U.S. Must Remain "Committed" To Fighting Terrorism

Courtesy of the United States Department of State - U.S. Must Remain "Committed" To Fighting Terrorism, Rice Says: Nexus of terrorism and weapons of mass destruction greatest threat

By Carolee Walker, Washington File Staff Writer

Washington – The world must stay united in fighting terrorism and weapons of mass destruction, particularly in Iran, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said in a radio interview August 29. Yet the “really devastating problem for the world would be if America loses its will or loses its nerve or loses its commitment,” Rice said.

“If America remains committed, we will meet these challenges.”

Rice said she encourages looking at events from a historical perspective before assessing success or failure in Iraq or the Middle East.

“I would ask that we think back on the times when it also seemed impossible and yet the success did emerge,” Rice said. In the Cold War, for example, Rice said there was no reason to believe that the United States would stay steadfast and that 50 years later the Soviet Union would collapse peacefully. “There are people living today, among them the president's father, who fought Japan,” Rice said. “And yet when the president sits across from the prime minister of Japan, he sits across from a democratic friend.”

Rice was interviewed on the Doug Wright Radio Show before addressing the annual American Legion Convention in Salt Lake City, where she accepted the American Legion Auxiliary Woman of the Year award.

Each year, the American Legion Auxiliary presents a Woman of the Year award recognizing the significant contributions of women in advancing the quality of life for others and making a positive impact on the men and women of America’s armed forces, veterans and their families.

The transcript of Rice’s radio interview and her remarks to the American Legion are available on the State Department Web site.

(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)