:00:20. > :00:25.Baghdad. HARDtalk is next. This is a HARDtalk special coming you from
:00:25. > :00:31.the University of Addis Ababa with the Secretary of State John Kerry.
:00:31. > :00:37.Many are hoping this Golden Jubilee will mark a new golden hero for
:00:37. > :00:41.Africa. We have invited an audience of young Africans to put forward
:00:41. > :00:51.questions and we also have questions from the BBC audience
:00:51. > :01:21.
:01:21. > :01:26.US Secretary of State John Kerry, welcome. It is a big world out
:01:26. > :01:30.there and you have many pressing demands, objectives and goals but
:01:30. > :01:39.when you look around the world, highlight what your main areas of
:01:40. > :01:45.concerns are? First of all, thank you to the University of Addis
:01:45. > :01:54.Ababa and for you all taking part in these. Thank you to the Prime
:01:54. > :02:01.Minister and ministers of Ethiopia. I think, for anybody looking at the
:02:01. > :02:05.world today, as we measure the challenge us and as you young
:02:05. > :02:12.people I getting out of universities for people already out
:02:12. > :02:19.and working. The greatest concern has to be the lack of a fulfilment
:02:19. > :02:26.by governments in many country of the aspirations of people.
:02:26. > :02:30.Particularly the creations of jobs and the educational opportunities
:02:30. > :02:37.needed for this new modern world. We are living in a very different
:02:37. > :02:44.age. You know it better than anybody. Their instant
:02:44. > :02:50.communications, more information to prices. In Egypt, that was not a
:02:50. > :02:58.revolution that was roo by Islamism or any ideology - it was young
:02:58. > :03:02.people. That was moved to buy. People that texted each other,
:03:02. > :03:09.emailed. In this world of connectedness, we are really
:03:09. > :03:17.looking for an opportunity. What I see in Africa, what I see around
:03:17. > :03:22.the world, are explosive numbers of young people. In Africa, you will
:03:22. > :03:30.have 100 million young people who need to go to school in the next 12
:03:30. > :03:37.years. It is a huge challenge. Over the next 35 years, Africa will
:03:37. > :03:42.become 40% of the entire world's workforce. We need to provide jobs
:03:42. > :03:47.and develop. Do not look at this and say, we cannot do it. There is
:03:47. > :03:52.a world of things to do out there. Six of the 10 fastest growing
:03:52. > :03:57.countries in the world are in Africa. So we're looking at these
:03:57. > :04:07.explicit opportunity and, frankly, you are all going to defined and
:04:07. > :04:08.
:04:08. > :04:12.can define, if you choose to, how we respond to these. That is how
:04:12. > :04:17.you see the situation in Africa and everybody would agree that youth
:04:17. > :04:23.unemployment is a problem here but all over Africa. 10 million jobs
:04:23. > :04:27.every year have to be found for Africans. But giving an olive
:04:27. > :04:32.review of your foreign policy priorities, when you look around
:04:32. > :04:37.the world, what are some of the key areas and regions? President Obama
:04:37. > :04:42.and I share the believes that the values of human rights - freedom,
:04:42. > :04:48.choice and opportunity - a universal values. Everybody aspires
:04:48. > :04:53.to those. Our objective is to address these concerns. We are
:04:53. > :04:58.forced to deal with a certain number of crisis. When North Korea
:04:58. > :05:04.starts to friend and nuclear confrontation, we are obliged to
:05:04. > :05:07.try to reduce that tension and deal with it. When a leader like
:05:07. > :05:11.President Assad refuses to listen to the people of his country and
:05:11. > :05:18.decides to kill them and destroy his country simply to hold on to
:05:18. > :05:24.power, then we have to try to work with other countries. The US is
:05:24. > :05:28.both blessed and challenged to be in a position to try to help move
:05:28. > :05:38.people towards stability and peace and opportunities. That is what we
:05:38. > :05:39.
:05:39. > :05:49.tried to do. I am sure there are people who want to ask him
:05:49. > :05:55.questions. (INAUDIBLE). question was about whether the US
:05:55. > :05:58.wants to talk to Taleban. And he thinks it is nonsense. We should
:05:58. > :06:02.not talk to terrorists. His ago people thought we should not talk
:06:02. > :06:08.to China because of its prime minister but Henry Kissinger and
:06:08. > :06:13.Richard Nixon thought otherwise and today we worked with China. They
:06:13. > :06:17.try to prevent Iran from trying to have a nuclear weapon. You can work
:06:17. > :06:23.things. You cannot do say if you're not willing to explore the
:06:23. > :06:28.possibility of changing views. The requirement for the Taleban to come
:06:28. > :06:33.to the table was that they agree that they will not engage in
:06:33. > :06:38.violence against other people, against other countries not engaged
:06:38. > :06:43.in terrorism that they will not threaten Afghanistan constitution
:06:43. > :06:48.and so forth. If they meet those standards, we believe we should sit
:06:48. > :06:56.down and explore. We do not give up anything until you say, yes.
:06:56. > :07:04.have also had so many questions - hundreds and hundreds - from all
:07:04. > :07:09.over the world - pleasure, Arabia, picking up on the point - one
:07:09. > :07:13.question from Afghanistan is what has the US gained from the presence
:07:13. > :07:19.in Afghanistan. Is your mission accomplished and what have you
:07:19. > :07:22.achieved? It is a great question. We went to Afghanistan and to
:07:22. > :07:29.destroy the threat of Al-Qaeda coming from Afghanistan and
:07:29. > :07:38.Pakistan. They attacked us. They killed more than 3,000 people in an
:07:38. > :07:44.absolutely unexpected, totally motivated by them attack against
:07:44. > :07:50.the US. That was Osama Bin Laden. We went to Afghanistan to hold them
:07:50. > :07:57.accountable for that act. The answer is, yes, we have achieved
:07:57. > :08:01.that mission. We have destroyed the fundamental capacity of Al-Qaeda.
:08:01. > :08:06.They still remains some threat, they are still continuing but we
:08:07. > :08:12.have a hugely reduced the ability of Al-Qaeda to friend how Hyman.
:08:12. > :08:18.Some of them have moved to the Arabian peninsula, to Mali but
:08:18. > :08:26.people are taking them on over there. Has anybody else have.
:08:26. > :08:34.Linked to these region and terrorism? So that we stay with one
:08:34. > :08:43.topic. My question is. More innocent people are being killed
:08:43. > :08:53.not from terrorism. How long does this man has continue. My question
:08:53. > :08:54.
:08:54. > :08:58.is, with regards to the US foreign policy and human rights concerns -
:08:58. > :09:08.concerns for security. And the US has been accused of a double
:09:08. > :09:09.
:09:09. > :09:14.standard. What you say about that? I know the US war on terror has led
:09:14. > :09:20.to the relocation of terrorist movement in Africa - specifically
:09:20. > :09:27.in Mali. I would like to know what is the US going to do in order to
:09:27. > :09:33.help these countries to rebuild or to resist against these movements.
:09:33. > :09:39.They were a clump of questions. First of all the use of US and
:09:39. > :09:46.France in countries like Yemen, Pakistan. Counter-productive,
:09:46. > :09:53.killing innocent people and anti-US sentiment? Let nuclear with
:09:53. > :09:59.everybody here. You said they are killing more civilians - the answer
:09:59. > :10:04.is, no. They are not. They have been very few drone strikes in the
:10:04. > :10:13.past year because we have been so successful in a rooting out Al-
:10:13. > :10:19.Qaeda in Pakistan. Secondly, the only people that we fire a dry and
:10:19. > :10:25.at up confirmed terrorist targets at the highest level. After a great
:10:25. > :10:29.deal of a vetting that takes a long period of time. We do not just fire
:10:29. > :10:34.a drone at somebody who we think our terrorist. Sometimes it takes
:10:34. > :10:40.the year to build the authority to know we are correct. We do not fire
:10:40. > :10:45.when we know there are children or collateral damage. We just do not
:10:45. > :10:49.do it. We have absolutely not shot at high-level tigers that we know
:10:49. > :10:54.when we see there would be collateral damage. I will tell you
:10:54. > :11:00.that the extremists who put bombs in those mosques and blow up 100
:11:00. > :11:04.people never engaged in the kind of clear, and discretion, there we
:11:04. > :11:08.have exhibited in this programme. There is a lot of mythology about
:11:08. > :11:13.this programme. That is why the President went public this week in
:11:13. > :11:17.an unprecedented effort to create a policy and we have shifted the
:11:17. > :11:21.policy - out of the intelligence community into the Defence
:11:21. > :11:26.Department where it is totally accountable. And that is what we
:11:26. > :11:33.want - accountability. You'll never see that kind of accountability
:11:33. > :11:37.from terrorist who blow up people in the street. I ask you to be very
:11:37. > :11:40.careful in comparing that. When I came in as Secretary of State are
:11:40. > :11:44.wanted to review this programme because in my tenure of wanted to
:11:44. > :11:50.make sure I knew what the standards were and what we were doing and I
:11:50. > :11:56.will tell you, and I think people know my reputation over 29 News in
:11:56. > :12:01.the Senate, I am an advocate for openness and for accountability - I
:12:01. > :12:06.am convinced that we have one of the strictest, most accountable and
:12:06. > :12:11.ferrous programmes out there. We would prefer to capture some body.
:12:12. > :12:20.We prefer to get the information. But sometimes, like with the summer
:12:20. > :12:25.of Bin Laden, it does not happen that way. -- Osama Bin Laden. We
:12:25. > :12:31.are helping in Mali. We are very sensitive to these movement of
:12:31. > :12:36.terrorism. But I say this to you, please do not just ask what are you
:12:36. > :12:43.doing, ask what are you doing. You need to help. Everybody needs to
:12:43. > :12:47.help. This is where we need to build and governance, the capacity
:12:47. > :12:51.that has the ability to resist these. It should not be the
:12:51. > :12:56.responsibility of the US, way across the ocean, to come over here
:12:56. > :13:01.and say we have to do this. We need to build the internal capacity and
:13:01. > :13:06.people here have to want to fight for their definition of their
:13:06. > :13:12.future for their country. We are helping in Mali. Marley will have
:13:12. > :13:17.an election. It has assistance from the French and from us. But all you
:13:17. > :13:23.are really the best antidotes to these. Young people against these
:13:23. > :13:27.violence. Secretary of State, we had from social media all over the
:13:27. > :13:32.world this issue of terror. It was very big. It is not just foreign
:13:32. > :13:38.policy but you need to look at your own domestic terror threat.
:13:38. > :13:42.Absolutely. And we do. The bottom line is, the threat comes from
:13:42. > :13:48.within as from without. We are spending an enormous amount of
:13:48. > :13:53.money building a capacity and working very hard internally. Some
:13:53. > :13:59.of it is home grown. Some of it is not. In Syria, they run 2000 plus
:13:59. > :14:03.foreign fighters coming from Europe, a couple them from America, a
:14:03. > :14:10.couple from Great Britain, and many from the Middle East. From Yemen,
:14:10. > :14:16.and other places. So we all have a part. A meeting come back quickly
:14:16. > :14:21.to the young African leaders initiatives - it gives you an
:14:21. > :14:31.opportunity to make your voices heard at present a different
:14:31. > :14:38.
:14:38. > :14:47.alternative. Any questions on On talking about the situation in
:14:47. > :14:53.Libya. More people recently around 70,000 people Syrians have died
:14:53. > :15:00.since the conflict started. You've done nothing. But things are
:15:00. > :15:05.escalating quickly. What They Think about the Libyan situation?
:15:05. > :15:07.heard a lot about Syria through social media. Do you think you're
:15:07. > :15:12.listening to 'The Voice' of the Syrian people and their true
:15:12. > :15:16.desires echoing what would have? How many more lives must be lost
:15:16. > :15:22.before the US and the UN intervenes? You acted quickly in
:15:22. > :15:29.Libya. Have you verify the claims from President as sad about the
:15:29. > :15:36.rebels using chemical weapons? Many people have suggested that is the
:15:36. > :15:45.forces of President Al a sad who had used chemical weapons.-
:15:45. > :15:50.President al-Assad. I thought we had to helping Libya. The leader of
:15:50. > :15:57.the country, he stood up and said, we are going to go to Benghazi and
:15:57. > :16:00.we're going house-to-house to kill you like dogs. I thought the
:16:00. > :16:03.international community had an obligation, knowing that was
:16:03. > :16:08.happening and going to happen, to try to make a difference and we
:16:08. > :16:12.were able to because we had a different situation in Libya. There
:16:12. > :16:19.was no sectarian division. There was tribal divisions but no
:16:19. > :16:23.sectarian divisions. It was more complicated in Iran. In Syria. We
:16:23. > :16:28.had Hezbollah coming from Lebanon and Iran and Russia were involved
:16:28. > :16:34.with support and it was more complex and different than in Libya.
:16:34. > :16:40.In Libya, we need an important thing. We gave the Libyan people an
:16:40. > :16:46.opportunity to make a choice. They had a government who had been
:16:46. > :16:50.chosen and they had elections. They knew the future they wanted. In
:16:50. > :16:54.Syria it's much more complicated. President al-Assad is trying to
:16:54. > :17:02.cling to power. He was given an opportunity to bring people in to
:17:02. > :17:09.make the reforms. He wanted to have an election? No, he chose missiles
:17:09. > :17:15.and artillery. Bombs. There is some evidence which raises the question
:17:15. > :17:22.about chemicals against his own people. That is a war crime, a
:17:22. > :17:25.violation of international war. you think he has used them? We have
:17:25. > :17:29.evidence from intelligence community assessment. At the
:17:29. > :17:34.assessment is not evidence that you would be prepared to take to the
:17:34. > :17:38.world and the President said he would deliberately and carefully
:17:38. > :17:43.examined this case and he has made clear, if that determination winds
:17:43. > :17:48.up in the affirmative, he will believe that he has crossed the
:17:48. > :17:56.line. There's a number of different options as to what he would then do.
:17:56. > :18:02.The point I'm making is that Syria, because of the complications, we
:18:02. > :18:08.need to have Ensis to the questions about Russia, Hezbollah, the
:18:08. > :18:17.Australians, it's a much more complex equation. Make no mistake.
:18:17. > :18:25.We are on the side of the Syrian people. The opposition at large, is
:18:25. > :18:30.representative of the Syrian people. President al-Assad has decided. His
:18:30. > :18:34.father killed many people and held on to power. There is a secret
:18:34. > :18:39.police. There's a system of spying and arresting people and torturing
:18:39. > :18:45.people and killing people putting them in jail. I know deep the world
:18:45. > :18:49.should stand by and allow somebody to violate matters of conscience
:18:49. > :18:56.and standards of morality the way he has. Universally, within the
:18:56. > :19:00.region, Climate another President and he believes President al-Assad
:19:00. > :19:06.must go. Also from Turkey, the Prime Minister, he used to be a
:19:06. > :19:11.friend of his. Also the Gulf states and the members of the community.
:19:11. > :19:16.The Europeans. We believe that we are moving in a thoughtful and
:19:16. > :19:20.sensitive way to get negotiation to see if we can implement a peaceful
:19:20. > :19:26.resolution but we will support the opposition as we go along if that
:19:26. > :19:32.is not possible. Now the question of supporting the opposition. We
:19:32. > :19:38.received a message on social media. Could the US at least harm the
:19:38. > :19:44.opposition groups or at least help impose a no-fly zone over Syria?
:19:44. > :19:52.Turkey is ready. Are those options under consideration? After a
:19:52. > :19:58.meeting in the Senate. They may armed groups in Syria? It will be
:19:58. > :20:03.considered by the Senate. The constitutional process works better
:20:03. > :20:08.when the Congress of the US is engaged in this kind of decision.
:20:08. > :20:15.We welcome the Congress being ready to debate this. The President has
:20:15. > :20:22.many options on the table. So such as? A will not discuss them. They
:20:22. > :20:30.had not taken off. We have to see about working with the Russians to
:20:30. > :20:38.produce a dialogue bringing about peace. Countries like China and
:20:38. > :20:48.Brazil, should there be a new strategy in US diplomacy to help
:20:48. > :20:52.progress the democracy within Africa? How the economic crisis is
:20:52. > :21:02.affecting the overall foreign policy in general. Especially
:21:02. > :21:02.
:21:02. > :21:09.towards Africa. I'd like to know about what you would do in your
:21:09. > :21:16.legacy towards Africa. What is your personal aspiration for women in
:21:16. > :21:21.Africa? Any questions there. Possibly the first question about
:21:21. > :21:26.the point of that China and Brazil are gaining more influence a
:21:26. > :21:30.economically and politically at the expense of the United States.
:21:30. > :21:36.That's very perceptive, you are correct. There is no argument.
:21:36. > :21:42.China and Brazil have been investing more in Africa then we
:21:42. > :21:48.have. That must change. President Obama is coming to Africa next
:21:48. > :21:56.month. He will look forward to his visit. He will go to Tanzania and
:21:56. > :22:02.South Africa. I am here now. We are going to be engaged here and we
:22:02. > :22:09.need to be. I am not kidding you. As a huge future to be written here.
:22:09. > :22:12.Obviously we want to continue Our relationship. I am concerned,
:22:12. > :22:18.though, that some of the involvement of some countries it is
:22:18. > :22:24.not as transparent as the United States is. Some of it can undermine
:22:24. > :22:34.democracy depending on how it is done. Are you talking about China?
:22:34. > :22:39.( LAUGHTER ) we need to be thoughtful about the standards.
:22:39. > :22:46.don't want to lose your sovereignty or opportunities. They were as a
:22:46. > :22:55.question about your legacy for Africa. What are your final
:22:55. > :23:00.thoughts about the John Kerry doctrine? I'm not trying to declare
:23:00. > :23:05.doctrines. I'm not getting into legacies. It's a question of your
:23:05. > :23:11.legacy. What is your legacy for Africa? I am here to try to help.
:23:11. > :23:18.The President wants to hell. Maybe the legacy will be what we do to
:23:18. > :23:24.try to help. What we have done, so far, the legislation, the
:23:24. > :23:28.legislation in the 90s. It was a bipartisan approach. Now we have
:23:28. > :23:33.saved millions of lives and a generation of people will be free
:23:33. > :23:39.from AIDS because of it. That's a legacy for everybody. What we need
:23:39. > :23:42.to do is to continue to do these things. I hope it will be with
:23:42. > :23:46.President Obama and his administration stepping up his
:23:46. > :23:49.efforts in Africa to help educate and to provide job opportunities
:23:49. > :23:54.for younger people and work with younger people so the next
:23:54. > :24:00.generation will feel that the United States helped them to define
:24:00. > :24:05.the future of Africa. You are the ones that can make it happen.
:24:05. > :24:15.due to everybody from social media and to the people here at the
:24:15. > :24:16.