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All Eyes Trained on Closed Door of U.N. Security Council Meeting
Aired February 27, 2003 - 10:01 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: From Baghdad to Washington, Ankara to London, all eyes are trained on the closed door of a U.N. Security Council meeting. Behind that door, some of the world's top diplomats will debate the risks of war and the dangers of inaction.
Our senior U.N. correspondent Richard Roth stands by at his post right now at the U.N. to set the scene for us this morning.
Hello, Richard.
RICHARD ROTH, CNN SR. U.N. CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Leon.
Thirty minutes from now, the first time the full Security Council will have a go at the latest U.S. resolution on Iraq. Of course Washington insisted Baghdad has ignored 17 other resolutions. Now, the U.S., U.K. and Spain has put forth, as we know, a resolution which says that Iraq has failed all of its disarmament tasks, and this is in effect implicitly a mandate, authorization for war.
Yesterday at the Spanish mission for the United Nations, the United States met with various nonpermanent members of the Security Council, an effort to try to sell this resolution and gather votes for it. After the meeting, the U.S. ambassador said everything inside was fine. No votes really were changed, but Washington made its position clear.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN NEGROPONTE, U.S. AMB. TO U.N.: We have a convincing position that the government of Iraq is not in compliance with its disarmament obligations under 1441, and it's time for the council and the international community to face up to that fact squarely, and that's what this draft resolution is all about.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROTH: 1441, of course, was the unanimously passed resolution last November. The U.S. thinks that resolution is enough to go to war, if necessary. France, Russia, Germany think the weapons inspectors should be given more time. There is no need for a second resolution.
Meanwhile, the U.S. doesn't have the votes yet, but still a lot of time for diplomacy to work. One final point, the U.N. weapons inspection agency here saying they have still had no word from Baghdad whether Iraq plans to comply with the destruction of those Al Samoud missiles with a Saturday deadline to begin the dismantling looming -- Leon.
HARRIS: That's right, could be a rather telling 48 hours or so there.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Meeting>
Aired February 27, 2003 - 10:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: From Baghdad to Washington, Ankara to London, all eyes are trained on the closed door of a U.N. Security Council meeting. Behind that door, some of the world's top diplomats will debate the risks of war and the dangers of inaction.
Our senior U.N. correspondent Richard Roth stands by at his post right now at the U.N. to set the scene for us this morning.
Hello, Richard.
RICHARD ROTH, CNN SR. U.N. CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Leon.
Thirty minutes from now, the first time the full Security Council will have a go at the latest U.S. resolution on Iraq. Of course Washington insisted Baghdad has ignored 17 other resolutions. Now, the U.S., U.K. and Spain has put forth, as we know, a resolution which says that Iraq has failed all of its disarmament tasks, and this is in effect implicitly a mandate, authorization for war.
Yesterday at the Spanish mission for the United Nations, the United States met with various nonpermanent members of the Security Council, an effort to try to sell this resolution and gather votes for it. After the meeting, the U.S. ambassador said everything inside was fine. No votes really were changed, but Washington made its position clear.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN NEGROPONTE, U.S. AMB. TO U.N.: We have a convincing position that the government of Iraq is not in compliance with its disarmament obligations under 1441, and it's time for the council and the international community to face up to that fact squarely, and that's what this draft resolution is all about.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROTH: 1441, of course, was the unanimously passed resolution last November. The U.S. thinks that resolution is enough to go to war, if necessary. France, Russia, Germany think the weapons inspectors should be given more time. There is no need for a second resolution.
Meanwhile, the U.S. doesn't have the votes yet, but still a lot of time for diplomacy to work. One final point, the U.N. weapons inspection agency here saying they have still had no word from Baghdad whether Iraq plans to comply with the destruction of those Al Samoud missiles with a Saturday deadline to begin the dismantling looming -- Leon.
HARRIS: That's right, could be a rather telling 48 hours or so there.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Meeting>
