|  | |  | Monday, January 31, 2005 |
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 Elections in Iraq
Secretary Rice (Jan. 30): "This is the start of a new day for Iraq. It's not perfect. There are parts of the country where people have been intimidated and where the violence is very high. … [W]hat we are seeing is that Iraqis are voting in large numbers. I think everybody believes it's better than expected. There are parts of the country where we expected a low turnout, but this election is, of course, a first step; and what it really says is that the Iraqi people are not prepared to be fearful and intimidated and kept from their right to exercise their voice." [full text of Fox interview] Also see ABC, CBS, CNN interviews; remarks outside CBS studio; view photos.
 The January 30 Iraqi Elections
Building a democracy in Iraq is a long-term effort; there is no quick or easy way forward. Iraq’s January 30 elections are the next step on the road to a secure, prosperous, and democratic Iraq. The Iraqi people will elect a 275-member Transitional National Assembly. These elections will give the Iraqi people their first democratically elected government in more than three decades. By the end of 2005, the Iraqi people are expected to elect a new national government under a new, permanent constitution. Read more in these Jan. 18 and Jan. 25 fact sheets.
 Remarks Following Swearing-in Ceremony
Secretary Rice (Jan. 28): "We do not simply seek the absence of terrorism. We seek a world where the aspirations for freedom of men and women triumph. Today, it is more fitting than ever that our nation should pursue a foreign policy that is grounded in democratic principles and aligns itself with the efforts of all those around the globe who share our love of liberty." [full text; DSL/cable; dial-up; audio]
![Airport staff load a water purifying kit onto a helicopter at Colombo airport, Sri Lanka, Monday, Jan. 17, 2005. Two water purifiers are part of USAIDs cargo. [AP Photo]](/all/20050131092709im_/http://www.state.gov/cms_images/tsunami_usaid_140.jpg) Tsunami Relief and Rebuilding Efforts
The U.S. Government is committed to relief and rebuilding efforts in South Asia. The most effective way people can assist efforts is by continuing to make cash contributions to humanitarian organizations that are conducting relief operations. [more]
| | |  | |  The FY 2004 Performance and Accountability Report provides performance results and audited financial statements. A Highlights version of the Report is also available.
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