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CNN Live At Daybreak

International News Desk

Aired January 28, 2003 - 05:52   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: Over here at our international desk, we check in with senior international editor David Clinch to check on what we're covering today.
And I can hazard a guess.

DAVID CLINCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Well, the State of the Union speech is tonight and President Bush will be addressing the international issues of Iraq, war on terror, North Korea, all of those issues, and we'll be covering those stories.

But, you know, just like President Bush will probably point up into the gallery tonight and point out some real people to relate what he's saying to real people, we are doing the same thing. I think it's really important that when we're doing these stories, Iraq, and of the other stories, that, for instance with Iraq, you know, we see all of these pictures of Saddam Hussein and everything every day, but there are real Iraqi people who will be affected one way or the other by a military action if there is one.

COSTELLO: Well, isn't the problem in getting to them and getting them to open up?

CLINCH: It's very difficult to get access. We have -- Rym Brahimi in Baghdad is working on a piece which will air later today on an Iraqi family. Now, I'm not telling you that we're going to be able to talk to this Iraqi family and they'll tell you exactly what they feel about Saddam Hussein. But they will be able to tell you, and we will be able to show you, that they are real people and that their children are interested in soccer and, you know, all of those things, and that they have real fears about military action against their country.

COSTELLO: Talking about fear, you're also talking to the people in Kuwait...

CLINCH: Absolutely.

COSTELLO: ... since Tariq Aziz said Iraq might attack Kuwait.

CLINCH: Absolutely, both the Kuwaiti people you saw Martin Savidge and we'll have Bill Hemmer later on on AMERICAN MORNING talking about the real fears that Kuwaitis have, and also the American troops that are there. You have Tariq Aziz giving us sort of that throwaway comment about how they will attack American soldiers in Kuwait if an attack is launched against Iraq. Well, that may be stating the obvious as far as he's concerned, but that obviously creates real fear in the minds of those American soldiers that will be there.

COSTELLO: What's also interesting in Kuwait is that Kuwaitis seem to really like the Americans.

CLINCH: For the most part, although, of course...

COSTELLO: They have embraced them, it seems.

CLINCH: For the most part I think that's true. And they also have an interest in getting rid of Saddam Hussein, for the most part. It's not that simple, though, and it never is. There are obviously Kuwaitis who resent the American presence there and have sympathy with Saddam in the sense that he is an Arab like they are. But generally speaking, I think it's fair to say that they support an American action, although it scares them, you know...

COSTELLO: Sure.

CLINCH: And, as well as all of those things, we're keeping an eye on Israel and North Korea and all of those other stories. We cannot ignore them just because Iraq is top of the agenda at the moment so.

COSTELLO: And we're going to get to those international correspondents out in the field in a bit.

CLINCH: Absolutely.

COSTELLO: David Clinch, thanks very much.

CLINCH: See you later.

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 January 28, 2003 - 05:52   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Over here at our international desk, we check in with senior international editor David Clinch to check on what we're covering today.
And I can hazard a guess.

DAVID CLINCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Well, the State of the Union speech is tonight and President Bush will be addressing the international issues of Iraq, war on terror, North Korea, all of those issues, and we'll be covering those stories.

But, you know, just like President Bush will probably point up into the gallery tonight and point out some real people to relate what he's saying to real people, we are doing the same thing. I think it's really important that when we're doing these stories, Iraq, and of the other stories, that, for instance with Iraq, you know, we see all of these pictures of Saddam Hussein and everything every day, but there are real Iraqi people who will be affected one way or the other by a military action if there is one.

COSTELLO: Well, isn't the problem in getting to them and getting them to open up?

CLINCH: It's very difficult to get access. We have -- Rym Brahimi in Baghdad is working on a piece which will air later today on an Iraqi family. Now, I'm not telling you that we're going to be able to talk to this Iraqi family and they'll tell you exactly what they feel about Saddam Hussein. But they will be able to tell you, and we will be able to show you, that they are real people and that their children are interested in soccer and, you know, all of those things, and that they have real fears about military action against their country.

COSTELLO: Talking about fear, you're also talking to the people in Kuwait...

CLINCH: Absolutely.

COSTELLO: ... since Tariq Aziz said Iraq might attack Kuwait.

CLINCH: Absolutely, both the Kuwaiti people you saw Martin Savidge and we'll have Bill Hemmer later on on AMERICAN MORNING talking about the real fears that Kuwaitis have, and also the American troops that are there. You have Tariq Aziz giving us sort of that throwaway comment about how they will attack American soldiers in Kuwait if an attack is launched against Iraq. Well, that may be stating the obvious as far as he's concerned, but that obviously creates real fear in the minds of those American soldiers that will be there.

COSTELLO: What's also interesting in Kuwait is that Kuwaitis seem to really like the Americans.

CLINCH: For the most part, although, of course...

COSTELLO: They have embraced them, it seems.

CLINCH: For the most part I think that's true. And they also have an interest in getting rid of Saddam Hussein, for the most part. It's not that simple, though, and it never is. There are obviously Kuwaitis who resent the American presence there and have sympathy with Saddam in the sense that he is an Arab like they are. But generally speaking, I think it's fair to say that they support an American action, although it scares them, you know...

COSTELLO: Sure.

CLINCH: And, as well as all of those things, we're keeping an eye on Israel and North Korea and all of those other stories. We cannot ignore them just because Iraq is top of the agenda at the moment so.

COSTELLO: And we're going to get to those international correspondents out in the field in a bit.

CLINCH: Absolutely.

COSTELLO: David Clinch, thanks very much.

CLINCH: See you later.

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