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CNN Live At Daybreak
International Wrap: Eye On World
Aired February 18, 2003 - 06:39 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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Our senior international editor, David Clinch, is with us now to give us an idea of today's coverage around the world.
DAVID CLINCH, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Good morning, Fredricka.
We were talking earlier about the strong indications that we're getting that the United States will, after the UN gives its initial response on the Iraqi weapons declaration, the U.S. President Bush will, according to reports, declare Iraq in violation of the UN resolution. Not necessarily a trigger for war, but an example of something we're seeing across the board here, which is another step closer to military action.
And in that, we're seeing British troops, we're seeing U.S. troops and other troops moving into the region increasingly, so that, as we were saying earlier, if a decision for military action is taken, that those troops can act immediately.
Now, as Robin Oakley was reporting from London earlier and our Washington people will tell you, even when they get there, they still need to train and be ready. So, we're still weeks and months from them being ready.
But in the meantime, we, of course, have to cover them departing. And something very important that we need to be aware of as news gatherers as opposed to reporting the story is, we have to make sure that we're in a position to cover them when they get there, be embedded with the troops as we are in Kuwait, get in touch with the British defense forces, make sure that we can cover them when they arrive.
And also, we have to make sure that our people are trained. This is a very dangerous war zone already, and a potentially extremely dangerous situation if chemical warfare were to break out in any form or accident of any kind. Our people are in training right now to make sure that we have enough reporters and producers that if there is a military operation, that we have the right people.
So, you know, a very dangerous situation which we need to prepare for.
WHITFIELD: All right, and important training it is.
CLINCH: Absolutely. We can't afford to send people out who don't know what they're doing... WHITFIELD: Yes.
CLINCH: ... or who do not have the proper training. Just like the troops themselves...
WHITFIELD: And who wouldn't be a hindrance for the troops.
CLINCH: Absolutely. It's one thing to be in the right place; it's another thing to have the right people who have the right training. And we're doing a lot of things, some of which I can't really tell you about, because we need to make sure that we have special access to, not only the U.S. troops, but British and others when this thing happens.
But one thing you can be sure of, everybody that goes out will be properly trained.
WHITFIELD: Good. All right, thanks a lot, David.
CLINCH: OK.
WHITFIELD: We'll see you again.
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 - 06:39 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Our senior international editor, David Clinch, is with us now to give us an idea of today's coverage around the world.
DAVID CLINCH, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Good morning, Fredricka.
We were talking earlier about the strong indications that we're getting that the United States will, after the UN gives its initial response on the Iraqi weapons declaration, the U.S. President Bush will, according to reports, declare Iraq in violation of the UN resolution. Not necessarily a trigger for war, but an example of something we're seeing across the board here, which is another step closer to military action.
And in that, we're seeing British troops, we're seeing U.S. troops and other troops moving into the region increasingly, so that, as we were saying earlier, if a decision for military action is taken, that those troops can act immediately.
Now, as Robin Oakley was reporting from London earlier and our Washington people will tell you, even when they get there, they still need to train and be ready. So, we're still weeks and months from them being ready.
But in the meantime, we, of course, have to cover them departing. And something very important that we need to be aware of as news gatherers as opposed to reporting the story is, we have to make sure that we're in a position to cover them when they get there, be embedded with the troops as we are in Kuwait, get in touch with the British defense forces, make sure that we can cover them when they arrive.
And also, we have to make sure that our people are trained. This is a very dangerous war zone already, and a potentially extremely dangerous situation if chemical warfare were to break out in any form or accident of any kind. Our people are in training right now to make sure that we have enough reporters and producers that if there is a military operation, that we have the right people.
So, you know, a very dangerous situation which we need to prepare for.
WHITFIELD: All right, and important training it is.
CLINCH: Absolutely. We can't afford to send people out who don't know what they're doing... WHITFIELD: Yes.
CLINCH: ... or who do not have the proper training. Just like the troops themselves...
WHITFIELD: And who wouldn't be a hindrance for the troops.
CLINCH: Absolutely. It's one thing to be in the right place; it's another thing to have the right people who have the right training. And we're doing a lot of things, some of which I can't really tell you about, because we need to make sure that we have special access to, not only the U.S. troops, but British and others when this thing happens.
But one thing you can be sure of, everybody that goes out will be properly trained.
WHITFIELD: Good. All right, thanks a lot, David.
CLINCH: OK.
WHITFIELD: We'll see you again.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
