Powell: U.S. May Have Non-traditional Allies, Many Though
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: We're watching developments across the war front today. And as we know, before this war got underway, one of the people who was certainly front and center was Secretary of State Colin Powell trying, working diplomatic channels through the United Nations and other places to try to get an agreement worked out so that Saddam Hussein -- there would not be a need, as the U.S. government puts it, to go to war with Saddam Hussein. That attempt did not succeed. The war is under way. Today, Secretary of State Powell finds himself testifying before the Congress, before an Appropriations Committee. And he appeared on the Hill just a short time ago. Here's part of what Secretary Powell had to say.</s>COLIN POWELL, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: ... coalition. The point was made that we don't have some of our traditional allies and friends with us. Well, we have a lot of our traditional allies and friends with us, not all of them, but a lot of them. We've got the United Kingdom; we've got Australia; we've got Italy; we've got Spain; we've got some new allies and friends who want to be a part of this. Many of them are small countries. They can't make a major military contribution, but they made a political contribution of enormous importance when they stood up and said, we are standing with what is right. We are standing with what the U.N. required. We are standing with the United States and its other coalition partners. Even though we can't send one soldier, in the face of public opinion that doesn't want war -- and no public opinion tends to want war. I have been through this many times. It's only when people understand that you're going to achieve success and that there was a good reason that you entered into this conflict and you've made the case. Unfortunately, occasionally, by the force of arms, then you'll get the support you need. But in the absence of that support, these little countries, with strong political leaders, who knew what right was, even being threatened by other nations on the European continent for -- you know, you don't want to do this; you don't want to stand with them; you'll have to pay a price later. They, nevertheless, stood with us. And now it's a willing coalition of 47 nations who are willing to stand up and say we're part of this and a number of other nations who are cooperating and are willing, but, for one reason or another, can't say it out loud yet. But they will in due course. I think we should be proud that so many nations are standing firm with us.</s>WOODRUFF: Secretary of State Colin Powell testifying a short time ago before House Appropriations Committee. As you heard him say, the U.S. may not have all of the countries it had with us in the Gulf war 12 years ago, but a number of these countries, some of them small countries, are with us. He called it the coalition of the willing and said there are 47 countries now on board publicly. Still to come this hour, getting aid into Iraq. Thousands of tons of food aid sit on ships out in the Persian Gulf waiting to get into that country. The humanitarian effort right after the break. Also ahead, voices of dissent. You can go around the world with CNN to see how the war is playing out in other countries. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.