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CNN Live Today
Discussion with Iraqi Ambassador to U.N.
Aired March 24, 2003 - 12:47 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.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking news out of the U.N. a little bit earlier this morning, when U.S. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said he wanted to restore Iraq's oil-for-food program, as soon as possible.
Richard Roth is at the U.N. right now with the Iraqi ambassador to the U.N. -- Richard.
RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Paula, I'm here with here Mohammed AlDouri, the Iraqi representative, the ambassador from the United Nations to the United Nations. The U.S. is interested in seeking the expulsion of a lot of Iraqi diplomats from around the world. You are still here.
Tell us your thoughts on your government's effort to fight back against the U.S. coalition of the willing attack right now to this point.
MOHAMMED ALDOURI, IRAQI AMB. TO U.N.: Which point?
ROTH: Right now, to where we stand on the battlefield and the diplomatic front. How is your country doing?
ALDOURI: No, because you started with the expulsion of Iraqi diplomat here and there. This is really not a big problem, a big issue for us. The big issue, the biggest issue is the war initiated by the United States and its allies, especially, specifically the United Kingdom, and the Iraq people now defending their country. And we are satisfied that the Iraqi people are defending very, very well their independence, their dignity and their own people, and their country.
ROTH: Are the Iraqi troops, the Iraqi authorities, respecting the Geneva Conventions regarding the prisoners of war, and do you think the U.S. is?
ALDOURI: There's no question about that. This is -- we are respecting always our engagements, our obligations within international treaties, and specifically, especially with Geneva Convention. There is no question about that, this is a part of our life. This is a part of our religion. This is a part of our principle.
So I cannot accept that Iraq is violating Geneva conventions as has been said before.
ROTH: It hasn't been determined yet, it appeared, according to the video, that some have seen that the U.S. soldiers -- some were shot perhaps in the forehead, right, directly, almost execution style.
ALDOURI: Well, you know, you can accuse. This is a part of the propaganda, American propaganda against my country. I really -- I can not accept this kind of accusation. Those who are invading my country are Americans. Why they are there, what they are doing. We are a small country. We are looking for peaceful solutions. We did whatever to avoid this war, and after that, the American now is killing now Iraqi people, bombarding cities, attacking residential areas everywhere in the country, killing hundreds and hundreds of people.
So this is the violation of humanitarian international law, and not just a question of some prisoners of war or just exposing them to a television, you know, and this huge war, I think is something really without any importance, without any value.
ROTH: Arab foreign ministers meeting in Cairo, perhaps about the timetable. But do you anticipate urging a Security Council emergency session, and what would that accomplish?
ALDOURI: Well, you know, yes, of course, we hope that there will be some outcome from the ministerial meetings of Cairo, asking meetings, Security Council to meet about what will be the discussion there in the Security Council, certainly we would like to voice the international community, the Members Nonaligned Movement and Arab countries just to tell how they are unhappy, how they are -- or how they are against the war or how they are willing to have -- to have an end for this war, which is a war of aggression, which is against international law, which is against the charter that United States and the Britain initiated this war alone, without any kind of blessing from the international community.
ROTH: Your comments on Friday were pretty strong against Kofi Annan, the secretary-general of the U.N., accusing him of doing the bidding of the U.S. and U.K. Today he responded, and he said, don't call him a colonialist, he grew up in Ghana and was himself the subject to colonial rule, and he said he acted fairly and the Security Council was well aware of the looming crisis.
ZAHN: Richard Roth, I'm going to we have to interrupt you. Ari Fleischer's briefing has gotten under way at the White House.
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 24, 2003 - 12:47 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking news out of the U.N. a little bit earlier this morning, when U.S. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said he wanted to restore Iraq's oil-for-food program, as soon as possible.
Richard Roth is at the U.N. right now with the Iraqi ambassador to the U.N. -- Richard.
RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Paula, I'm here with here Mohammed AlDouri, the Iraqi representative, the ambassador from the United Nations to the United Nations. The U.S. is interested in seeking the expulsion of a lot of Iraqi diplomats from around the world. You are still here.
Tell us your thoughts on your government's effort to fight back against the U.S. coalition of the willing attack right now to this point.
MOHAMMED ALDOURI, IRAQI AMB. TO U.N.: Which point?
ROTH: Right now, to where we stand on the battlefield and the diplomatic front. How is your country doing?
ALDOURI: No, because you started with the expulsion of Iraqi diplomat here and there. This is really not a big problem, a big issue for us. The big issue, the biggest issue is the war initiated by the United States and its allies, especially, specifically the United Kingdom, and the Iraq people now defending their country. And we are satisfied that the Iraqi people are defending very, very well their independence, their dignity and their own people, and their country.
ROTH: Are the Iraqi troops, the Iraqi authorities, respecting the Geneva Conventions regarding the prisoners of war, and do you think the U.S. is?
ALDOURI: There's no question about that. This is -- we are respecting always our engagements, our obligations within international treaties, and specifically, especially with Geneva Convention. There is no question about that, this is a part of our life. This is a part of our religion. This is a part of our principle.
So I cannot accept that Iraq is violating Geneva conventions as has been said before.
ROTH: It hasn't been determined yet, it appeared, according to the video, that some have seen that the U.S. soldiers -- some were shot perhaps in the forehead, right, directly, almost execution style.
ALDOURI: Well, you know, you can accuse. This is a part of the propaganda, American propaganda against my country. I really -- I can not accept this kind of accusation. Those who are invading my country are Americans. Why they are there, what they are doing. We are a small country. We are looking for peaceful solutions. We did whatever to avoid this war, and after that, the American now is killing now Iraqi people, bombarding cities, attacking residential areas everywhere in the country, killing hundreds and hundreds of people.
So this is the violation of humanitarian international law, and not just a question of some prisoners of war or just exposing them to a television, you know, and this huge war, I think is something really without any importance, without any value.
ROTH: Arab foreign ministers meeting in Cairo, perhaps about the timetable. But do you anticipate urging a Security Council emergency session, and what would that accomplish?
ALDOURI: Well, you know, yes, of course, we hope that there will be some outcome from the ministerial meetings of Cairo, asking meetings, Security Council to meet about what will be the discussion there in the Security Council, certainly we would like to voice the international community, the Members Nonaligned Movement and Arab countries just to tell how they are unhappy, how they are -- or how they are against the war or how they are willing to have -- to have an end for this war, which is a war of aggression, which is against international law, which is against the charter that United States and the Britain initiated this war alone, without any kind of blessing from the international community.
ROTH: Your comments on Friday were pretty strong against Kofi Annan, the secretary-general of the U.N., accusing him of doing the bidding of the U.S. and U.K. Today he responded, and he said, don't call him a colonialist, he grew up in Ghana and was himself the subject to colonial rule, and he said he acted fairly and the Security Council was well aware of the looming crisis.
ZAHN: Richard Roth, I'm going to we have to interrupt you. Ari Fleischer's briefing has gotten under way at the White House.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
