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Bush Administration Pushing for Approval of New Resolution
Aired February 25, 2003 - 11:08 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: Bush administration, as we said, pushing for approval of a new resolution designed to clear the way for military action, not making a lot of headway in getting that across, however.
Our senior U.N. correspondent Richard Roth checks in now live from his post with the latest details -- Richard.
RICHARD ROTH, CNN SR. U.N. CORRESPONDENT: Yes, well, It's still early, Leon. Headway is a judgment call at this moment. Basically by phone or in person, whether it's around the world or here, U.S. diplomats will be contacting other members of the Security Council, vice versa, to push for the new resolution, introduced by the U.S., U.K. and Spain.
One ambassador, an ambassador from Angola, said he's not ready to lean either way. He's listening to both sides. Same with Pakistan. These are the nonpermanent members, who may play a key role in how the vote does indeed go.
Chile said today to us, or as council diplomat, that if the council decision is not supported by the permanent five then it will not be seen as a decision by the U.N. The U.N. has been challenged by President Bush to be relevant in this world. And he also said informally that the nonpermanent members are banding together. They want to press for some type of unity by the Security Council. Certainly makes it easier on them if they are to stand out as a key vote, whether it's war or peace. Chief weapons inspector Hans Blix is well aware of the resolution battle.
But he continues his job. He's on his own timetable, because he's a servant, as he says, of the Security Council.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HANS BLIX, CHIEF WEAPONS INSPECTOR: We are going by the resolutions, which the council gives us. We are the servants of the council. Whatever deadline they set, we will abide by it.
But it's not right to say that we are asking for an extension of our work. The council does not set a deadline. It can terminate them. It can say that you should finish at such and such a time, or we can, of course, be forced to finish by events on the ground. We have not asked for further deadlines.
(END VIDEO CLIP) ROTH: Blix was talking after meeting -- and before meeting his college of commissioners, an advisory panel of disarmament experts. One of the experts, the Russian deputy foreign minister, who knocked the U.S. proposed resolution today.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
YURI FEDOTOV, RUSSIAN DEP. FOREIGN MINISTER: I have the impression that this resolution is somehow disconnected from the realities on the ground, from the inspections which are going on with the cooperation from the Iraqi side, as well as from the forthcoming reports we expect from IAEA and UNMOVIC.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROTH: Also chief inspector Blix reported that he has received about 100 new documents from the Iraqi government, and that Baghdad in a letter notified him of the discovery by Baghdad of an R-400 aerial bomb, a large-gauge bomb, which could have contained a biological weapon.
These aerial bombs are known to have contained biological weapons in the past, and the U.N. is pleased with this type of information coming in.
Blix called it a positive discovery, and they will naturally follow up -- Leon.
HARRIS: Thank you very much, Richard. Richard Roth at the U.N.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Resolution>
Aired February 25, 2003 - 11:08 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Bush administration, as we said, pushing for approval of a new resolution designed to clear the way for military action, not making a lot of headway in getting that across, however.
Our senior U.N. correspondent Richard Roth checks in now live from his post with the latest details -- Richard.
RICHARD ROTH, CNN SR. U.N. CORRESPONDENT: Yes, well, It's still early, Leon. Headway is a judgment call at this moment. Basically by phone or in person, whether it's around the world or here, U.S. diplomats will be contacting other members of the Security Council, vice versa, to push for the new resolution, introduced by the U.S., U.K. and Spain.
One ambassador, an ambassador from Angola, said he's not ready to lean either way. He's listening to both sides. Same with Pakistan. These are the nonpermanent members, who may play a key role in how the vote does indeed go.
Chile said today to us, or as council diplomat, that if the council decision is not supported by the permanent five then it will not be seen as a decision by the U.N. The U.N. has been challenged by President Bush to be relevant in this world. And he also said informally that the nonpermanent members are banding together. They want to press for some type of unity by the Security Council. Certainly makes it easier on them if they are to stand out as a key vote, whether it's war or peace. Chief weapons inspector Hans Blix is well aware of the resolution battle.
But he continues his job. He's on his own timetable, because he's a servant, as he says, of the Security Council.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HANS BLIX, CHIEF WEAPONS INSPECTOR: We are going by the resolutions, which the council gives us. We are the servants of the council. Whatever deadline they set, we will abide by it.
But it's not right to say that we are asking for an extension of our work. The council does not set a deadline. It can terminate them. It can say that you should finish at such and such a time, or we can, of course, be forced to finish by events on the ground. We have not asked for further deadlines.
(END VIDEO CLIP) ROTH: Blix was talking after meeting -- and before meeting his college of commissioners, an advisory panel of disarmament experts. One of the experts, the Russian deputy foreign minister, who knocked the U.S. proposed resolution today.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
YURI FEDOTOV, RUSSIAN DEP. FOREIGN MINISTER: I have the impression that this resolution is somehow disconnected from the realities on the ground, from the inspections which are going on with the cooperation from the Iraqi side, as well as from the forthcoming reports we expect from IAEA and UNMOVIC.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROTH: Also chief inspector Blix reported that he has received about 100 new documents from the Iraqi government, and that Baghdad in a letter notified him of the discovery by Baghdad of an R-400 aerial bomb, a large-gauge bomb, which could have contained a biological weapon.
These aerial bombs are known to have contained biological weapons in the past, and the U.N. is pleased with this type of information coming in.
Blix called it a positive discovery, and they will naturally follow up -- Leon.
HARRIS: Thank you very much, Richard. Richard Roth at the U.N.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Resolution>
