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American Morning
British Prime Minister Addresses House of Commons
Aired March 26, 2003 - 07:01 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.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Let's get a briefing of another kind right now from British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: ... and condolences to the families and friends of those who have died and to praise them for their courage and giving their lives in the service of their country.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Simon Tures (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I associate myself with those remarks, obviously.
Everyone will be hoping that Iraq's weapons of mass destruction are now destroyed speedily and effectively. When the prime minister meets the president of the United States later today, can he tell us what proposals he will take to avoid any further divisions of international opinion on issues like these, and to make sure that in the future on issues of justice and peace in the world there is the widest possible support in the international and national community?
BLAIR: I think the best way of ensuring that we keep the international community unified is when we enter into understandings, as we did in Resolution 1441, we then keep to those understandings. But I also think it is important that we make sure that we are broad in the agenda that we present to the world, which is why I believe that issues like the Middle East peace process are also, and particularly at this moment, especially important at the time that we're taking military action in Iraq for the reasons we all know.
And, of course, it is important that we make sure that Iraq has its weapons of mass destruction removed. That is the objective of our campaign.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Chris Bryant (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The prime minister might have noticed over recent days that opinion polls in the U.K. suggest that that Britain is very respectful of his own position in terms of the Middle East peace process, but that they are rather more uncertain and skeptical, if not cynical, about the U.S. position.
Can he underline in his meeting with President Bush later on today how important it is that we get an unambiguous and definite date for the publication of the road map, that we see an unambiguous commitment from the United States to a U.N. resolution on reconstruction of Iraq and that we see a clear commitment to making sure that the illegal Israeli settlements do start to be dismantled?
BLAIR: Can I simply say to my own friend, of course we believe that the Middle East peace process is important. It's for that reason we have made it clear that when the Palestinian prime minister has his cabinet in place, then the road map will be given both to the Israel government and to the Palestinian Authority.
And I do believe from the conversations I've had from over many weeks with President Bush and from the statement that we made in the Azores together with the Spanish prime minister and the Portuguese prime minister that the commitment of the United States is there to making sure that the road map is merely published, but then carried through.
And I would point out that it was President Bush that was the first U.S. president to commit himself unequivocally to the two-state solution, Israel confident of its security, and a viable Palestinian state. That is what we have to make sure is now done.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ian Duncan Smith.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I take this opportunity to join the prime minister in paying tribute to our armed services for their bravery, commitment and sacrifice, and say to their families that they remain in our thoughts and prayers, as do the innocent civilians in Iraq.
Does the prime minister agree that it is vitally important we now send a very clear message to the Iraqi people that those who do rise up will receive our full military backing, and that their cause has become our cause? And given that, can the prime minister inform the House of the latest developments with respect to the reported uprising overnight in Basra?
BLAIR: Of course, I agree entirely that it is important that we give support to those people in Iraq who are rising up to overthrow Saddam and his deeply repressive regime. I think the way that we do that and the timing of it, however, has to be left to the commanders on the ground. I think that's important, because they will know the true facts of the situation, and we've got to be careful that we know we have the support in place able to help them before we encourage them to do things that may lead to their death.
Now however, having said that, of course, this is, as we have constantly said, this is about the liberation of Iraq, not its conquest. There is no doubt at all in our view that there are large numbers of people waiting to see whether their greatest hopes can indeed be realized and the regime fall when they know that that is clear, then I believe that they will take action themselves and we should be there ready to support them. Now, that may be some way off.
In relation to what has happened in Basra overnight, I mean, truthfully the reports are confused, but we believe there was some limited form of uprising. And what is absolutely clear is that once people know that Saddam's grip on power is being weakened, then there is no doubt at all they wish to opt for freedom rather than repression.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ian Duncan Smith.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Given the prime minister's answer about losing grip on power with regards to Saddam Hussein, he knows that television is a powerful medium and never more so during times of war when used by a ruthless dictator like Saddam Hussein. Will the prime minister tell us what progress is being made to take Iraqi television off the air permanently? How successful are coalition attempts to jam Iraqi radio broadcasts with Iraq? And what methods are being used to pass information to the Iraqi people to let them know that if and when they do rise up they will be supported?
BLAIR: In relation to any military targets, we, of course, have got to make sure those have a military objective. That is the legal requirement, as well as the stated political objectives that we have said. There is no doubt at all that one of the issues is how we best communicate with the Iraqi people. That is something that is being urgently looked at.
There are different ways that we can communicate with them, including, of course, by people inside Iraq, who are able then to tell them exactly what is happening.
Now, there are a whole series of things being looked at and planned at the moment. I won't go into the details of them. But one thing is very, very clear. That at the present time, people in Iraq are -- and I think this is perfectly understandable -- they're simply watching and waiting to see what happens. They have had over 20 years of a brutal repressive regime. They have had two occasions before in which they rose up, and unfortunately did not get the help they needed. They are therefore naturally wary.
We must work with them, and as I say, must make sure that when they are in a position to rise up, we are in an absolutely secure and certain position to give them maximum help.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ian Duncan Smith.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Speaker, despite some reports on the media, the march to Baghdad has been both fast and successful. And however, the House will have heard reports in the meantime that the United States is planning to send some reinforcements to the region. Could the prime minister confirm whether Britain is also planning to send any reinforcements?
BLAIR: We believe we have the troops in theater that we need, but of course, this is always kept under review. I have to say at the moment the military advice that we receive is that we do have sufficient forces for the job. I believe that is the advice also given by the U.S. military to the president of the United States, too.
And as he says rightly, there has actually been remarkable progress. And we now have a situation where in the west of Iraq we are able to protect those countries outside of Iraq against any possibility of external aggression.
In the north of Iraq, for all of the difficulties and problems, it is reasonably calm at the present time.
And in the south of Iraq, of course, as he knows, we secured the oil installations. We now have Umm Qasr, which will very shortly be functioning properly as a port where we can get humanitarian aid through. Indeed, I believe the first seven trucks of humanitarian aid have entered into the port now.
We have a situation then where troops are now 60 miles of Baghdad. And I think the progress has been quite remarkable.
The resistance is coming from exactly the quarter we would expect, from those security forces and people around Saddam who know they've got everything to lose by the removal of Saddam's regime. That is what we would expect, and the military plans are in place to deal with them.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ian Duncan Smith.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The House will have seen pictures confirming that Iraqi troops have been issued with chemical weapons protection...
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: We want to give you a sense of what the British prime minister is having to say today in an Iraq session of the House of Commons. He's hit on a number of themes here this morning. One, in his words, the importance of keeping the international community unified.
He believes the U.N. should play a strong role in the rebuilding process in all parts of the post-war reconstruction, which is a tad bit controversial with some other members of the U.N.
He will be heading to Washington later today. He'll be sitting down with the secretary -- excuse me -- the secretary-general of the U.N., sitting down with the president as well.
And then one of the more pointed questions he asked if both the U.S. and British need reinforcements, he said he believes there are enough troops in the country. He believes some remarkable progress has been made.
And he did try to clear up some of the murkiness surrounding what we think is going on in Basra. Even he admitted, Bill, those reports are confused, but he did say he thinks there has been a limited form of uprising, which he hopes will contribute to the perception in Iraq that Saddam Hussein has lost his grip on power, and he'd like to see a repeat of what he thinks is happening in Basra in other parts of the country.
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 26, 2003 - 07:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Let's get a briefing of another kind right now from British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: ... and condolences to the families and friends of those who have died and to praise them for their courage and giving their lives in the service of their country.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Simon Tures (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I associate myself with those remarks, obviously.
Everyone will be hoping that Iraq's weapons of mass destruction are now destroyed speedily and effectively. When the prime minister meets the president of the United States later today, can he tell us what proposals he will take to avoid any further divisions of international opinion on issues like these, and to make sure that in the future on issues of justice and peace in the world there is the widest possible support in the international and national community?
BLAIR: I think the best way of ensuring that we keep the international community unified is when we enter into understandings, as we did in Resolution 1441, we then keep to those understandings. But I also think it is important that we make sure that we are broad in the agenda that we present to the world, which is why I believe that issues like the Middle East peace process are also, and particularly at this moment, especially important at the time that we're taking military action in Iraq for the reasons we all know.
And, of course, it is important that we make sure that Iraq has its weapons of mass destruction removed. That is the objective of our campaign.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Chris Bryant (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The prime minister might have noticed over recent days that opinion polls in the U.K. suggest that that Britain is very respectful of his own position in terms of the Middle East peace process, but that they are rather more uncertain and skeptical, if not cynical, about the U.S. position.
Can he underline in his meeting with President Bush later on today how important it is that we get an unambiguous and definite date for the publication of the road map, that we see an unambiguous commitment from the United States to a U.N. resolution on reconstruction of Iraq and that we see a clear commitment to making sure that the illegal Israeli settlements do start to be dismantled?
BLAIR: Can I simply say to my own friend, of course we believe that the Middle East peace process is important. It's for that reason we have made it clear that when the Palestinian prime minister has his cabinet in place, then the road map will be given both to the Israel government and to the Palestinian Authority.
And I do believe from the conversations I've had from over many weeks with President Bush and from the statement that we made in the Azores together with the Spanish prime minister and the Portuguese prime minister that the commitment of the United States is there to making sure that the road map is merely published, but then carried through.
And I would point out that it was President Bush that was the first U.S. president to commit himself unequivocally to the two-state solution, Israel confident of its security, and a viable Palestinian state. That is what we have to make sure is now done.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ian Duncan Smith.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I take this opportunity to join the prime minister in paying tribute to our armed services for their bravery, commitment and sacrifice, and say to their families that they remain in our thoughts and prayers, as do the innocent civilians in Iraq.
Does the prime minister agree that it is vitally important we now send a very clear message to the Iraqi people that those who do rise up will receive our full military backing, and that their cause has become our cause? And given that, can the prime minister inform the House of the latest developments with respect to the reported uprising overnight in Basra?
BLAIR: Of course, I agree entirely that it is important that we give support to those people in Iraq who are rising up to overthrow Saddam and his deeply repressive regime. I think the way that we do that and the timing of it, however, has to be left to the commanders on the ground. I think that's important, because they will know the true facts of the situation, and we've got to be careful that we know we have the support in place able to help them before we encourage them to do things that may lead to their death.
Now however, having said that, of course, this is, as we have constantly said, this is about the liberation of Iraq, not its conquest. There is no doubt at all in our view that there are large numbers of people waiting to see whether their greatest hopes can indeed be realized and the regime fall when they know that that is clear, then I believe that they will take action themselves and we should be there ready to support them. Now, that may be some way off.
In relation to what has happened in Basra overnight, I mean, truthfully the reports are confused, but we believe there was some limited form of uprising. And what is absolutely clear is that once people know that Saddam's grip on power is being weakened, then there is no doubt at all they wish to opt for freedom rather than repression.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ian Duncan Smith.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Given the prime minister's answer about losing grip on power with regards to Saddam Hussein, he knows that television is a powerful medium and never more so during times of war when used by a ruthless dictator like Saddam Hussein. Will the prime minister tell us what progress is being made to take Iraqi television off the air permanently? How successful are coalition attempts to jam Iraqi radio broadcasts with Iraq? And what methods are being used to pass information to the Iraqi people to let them know that if and when they do rise up they will be supported?
BLAIR: In relation to any military targets, we, of course, have got to make sure those have a military objective. That is the legal requirement, as well as the stated political objectives that we have said. There is no doubt at all that one of the issues is how we best communicate with the Iraqi people. That is something that is being urgently looked at.
There are different ways that we can communicate with them, including, of course, by people inside Iraq, who are able then to tell them exactly what is happening.
Now, there are a whole series of things being looked at and planned at the moment. I won't go into the details of them. But one thing is very, very clear. That at the present time, people in Iraq are -- and I think this is perfectly understandable -- they're simply watching and waiting to see what happens. They have had over 20 years of a brutal repressive regime. They have had two occasions before in which they rose up, and unfortunately did not get the help they needed. They are therefore naturally wary.
We must work with them, and as I say, must make sure that when they are in a position to rise up, we are in an absolutely secure and certain position to give them maximum help.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ian Duncan Smith.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Speaker, despite some reports on the media, the march to Baghdad has been both fast and successful. And however, the House will have heard reports in the meantime that the United States is planning to send some reinforcements to the region. Could the prime minister confirm whether Britain is also planning to send any reinforcements?
BLAIR: We believe we have the troops in theater that we need, but of course, this is always kept under review. I have to say at the moment the military advice that we receive is that we do have sufficient forces for the job. I believe that is the advice also given by the U.S. military to the president of the United States, too.
And as he says rightly, there has actually been remarkable progress. And we now have a situation where in the west of Iraq we are able to protect those countries outside of Iraq against any possibility of external aggression.
In the north of Iraq, for all of the difficulties and problems, it is reasonably calm at the present time.
And in the south of Iraq, of course, as he knows, we secured the oil installations. We now have Umm Qasr, which will very shortly be functioning properly as a port where we can get humanitarian aid through. Indeed, I believe the first seven trucks of humanitarian aid have entered into the port now.
We have a situation then where troops are now 60 miles of Baghdad. And I think the progress has been quite remarkable.
The resistance is coming from exactly the quarter we would expect, from those security forces and people around Saddam who know they've got everything to lose by the removal of Saddam's regime. That is what we would expect, and the military plans are in place to deal with them.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ian Duncan Smith.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The House will have seen pictures confirming that Iraqi troops have been issued with chemical weapons protection...
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: We want to give you a sense of what the British prime minister is having to say today in an Iraq session of the House of Commons. He's hit on a number of themes here this morning. One, in his words, the importance of keeping the international community unified.
He believes the U.N. should play a strong role in the rebuilding process in all parts of the post-war reconstruction, which is a tad bit controversial with some other members of the U.N.
He will be heading to Washington later today. He'll be sitting down with the secretary -- excuse me -- the secretary-general of the U.N., sitting down with the president as well.
And then one of the more pointed questions he asked if both the U.S. and British need reinforcements, he said he believes there are enough troops in the country. He believes some remarkable progress has been made.
And he did try to clear up some of the murkiness surrounding what we think is going on in Basra. Even he admitted, Bill, those reports are confused, but he did say he thinks there has been a limited form of uprising, which he hopes will contribute to the perception in Iraq that Saddam Hussein has lost his grip on power, and he'd like to see a repeat of what he thinks is happening in Basra in other parts of the country.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
