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CNN Live Today

Bush Administration to Seek Second Resolution

Aired February 19, 2003 - 11:11   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 LIN, CNN ANCHOR: The Bush administration today confirmed it will, indeed, seek a second U.N. war resolution against Iraq. The timing and content, though, remains something of a question mark.
Chris Burns joins us live this morning from the White House. Chris, what have you learned?

CHRIS BURNS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: ... is the confirmation that the U.S. administration will be presenting, tabling a resolution to the U.N. Security Council sometime this or next week, mentioning probably something about material breach, that Iraq continues to be in material breach of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1441 on disarmament.

The question is, who will vote for it? Will it go down in flames? At least the Bush administration can argue that it has made the full diplomatic nine yards before going ahead with its "coalition of the willing" mainly in mind, of course, that Tony Blair, the British prime minister, is under fire, very much in political trouble, and that if Bush doesn't have Blair on board, that could be a serious problem for that "coalition of the willing."

Meanwhile, Turkey is the other question. Let's show you some pretty grainy, shaky pictures of some U.S. deployment getting into Turkey. The U.S. is moving some defensive elements in there. They're being very discreet about it because Turkey has yet to agree to the U.S. to deploy thousands of troops inside Turkey leaning toward Iraq if there is a war.

That front, on the northern side of Iraq, would be extremely important in any U.S. deployment, in any U.S. attack, so that is what is up in question right now, because the Turks have yet to agree to that. They are demanding billions more in aid. They are arguing that if there is a war, they will suffer substantial economic losses, as they did during the Gulf War.

So that is what they're afraid of, and they are holding out for more money. However, the Bush administration said today they have made essentially their final offer, so we could be coming down to the wire on that.

Meanwhile, tonight, there is a meeting between Bush and Lord Robertson, the NATO secretary-general. President Bush will be essentially thanking him for pushing through that measure that allows NATO to go ahead and offer defensive assistance to its fellow member, Turkey -- Carol. LIN: All right. Thank you very much. Chris Burns live at the White House. Let's move on to New York now, where dozens of countries that don't have a seat at the Security Council table are having their say on Iraq today. Our senior U.N. correspondent, Richard Roth, joins us from New York this morning. More than 50 nations signed up yesterday. What are the people saying?

RICHARD ROTH, CNN SENIOR U.N. CORRESPONDENT: Well, they're saying no war, and give the inspectors time. We are going to have over 60 countries speaking between yesterday and today. Take a look live now inside the Security Council chamber. We believe this is the delegate from Nigeria speaking. The -- most of the countries are saying that the inspectors have just been on the ground 11 to 12 weeks, and should be given the proper time, and that there is a threat to the region.

Various countries, from Qatar to Egypt to Costa Rica, all of them saying the U.N. should be the place to settle this, and it should be settled with unity in the Security Council, and with peace being paramount. Egypt was also one of the speakers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AHMED ABOUL GHEIT, EGYPTIAN AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: We have called -- to holding an urgent Arab summit that would contribute to creating conditions that would stop hostilities and contributing to all (UNINTELLIGIBLE) in that respect. Egypt affirms that the oldest country in the world, as old as history itself, appease this council to continue assuming its responsibility in the maintenance of international peace and security, and to affirm the responsibility of every member in the United Nations in collective action to achieving that objective.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROTH: ... the Iraqi ambassador, does sit next to many of the speakers including yesterday, when Iraqi ambassador AlDouri, Carol, sat next to the U.S. delegate. Afterward, I asked Ambassador James Cunningham. He said, We had a warm exchange. He was joking. There was no communication between the two people -- Carol.

LIN: Richard, what is the buzz down there at the U.N. with the prospect of the Bush administration introducing this second resolution as soon as next week?

ROTH: Well, the buzz is, bring it on, from many members of the Security Council because they can't comment until they see something. The language will probably be simpler than the very complicated unanimously passed resolution. Nobody is threatening any vetoes yet. This is the early -- this is not the end game, this is the start game on this resolution, especially if it's introduced next week.

LIN: Is there any feedback from any of the nations as to the wording of it that may make it more acceptable?

ROTH: It's too early for that, except that nobody is going to vote for anything that in any way hints at an authorization for war. The U.S. and the United Kingdom likely to come up with coded language that will be able to allow many countries to say we voted to make Iraq comply with existing resolutions. We didn't really vote for something that would involve military action.

LIN: Everybody has to think about their own domestic political situation at home. All right. Thank you very much, Richard Roth.

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 19, 2003 - 11:11   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: The Bush administration today confirmed it will, indeed, seek a second U.N. war resolution against Iraq. The timing and content, though, remains something of a question mark.
Chris Burns joins us live this morning from the White House. Chris, what have you learned?

CHRIS BURNS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: ... is the confirmation that the U.S. administration will be presenting, tabling a resolution to the U.N. Security Council sometime this or next week, mentioning probably something about material breach, that Iraq continues to be in material breach of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1441 on disarmament.

The question is, who will vote for it? Will it go down in flames? At least the Bush administration can argue that it has made the full diplomatic nine yards before going ahead with its "coalition of the willing" mainly in mind, of course, that Tony Blair, the British prime minister, is under fire, very much in political trouble, and that if Bush doesn't have Blair on board, that could be a serious problem for that "coalition of the willing."

Meanwhile, Turkey is the other question. Let's show you some pretty grainy, shaky pictures of some U.S. deployment getting into Turkey. The U.S. is moving some defensive elements in there. They're being very discreet about it because Turkey has yet to agree to the U.S. to deploy thousands of troops inside Turkey leaning toward Iraq if there is a war.

That front, on the northern side of Iraq, would be extremely important in any U.S. deployment, in any U.S. attack, so that is what is up in question right now, because the Turks have yet to agree to that. They are demanding billions more in aid. They are arguing that if there is a war, they will suffer substantial economic losses, as they did during the Gulf War.

So that is what they're afraid of, and they are holding out for more money. However, the Bush administration said today they have made essentially their final offer, so we could be coming down to the wire on that.

Meanwhile, tonight, there is a meeting between Bush and Lord Robertson, the NATO secretary-general. President Bush will be essentially thanking him for pushing through that measure that allows NATO to go ahead and offer defensive assistance to its fellow member, Turkey -- Carol. LIN: All right. Thank you very much. Chris Burns live at the White House. Let's move on to New York now, where dozens of countries that don't have a seat at the Security Council table are having their say on Iraq today. Our senior U.N. correspondent, Richard Roth, joins us from New York this morning. More than 50 nations signed up yesterday. What are the people saying?

RICHARD ROTH, CNN SENIOR U.N. CORRESPONDENT: Well, they're saying no war, and give the inspectors time. We are going to have over 60 countries speaking between yesterday and today. Take a look live now inside the Security Council chamber. We believe this is the delegate from Nigeria speaking. The -- most of the countries are saying that the inspectors have just been on the ground 11 to 12 weeks, and should be given the proper time, and that there is a threat to the region.

Various countries, from Qatar to Egypt to Costa Rica, all of them saying the U.N. should be the place to settle this, and it should be settled with unity in the Security Council, and with peace being paramount. Egypt was also one of the speakers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AHMED ABOUL GHEIT, EGYPTIAN AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: We have called -- to holding an urgent Arab summit that would contribute to creating conditions that would stop hostilities and contributing to all (UNINTELLIGIBLE) in that respect. Egypt affirms that the oldest country in the world, as old as history itself, appease this council to continue assuming its responsibility in the maintenance of international peace and security, and to affirm the responsibility of every member in the United Nations in collective action to achieving that objective.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROTH: ... the Iraqi ambassador, does sit next to many of the speakers including yesterday, when Iraqi ambassador AlDouri, Carol, sat next to the U.S. delegate. Afterward, I asked Ambassador James Cunningham. He said, We had a warm exchange. He was joking. There was no communication between the two people -- Carol.

LIN: Richard, what is the buzz down there at the U.N. with the prospect of the Bush administration introducing this second resolution as soon as next week?

ROTH: Well, the buzz is, bring it on, from many members of the Security Council because they can't comment until they see something. The language will probably be simpler than the very complicated unanimously passed resolution. Nobody is threatening any vetoes yet. This is the early -- this is not the end game, this is the start game on this resolution, especially if it's introduced next week.

LIN: Is there any feedback from any of the nations as to the wording of it that may make it more acceptable?

ROTH: It's too early for that, except that nobody is going to vote for anything that in any way hints at an authorization for war. The U.S. and the United Kingdom likely to come up with coded language that will be able to allow many countries to say we voted to make Iraq comply with existing resolutions. We didn't really vote for something that would involve military action.

LIN: Everybody has to think about their own domestic political situation at home. All right. Thank you very much, Richard Roth.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com