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CNN Live At Daybreak
International Wrap: Eye on World
Aired March 05, 2003 - 06:37 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: Some mud-slinging at the Islamic summit at a time when there is a search for a peaceful solution to the Iraq crisis. Some excitement at our International Desk when the Iraqis and the Kuwaitis got into it.
Senior international editor David Clinch is here to tell us about the big fight.
DAVID CLINCH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Yes. Well, we were watching this Islamic summit in Qatar today, which we were not expecting really to be very dramatic, watching the Iraqi representative speaking. He was beginning to get very animated. He got extremely animated, and then we noticed the Kuwaiti delegate interrupting him. We didnt have this on air at the time, but we were watching it.
The Kuwaiti stood up, called the Iraqi a "traitor." The Iraqi then, who is Saddam's No. 2, returned the favor by calling the Kuwaiti an "agent" -- we assume of the U.S. -- and then, calling him a "monkey."
Now, this was rather amusing, but...
COSTELLO: And the Kuwaiti responded by calling the Iraqi a "dog."
CLINCH: Absolutely, yes. I mean, it's an illustration of something that's very serious. The tension there -- this is theoretically talking about a peaceful solution for Iraq. The states -- you know, Iraq and Kuwait themselves basically at war with each other there, right in the five-star hotel in Qatar.
COSTELLO: Well, you wouldn't expect them to get along anyway.
CLINCH: No, you wouldn't.
Another interesting aspect of that, though, is that this is Saddam Hussein's No. 2, right there in Qatar with U.S. troops just down the road preparing perhaps to go to war with his country.
It's very interesting, and you know, more dramatic than we thought it would be.
COSTELLO: Yes, and -- I don't know. Is it really likely that a peaceful solution will come out of this Islamic summit?
CLINCH: Probably not at this stage, although again, this theory of Saddam going into exile is being held in reserve for I suppose at the last minute. It's an option, but we're not really clear on how serious that is.
COSTELLO: OK, quickly now, take us through what will happen at the U.N. Security Council on Friday, into Monday and Tuesday.
CLINCH: Right. Well, we're going to learn more today, because really this game of chicken between the United States and France and Russia over whether a U.N. resolution will even be put forward will be clarified today. We're going to see a press conference probably in the 8:00 a.m. hour today from Paris -- the Russian, French and German foreign ministers. They say they might veto, but will they veto?
At this point, if they make it clear they are going to veto, the U.S. is not even going to bother putting up a U.N. resolution.
COSTELLO: May I interrupt for just a second...
CLINCH: Yes.
COSTELLO: ... to ask you about something, because I've been wondering it? You know, Vladimir Putin is supposed to be this big friend of President Bush.
CLINCH: Right.
COSTELLO: So, why can't President Bush sway him...
CLINCH: Well...
COSTELLO: ... to either abstain or vote the United States...
(CROSSTALK)
CLINCH: He may very well be able to. A lot of talk from foreign ministers here, but it's really Chirac and Putin that will make the decision. And again, if they don't say it in public really in advance that they are going to veto, the U.S. is going to put the resolution forward if they think they've got the nine votes, and basically tell them to put their money where their mouth is.
So, that will be very interesting. A bit more clarity should come out today from this Paris press conference.
COSTELLO: And it should be a very interesting weekend as well.
CLINCH: Absolutely.
COSTELLO: David Clinch, many thanks to you.
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 March 5, 2003 - 06:37 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Some mud-slinging at the Islamic summit at a time when there is a search for a peaceful solution to the Iraq crisis. Some excitement at our International Desk when the Iraqis and the Kuwaitis got into it.
Senior international editor David Clinch is here to tell us about the big fight.
DAVID CLINCH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Yes. Well, we were watching this Islamic summit in Qatar today, which we were not expecting really to be very dramatic, watching the Iraqi representative speaking. He was beginning to get very animated. He got extremely animated, and then we noticed the Kuwaiti delegate interrupting him. We didnt have this on air at the time, but we were watching it.
The Kuwaiti stood up, called the Iraqi a "traitor." The Iraqi then, who is Saddam's No. 2, returned the favor by calling the Kuwaiti an "agent" -- we assume of the U.S. -- and then, calling him a "monkey."
Now, this was rather amusing, but...
COSTELLO: And the Kuwaiti responded by calling the Iraqi a "dog."
CLINCH: Absolutely, yes. I mean, it's an illustration of something that's very serious. The tension there -- this is theoretically talking about a peaceful solution for Iraq. The states -- you know, Iraq and Kuwait themselves basically at war with each other there, right in the five-star hotel in Qatar.
COSTELLO: Well, you wouldn't expect them to get along anyway.
CLINCH: No, you wouldn't.
Another interesting aspect of that, though, is that this is Saddam Hussein's No. 2, right there in Qatar with U.S. troops just down the road preparing perhaps to go to war with his country.
It's very interesting, and you know, more dramatic than we thought it would be.
COSTELLO: Yes, and -- I don't know. Is it really likely that a peaceful solution will come out of this Islamic summit?
CLINCH: Probably not at this stage, although again, this theory of Saddam going into exile is being held in reserve for I suppose at the last minute. It's an option, but we're not really clear on how serious that is.
COSTELLO: OK, quickly now, take us through what will happen at the U.N. Security Council on Friday, into Monday and Tuesday.
CLINCH: Right. Well, we're going to learn more today, because really this game of chicken between the United States and France and Russia over whether a U.N. resolution will even be put forward will be clarified today. We're going to see a press conference probably in the 8:00 a.m. hour today from Paris -- the Russian, French and German foreign ministers. They say they might veto, but will they veto?
At this point, if they make it clear they are going to veto, the U.S. is not even going to bother putting up a U.N. resolution.
COSTELLO: May I interrupt for just a second...
CLINCH: Yes.
COSTELLO: ... to ask you about something, because I've been wondering it? You know, Vladimir Putin is supposed to be this big friend of President Bush.
CLINCH: Right.
COSTELLO: So, why can't President Bush sway him...
CLINCH: Well...
COSTELLO: ... to either abstain or vote the United States...
(CROSSTALK)
CLINCH: He may very well be able to. A lot of talk from foreign ministers here, but it's really Chirac and Putin that will make the decision. And again, if they don't say it in public really in advance that they are going to veto, the U.S. is going to put the resolution forward if they think they've got the nine votes, and basically tell them to put their money where their mouth is.
So, that will be very interesting. A bit more clarity should come out today from this Paris press conference.
COSTELLO: And it should be a very interesting weekend as well.
CLINCH: Absolutely.
COSTELLO: David Clinch, many thanks to you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
