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CNN Live At Daybreak
White House Can Now Focus More Attention on Iraq
Aired November 07, 2002 - 05:02 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.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: With the nation's midterm elections over, the White House can now focus more attention on Iraq. The Bush administration wants the United Nations Security Council to vote Friday on a resolution dealing with the return of weapons inspectors. Still, France and Russia are balking.
Our Richard Roth has details for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The U.S. ambassador presented a revamped resolution on Iraq, one that gives Baghdad a final opportunity to comply with disarmament obligations. But the new compromises couldn't win immediate approval from France and Russia, opposed to a U.S. military assault on Iraq.
SERGEY LAVROV, RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: We reiterated that are our position has never changed. We don't we can agree with ultimaticity.
ROTH: Russia and France, both with veto power, still fear the U.S. will use the language in the resolution as political cover to trigger an attack if Iraq obstructs inspectors.
JOHN NEGROPONTE, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: President Bush has said on repeated occasions that as far as he's concerned, the use of force, war would be a last resort.
ROTH: To win support from reluctant allies in the U.N., the U.S. agreed to return to the Security Council for consultations if the chief U.N. weapons inspector or perhaps another country reports Iraqi violations.
JEAN DAVID LEVITTE, FRENCH AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: For France, the key issue was to preserve the role of the Security Council. That's what we call the two stage approach. And in that respect, I can say today that very important progress has been achieved.
ROTH: The diplomats say a second meeting of the Council doesn't mean the U.S. will wait for more debate before deciding whether to strike Iraq and the resolution still warns Baghdad of serious consequences as a result of violations. After eight weeks of debate, patience is running thin.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are now ready to move to closure on this.
ROTH (on camera): The United States is pressing for a vote on Friday, but France and Russia have concerns over so-called ambiguities in the resolution. U.N. weapons inspectors have been out of Iraq since December of 1998. A few more days of diplomacy will apparently delay their return.
Richard Roth, CNN, the United Nations.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: And as you heard, Iraq is signaling that it just might accept this new U.S. draft resolution.
To help us read between the lines, we turn to our Baghdad bureau chief, Jane Arraf -- Jane, will Iraq really accept this?
JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Carol.
Well, you know, this morning it looks as if there are actually something new and there are clear signs in the official media that it's gearing up to accept what it so far has said is unacceptable. Now, this is "Atharwa (ph)," the ruling Baath Party newspaper, "Revolution." And it has an editorial entitled "What Washington Wants." At the end of that editorial is the line that, "it's not in Iraq's interests to violate or to ignore the Council's resolutions, as others do. And it goes on to say that in return Iraq expects the Security Council to agree to not ignore Iraq's rights.
Now, that may sound rather ordinary, but, in fact, it's new. Up until now we've been hearing only rejection of the resolution and all its components. This is a clear indication in the official media, which is the way a lot of times that official policy changes are signaled, that Iraq could be gearing up to accept this.
Now, on the streets this morning, we were asking people whether they thought the weapons inspectors would return and almost universally they said they believed there would be inspections and inspectors back in the country.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We hope they will solve our problem of the economical problem, the blockade, which lasts for over than 12 years. And we not want any war. And we hope that they not to enter to our country as spies, spy agents.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: God willing, nothing will happen and things will go smoothly. They will come and find nothing and they will leave disappointed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ARRAF: Now, it's clear that Iraqis have reservations as to their government. There are still those stumbling blocks over Iraq's sovereignty and security, which the Iraqi leadership keeps talking about. But at the end of the day, it does appear clear that the Iraqi government will accept this resolution as it seems now -- Carol.
COSTELLO: All right, Jane Arraf reporting live from Baghdad, a very noisy Baghdad this morning.
Thank you, Jane.
You can read up on U.S.-Iraqi development past and present by clicking onto our Web site. A special report called "Showdown Iraq" offers an extensive look at the issues. The address, cnn.com, AOL keyword: CNN.
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 7, 2002 - 05:02 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: With the nation's midterm elections over, the White House can now focus more attention on Iraq. The Bush administration wants the United Nations Security Council to vote Friday on a resolution dealing with the return of weapons inspectors. Still, France and Russia are balking.
Our Richard Roth has details for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The U.S. ambassador presented a revamped resolution on Iraq, one that gives Baghdad a final opportunity to comply with disarmament obligations. But the new compromises couldn't win immediate approval from France and Russia, opposed to a U.S. military assault on Iraq.
SERGEY LAVROV, RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: We reiterated that are our position has never changed. We don't we can agree with ultimaticity.
ROTH: Russia and France, both with veto power, still fear the U.S. will use the language in the resolution as political cover to trigger an attack if Iraq obstructs inspectors.
JOHN NEGROPONTE, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: President Bush has said on repeated occasions that as far as he's concerned, the use of force, war would be a last resort.
ROTH: To win support from reluctant allies in the U.N., the U.S. agreed to return to the Security Council for consultations if the chief U.N. weapons inspector or perhaps another country reports Iraqi violations.
JEAN DAVID LEVITTE, FRENCH AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: For France, the key issue was to preserve the role of the Security Council. That's what we call the two stage approach. And in that respect, I can say today that very important progress has been achieved.
ROTH: The diplomats say a second meeting of the Council doesn't mean the U.S. will wait for more debate before deciding whether to strike Iraq and the resolution still warns Baghdad of serious consequences as a result of violations. After eight weeks of debate, patience is running thin.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are now ready to move to closure on this.
ROTH (on camera): The United States is pressing for a vote on Friday, but France and Russia have concerns over so-called ambiguities in the resolution. U.N. weapons inspectors have been out of Iraq since December of 1998. A few more days of diplomacy will apparently delay their return.
Richard Roth, CNN, the United Nations.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: And as you heard, Iraq is signaling that it just might accept this new U.S. draft resolution.
To help us read between the lines, we turn to our Baghdad bureau chief, Jane Arraf -- Jane, will Iraq really accept this?
JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Carol.
Well, you know, this morning it looks as if there are actually something new and there are clear signs in the official media that it's gearing up to accept what it so far has said is unacceptable. Now, this is "Atharwa (ph)," the ruling Baath Party newspaper, "Revolution." And it has an editorial entitled "What Washington Wants." At the end of that editorial is the line that, "it's not in Iraq's interests to violate or to ignore the Council's resolutions, as others do. And it goes on to say that in return Iraq expects the Security Council to agree to not ignore Iraq's rights.
Now, that may sound rather ordinary, but, in fact, it's new. Up until now we've been hearing only rejection of the resolution and all its components. This is a clear indication in the official media, which is the way a lot of times that official policy changes are signaled, that Iraq could be gearing up to accept this.
Now, on the streets this morning, we were asking people whether they thought the weapons inspectors would return and almost universally they said they believed there would be inspections and inspectors back in the country.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We hope they will solve our problem of the economical problem, the blockade, which lasts for over than 12 years. And we not want any war. And we hope that they not to enter to our country as spies, spy agents.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: God willing, nothing will happen and things will go smoothly. They will come and find nothing and they will leave disappointed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ARRAF: Now, it's clear that Iraqis have reservations as to their government. There are still those stumbling blocks over Iraq's sovereignty and security, which the Iraqi leadership keeps talking about. But at the end of the day, it does appear clear that the Iraqi government will accept this resolution as it seems now -- Carol.
COSTELLO: All right, Jane Arraf reporting live from Baghdad, a very noisy Baghdad this morning.
Thank you, Jane.
You can read up on U.S.-Iraqi development past and present by clicking onto our Web site. A special report called "Showdown Iraq" offers an extensive look at the issues. The address, cnn.com, AOL keyword: CNN.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
