March 15, 2004
Richard L. Armitage, Deputy Secretary of State
Remarks at the Roundtable Meeting of the Leaders of the Campaign to Preserve U.S. Global Leadership
Loy Henderson Auditorium
Washington, DC

Regarding Iraq, Deputy Secretary Armitage said:

"...Last week, on March 8th, all members of the Iraqi Governing Council, who represent nearly every religious and ethnic group in Iraq, signed a very important document, the Transitional Administration Law, the TAL. The TAL established a sovereign Iraqi government which will govern the country from July of this year until elections are held in 2005, and it establishes a statement of intent for the future.

The TAL commits to a unified country with a full constitution under a government that is Republican, federal, Democratic and pluralistic. There will be civilian control of the military, guaranteed participation of women and sweeping protections for the rights of all Iraqis. And while the separation of church and state is a very important concept in western democracies, this is clearly not a western democracy and that is as it should be. This has to be an Iraqi democracy and drawing on Islam as a key source of law is appropriate for Iraq."

Full text at http://www.state.gov/s/d/rm/30428.htm