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CNN Live At Daybreak
Wake-Up Call: French Standoff
Aired March 10, 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: Back here in the States, all of the U.S. president's men and women are working the phones, but, as you heard, so are French officials; so are officials in Russia.
So it's time to place another "Wake-Up Call." White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux on the phone now.
Good morning.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
COSTELLO: So do you feel like a betting woman this morning on who will win in the Security Council?
MALVEAUX: Oh, I wouldn't take that bet, believe me. This is risky business.
Weve been told by senior administration officials that the president is going to be personally involved, of course, in lobbying those key members. We don't know exactly who he'll be calling today, but we know that he will be making some calls.
It's quite interesting. We've gotten a real sense of what the administration's case is, what he'll actually be saying to some of those members. And it really involves three different things. I mean, he's going to talk about U.N. credibility, that it's on the line, that the United States can do this without them, but, hey, you know, you should get on board. He makes the case of morality, saying that, look, you know, the U.N. Security Council didnt get involved with Kosovo and Rwanda. It was too late. Now, here is your chance to get involved when it really makes a difference.
And then finally, of course, Carol, there's this recognition of really mutual interest, that the United States can offer aid and trade opportunities to some of these countries. And that's also something thats in the mix here.
COSTELLO: Why is the president going forward with this resolution anyway? We've heard him say many times in the past that this resolution doesnt really matter as for what he may decide.
MALVEAUX: Sure, Carol, that's an excellent question, because a lot of people are wondering the same thing. And quite frankly, the Bush administration feels that it would be a moral victory if they had those nine votes, even if it vetoes. I mean, Secretary Powell over the weekend acknowledged that France could veto this resolution. But if they had the majority, they would go in with that argument, saying that the world was behind us here, that the majority of this international body was behind us. That's the ideal situation, but...
COSTELLO: Well, we'll see what happens on Tuesday.
MALVEAUX: Of course.
COSTELLO: Suzanne Malveaux, thanks for waking up early with DAYBREAK.
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 10, 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: Back here in the States, all of the U.S. president's men and women are working the phones, but, as you heard, so are French officials; so are officials in Russia.
So it's time to place another "Wake-Up Call." White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux on the phone now.
Good morning.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
COSTELLO: So do you feel like a betting woman this morning on who will win in the Security Council?
MALVEAUX: Oh, I wouldn't take that bet, believe me. This is risky business.
Weve been told by senior administration officials that the president is going to be personally involved, of course, in lobbying those key members. We don't know exactly who he'll be calling today, but we know that he will be making some calls.
It's quite interesting. We've gotten a real sense of what the administration's case is, what he'll actually be saying to some of those members. And it really involves three different things. I mean, he's going to talk about U.N. credibility, that it's on the line, that the United States can do this without them, but, hey, you know, you should get on board. He makes the case of morality, saying that, look, you know, the U.N. Security Council didnt get involved with Kosovo and Rwanda. It was too late. Now, here is your chance to get involved when it really makes a difference.
And then finally, of course, Carol, there's this recognition of really mutual interest, that the United States can offer aid and trade opportunities to some of these countries. And that's also something thats in the mix here.
COSTELLO: Why is the president going forward with this resolution anyway? We've heard him say many times in the past that this resolution doesnt really matter as for what he may decide.
MALVEAUX: Sure, Carol, that's an excellent question, because a lot of people are wondering the same thing. And quite frankly, the Bush administration feels that it would be a moral victory if they had those nine votes, even if it vetoes. I mean, Secretary Powell over the weekend acknowledged that France could veto this resolution. But if they had the majority, they would go in with that argument, saying that the world was behind us here, that the majority of this international body was behind us. That's the ideal situation, but...
COSTELLO: Well, we'll see what happens on Tuesday.
MALVEAUX: Of course.
COSTELLO: Suzanne Malveaux, thanks for waking up early with DAYBREAK.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
