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CNN Live At Daybreak
International News Desk
Aired December 17, 2002 - 05:36 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: CNN's international desk is staying on top of developments in Iraq, as well as other stories around the world.
Our senior international editor David Clinch joins us now with more on what's going on -- good morning, David.
DAVID CLINCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Good morning, Carol.
As you heard Nic say, things still developing in Baghdad and we're watching closely there, waiting for the United Nations to give its word on the Iraqi weapons declaration later in the week.
But in the meantime and today, we have two really fascinating stories that might not otherwise make it on the air, but we have an opportunity to cover them today.
Christiane Amanpour, as you've seen, covering the story in the Hague today, the war crimes tribunal, a really fascinating story. The Bosnian war, a woman here who, Biljana Plavsic, who was in charge of the so-called Bosnian-Serb Republic, accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing, in some ways...
COSTELLO: Terrible crimes.
CLINCH: Terrible crimes.
COSTELLO: Setting up concentration camps, ordering the rape of women...
CLINCH: But -- absolutely. Here's the key, though. She's admitted her part. She's handed herself in. She's talked about why these things happened at the time, confessed, basically, and now we're in a situation where the war crimes tribunal is basically being asked whether to put this 72-year-old woman away for the rest of her life. And two different sides are arguing here.
Madeleine Albright, the former U.S. secretary of state, was one of those arguing today that while she did commit terrible crimes, she has admitted them and she took part in a peace process after the fact, and in some degree changed her mind about the things that she was party to. On the other side, you've got Elie Wiesel and other human rights activists. He, a survivor of the Holocaust and the Second World War, arguing that you can never forgive people who've committed these crimes, no matter what they do.
So you have a fascinating sort of Solomon's choice. The war crimes tribunal needs to sentence her. They won't do that now, probably some time next year. But when they do, nobody is going to be completely happy, and it's a really fascinating story.
COSTELLO: Oh, you're not kidding. And that war crimes tribunal has been going on for such a long time.
CLINCH: Absolutely. But this is sort of one of those moments where it sort of gels together. They actually have somebody, what do they do with her?
COSTELLO: Got you.
CLINCH: Now, another story just very briefly on the Congo, a war in the Congo going on from 1998 to 2002. Finally a peace deal signed today. Well, you know, these things go on in Africa a lot, all the time. People using Congo basically as a killing field for four years. But just think about this, two and a half million people died, apparently, during this war. That's the best estimate that we can get. Finally, there is a peace deal there. Surely that's worth a mention on our air and something we're making every effort to cover as that peace deal is...
COSTELLO: Absolutely. And we hope it holds, as well.
CLINCH: Absolutely, as we go forward, too.
COSTELLO: All right, David.
Thanks so much.
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 December 17, 2002 - 05:36 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: CNN's international desk is staying on top of developments in Iraq, as well as other stories around the world.
Our senior international editor David Clinch joins us now with more on what's going on -- good morning, David.
DAVID CLINCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Good morning, Carol.
As you heard Nic say, things still developing in Baghdad and we're watching closely there, waiting for the United Nations to give its word on the Iraqi weapons declaration later in the week.
But in the meantime and today, we have two really fascinating stories that might not otherwise make it on the air, but we have an opportunity to cover them today.
Christiane Amanpour, as you've seen, covering the story in the Hague today, the war crimes tribunal, a really fascinating story. The Bosnian war, a woman here who, Biljana Plavsic, who was in charge of the so-called Bosnian-Serb Republic, accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing, in some ways...
COSTELLO: Terrible crimes.
CLINCH: Terrible crimes.
COSTELLO: Setting up concentration camps, ordering the rape of women...
CLINCH: But -- absolutely. Here's the key, though. She's admitted her part. She's handed herself in. She's talked about why these things happened at the time, confessed, basically, and now we're in a situation where the war crimes tribunal is basically being asked whether to put this 72-year-old woman away for the rest of her life. And two different sides are arguing here.
Madeleine Albright, the former U.S. secretary of state, was one of those arguing today that while she did commit terrible crimes, she has admitted them and she took part in a peace process after the fact, and in some degree changed her mind about the things that she was party to. On the other side, you've got Elie Wiesel and other human rights activists. He, a survivor of the Holocaust and the Second World War, arguing that you can never forgive people who've committed these crimes, no matter what they do.
So you have a fascinating sort of Solomon's choice. The war crimes tribunal needs to sentence her. They won't do that now, probably some time next year. But when they do, nobody is going to be completely happy, and it's a really fascinating story.
COSTELLO: Oh, you're not kidding. And that war crimes tribunal has been going on for such a long time.
CLINCH: Absolutely. But this is sort of one of those moments where it sort of gels together. They actually have somebody, what do they do with her?
COSTELLO: Got you.
CLINCH: Now, another story just very briefly on the Congo, a war in the Congo going on from 1998 to 2002. Finally a peace deal signed today. Well, you know, these things go on in Africa a lot, all the time. People using Congo basically as a killing field for four years. But just think about this, two and a half million people died, apparently, during this war. That's the best estimate that we can get. Finally, there is a peace deal there. Surely that's worth a mention on our air and something we're making every effort to cover as that peace deal is...
COSTELLO: Absolutely. And we hope it holds, as well.
CLINCH: Absolutely, as we go forward, too.
COSTELLO: All right, David.
Thanks so much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
