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CNN Live At Daybreak
British Prime Minister Tony Blair Under Fire
Aired February 26, 2003 - 06:33 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: No doubt America's friends in Britain were listening to Saddam, too. Their prime minister, Tony Blair, is set to go before his parliament again today, and he's bound to get grilled.
We take you now live to London and Christiane Amanpour.
And this is the day when members of parliament get to ask Tony Blair some very tough questions.
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Ask some tough questions and then actually vote on a motion that's being put forth basically on his Iraq strategy. This is a key test for Tony Blair of his Iraq strategy. Some are saying it could be a very dangerous moment for him. Others are saying that he will sail through it.
There is no doubt that he will gain a majority of the MPs after today's vote tonight. However, the observers are saying, how big will the minority who vote against him be, and what kind of internal political damage will that cause him?
In any event, they are putting forth a motion in the Houses of Parliament, but will make it less easy for the dissenters to gather a huge amount of momentum, because it will not be a vote for or against war, but rather a vote on Tony Blair's pursuit of the U.N. route, his strategy on pursuing an effort to resolve this Iraqi crisis.
And so, when it comes to pursuing the U.N. route, that's obviously a very popular route here in England. English people like to see a whole international coalition and U.N. authorization before there might be any war.
(CROSSTALK)
COSTELLO: So, Christiane, I have a question for you. I have a question for you about that second U.N. resolution and how it involves -- you know, how is it involved in the legislation that's going through the British parliament right now. Does that mean if by some chance the Security Council doesn't pass the U.N. resolution that Tony Blair will be in more trouble and Britain can't act? What exactly does that mean?
AMANPOUR: Well, it means that Tony Blair will be in a significant amount of trouble. You know, the United States has basically -- basically pooh-poohed the idea of a second resolution. They believe they don't need it, and legally they dont. Resolution 1441 gives that authority.
But, for international public opinion and for the idea that you're actually going forward in this massive enterprise, war, which is the most serious enterprise of human affairs, that you would go it alone is not something the rest of the world likes.
So, this second resolution is extremely important, and it cannot be -- the importance of this resolution for British Prime Minister Tony Blair is what he has staked his high alliance with George Bush on. He wants a resolution, he needs it, but this is not going to be the vote in the parliament today.
COSTELLO: Understand. Christiane Amanpour 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 26, 2003 - 06:33 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: No doubt America's friends in Britain were listening to Saddam, too. Their prime minister, Tony Blair, is set to go before his parliament again today, and he's bound to get grilled.
We take you now live to London and Christiane Amanpour.
And this is the day when members of parliament get to ask Tony Blair some very tough questions.
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Ask some tough questions and then actually vote on a motion that's being put forth basically on his Iraq strategy. This is a key test for Tony Blair of his Iraq strategy. Some are saying it could be a very dangerous moment for him. Others are saying that he will sail through it.
There is no doubt that he will gain a majority of the MPs after today's vote tonight. However, the observers are saying, how big will the minority who vote against him be, and what kind of internal political damage will that cause him?
In any event, they are putting forth a motion in the Houses of Parliament, but will make it less easy for the dissenters to gather a huge amount of momentum, because it will not be a vote for or against war, but rather a vote on Tony Blair's pursuit of the U.N. route, his strategy on pursuing an effort to resolve this Iraqi crisis.
And so, when it comes to pursuing the U.N. route, that's obviously a very popular route here in England. English people like to see a whole international coalition and U.N. authorization before there might be any war.
(CROSSTALK)
COSTELLO: So, Christiane, I have a question for you. I have a question for you about that second U.N. resolution and how it involves -- you know, how is it involved in the legislation that's going through the British parliament right now. Does that mean if by some chance the Security Council doesn't pass the U.N. resolution that Tony Blair will be in more trouble and Britain can't act? What exactly does that mean?
AMANPOUR: Well, it means that Tony Blair will be in a significant amount of trouble. You know, the United States has basically -- basically pooh-poohed the idea of a second resolution. They believe they don't need it, and legally they dont. Resolution 1441 gives that authority.
But, for international public opinion and for the idea that you're actually going forward in this massive enterprise, war, which is the most serious enterprise of human affairs, that you would go it alone is not something the rest of the world likes.
So, this second resolution is extremely important, and it cannot be -- the importance of this resolution for British Prime Minister Tony Blair is what he has staked his high alliance with George Bush on. He wants a resolution, he needs it, but this is not going to be the vote in the parliament today.
COSTELLO: Understand. Christiane Amanpour 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.
