If he cooperates and gets rid of his weapons of mass destruction, and those weapons have been verified to be gone, then we have a new situation, and we will have to examine the situation at that time.

MR. ALAMI:  Would you be willing to lift sanctions then?

SECRETARY POWELL:  As you well know, at the end of the resolutions, sanctions ultimately are linked to his performance under these resolutions.  So, at some point, the resolutions provide for the lifting of sanctions.  But I don't see that any time in the near future.

MR. ALAMI:  And what if that happens?  Will that leave US policy -- stated policy several times -- that we need a regime change in Baghdad to free Iraqi people?  If he complies, how would that leave the people?

SECRETARY POWELL:  I think the Iraqi people would be a lot better off with a different leader.  Right now, we are focusing on weapons of mass destruction.  And the US policy of regime change was put in in 1998 because we didn't see any other way for him to comply with the resolutions.  He wasn't complying, and so we thought regime change must be the only way.

Well, we are giving him another chance to see whether he will change the nature of his regime, change his policies, by giving up weapons of mass destruction in the presence of this unified international pressure.  And if he were to do that, then we will see.  I still think it would be better off if the Iraqi people had different leadership, leadership that was democratically based, leadership that was willing to provide for the people of Iraq. 

There are many other resolutions he has violated, with respect to human rights, terrorist activity.  But right now, we are focusing on weapons of mass destruction, and if we could get that dealt with, then we'd see where we are and whether the Iraqi people want to continue to have Saddam Hussein as their leader. 

MR. ALAMI:  And then why not give him an incentive to cooperate with this new resolution?

SECRETARY POWELL:  He has incentive.  His incentive is that, right now, his incentive is he will avoid regime change in a more forceful way.  But why should we give him incentive?  He is the one who is in violation.  His incentive should be to get out of violation.  This isn't a problem that the United States has created or the United Nations has created.  It is a problem he has created.  So he should take the action to remove these violations and to get on the good side of the international community.  We don't owe him any incentives.  We owe him nothing more than an opportunity to do what he is supposed to do and to be accountable to the international community. 

MR. ALAMI:  In the worst case scenario, Mr. Secretary, if the United States decides to go to war against Iraq, is there any concern in this building or somewhere else in this town about so-called "Arab street?"  While the Israeli-Palestinian is not resolved, you're going towards another Arab country?  Is there any concern about reaction of the Arab street?

SECRETARY POWELL:  We, of course, are doing everything we can to try to find a way forward with respect to achieving a Middle East peace, which would result in the creation of a Palestinian state that President Bush is committed to try to create within a three-year period.

But, at the same time, you cannot ignore other dangers, other problems, such as that presented by Saddam Hussein.  So we are sensitive to the feelings in the Arab street and we will always remain sensitive to the feelings in the Arab street, but we still have to do what we think is necessary to do to protect our friends in the region and to protect our own interests.

And we are hopeful that it will not be necessary to go to war.  President Bush did not go to the United Nations to declare war.  He went to the United Nations to say we have a problem and let's give Saddam Hussein one more chance to solve this problem, and let's see if we can do it peacefully.

MR. ALAMI:  And, sir, what's your evaluation so far to the so-called roadmap?  It seems like it's leading nowhere when it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian issue.

SECRETARY POWELL:  We have had a number of discussions on the roadmap and we have shared it with our friends in the region, our Arab friends, our Palestinian friends and our Israeli friends.  And there is a lot of comment on the roadmap, but we will continue to refine the roadmap and then present it to all of the parties.

What we really do have to have now, though, is security in the area -- the end of violence, the end of suicide bombing, responsible leadership emerging out of the Palestinian Authority.  We are starting to see some signs of responsible leadership coming forward.  Chairman Arafat has not used his leadership role well, and we have said so openly.  And we hope that more responsible leadership will come forward. 

We are pressing the Israeli side to return the tax revenues that belong to the Palestinian people so that a budget can be formed and a budget can be executed.

But the United States is deeply engaged in trying to find a way forward through this crisis, and we will remain deeply engaged.  And our goal is to secure a peace where two states can live side by side in peace, a Palestinian state called Palestine and a Jewish state, the state of Israel. 

MR. ALAMI:  One last question, Mr. Secretary.  Some observers are expressing some concern that some Arab regimes, some of your friends in the area, will not be able to survive violence between the Palestinians and Israelis and violence in Baghdad at the same time.  Do you share that concern?

SECRETARY POWELL:  No, I think that the friends that we have in the region understand that we are committed to finding a solution that will lead to peace and they also understand the dangers presented by Saddam Hussein.  So I think while there would be turmoil in the event of a conflict in the region, I think it is our responsibility to explain our case and make sure people knew why this was necessary.

But right now, I am not thinking about that.  Right now, I am thinking about how can we put maximum pressure on Saddam Hussein so that he will cooperate and get out of this problem he has created for himself and provide a better life for the Iraqi people.  That is what we are interested in.  That is what President Bush is interested in.

When you think of all the money that he has wasted on wars, wasted on weapons, wasted on nuclear development, that could have gone to education, to healthcare, to helping other countries -- because this is a wealthy country, Iraq -- it could be helping its neighbors, it could be helping the Palestinians in a more positive way than it has ever done.  And all that money is being wasted on these weapons.  It's a shame and it's a time to bring this shame to an end.

MR. ALAMI:  Thank you so much, Mr. Secretary. 

SECRETARY POWELL:  Thank you.  Ramadan Karim. 

MR. ALAMI:  Ramadan Karim to you too, sir.  Thank you.