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CNN Live At Daybreak

E.U. Agrees Iraq Needs to Disarm

Aired February 18, 2003 - 05:37   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.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The European Union agrees that Iraq needs to disarm and that all nations should follow the lead of the United Nations. The 15 member E.U. ended their emergency summit on Monday, calling for no deadline to disarmament. The committee wants U.N. inspectors given more time, but admits that inspections could not be allowed to drag on indefinitely.
Also, British Prime Minister Tony Blair's support of the U.S. policy on Iraq is costing him in the opinion polls at home. Anti-war sentiment remains high in Britain.

We take you to CNN's Matthew Chance in London with more -- good morning, Matthew.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Carol.

And these are tough times for Tony Blair, the British prime minister. He is expected to face some extremely tough questions over the coming hours over his hard-line stance on Iraq. It's the issue which is set to dominate his regular press briefing in Downing Street. Britain, of course, one of the venues for some of the biggest anti-war protests over the weekend. London, according to organizers, attracted some two million people from all the corners of the United Kingdom that came out onto the streets to voice their passionate opposition to any war with Iraq at this stage.

The prime minister, though, has said his government remains undeterred in the event and will use force if necessary to disarm Saddam Hussein. Prime Minister Blair has, of course, all along been one of President Bush's main allies and supporters over the U.S. policy in Iraq and it is, indeed, that close relationship between the two leaders that has very much been called into question in the British press. Many people in Britain believing their prime minister is at this stage too close for comfort to the Washington administration. All factors, according to analysts, that are contributing to the findings of a recent opinion poll released in "The Guardian" newspaper here in Britain, conducted over the weekend, showing that Tony Blair's personal approval ratings amongst the British public has plummeted 20 points to 35 percent. Still, a commanding lead over his closest rival, but still a significant and worrying trend for the British prime minister -- Carol.

COSTELLO: And, Matthew, the British prime minister is expected to speak at 6:30 Eastern time. What might he say?

CHANCE: Well, I'm sure he is going to embark on another defense of his policy of supporting the United States in a possible war in Iraq. He's been trying to make a moral argument, backing away from the other arguments of links to al Qaeda and such like that that have been put forward by Washington. He's emphasizing the moral argument, saying humanity would be better off if Saddam Hussein was removed from power -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Matthew Chance 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 18, 2003 - 05:37   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The European Union agrees that Iraq needs to disarm and that all nations should follow the lead of the United Nations. The 15 member E.U. ended their emergency summit on Monday, calling for no deadline to disarmament. The committee wants U.N. inspectors given more time, but admits that inspections could not be allowed to drag on indefinitely.
Also, British Prime Minister Tony Blair's support of the U.S. policy on Iraq is costing him in the opinion polls at home. Anti-war sentiment remains high in Britain.

We take you to CNN's Matthew Chance in London with more -- good morning, Matthew.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Carol.

And these are tough times for Tony Blair, the British prime minister. He is expected to face some extremely tough questions over the coming hours over his hard-line stance on Iraq. It's the issue which is set to dominate his regular press briefing in Downing Street. Britain, of course, one of the venues for some of the biggest anti-war protests over the weekend. London, according to organizers, attracted some two million people from all the corners of the United Kingdom that came out onto the streets to voice their passionate opposition to any war with Iraq at this stage.

The prime minister, though, has said his government remains undeterred in the event and will use force if necessary to disarm Saddam Hussein. Prime Minister Blair has, of course, all along been one of President Bush's main allies and supporters over the U.S. policy in Iraq and it is, indeed, that close relationship between the two leaders that has very much been called into question in the British press. Many people in Britain believing their prime minister is at this stage too close for comfort to the Washington administration. All factors, according to analysts, that are contributing to the findings of a recent opinion poll released in "The Guardian" newspaper here in Britain, conducted over the weekend, showing that Tony Blair's personal approval ratings amongst the British public has plummeted 20 points to 35 percent. Still, a commanding lead over his closest rival, but still a significant and worrying trend for the British prime minister -- Carol.

COSTELLO: And, Matthew, the British prime minister is expected to speak at 6:30 Eastern time. What might he say?

CHANCE: Well, I'm sure he is going to embark on another defense of his policy of supporting the United States in a possible war in Iraq. He's been trying to make a moral argument, backing away from the other arguments of links to al Qaeda and such like that that have been put forward by Washington. He's emphasizing the moral argument, saying humanity would be better off if Saddam Hussein was removed from power -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Matthew Chance 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