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CNN Live At Daybreak
Wake-Up Call: Coalition of Willing
Aired March 19, 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: A new and improved coalition of the willing, it's the topic of this morning's "Wake-Up Call."
Our State Department producer, Elise Labott, is on the phone from Washington.
Good morning -- Elise.
ELISE LABOTT, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT PRODUCER: Good morning, Carol.
COSTELLO: Well, tell us about this coalition of the willing. Some 30 nations that are willing to come out and say they support the United States, and 15 not so willing, but are on board.
LABOTT: That's right, Carol. Well, it doesn't only include close allies like the U.K., Italy, Spain, but some of the eastern European countries like Romania and Estonia and tiny African nations and Turkey, who the U.S. is still counting on for some support with any war with Iraq.
And, Carol, there are also supposed to be about, as you said, about 15 more countries who are helping, prefer to do so quietly. This includes Arab countries and Iraq's neighbors in the Gulf who really don't want to make that support known.
And, Carol, Secretary Powell has now directed his staff on the new mission now that diplomacy seems to have run its course, focusing on the humanitarian needs of the Iraqi people, and the reconstruction of the country if there is a war, to begin working with other countries in that effort. And that would include the U.N. oil-for- food program, and the administration wants to work with the U.N. to keep that program running, Carol.
COSTELLO: Yes, I think the important thing to point out about this coalition of the willing, these 30 countries, not many of them are pledging military support for the possible invasion of Iraq.
LABOTT: That's right, Carol. But, you know, they also need things like overflight rights, basing rights for equipment, logistical support.
And yesterday, even the French ambassador, Jean-David Levitte, gave an interview to CNN and said that even though France is against going to war with Iraq, if Saddam Hussein used chemical and biological weapons against coalition forces, this would completely change the situation for the French government, and he declined to offer specifics, but indicated France had the equipment to fight in such a situation.
And then there's also the question of the reconstruction of the country. The U.S. does need help in a coalition against Saddam Hussein, but they are also going to need a lot of help, a lot of money, a lot of expertise to rebuild the country, and that's where they're hoping a lot of countries will help out -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Yes, it will be a coalition of those willing to give money to rebuild Iraq.
Elise Labott waking up early with DAYBREAK, we appreciate it.
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 19, 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: A new and improved coalition of the willing, it's the topic of this morning's "Wake-Up Call."
Our State Department producer, Elise Labott, is on the phone from Washington.
Good morning -- Elise.
ELISE LABOTT, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT PRODUCER: Good morning, Carol.
COSTELLO: Well, tell us about this coalition of the willing. Some 30 nations that are willing to come out and say they support the United States, and 15 not so willing, but are on board.
LABOTT: That's right, Carol. Well, it doesn't only include close allies like the U.K., Italy, Spain, but some of the eastern European countries like Romania and Estonia and tiny African nations and Turkey, who the U.S. is still counting on for some support with any war with Iraq.
And, Carol, there are also supposed to be about, as you said, about 15 more countries who are helping, prefer to do so quietly. This includes Arab countries and Iraq's neighbors in the Gulf who really don't want to make that support known.
And, Carol, Secretary Powell has now directed his staff on the new mission now that diplomacy seems to have run its course, focusing on the humanitarian needs of the Iraqi people, and the reconstruction of the country if there is a war, to begin working with other countries in that effort. And that would include the U.N. oil-for- food program, and the administration wants to work with the U.N. to keep that program running, Carol.
COSTELLO: Yes, I think the important thing to point out about this coalition of the willing, these 30 countries, not many of them are pledging military support for the possible invasion of Iraq.
LABOTT: That's right, Carol. But, you know, they also need things like overflight rights, basing rights for equipment, logistical support.
And yesterday, even the French ambassador, Jean-David Levitte, gave an interview to CNN and said that even though France is against going to war with Iraq, if Saddam Hussein used chemical and biological weapons against coalition forces, this would completely change the situation for the French government, and he declined to offer specifics, but indicated France had the equipment to fight in such a situation.
And then there's also the question of the reconstruction of the country. The U.S. does need help in a coalition against Saddam Hussein, but they are also going to need a lot of help, a lot of money, a lot of expertise to rebuild the country, and that's where they're hoping a lot of countries will help out -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Yes, it will be a coalition of those willing to give money to rebuild Iraq.
Elise Labott waking up early with DAYBREAK, we appreciate it.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
