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American Morning
Showdown Iraq: Saudi Bases Off Limits
Aired November 04, 2002 - 09:22 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: At about the time the U.N. is about to stage its vote on a new resolution regarding Iraq, Saudi Arabia, a long time ally of the U.S. in that region, is now saying the U.S. will not be allowed to use its air bases in the event of a war with Iraq.
In an exclusive interview with CNN, Christiane Amanpour talked with the Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia, Prince Saud, to explain Saudi Arabia's untimely shift in policy.
Here are his words.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PRINCE SAUD AL-FAISAL, SAUDI FOREIGN MINISTER: Saudi Arabia's position is a position to support the political sentiment of this issue. We thought - we think it is feasible. Iraq has made a very clear and unambiguous promise to the Arab countries that it will abide by the United Nations resolutions and so we think the road is set for that.
CHRISTIAN AMANPOUR, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Are you saying that your position now is that you will not provide military assistance to the United States if the political track fails?
SAUD: There is a lot of movement, even in the United States, to stop the rhetoric towards war and we don't want to add that. What I have said before, any -- what is our policy is that the United Nations, if it takes a decision on the Chapter Seven, it is obligatory on all the signatories to cooperate with that, but that is not to the extent of using facilities in the country or the military forces of the country.
AMANPOUR: And you will not allow overflights?
SAUD: Well, I'm just saying that we will abide by the decision of the United Nations Security Council, that we will cooperate with the Security Council, but as entering the conflict or using facilities as part of the conflict, that's something else.
AMANPOUR: And that's a no on that?
SAUD: No.
AMANPOUR: A lot of Saudis I talked to have no professed love for the president of Iraq. They're very concerned about the people of Iraq, but they would be quite happy to see the president of Iraq swept from power one way or the other. Why would it be such a bad thing if that was achieved?
SAUD: Well, we are not taking positions for or against that. We -- the only thing that we are saying is how do you achieve it? I mean do you send military forces to change a government to an independent country? That's the question. You know we believe that the change of government happens through the people of the - of the country themselves.
AMANPOUR: The United States has floated a notion about a military occupation, a U.S. military occupation in a post-Saddam Iraq. Is that something that Saudi Arabia would support?
SAUD: As friends of the United States, and we can't take decisions in its place, but this aspect is very much worrying to us. But also history tells us that whatever you believe change you can bring to the country that you occupy, you can never make a permanent change through occupation by a foreign force in the country. Iraq is not Japan. Saddam Hussein is not the Emperor Hirohito. And I don't know if the general that's going to be is going to be MacArthur.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: Again, that exclusive interview conducted by CNN's senior international correspondent Christiane Amanpour with Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister. We await now the vote on that resolution in the U.N. Stay tuned for more.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired November 4, 2002 - 09:22 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: At about the time the U.N. is about to stage its vote on a new resolution regarding Iraq, Saudi Arabia, a long time ally of the U.S. in that region, is now saying the U.S. will not be allowed to use its air bases in the event of a war with Iraq.
In an exclusive interview with CNN, Christiane Amanpour talked with the Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia, Prince Saud, to explain Saudi Arabia's untimely shift in policy.
Here are his words.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PRINCE SAUD AL-FAISAL, SAUDI FOREIGN MINISTER: Saudi Arabia's position is a position to support the political sentiment of this issue. We thought - we think it is feasible. Iraq has made a very clear and unambiguous promise to the Arab countries that it will abide by the United Nations resolutions and so we think the road is set for that.
CHRISTIAN AMANPOUR, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Are you saying that your position now is that you will not provide military assistance to the United States if the political track fails?
SAUD: There is a lot of movement, even in the United States, to stop the rhetoric towards war and we don't want to add that. What I have said before, any -- what is our policy is that the United Nations, if it takes a decision on the Chapter Seven, it is obligatory on all the signatories to cooperate with that, but that is not to the extent of using facilities in the country or the military forces of the country.
AMANPOUR: And you will not allow overflights?
SAUD: Well, I'm just saying that we will abide by the decision of the United Nations Security Council, that we will cooperate with the Security Council, but as entering the conflict or using facilities as part of the conflict, that's something else.
AMANPOUR: And that's a no on that?
SAUD: No.
AMANPOUR: A lot of Saudis I talked to have no professed love for the president of Iraq. They're very concerned about the people of Iraq, but they would be quite happy to see the president of Iraq swept from power one way or the other. Why would it be such a bad thing if that was achieved?
SAUD: Well, we are not taking positions for or against that. We -- the only thing that we are saying is how do you achieve it? I mean do you send military forces to change a government to an independent country? That's the question. You know we believe that the change of government happens through the people of the - of the country themselves.
AMANPOUR: The United States has floated a notion about a military occupation, a U.S. military occupation in a post-Saddam Iraq. Is that something that Saudi Arabia would support?
SAUD: As friends of the United States, and we can't take decisions in its place, but this aspect is very much worrying to us. But also history tells us that whatever you believe change you can bring to the country that you occupy, you can never make a permanent change through occupation by a foreign force in the country. Iraq is not Japan. Saddam Hussein is not the Emperor Hirohito. And I don't know if the general that's going to be is going to be MacArthur.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: Again, that exclusive interview conducted by CNN's senior international correspondent Christiane Amanpour with Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister. We await now the vote on that resolution in the U.N. Stay tuned for more.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
