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Tony Blair in America: An American Ally
Aired July 17, 2003 - 06:08 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: Mr. Blair goes to Washington today. In fact, the British prime minister is in the air now on his way to meet with President Bush.
For details on what we can expect from this diplomatic visit, let's go live to London and our senior European political correspondent, Robin Oakley.
Good morning -- Robin.
ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN SENIOR EUROPEAN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
And one wonders if it's going to be quite the same close and happy relationship between George Bush and Tony Blair on this occasion. They've both got reason to feel slightly sore with each other, because President Bush has had to withdraw that sentence he used in the State of the Union address back in January, talking about Saddam Hussein seeking uranium from Niger in Africa for a nuclear weapons program. And that's embarrassed him and increased the pressure on him over the use of intelligence sources making the case for war.
But, of course, Tony Blair, already under much bigger pressure than the president back home from his MPs and the British media. He didn't need that kind of action from George Bush and the CIA doubting British intelligence. It's cut the legs from under him, while he tries to defend himself against those similar claims. So, there's a tension there.
There will be another tension, too, because Tony Blair will be under pressure from his MPs back home to get George Bush to release the two British suspects -- terrorist suspects at Guantanamo Bay, because British MPs don't like the idea of them being tried by a military tribunal and possibly subject to the death penalty, which doesn't apply in Britain. But it's difficult to see how George Bush could hand them over without a guarantee from the British government, which Tony Blair cannot give, that they would face trial in Britain -- Carol.
COSTELLO: All right, Robin Oakley live from London this morning.
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 July 17, 2003 - 06:08 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Mr. Blair goes to Washington today. In fact, the British prime minister is in the air now on his way to meet with President Bush.
For details on what we can expect from this diplomatic visit, let's go live to London and our senior European political correspondent, Robin Oakley.
Good morning -- Robin.
ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN SENIOR EUROPEAN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
And one wonders if it's going to be quite the same close and happy relationship between George Bush and Tony Blair on this occasion. They've both got reason to feel slightly sore with each other, because President Bush has had to withdraw that sentence he used in the State of the Union address back in January, talking about Saddam Hussein seeking uranium from Niger in Africa for a nuclear weapons program. And that's embarrassed him and increased the pressure on him over the use of intelligence sources making the case for war.
But, of course, Tony Blair, already under much bigger pressure than the president back home from his MPs and the British media. He didn't need that kind of action from George Bush and the CIA doubting British intelligence. It's cut the legs from under him, while he tries to defend himself against those similar claims. So, there's a tension there.
There will be another tension, too, because Tony Blair will be under pressure from his MPs back home to get George Bush to release the two British suspects -- terrorist suspects at Guantanamo Bay, because British MPs don't like the idea of them being tried by a military tribunal and possibly subject to the death penalty, which doesn't apply in Britain. But it's difficult to see how George Bush could hand them over without a guarantee from the British government, which Tony Blair cannot give, that they would face trial in Britain -- Carol.
COSTELLO: All right, Robin Oakley live from London this morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
