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American Morning
Bush, Blair Meet for Summit
Aired March 27, 2003 - 08:36 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: Before we do that, we're going to go straight to the White House where President Bush is meeting today with British Prime Minister Tony Blair and John King joins us live now with a preview of what the two of them might be talking about. Good morning, John.
JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. In a few hours, we will hear the perspective of the two political leaders who perhaps, other than Saddam Hussein, I guess, have the most at stake in this operation. At a time of all this skepticism second- guessing and you heard the skeptical questions at the CENTCOM briefing earlier this morning. Bush and Blair will meet briefly with reporters three hours from now at Camp David. The British Prime Minister arrived last night at Camp David and the White House released a photograph of Mr. Bush and Prime Minister Blair having dinner and also beginning their emergency war summit as the White House is calling it.
Now, we are told that in these discussions, the leaders have three chief goals. One is to discuss the military operation, including the delicate timing questions as to when there would be a siege of Baghdad. Also on the agenda, both leaders trying to get logistics to speed up the humanitarian aid into Iraq. Also on tap, the one issue on which there is some disagreement between Mr. Blair and Mr. Bush, what role should the United Nations play in a post war Iraq. Mr. Blair has been quite clear that he thinks the United Nations deserves quite a big role. The Bush administration has been just as clear in saying it believes the United States should run Iraq after the military campaign and that the U.N. role should be largely limited to humanitarian help and assistance.
One senior Bush administrative official who is known to be quite skeptical of the United Nations role is the Vice President Dick Cheney. He arrived here this morning. He is participating in the morning national security calls from here at the White House. Mr. Bush leading those discussions from up at Camp David.
So we will hear directly from the two leaders, Mr. Blair and Mr. Bush, later today. Tony Blair saying he came here today hoping to convince President Bush to join the Europeans and calling for a much robust U.N. role in post war Iraq, but Secretary of State Powell made clear in testimony yesterday he said the United States was leading the coalition in war and that the United States would lead any effort to run Iraq after the war, Paula.
ZAHN: We are told that the prime minister really wants to push ahead his ideas for Middle East peace. What is the expectation there of how much movement there might be on that issue? KING: Well, the president made clear in the Rose Garden last week and senior officials have reinforced it since that he is prepared to deliver a major speech outlining his road map for the peace process. That would get -- it would set sequencing, definite timetable for sequence of events to get the Israelis and the Palestinians ultimately back into face-to-face peace negotiations. Mr. Bush is waiting to see the Palestinians have named a new prime minister. He has accepted that post but yet to form a government with his own advisers. The White House is waiting for that to take shape. We know Prime Minister Blair will tell President Bush once that new Palestinian government is in place, that it is critical and for the prime minister's view for Mr. Bush to lay out that blueprint. White house officials tell us the president is prepared to do that perhaps in the next week or so, or week or two if those steps take place and the Palestinian authority. I have tell you even though they say Mr. Bush is prepared to put the road map on the table, is there a great deal of skepticism at the White House that either the Palestinians or Israelis are willing to take the steps outlined in that road map.
ZAHN: Thanks so much, John. Please let us know when you believe those two leaders will be taking to the microphones a little bit later on today. Thanks so much. In the meantime, let's check in with Bill who is standing by in Kuwait City with a background we can't even make out today. Good morning.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: That's the haze. That's right Paula, hello again. Quickly want to take you to central Iraq. 101st Airborne Division, 3rd brigade, CNN's Ryan Chilcote joins us live, it's not often we get to see him live. Ryan is with us now this afternoon. What do you have?
RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well Bill, the dust and sand has finally settled here in central Iraq at the 101st airborne's forward operating base here. As you'll recall, it's a long time and coming. More than 48 hours of a vicious sandstorm that not only annoyed everyone, including me, here on the ground, it also grounded the entire fleet of the 101st Airborne's helicopters. That has clearly changed today as you can see, it's clear and the helicopters are out back in the skies again. Yesterday, before it cleared up, a group of six Iraqi men, at least according to the U.S. Military, apparently lost their way on a road near this base. They were spotted in their SUV by a group of U.S. Soldiers who surrounded them. Iraqis then surrendered to those soldiers and were taken into U.S. custody.
Now, the U.S. Military, the ground commanders here are saying that these six men belong to a group called Saddam Fedayeen. A group that the U.S. Military is saying is a paramilitary group that is very loyal to the Iraqi leader, President Saddam Hussein. They're saying these six men were couriers bringing money. They actually found, according to the military, a lot of U.S. dollars inside the car. Bringing money and instructions to a group of Baath leaders in nearby towns. Now, I had an opportunity to speak with one of the soldiers guarding the Iraqis last night. I asked him to compare how the U.S. is treating these Iraqi men with how he feels the American P.O.W.s are being treated here inside Iraq. Here is what he had to say. CAPTAIN MICHAEL TITUS, 101ST AIRBORNE: I think -- I think that regardless of what they do, you know, we're not them and just because, you know, somebody else does that, that, you know, the golden rule, do unto others as you had done unto them. I think it also makes our resolve to fight stronger because we don't want to get captured but it makes their resolve to fight less because they know if they get captured, they're going to get treated humanely, they're going to get fed, they're going to get shelter and medical treatment.
CHILCOTE: A bit about their conditions. One of the six Iraqis was given some medical attention for some asthma. He was suffering from, in my presence, they brought some blankets and the soldier you just heard from assured me they would build a tent for them. He said that would be in the coming hours and they would do their best to make those Iraqis feel more comfortable. He apologized that the conditions were as basic as you saw in those pictures. He promised in the, with what they have, the limited resources that they have to make things a little bit more comfortable for them. Bill?
HEMMER: Ryan, thanks. Ryan Chilcote reporting again embedded with the 101st Airborne Division 3rd Brigade in central Iraq. Paula, before we get back to New York, Dr. Sanjay Gupta had been with the Marines for about a week inside of southern Iraq and he's got a story to tell. You'll hear it in a couple of minutes live in Kuwait City.
ZAHN: Did he come under fire, Bill?
HEMMER: I'm not sure. Hang on one second. Ever come under fire, but you saw a lot more than you thought you did?
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: We really did. It was incredible, I mean there was an enemy breach outside our perimeter. We are were told 400 Iraqi special ops forces were the area, in the middle of the area in the middle of this huge sandstorm, no fire though, thankfully.
HEMMER: Good to see you.
GUPTA: All cleaned up. Don't smell so bad.
ZAHN: Didn't mean to make you pre-interview him, but we'll be getting back to Dr. Sanjay Gupta in a couple of minutes.
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 27, 2003 - 08:36 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Before we do that, we're going to go straight to the White House where President Bush is meeting today with British Prime Minister Tony Blair and John King joins us live now with a preview of what the two of them might be talking about. Good morning, John.
JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. In a few hours, we will hear the perspective of the two political leaders who perhaps, other than Saddam Hussein, I guess, have the most at stake in this operation. At a time of all this skepticism second- guessing and you heard the skeptical questions at the CENTCOM briefing earlier this morning. Bush and Blair will meet briefly with reporters three hours from now at Camp David. The British Prime Minister arrived last night at Camp David and the White House released a photograph of Mr. Bush and Prime Minister Blair having dinner and also beginning their emergency war summit as the White House is calling it.
Now, we are told that in these discussions, the leaders have three chief goals. One is to discuss the military operation, including the delicate timing questions as to when there would be a siege of Baghdad. Also on the agenda, both leaders trying to get logistics to speed up the humanitarian aid into Iraq. Also on tap, the one issue on which there is some disagreement between Mr. Blair and Mr. Bush, what role should the United Nations play in a post war Iraq. Mr. Blair has been quite clear that he thinks the United Nations deserves quite a big role. The Bush administration has been just as clear in saying it believes the United States should run Iraq after the military campaign and that the U.N. role should be largely limited to humanitarian help and assistance.
One senior Bush administrative official who is known to be quite skeptical of the United Nations role is the Vice President Dick Cheney. He arrived here this morning. He is participating in the morning national security calls from here at the White House. Mr. Bush leading those discussions from up at Camp David.
So we will hear directly from the two leaders, Mr. Blair and Mr. Bush, later today. Tony Blair saying he came here today hoping to convince President Bush to join the Europeans and calling for a much robust U.N. role in post war Iraq, but Secretary of State Powell made clear in testimony yesterday he said the United States was leading the coalition in war and that the United States would lead any effort to run Iraq after the war, Paula.
ZAHN: We are told that the prime minister really wants to push ahead his ideas for Middle East peace. What is the expectation there of how much movement there might be on that issue? KING: Well, the president made clear in the Rose Garden last week and senior officials have reinforced it since that he is prepared to deliver a major speech outlining his road map for the peace process. That would get -- it would set sequencing, definite timetable for sequence of events to get the Israelis and the Palestinians ultimately back into face-to-face peace negotiations. Mr. Bush is waiting to see the Palestinians have named a new prime minister. He has accepted that post but yet to form a government with his own advisers. The White House is waiting for that to take shape. We know Prime Minister Blair will tell President Bush once that new Palestinian government is in place, that it is critical and for the prime minister's view for Mr. Bush to lay out that blueprint. White house officials tell us the president is prepared to do that perhaps in the next week or so, or week or two if those steps take place and the Palestinian authority. I have tell you even though they say Mr. Bush is prepared to put the road map on the table, is there a great deal of skepticism at the White House that either the Palestinians or Israelis are willing to take the steps outlined in that road map.
ZAHN: Thanks so much, John. Please let us know when you believe those two leaders will be taking to the microphones a little bit later on today. Thanks so much. In the meantime, let's check in with Bill who is standing by in Kuwait City with a background we can't even make out today. Good morning.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: That's the haze. That's right Paula, hello again. Quickly want to take you to central Iraq. 101st Airborne Division, 3rd brigade, CNN's Ryan Chilcote joins us live, it's not often we get to see him live. Ryan is with us now this afternoon. What do you have?
RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well Bill, the dust and sand has finally settled here in central Iraq at the 101st airborne's forward operating base here. As you'll recall, it's a long time and coming. More than 48 hours of a vicious sandstorm that not only annoyed everyone, including me, here on the ground, it also grounded the entire fleet of the 101st Airborne's helicopters. That has clearly changed today as you can see, it's clear and the helicopters are out back in the skies again. Yesterday, before it cleared up, a group of six Iraqi men, at least according to the U.S. Military, apparently lost their way on a road near this base. They were spotted in their SUV by a group of U.S. Soldiers who surrounded them. Iraqis then surrendered to those soldiers and were taken into U.S. custody.
Now, the U.S. Military, the ground commanders here are saying that these six men belong to a group called Saddam Fedayeen. A group that the U.S. Military is saying is a paramilitary group that is very loyal to the Iraqi leader, President Saddam Hussein. They're saying these six men were couriers bringing money. They actually found, according to the military, a lot of U.S. dollars inside the car. Bringing money and instructions to a group of Baath leaders in nearby towns. Now, I had an opportunity to speak with one of the soldiers guarding the Iraqis last night. I asked him to compare how the U.S. is treating these Iraqi men with how he feels the American P.O.W.s are being treated here inside Iraq. Here is what he had to say. CAPTAIN MICHAEL TITUS, 101ST AIRBORNE: I think -- I think that regardless of what they do, you know, we're not them and just because, you know, somebody else does that, that, you know, the golden rule, do unto others as you had done unto them. I think it also makes our resolve to fight stronger because we don't want to get captured but it makes their resolve to fight less because they know if they get captured, they're going to get treated humanely, they're going to get fed, they're going to get shelter and medical treatment.
CHILCOTE: A bit about their conditions. One of the six Iraqis was given some medical attention for some asthma. He was suffering from, in my presence, they brought some blankets and the soldier you just heard from assured me they would build a tent for them. He said that would be in the coming hours and they would do their best to make those Iraqis feel more comfortable. He apologized that the conditions were as basic as you saw in those pictures. He promised in the, with what they have, the limited resources that they have to make things a little bit more comfortable for them. Bill?
HEMMER: Ryan, thanks. Ryan Chilcote reporting again embedded with the 101st Airborne Division 3rd Brigade in central Iraq. Paula, before we get back to New York, Dr. Sanjay Gupta had been with the Marines for about a week inside of southern Iraq and he's got a story to tell. You'll hear it in a couple of minutes live in Kuwait City.
ZAHN: Did he come under fire, Bill?
HEMMER: I'm not sure. Hang on one second. Ever come under fire, but you saw a lot more than you thought you did?
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: We really did. It was incredible, I mean there was an enemy breach outside our perimeter. We are were told 400 Iraqi special ops forces were the area, in the middle of the area in the middle of this huge sandstorm, no fire though, thankfully.
HEMMER: Good to see you.
GUPTA: All cleaned up. Don't smell so bad.
ZAHN: Didn't mean to make you pre-interview him, but we'll be getting back to Dr. Sanjay Gupta in a couple of minutes.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
