent."

Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, offered caution.

"I think we are better off, as Teddy Roosevelt once said, to speak softly and carry a big stick," Hagel said. "We carry a big stick, there's no question about that."