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CNN Live At Daybreak
British Reluctance on Iraq
Aired February 11, 2003 - 05:35 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: The United States' strongest ally against Iraq has been Britain, but now the English may be wavering. Only 11 percent of those polled think British troops should be used against Iraq if there is no new U.N. resolution.
Also, when asked what country is the greatest threat to world peace, the vote was split evenly; 27 percent cite Iraq, while another 27 percent named North Korea. But right at the top of the list the feeling is that the United States is the biggest threat to world peace.
For more on that shocking number, let's go to our Walter Rodgers in London to find out why the British feel America is the greatest threat -- Walter.
WALTER RODGERS, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Carol.
Well, of course, you perhaps shouldn't be too surprised about those figures, and they aren't quite as bad as they appear. That is to say, of those polled in the channel 4 poll, Britain's channel 4, it says that 32 percent of the British believe that the United States is the greatest threat to world peace at this point.
Now, that's more British think the Americans are a threat to world peace than North Korea or Iraq. Actually, the British say only 23 percent of the British think the Iraqis are the greatest threat to world peace.
The poll is mixed, however. The British have no illusions about Saddam Hussein -- 68 percent say that they believe he is trying to acquire nuclear weapons; 7 in 10 of the British believe that Saddam Hussein does have a rather nasty arsenal of chemical and biological weapons.
But I think what we're seeing, when you say that -- it's not the majority of Britain, but what you have is 32 percent of Britain saying the United States is the greatest threat to world peace, it's just a residual anti-Americanism, which is always here -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Walter Rodgers reporting live from London this morning.
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 February 11, 2003 - 05:35 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The United States' strongest ally against Iraq has been Britain, but now the English may be wavering. Only 11 percent of those polled think British troops should be used against Iraq if there is no new U.N. resolution.
Also, when asked what country is the greatest threat to world peace, the vote was split evenly; 27 percent cite Iraq, while another 27 percent named North Korea. But right at the top of the list the feeling is that the United States is the biggest threat to world peace.
For more on that shocking number, let's go to our Walter Rodgers in London to find out why the British feel America is the greatest threat -- Walter.
WALTER RODGERS, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Carol.
Well, of course, you perhaps shouldn't be too surprised about those figures, and they aren't quite as bad as they appear. That is to say, of those polled in the channel 4 poll, Britain's channel 4, it says that 32 percent of the British believe that the United States is the greatest threat to world peace at this point.
Now, that's more British think the Americans are a threat to world peace than North Korea or Iraq. Actually, the British say only 23 percent of the British think the Iraqis are the greatest threat to world peace.
The poll is mixed, however. The British have no illusions about Saddam Hussein -- 68 percent say that they believe he is trying to acquire nuclear weapons; 7 in 10 of the British believe that Saddam Hussein does have a rather nasty arsenal of chemical and biological weapons.
But I think what we're seeing, when you say that -- it's not the majority of Britain, but what you have is 32 percent of Britain saying the United States is the greatest threat to world peace, it's just a residual anti-Americanism, which is always here -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Walter Rodgers reporting live from London this morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
