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Another Big Diplomatic Day for President Bush
Aired January 31, 2003 - 11:01 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.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Meanwhile, it's another big diplomatic day for President Bush. This afternoon, he plans to meet with British Prime Minister Tony Blair at the White House to discuss the showdown with Iraq.
Our chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour had a chance to sit down with the prime minister this morning. She is now in Washington the British ambassador's residence, and White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux is holding down the fort at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Christiane, we're going to go ahead and start with you.
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTL. CORRESPONDENT: Well, Daryn, what appears to be the emerging strategy, as Blair prepares to meet with President Bush, is that they are going to urge a continue through the U.N. route to give enough time and -- quote -- to use the words of one official, here, the kind of time it needs to get military all prepared, to use that time to get all the diplomatic ducks in a row, if you will, to get as broad a coalition as possible.
But Prime Minister Blair was very clear. He said that the pressure needs to be kept on, that even if today's meeting with President Bush is not strictly about timelines and deadlines, it is about coming to a judgment as to whether Saddam Hussein is ever going to cooperate.
When we pressed him on a deadline, because Saddam Hussein, they have already judged to be in breach of the current resolution, this is what he said:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: Clearly, as defined by the original U.N. resolution, a failure to cooperate is a material breach, but I think in part because our other partners and the people who have worked with us want to be absolutely sure of this, then I think it's sensible to get a fresh report coming from Dr. Blix in a couple weeks to give it sometime. But the time is not to have the inspectors go in and chase around Iraq trying to find this stuff. That is not what they're supposed to do. I mean, they're not detectives. They're supposed to Iraq come to it, make a full honest declaration, they haven't done it. They're supposed to be allowed to interview whoever they want to interview in whatever circumstances they want to interview, and they're not being allowed to do it.
(END VIDEO CLIP) AMANPOUR: Blair has told us that he clearly favors a second U.N. resolution, and many other leaders around the world are saying that as well. They feel they need that, because the notion of going to war with Iraq is very unpopular with public opinion in many parts of the world. So in order to be able to properly support the United States if it comes to a military confrontation, they want to have as much international authority as possible.
So as I say, we're being told by officials here that this process of building this coalition and getting it solidified could take several more weeks, perhaps even into March, and what we're also hearing is that they may allow Hans Blix and Mohammed ElBaradei, the two chef weapons inspectors to come back not just once on February 14th, but maybe once or twice again to build up the evidence if this continues to be the truth, to build up the evidence that Saddam Hussein is simply not about to cooperate in a proactive manner, and that way, to ensure that if they do go for another resolution, to make sure that nobody, notably France, can use its veto on a Security Council resolution, so that's what we're hearing as the two leaders prepare for their meeting -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Christiane, thank you so much.
Now we want to go to the White House and our Suzanne Malveaux for a look at what the expectations are for today's critical meeting.
Suzanne, good morning.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.
Very much what Christiane had said as well with the White House, their position on this, they are saying, essentially, there are a lot of questions that the two leaders are going to address, first of all, whether or not, how long weapons inspectors should continue their jobs, whether or not military action, if it's necessary, just when would it start, what kind of coalition behind it.
But really the main point of this meeting, and Christiane had mentioned it as well, is whether or not there would be a second U.N. Security Council resolution.
As you may recall, it was in the fall the administration was dead set against this idea. They believed it was a roadblock, a delay, but now they're very much open to the idea. White House spokesman Ari Fleischer saying it was desirable, but not mandatory. It would call for a deadline for Saddam Hussein to comply. If he did not comply, it would authorize the use of military force against Saddam Hussein.
Really, the bottom line to this is that the White House insists that yes, it would go it alone and go along with a coalition of friends and allies, as it's mentioned before, to hold Saddam Hussein to account, but the administration wants to build the broadest report responsible. They want France on board. They want as many countries on board. They do not want a veto, as Christiane had mentioned before. They're hoping if they can build this kind of international support, if a second resolution is necessary, if it accomplishes that, then great, they'll go ahead and do that. Also another very important point is that it offers, if it provides some sort of cover for British Prime Minister Tony Blair or other U.S. Allies who are facing much opposition from their own people, that would also be advantageous.
So this is something that yes, the administration publicly saying it's not mandatory, we'll go ahead without it, but privately, administration officials believe that if you get that second resolution, it will really hold these countries to account, and then they can move forward in terms of holding Saddam Hussein to account.
They should also note, another part of the strategy, Daryn, is really going to be to press this issue of credibility, that the members of the U.N. Security Council, their very reputations, their credibility is on the line. The president, as well as other spokespeople, will come forward, officials will come forward, and say, look, this is something you signed on to in the resolution 1441, calling for serious consequences if Saddam Hussein doesn't comply, that this is something you have to back up with action as well -- Daryn.
KAGAN: All right, Suzanne Malveaux at the White House, thank you to you, and to Christiane, as well.
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 31, 2003 - 11:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Meanwhile, it's another big diplomatic day for President Bush. This afternoon, he plans to meet with British Prime Minister Tony Blair at the White House to discuss the showdown with Iraq.
Our chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour had a chance to sit down with the prime minister this morning. She is now in Washington the British ambassador's residence, and White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux is holding down the fort at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Christiane, we're going to go ahead and start with you.
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTL. CORRESPONDENT: Well, Daryn, what appears to be the emerging strategy, as Blair prepares to meet with President Bush, is that they are going to urge a continue through the U.N. route to give enough time and -- quote -- to use the words of one official, here, the kind of time it needs to get military all prepared, to use that time to get all the diplomatic ducks in a row, if you will, to get as broad a coalition as possible.
But Prime Minister Blair was very clear. He said that the pressure needs to be kept on, that even if today's meeting with President Bush is not strictly about timelines and deadlines, it is about coming to a judgment as to whether Saddam Hussein is ever going to cooperate.
When we pressed him on a deadline, because Saddam Hussein, they have already judged to be in breach of the current resolution, this is what he said:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: Clearly, as defined by the original U.N. resolution, a failure to cooperate is a material breach, but I think in part because our other partners and the people who have worked with us want to be absolutely sure of this, then I think it's sensible to get a fresh report coming from Dr. Blix in a couple weeks to give it sometime. But the time is not to have the inspectors go in and chase around Iraq trying to find this stuff. That is not what they're supposed to do. I mean, they're not detectives. They're supposed to Iraq come to it, make a full honest declaration, they haven't done it. They're supposed to be allowed to interview whoever they want to interview in whatever circumstances they want to interview, and they're not being allowed to do it.
(END VIDEO CLIP) AMANPOUR: Blair has told us that he clearly favors a second U.N. resolution, and many other leaders around the world are saying that as well. They feel they need that, because the notion of going to war with Iraq is very unpopular with public opinion in many parts of the world. So in order to be able to properly support the United States if it comes to a military confrontation, they want to have as much international authority as possible.
So as I say, we're being told by officials here that this process of building this coalition and getting it solidified could take several more weeks, perhaps even into March, and what we're also hearing is that they may allow Hans Blix and Mohammed ElBaradei, the two chef weapons inspectors to come back not just once on February 14th, but maybe once or twice again to build up the evidence if this continues to be the truth, to build up the evidence that Saddam Hussein is simply not about to cooperate in a proactive manner, and that way, to ensure that if they do go for another resolution, to make sure that nobody, notably France, can use its veto on a Security Council resolution, so that's what we're hearing as the two leaders prepare for their meeting -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Christiane, thank you so much.
Now we want to go to the White House and our Suzanne Malveaux for a look at what the expectations are for today's critical meeting.
Suzanne, good morning.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.
Very much what Christiane had said as well with the White House, their position on this, they are saying, essentially, there are a lot of questions that the two leaders are going to address, first of all, whether or not, how long weapons inspectors should continue their jobs, whether or not military action, if it's necessary, just when would it start, what kind of coalition behind it.
But really the main point of this meeting, and Christiane had mentioned it as well, is whether or not there would be a second U.N. Security Council resolution.
As you may recall, it was in the fall the administration was dead set against this idea. They believed it was a roadblock, a delay, but now they're very much open to the idea. White House spokesman Ari Fleischer saying it was desirable, but not mandatory. It would call for a deadline for Saddam Hussein to comply. If he did not comply, it would authorize the use of military force against Saddam Hussein.
Really, the bottom line to this is that the White House insists that yes, it would go it alone and go along with a coalition of friends and allies, as it's mentioned before, to hold Saddam Hussein to account, but the administration wants to build the broadest report responsible. They want France on board. They want as many countries on board. They do not want a veto, as Christiane had mentioned before. They're hoping if they can build this kind of international support, if a second resolution is necessary, if it accomplishes that, then great, they'll go ahead and do that. Also another very important point is that it offers, if it provides some sort of cover for British Prime Minister Tony Blair or other U.S. Allies who are facing much opposition from their own people, that would also be advantageous.
So this is something that yes, the administration publicly saying it's not mandatory, we'll go ahead without it, but privately, administration officials believe that if you get that second resolution, it will really hold these countries to account, and then they can move forward in terms of holding Saddam Hussein to account.
They should also note, another part of the strategy, Daryn, is really going to be to press this issue of credibility, that the members of the U.N. Security Council, their very reputations, their credibility is on the line. The president, as well as other spokespeople, will come forward, officials will come forward, and say, look, this is something you signed on to in the resolution 1441, calling for serious consequences if Saddam Hussein doesn't comply, that this is something you have to back up with action as well -- Daryn.
KAGAN: All right, Suzanne Malveaux at the White House, thank you to you, and to Christiane, as well.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
