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CNN Live At Daybreak

International News Desk

Aired December 18, 2002 - 05:33   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.


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: And as always, our international desk here at CNN is staying on top of the Iraq story. They're also following other global developments throughout the day.
And here to tell us about that is CNN senior international editor David Clinch -- good morning.

DAVID CLINCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Good morning, Fredricka.

Yes, now, as you were talking to Rym and reporting earlier, we'll have to see and wait exactly to hear what the United Nations says tomorrow and what the United States says presumably just after that on Thursday or Friday about the Iraqi weapons declaration. But there are strong indications that at least whatever the U.N. says, the United States is prepared to say that this leaves Iraq in violation of the U.N. resolution.

Perhaps not saying yet that it's a trigger for war, but certainly moving us a step closer. And we need to be prepared for that. We're covering all aspects of the Iraqi story today and over the next few days. By great planning and some fortuitous coincidence on our part, Wolf Blitzer is going to be live from Saudi Arabia today and over the next couple of days talking there to the U.S. troops and also to Saudi officials about what, if any, role the U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia might play if there were to be military action.

That's obviously an open question...

WHITFIELD: That's right. Saudi Arabia...

CLINCH: The Saudis...

WHITFIELD: ... is still non-committal.

CLINCH: The Saudis, I think, are going to be more interested in what the U.N. has to say about the weapons declaration than the U.S. They want to make sure that if their bases are used or the U.S. troops are used from Saudi Arabia. And the Kuwaitis and others in the region also would be happier, I think, if the U.N. were to declare the Iraqis in violation and not just the U.S.

So a very interesting couple of days coming up.

We've also got people in Britain today reporting about the British troops apparently getting ready to go out. Again, you've got to imagine that if the U.S. and Britain decide to order military action, they can't leave themselves in the position of ordering that and then having to wait a few weeks for their troops to get into position.

WHITFIELD: Right.

CLINCH: So I think you're going to see British troops and American troops moving into the region over the next few weeks whether or not war or military action has been ordered, so that if that decision is made, they're ready to go. So we're in Kuwait, we're in Britain, we're in Saudi Arabia today.

Also keeping an eye on the war on terror. The U.N. report came out yesterday saying that al Qaeda is, to a certain degree, reconstituting itself inside Afghanistan. So we've got our reports, reporters there looking at that and as, perhaps, part of that, we don't know really yet, a grenade was thrown at U.S. troops in Kabul yesterday. U.S. troops have been targeted in and around Afghanistan, as you know. You were there recently, many occasions. But for the first time in many, many months troops there actually in the firing line in Kabul itself.

So we're watching closely there to see whether, you know, in many ways the war on terror is considered over, but far from over, as we well know.

WHITFIELD: It's still very much a volatile region...

CLINCH: Absolutely.

WHITFIELD: ... even though people were starting to feel some sort of complacency that maybe it is safe now.

CLINCH: Right.

WHITFIELD: At least in the nation of Afghanistan.

CLINCH: Not safe at all and we're in Kabul and we'll be there long-term.

WHITFIELD: All right, thanks very much, David.

CLINCH: OK.

WHITFIELD: Appreciate it.

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 18, 2002 - 05:33   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: And as always, our international desk here at CNN is staying on top of the Iraq story. They're also following other global developments throughout the day.
And here to tell us about that is CNN senior international editor David Clinch -- good morning.

DAVID CLINCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Good morning, Fredricka.

Yes, now, as you were talking to Rym and reporting earlier, we'll have to see and wait exactly to hear what the United Nations says tomorrow and what the United States says presumably just after that on Thursday or Friday about the Iraqi weapons declaration. But there are strong indications that at least whatever the U.N. says, the United States is prepared to say that this leaves Iraq in violation of the U.N. resolution.

Perhaps not saying yet that it's a trigger for war, but certainly moving us a step closer. And we need to be prepared for that. We're covering all aspects of the Iraqi story today and over the next few days. By great planning and some fortuitous coincidence on our part, Wolf Blitzer is going to be live from Saudi Arabia today and over the next couple of days talking there to the U.S. troops and also to Saudi officials about what, if any, role the U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia might play if there were to be military action.

That's obviously an open question...

WHITFIELD: That's right. Saudi Arabia...

CLINCH: The Saudis...

WHITFIELD: ... is still non-committal.

CLINCH: The Saudis, I think, are going to be more interested in what the U.N. has to say about the weapons declaration than the U.S. They want to make sure that if their bases are used or the U.S. troops are used from Saudi Arabia. And the Kuwaitis and others in the region also would be happier, I think, if the U.N. were to declare the Iraqis in violation and not just the U.S.

So a very interesting couple of days coming up.

We've also got people in Britain today reporting about the British troops apparently getting ready to go out. Again, you've got to imagine that if the U.S. and Britain decide to order military action, they can't leave themselves in the position of ordering that and then having to wait a few weeks for their troops to get into position.

WHITFIELD: Right.

CLINCH: So I think you're going to see British troops and American troops moving into the region over the next few weeks whether or not war or military action has been ordered, so that if that decision is made, they're ready to go. So we're in Kuwait, we're in Britain, we're in Saudi Arabia today.

Also keeping an eye on the war on terror. The U.N. report came out yesterday saying that al Qaeda is, to a certain degree, reconstituting itself inside Afghanistan. So we've got our reports, reporters there looking at that and as, perhaps, part of that, we don't know really yet, a grenade was thrown at U.S. troops in Kabul yesterday. U.S. troops have been targeted in and around Afghanistan, as you know. You were there recently, many occasions. But for the first time in many, many months troops there actually in the firing line in Kabul itself.

So we're watching closely there to see whether, you know, in many ways the war on terror is considered over, but far from over, as we well know.

WHITFIELD: It's still very much a volatile region...

CLINCH: Absolutely.

WHITFIELD: ... even though people were starting to feel some sort of complacency that maybe it is safe now.

CLINCH: Right.

WHITFIELD: At least in the nation of Afghanistan.

CLINCH: Not safe at all and we're in Kabul and we'll be there long-term.

WHITFIELD: All right, thanks very much, David.

CLINCH: OK.

WHITFIELD: Appreciate it.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com