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CNN Live At Daybreak

Look at Conditions Blair Wants Saddam Hussein to Meet

Aired March 13, 2003 - 05:33   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: We want to get a quick look now at those so-called benchmarks or conditions that British Prime Minister Tony Blair wants Saddam Hussein to make. They include admitting publicly to hiding weapons, allowing Iraqi scientists to be interviewed abroad, surrendering stores of anthrax. The British prime minister also wants the Iraqi leader to account for a drone plane the U.N. says it not allowed and the destruction of all of those Al Samoud 2 missiles as well as an explanation about Baghdad's portable laboratories.
Let's see what the reaction is in Britain to these suggested changes and how they're being received at the United Nations.

For that we turn to our senior European political correspondent Robin Oakley in London -- good morning, Robin.

ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning from London, Carol.

And certainly the British media and politicians are convinced now that the drumbeats of war are getting ever close. Tony Blair stirred up his M.P.s in the House of Commons yesterday by saying he wasn't going to deviate from his course. He's holding a meeting of his cabinet right now and there's been a lot of coming and going from his Downing Street home this morning.

First of all, he saw Ian Duncan Smith, who's the leader of the conservative opposition party in Britain, to brief him on what was coming. He may need his votes in any House of Commons decision to send troops. And Mr. Duncan Smith came out afterwards and said Tony Blair had told him that the second U.N. Security Council resolution looked as far away as it has ever been, largely thanks to the complete intransigence, as he put it, of the French.

Mr. Duncan Smith was followed out into Downing Street by Jack Straw, the U.K. foreign secretary, and he sought to explain to reporters why the British government was pressing on with those six benchmarks for Saddam Hussein.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JACK STRAW, BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY: When Dr. Blix presented his report of 173 pages to the Security Council last Friday, he set out a whole string over those 173 pages of undealt with disarmament questions. What we have done is to distill those down to just six tests and they include accounting for the 10,000 liters of anthrax, either showing where it is or giving proper explanation as to what happened, has happened to it, doing the same in respect to V.X., doing the same in respect of the unmanned aerial vehicles, which almost certainly could be used to deliver chemical and biological weapons.

And alongside that, having a very clear statement by Saddam Hussein that he now accepts that they have been failing to comply with their obligations, that they have had chemical and biological programs and that he's going to bring himself into line.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

OAKLEY: Jack Straw's words have helped to convince British parliamentarians that Mr. Blair is being reasonable. But there is fury in British diplomatic circles with the French and Jack Straw said that the attitude of the French, who are willing to veto a resolution in almost any shape, was extraordinary -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Yes, France came out again this morning and said that it would veto and didn't have any use for this new British proposed resolution. But you're saying that doesn't make any difference, that Britain is going to go forward with this plan?

OAKLEY: Britain is certainly continuing to press for this plan in the hope of bringing across some of those key swing votes in the U.N. Security Council, Carol. But Jack Straw said it would only be for a day or two. And I think there are some worries now in British government circles about whether they really should press ahead with a second resolution if it's going to be defeated, because the U.K. and the U.S. have argued that Resolution 1441 back last November, threatening serious consequences for Saddam Hussein if he didn't comply, was their legal authority for any military action to follow.

If they produce a second resolution and it's defeated, they may feel they've got less legal authority, and that is worrying some British ministers -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Robin Oakley reporting 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 March 13, 2003 - 05:33   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: We want to get a quick look now at those so-called benchmarks or conditions that British Prime Minister Tony Blair wants Saddam Hussein to make. They include admitting publicly to hiding weapons, allowing Iraqi scientists to be interviewed abroad, surrendering stores of anthrax. The British prime minister also wants the Iraqi leader to account for a drone plane the U.N. says it not allowed and the destruction of all of those Al Samoud 2 missiles as well as an explanation about Baghdad's portable laboratories.
Let's see what the reaction is in Britain to these suggested changes and how they're being received at the United Nations.

For that we turn to our senior European political correspondent Robin Oakley in London -- good morning, Robin.

ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning from London, Carol.

And certainly the British media and politicians are convinced now that the drumbeats of war are getting ever close. Tony Blair stirred up his M.P.s in the House of Commons yesterday by saying he wasn't going to deviate from his course. He's holding a meeting of his cabinet right now and there's been a lot of coming and going from his Downing Street home this morning.

First of all, he saw Ian Duncan Smith, who's the leader of the conservative opposition party in Britain, to brief him on what was coming. He may need his votes in any House of Commons decision to send troops. And Mr. Duncan Smith came out afterwards and said Tony Blair had told him that the second U.N. Security Council resolution looked as far away as it has ever been, largely thanks to the complete intransigence, as he put it, of the French.

Mr. Duncan Smith was followed out into Downing Street by Jack Straw, the U.K. foreign secretary, and he sought to explain to reporters why the British government was pressing on with those six benchmarks for Saddam Hussein.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JACK STRAW, BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY: When Dr. Blix presented his report of 173 pages to the Security Council last Friday, he set out a whole string over those 173 pages of undealt with disarmament questions. What we have done is to distill those down to just six tests and they include accounting for the 10,000 liters of anthrax, either showing where it is or giving proper explanation as to what happened, has happened to it, doing the same in respect to V.X., doing the same in respect of the unmanned aerial vehicles, which almost certainly could be used to deliver chemical and biological weapons.

And alongside that, having a very clear statement by Saddam Hussein that he now accepts that they have been failing to comply with their obligations, that they have had chemical and biological programs and that he's going to bring himself into line.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

OAKLEY: Jack Straw's words have helped to convince British parliamentarians that Mr. Blair is being reasonable. But there is fury in British diplomatic circles with the French and Jack Straw said that the attitude of the French, who are willing to veto a resolution in almost any shape, was extraordinary -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Yes, France came out again this morning and said that it would veto and didn't have any use for this new British proposed resolution. But you're saying that doesn't make any difference, that Britain is going to go forward with this plan?

OAKLEY: Britain is certainly continuing to press for this plan in the hope of bringing across some of those key swing votes in the U.N. Security Council, Carol. But Jack Straw said it would only be for a day or two. And I think there are some worries now in British government circles about whether they really should press ahead with a second resolution if it's going to be defeated, because the U.K. and the U.S. have argued that Resolution 1441 back last November, threatening serious consequences for Saddam Hussein if he didn't comply, was their legal authority for any military action to follow.

If they produce a second resolution and it's defeated, they may feel they've got less legal authority, and that is worrying some British ministers -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Robin Oakley reporting 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