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CNN Live Today

Interview with General Amer Rasheed

Aired April 16, 2002 - 13:24   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: It was last week when Baghdad announced that it was cutting off its own shipment of oil for one month's time in an effort to hurt the United States for its support right now of Israel.

A few facts right now about what's happening within Iraq. Iraq has the world's second biggest proven oil reserves after Saudi Arabia. The U.S. is still the biggest buyer of Iraqi oil. Last year, U.S. companies imported up to a million barrels a day.

We're going to talk more about this right now. Joining us live tonight from Baghdad is the Iraqi Oil Minister. General Mohammed (ph) Amer Rasheed is our guest.

And, sir, we say thank you for your time, and good evening to you.

At the outset, this was a strategy designed to hurt the United States, yet since Baghdad made its decision -- yes, since Baghdad made its decision, no other Arab country, no other country within OPEC has joined your call. In fact, the effect on worldwide markets has been somewhat minimal. Has the strategy failed to this point, sir?

GENERAL AMER RASHEED, IRAQI OIL MINISTER: Absolutely not, Bill, because we have taken into account the planning of such a strategy, as you call it, the possibility that OPEC country, Arab and Muslim countries will not follow suit. But we have also taken into account I think two important elements, one that no OPEC country will dare to increase production because they know it will be a direct blow to the struggle of the Palestinian people who are part of the Arab nation and Muslim countries against occupation. This is -- has happened according to our plan.

Second, we know that the majority, as you have said, Bill, the majority of our export, 60 to 70 percent go to the United States. This is 1.2 to 1.3 million depending on the season, and this takes something like 40 days to arrive at the United States' coast. So it is -- you will not see the impact immediately. Anyway, it is not our objective to harm the Americans and the economy (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...

HEMMER: OK. Well right. Well the oil-for-food program set up with the U.N. though, was designed specifically to help the Iraqi people get things like food and medicine. In effect, though, when the spigots are turned off coming out of Baghdad and the rest of Iraq, isn't it the Iraqi people who continue to suffer even more as a result?

RASHEED: Absolutely not. If you allow me, the objective of that measure (ph) and that strategy is to help our people and Palestine. We consider ourselves, as all Arab countries, are part of one nation. So when there is suffering and there are massacres and atrocities being committed against our people in Palestine as if it is being committed against us. So when we support them, we are supporting ourselves, that's why we say and all Arab countries. If you have seen the Arab summit in Beirut two weeks ago, it all supports Palestine as part of the Arab nation.

So we don't feel this is a sacrifice. This is the minimum support we can give to put pressure on the American administration to review and possibly change its policy in full support and collusion with the Israeli entity and the Palestinians, against our people and Palestine. So it is I think very clear we might be suffering temporarily, but in the long term, we will be victorious and will be in the benefit of the Iraqi people for sure. (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

HEMMER: So you're saying you're willing to go ahead and take this -- take this sacrifice you say even if it's at the expense of your own -- the own Iraqi people there? That's what I take from your answer there.

And secondly, are you willing to extent this past the initial 30 days?

RASHEED: If you are one of your -- yes. Yes. But I may ask you, Bill, suppose you are one of the states in the United States being subjected to atrocities and genocide and massacres. Will you consider the other states not coming to the help of that state? This is how we feel about Palestine exactly. So it like America when it will all raise to help one of the states when it is subjected to any occupation.

Anyway, let us come to your question. Your question, after one month...

HEMMER: Yes.

RASHEED: ... what we will do? We will consider -- our objective is immediate withdrawal of Israeli forces from occupied territories. If this comes in one-week time, we will immediately come back to re- export normally. This was clear in the leadership decision. However, if no such action is taken during one month then that leadership decision we will reconsider after one month what action we should take, taking into account, of course, all elements of this situation.

HEMMER: Yes.

RASHEED: Our objective is to stop the bloodshed against all the people in Palestine (ph).

HEMMER: All right. All right then. All right. Why did your -- why did your president -- why did Saddam Hussein recently up the ante, in an essence, start awarding families of suicide bombers $25,000 U.S. dollars as opposed to $10,000 prior? Why was that amount increased?

RASHEED: Most important we have to see what is -- what was the pivot of all the crisis of all the problem is the occupation by Israeli forces of Palestinian territory. This is their homeland. It is being occupied. So they have a struggle. According to U.N. charter, they have every right to have armed struggle against occupying country. So they are being occupied so they have a struggle.

So every country, every Arab country being part of an Arab nation, they have to support them financially, military, if they cannot economically. We have done all what is possible militarily because of the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) we cannot. So we will take every measure politically, financially, economically to support this -- their struggle until their occupation by Israeli forces terminates fully and the support by the United States, which is the reason for all what was being committed in terms of war crimes in the Palestinian territories, will end, as simple as that.

If it was one of your people and one of the states in the United States, you would do the same.

HEMMER: General Amer Rasheed, Iraqi Oil Minister, we appreciate your time. We are out of time at this point. I apologize. I don't mean to interrupt and cut you off once again, but our satellite window is about to close there. But again, thank you for your thoughts this evening.

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