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CNN Live At Daybreak

Syria on the Spot

Aired April 15, 2003 - 05:40   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: Of course much talk about Syria and whether it's hiding members of Saddam Hussein's regime.
Let's go to Syria now and Sheila MacVicar to find out if there's any update.

Good morning -- Sheila.

SHEILA MACVICAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol, from a very windy Damascus.

An escalating war of words, a litany of allegations coming from -- coming from Washington, escalating tensions in the region as that war of words heats up.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SHEILA MACVICAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): There is a steady drumbeat.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: First things first, we're here in Iraq now, and the second thing about Syria is that we expect cooperation. And I'm hopeful we'll receive cooperation.

DONALD RUMSFELD, DEFENSE SECRETARY: We have seen chemical weapons tests in Syria over the past 12, 15 months. And second, that we have intelligence that shows that Syria has allowed Syrians and others to come across the border into Iraq.

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: I would expect that Syrian authorities would do everything they could not to provide these people safe haven.

MACVICAR: A litany of allegations and accusations that on the streets of Damascus leaves people angry and feeling threatened. There is not much in the Syrian newspapers about what the U.S. administration is saying, but Syrians listen to radio and watch TV.

We always thought that when the U.S. finished with Iraq, he says, they would start to make accusations against Syria.

We are lost, says this man, why are the Americans treating us like this?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sometimes they don't know what they want.

MACVICAR: Sometimes even the government here seems bewildered by what the U.S. administration says.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have no problem. I mean if you give us any sort of (UNINTELLIGIBLE) because we -- if we say to you no, you are not believing us because this is the third, fourth statement that you are directing against Syria.

MACVICAR: Out here in the Syrian desert is the border with Iraq. Sealed now, at least officially, after U.S. pressure. The Syrians insist no members of Saddam Hussein's regime have entered Syria. And Western diplomats in Damascus agree, saying the intelligence on which that allegation is apparently based is -- quote -- "dubious."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

There are of course serious questions, as the U.K. Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has said, serious questions that Syria will have to honestly answer. Questions about its covert chemical weapons program, questions about its continuing support for alleged terrorists groups, groups named as terrorist -- as terrorist organizations by Hamas and Islamic -- like Hamas and Islamic Jihad. And those are questions that Syria is being told they must be prepared to answer fully and honestly and cooperate fully -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Yes, I guess I'm still stuck on this cooperation thing and what the Bush administration wants specifically for Syria to do?

MACVICAR: Well you and the Syrians, frankly. The Syrians are hearing so many messages from Washington, it's reasonable to think at this point that they're not entirely sure what the Bush administration wants them to do or how the Bush administration intends to set about achieving its agenda.

They've obviously got the example next door of Iraq. Everyone understands what the Bush administration said it wanted to have happen there. We've all seen how it carried out that plan through invading Iraq and effecting regime change that way.

They have talked about, in terms of Syria, they have talked about more democracy. They have talked about an end to the Bathi regime. They have talked about stopping sponsorship for terrorist organizations. A whole long list of things that are making very clear to the Syrians, is certainly in American eyes, the future of Syria looks very different. They're just not exactly sure how.

What is clear is that the Syrians are hearing this megaphone diplomacy, these very loud and sometimes angry words coming from Washington and aren't really too sure themselves just exactly how they should be reacting -- Carol.

COSTELLO: It just sounds so familiar. You wonder if Syria will have to open up its country and maybe the weapons inspectors will come back in or will go there in the first place. They've never been there. I don't mean to imply that.

MACVICAR: The -- that's what the Syrians are wondering. The Syrians are wondering also we -- you know they have the assurance of the U.K. that there is no list, that Syria is not next on the list. They wonder what'll -- what's going to happen next, too -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Sheila MacVicar, live from Damascus, Syria, thanks very much.

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 April 15, 2003 - 05:40   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Of course much talk about Syria and whether it's hiding members of Saddam Hussein's regime.
Let's go to Syria now and Sheila MacVicar to find out if there's any update.

Good morning -- Sheila.

SHEILA MACVICAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol, from a very windy Damascus.

An escalating war of words, a litany of allegations coming from -- coming from Washington, escalating tensions in the region as that war of words heats up.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SHEILA MACVICAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): There is a steady drumbeat.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: First things first, we're here in Iraq now, and the second thing about Syria is that we expect cooperation. And I'm hopeful we'll receive cooperation.

DONALD RUMSFELD, DEFENSE SECRETARY: We have seen chemical weapons tests in Syria over the past 12, 15 months. And second, that we have intelligence that shows that Syria has allowed Syrians and others to come across the border into Iraq.

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: I would expect that Syrian authorities would do everything they could not to provide these people safe haven.

MACVICAR: A litany of allegations and accusations that on the streets of Damascus leaves people angry and feeling threatened. There is not much in the Syrian newspapers about what the U.S. administration is saying, but Syrians listen to radio and watch TV.

We always thought that when the U.S. finished with Iraq, he says, they would start to make accusations against Syria.

We are lost, says this man, why are the Americans treating us like this?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sometimes they don't know what they want.

MACVICAR: Sometimes even the government here seems bewildered by what the U.S. administration says.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have no problem. I mean if you give us any sort of (UNINTELLIGIBLE) because we -- if we say to you no, you are not believing us because this is the third, fourth statement that you are directing against Syria.

MACVICAR: Out here in the Syrian desert is the border with Iraq. Sealed now, at least officially, after U.S. pressure. The Syrians insist no members of Saddam Hussein's regime have entered Syria. And Western diplomats in Damascus agree, saying the intelligence on which that allegation is apparently based is -- quote -- "dubious."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

There are of course serious questions, as the U.K. Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has said, serious questions that Syria will have to honestly answer. Questions about its covert chemical weapons program, questions about its continuing support for alleged terrorists groups, groups named as terrorist -- as terrorist organizations by Hamas and Islamic -- like Hamas and Islamic Jihad. And those are questions that Syria is being told they must be prepared to answer fully and honestly and cooperate fully -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Yes, I guess I'm still stuck on this cooperation thing and what the Bush administration wants specifically for Syria to do?

MACVICAR: Well you and the Syrians, frankly. The Syrians are hearing so many messages from Washington, it's reasonable to think at this point that they're not entirely sure what the Bush administration wants them to do or how the Bush administration intends to set about achieving its agenda.

They've obviously got the example next door of Iraq. Everyone understands what the Bush administration said it wanted to have happen there. We've all seen how it carried out that plan through invading Iraq and effecting regime change that way.

They have talked about, in terms of Syria, they have talked about more democracy. They have talked about an end to the Bathi regime. They have talked about stopping sponsorship for terrorist organizations. A whole long list of things that are making very clear to the Syrians, is certainly in American eyes, the future of Syria looks very different. They're just not exactly sure how.

What is clear is that the Syrians are hearing this megaphone diplomacy, these very loud and sometimes angry words coming from Washington and aren't really too sure themselves just exactly how they should be reacting -- Carol.

COSTELLO: It just sounds so familiar. You wonder if Syria will have to open up its country and maybe the weapons inspectors will come back in or will go there in the first place. They've never been there. I don't mean to imply that.

MACVICAR: The -- that's what the Syrians are wondering. The Syrians are wondering also we -- you know they have the assurance of the U.K. that there is no list, that Syria is not next on the list. They wonder what'll -- what's going to happen next, too -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Sheila MacVicar, live from Damascus, Syria, thanks very much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com