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CNN Live Today
Interview With James Cromwell
Aired February 13, 2003 - 11:37 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: Well, as the situation with Iraq intensifies, so do the protests against any military action. Actor and activist James Cromwell plans to attend a demonstration this weekend in L.A., and he's joining us now from L.A. to talk about why he's against the impending war, and what he thinks these protests are going to accomplish.
Good to see you. How are you?
JAMES CROMWELL, ACTOR: I am fine, thank you.
HARRIS: Nice to see you and talk to you face to face. I was just screaming at you on the screen in "L.A. Confidential" just last week as a matter of fact. Nice to have you with us today.
Tell us about this protest -- and as I understand it, it's going to be pretty much coordinated with a number of protests across the country. Is that correct?
CROMWELL: I think there are protests all across the country, and all across the world, people are coming out to express their disapproval of the current administration's policy in Iraq, and the possibility that we are going to war.
HARRIS: Well, what is your No. 1 problem with this policy right now?
CROMWELL: I believe it's immoral. I believe it's illegal, and I believe it's unjust. I believe it won't be effective. It will not solve the problem. It will only create the atmosphere for the creation of more terrorism, and more distrust, and more violence in the world.
I agree with Colin Powell when he said that he denounced people who believe that the destruction of buildings and the murder of innocent civilians could achieve a political purpose, and that's what I believe we are doing in Iraq.
HARRIS: Well, what do you make, then, of the presentations that we've seen from Secretary Powell in the last week or so, week and a half, if you like. We saw him before the U.N. Security Council. He basically made a presentation there and to the world, which convinced many people that there is a strong case for going to war, and this past week, I believe it was Monday or Tuesday, we heard him say in hearings on Capitol Hill that there is now some sort of sign that there may be some coordination between al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein. CROMWELL: I believe, from a number of people, that there is no tangible proof of a connection between Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden. It seems to me preposterous that he would have connections both in Iraq and Iran since they are mortal enemies. Nothing has been proven or presented to the American public to that effect.
There has been a suggestion that this has occurred, but I was not convinced, and I wondered why, since all the security members were mandated to present any evidence that would help the inspectors in Iraq, why the United States government sought to withhold information about plants that produced chemical weapons and other means of mass destruction in Iraq, and use it for a political purpose in order to bend that body towards supporting a unilateral war in Iraq. I didn't find it particularly convincing, and I'm sure a lot of Americans agree with me.
HARRIS: Well, I'm sure, if you listen to all the talk radio, you'll hear plenty of voices who are saying, basically, Hollywood doesn't get it. As a matter of fact, there was a quote in one of the news magazines, which one escapes me right now, just last week where someone was saying something to the effect of, Why don't we go in and get Saddam Hussein and send him to Hollywood. Everybody out there loves him.
What do you say to people who say that basically Hollywood doesn't get it, and is not on the same page as the rest of the country?
CROMWELL: It has nothing to do with loving Saddam Hussein. Saddam Hussein is a despot. What I am concerned with is the safety and security of the Iraqi people who have suffered immensely under the sanctions that were put on that may basically deprive them of clean water and food and medical supplies. Hollywood is no different. We are no different than any other people throughout the country. No matter what the right wing talk show hosts say, there are people throughout this country, even in the Midwest, especially in the Midwest, who are just as concerned as Hollywood.
The only reason that they can say that about us is, of course, is that the camera is on me and not on somebody in Topeka. If they would listen to people in Topeka, I'm sure they would hear much the same thing that the people in Hollywood are saying.
HARRIS: All right. Let me ask you this -- is there anything at all that you could see or hear, whether from this administration or from the U.N. Security Council or from NATO, that would convince you otherwise, that would convince you that a war right now is the answer?
CROMWELL: I assume there might be. I am not convinced by the fact that the Iraqis have a missile that goes 23 more miles than was mandated, although the Iraqis have a perfectly reasonable excuse as to why that happened.
If we are taking such a hands-off and careful and considerate approach to North Korea, which supposedly has weapons of mass destruction, nuclear weapons, and a rocket capable of reaching the United States, and yet we will not impose sanctions on them, we are being tentative in bringing it up to the United Nations, even the violation of starting their nuclear program again, I don't see why, it doesn't make more sense to keep 150, or if it takes 1,500 inspectors on the ground in Iraq at a cost of $18 million, $20 million, $50 million, rather than the $100 to $200 million plus 250,000 American troops, thousands of whom will be killed and who will inflict damage on the people of Iraq, tens of thousands of whom will die for no purpose other than overturning this despot, and then we have the problem of who does rule Iraq, and will we move from Iraq into Iran, and then will we go from Iran to North Korea? Are we the cops of the world? Are we completely right? And if we are right, how come our rightness has not convinced the rest of the world?
HARRIS: Well, right now, I wish I could rule the clock, but I can't, and we're out of time. We have to move on. James Cromwell, appreciate your time this afternoon.
CROMWELL: I appreciate it, too. Thank you.
HARRIS: Take care. We'll be watching to see what happens with these protests, no doubt.
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 13, 2003 - 11:37 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, as the situation with Iraq intensifies, so do the protests against any military action. Actor and activist James Cromwell plans to attend a demonstration this weekend in L.A., and he's joining us now from L.A. to talk about why he's against the impending war, and what he thinks these protests are going to accomplish.
Good to see you. How are you?
JAMES CROMWELL, ACTOR: I am fine, thank you.
HARRIS: Nice to see you and talk to you face to face. I was just screaming at you on the screen in "L.A. Confidential" just last week as a matter of fact. Nice to have you with us today.
Tell us about this protest -- and as I understand it, it's going to be pretty much coordinated with a number of protests across the country. Is that correct?
CROMWELL: I think there are protests all across the country, and all across the world, people are coming out to express their disapproval of the current administration's policy in Iraq, and the possibility that we are going to war.
HARRIS: Well, what is your No. 1 problem with this policy right now?
CROMWELL: I believe it's immoral. I believe it's illegal, and I believe it's unjust. I believe it won't be effective. It will not solve the problem. It will only create the atmosphere for the creation of more terrorism, and more distrust, and more violence in the world.
I agree with Colin Powell when he said that he denounced people who believe that the destruction of buildings and the murder of innocent civilians could achieve a political purpose, and that's what I believe we are doing in Iraq.
HARRIS: Well, what do you make, then, of the presentations that we've seen from Secretary Powell in the last week or so, week and a half, if you like. We saw him before the U.N. Security Council. He basically made a presentation there and to the world, which convinced many people that there is a strong case for going to war, and this past week, I believe it was Monday or Tuesday, we heard him say in hearings on Capitol Hill that there is now some sort of sign that there may be some coordination between al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein. CROMWELL: I believe, from a number of people, that there is no tangible proof of a connection between Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden. It seems to me preposterous that he would have connections both in Iraq and Iran since they are mortal enemies. Nothing has been proven or presented to the American public to that effect.
There has been a suggestion that this has occurred, but I was not convinced, and I wondered why, since all the security members were mandated to present any evidence that would help the inspectors in Iraq, why the United States government sought to withhold information about plants that produced chemical weapons and other means of mass destruction in Iraq, and use it for a political purpose in order to bend that body towards supporting a unilateral war in Iraq. I didn't find it particularly convincing, and I'm sure a lot of Americans agree with me.
HARRIS: Well, I'm sure, if you listen to all the talk radio, you'll hear plenty of voices who are saying, basically, Hollywood doesn't get it. As a matter of fact, there was a quote in one of the news magazines, which one escapes me right now, just last week where someone was saying something to the effect of, Why don't we go in and get Saddam Hussein and send him to Hollywood. Everybody out there loves him.
What do you say to people who say that basically Hollywood doesn't get it, and is not on the same page as the rest of the country?
CROMWELL: It has nothing to do with loving Saddam Hussein. Saddam Hussein is a despot. What I am concerned with is the safety and security of the Iraqi people who have suffered immensely under the sanctions that were put on that may basically deprive them of clean water and food and medical supplies. Hollywood is no different. We are no different than any other people throughout the country. No matter what the right wing talk show hosts say, there are people throughout this country, even in the Midwest, especially in the Midwest, who are just as concerned as Hollywood.
The only reason that they can say that about us is, of course, is that the camera is on me and not on somebody in Topeka. If they would listen to people in Topeka, I'm sure they would hear much the same thing that the people in Hollywood are saying.
HARRIS: All right. Let me ask you this -- is there anything at all that you could see or hear, whether from this administration or from the U.N. Security Council or from NATO, that would convince you otherwise, that would convince you that a war right now is the answer?
CROMWELL: I assume there might be. I am not convinced by the fact that the Iraqis have a missile that goes 23 more miles than was mandated, although the Iraqis have a perfectly reasonable excuse as to why that happened.
If we are taking such a hands-off and careful and considerate approach to North Korea, which supposedly has weapons of mass destruction, nuclear weapons, and a rocket capable of reaching the United States, and yet we will not impose sanctions on them, we are being tentative in bringing it up to the United Nations, even the violation of starting their nuclear program again, I don't see why, it doesn't make more sense to keep 150, or if it takes 1,500 inspectors on the ground in Iraq at a cost of $18 million, $20 million, $50 million, rather than the $100 to $200 million plus 250,000 American troops, thousands of whom will be killed and who will inflict damage on the people of Iraq, tens of thousands of whom will die for no purpose other than overturning this despot, and then we have the problem of who does rule Iraq, and will we move from Iraq into Iran, and then will we go from Iran to North Korea? Are we the cops of the world? Are we completely right? And if we are right, how come our rightness has not convinced the rest of the world?
HARRIS: Well, right now, I wish I could rule the clock, but I can't, and we're out of time. We have to move on. James Cromwell, appreciate your time this afternoon.
CROMWELL: I appreciate it, too. Thank you.
HARRIS: Take care. We'll be watching to see what happens with these protests, no doubt.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
