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Iraq Closely Watching Developments in Tensions Between Bush Administration, NATO
Aired February 11, 2003 - 11:15 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.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Iraqi officials are closely watching developments in the tensions between the Bush administration and NATO.
For the latest on that, let's go live to CNN's senior correspondent Nic Robertson. He's at his post in Baghdad.
Nic, what is the word from there?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Leon, they are watching very closely, certainly the foreign minister here, Naji Sabri, appearing on Iraqi television just a few minutes ago, talking about the proposal, or one of the initiatives that was floated, attributed to Germany and France, that are putting in armed peacekeepers here.
He said toward that initiative, Iraq did not accept it, putting in international troops into Iraq was not on.
Now on this rift with NATO, one of the newspaper editorials here commenting that this was a rejection of President Bush's aggressive policies, saying that a veto at the NATO could translate into a veto at the U.N. Security Council.
So that's the view from here at this time, Iraqi officials saying -- not officials, but newspapers that often reflect their views here, saying this was a rejection of the United States policies at this time.
Now, at this time, as the threat of war does seem to loom large here, the pope's envoy Cardinal Roger Gari (ph) has just arrived in Baghdad. The message he says he brings from the pope at this time, that the pope is willing to go to the lengths of sending an envoy here, to try and find out or make space for the possibility of peace.
He said the message that he was bringing for President Saddam Hussein would be a message to cooperate with the U.N. weapons inspectors. He said -- the papal envoy has only just arrived in the capital here. He hasn't yet had any meetings -- Leon.
HARRIS: Well, Nic, speaking of visitors there, as I understand it, there was an envoy as well coming from South Africa that has spent some time with Saddam Hussein in the last few hours or so.
What is up with that? Is South Africa stepping up here as some sort of go-between here or sympathizer, or is there some sort of connection between South Africa and Iraq? ROBERTSON: Well, the connection, Leon, has been articulated by a number of officials in capitals, Washington, London, throughout the world. South Africa has been held up as a model of how if you are committed to getting rid of your weapons of mass destruction, South Africa is the model that's been held up as a country that's done that. It took about two years for weapons inspectors to clear up their weapons of mass destruction. What the Deputy Foreign Minister, Aziz Fahad (ph), said he'd come here to do was tell President Saddam Hussein that South Africa had experience in getting rid of weapons of mass destruction, and he came to offer some of that experience.
Now, he said that he found President Saddam Hussein open to those ideas. We don't know how much further it's gone than that at this time, but South Africa, this envoy coming here with some technical ideas of how Iraq can improve its appearance of cooperation, and indeed its cooperation with U.N. weapons inspectors -- Leon.
HARRIS: It remains to be seen whether or not Saddam Hussein will follow any advice he might have gotten from those meetings. Thanks, Nic, Nic Robertson to us from the evening hours there in Baghdad. Take care, Nic, and be careful.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Bush Administration, NATO>
Aired February 11, 2003 - 11:15 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Iraqi officials are closely watching developments in the tensions between the Bush administration and NATO.
For the latest on that, let's go live to CNN's senior correspondent Nic Robertson. He's at his post in Baghdad.
Nic, what is the word from there?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Leon, they are watching very closely, certainly the foreign minister here, Naji Sabri, appearing on Iraqi television just a few minutes ago, talking about the proposal, or one of the initiatives that was floated, attributed to Germany and France, that are putting in armed peacekeepers here.
He said toward that initiative, Iraq did not accept it, putting in international troops into Iraq was not on.
Now on this rift with NATO, one of the newspaper editorials here commenting that this was a rejection of President Bush's aggressive policies, saying that a veto at the NATO could translate into a veto at the U.N. Security Council.
So that's the view from here at this time, Iraqi officials saying -- not officials, but newspapers that often reflect their views here, saying this was a rejection of the United States policies at this time.
Now, at this time, as the threat of war does seem to loom large here, the pope's envoy Cardinal Roger Gari (ph) has just arrived in Baghdad. The message he says he brings from the pope at this time, that the pope is willing to go to the lengths of sending an envoy here, to try and find out or make space for the possibility of peace.
He said the message that he was bringing for President Saddam Hussein would be a message to cooperate with the U.N. weapons inspectors. He said -- the papal envoy has only just arrived in the capital here. He hasn't yet had any meetings -- Leon.
HARRIS: Well, Nic, speaking of visitors there, as I understand it, there was an envoy as well coming from South Africa that has spent some time with Saddam Hussein in the last few hours or so.
What is up with that? Is South Africa stepping up here as some sort of go-between here or sympathizer, or is there some sort of connection between South Africa and Iraq? ROBERTSON: Well, the connection, Leon, has been articulated by a number of officials in capitals, Washington, London, throughout the world. South Africa has been held up as a model of how if you are committed to getting rid of your weapons of mass destruction, South Africa is the model that's been held up as a country that's done that. It took about two years for weapons inspectors to clear up their weapons of mass destruction. What the Deputy Foreign Minister, Aziz Fahad (ph), said he'd come here to do was tell President Saddam Hussein that South Africa had experience in getting rid of weapons of mass destruction, and he came to offer some of that experience.
Now, he said that he found President Saddam Hussein open to those ideas. We don't know how much further it's gone than that at this time, but South Africa, this envoy coming here with some technical ideas of how Iraq can improve its appearance of cooperation, and indeed its cooperation with U.N. weapons inspectors -- Leon.
HARRIS: It remains to be seen whether or not Saddam Hussein will follow any advice he might have gotten from those meetings. Thanks, Nic, Nic Robertson to us from the evening hours there in Baghdad. Take care, Nic, and be careful.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Bush Administration, NATO>
