Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live At Daybreak

Euro Edition: Morning Papers

Aired August 20, 2003 - 05:47   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.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The deadly attacks in Baghdad and Jerusalem are making headlines overseas, of course, so let's take a closer look in this morning's "Euro Edition." Charles Hodson live in London for us.
Good morning -- Charles.

CHARLES HODSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

Well, as you say, very much the story that is dominating the headlines, the front pages all the way around Europe this morning.

Let's start in Britain with the British press. "The Independent," massacre of the peacemakers. Suicide at U.N. headquarters kills 20, injures 100, senior envoy among the dead.

Moving on to, for example, "The Times," the battle of Iraq rages on two fronts. Again, U.N. envoy dies in suicide bomb. Picture there of the aftermath with a member of the U.S. military gesturing to the crowd to get back.

Meanwhile, of course, on the other side, with the reference to the two fronts, is Alastair Campbell, that's the media chief for Tony Blair, the U.K. Prime Minister, under fire in Court 73. That's a reference to his appearance before the Hutton inquiry that's really on the events surrounding the decision by Britain and Britain's legislators to go to war. And Alastair Campbell seems to have, although some would say the finger of suspicion pointed at him, seems to have acquitted himself relatively well.

Moving on then to "The Daily Telegraph." Again, the Campbell is the headline, but U.N. envoy dies in Baghdad bombing. The picture, the aftermath of the bombing -- bomb attack on the U.N. headquarters, the Canal Hotel, very much the story on the front page in terms of the picture.

And again, Iraq, the agony goes on. This on the front page of "The Guardian." And again, you can see a victim of the bombing walking away, his head wrapped up, one eye closed over, blood all over his face and clothes.

And I think, as I had said, it's really not just in Britain that we're seeing this all over the front pages. Let's go to France for a moment. Here we are, "Le Figaro," a major right of center, center right newspaper in France, the U.N. targeted in Baghdad. Again, the same story on the front page. And "Lali Barasion (ph)," more left leaning newspaper in France, terror against the U.N., 15 people dead. And again, the pictures continue here and they commemorate the life of Sergio Viera de Mello, the U.N. representative in Iraq who, of course, was -- died in that blast. It says Viera de Mello, death of a mediator.

And with that, Carol, back to you.

COSTELLO: Yes, I just wanted to ask you something about Tony Blair. The heat is already up on him, is this making it worse now?

HODSON: What is Alastair Campbell's appearance making it worse? No, I think one of the things that's interesting about what's been going on, Alastair Campbell, the media chief, was, in a way, in a sense, the fall guy.

Tony Blair, by the way, is still on holiday in Barbados, so he's out of the picture. But we are getting some kind of inclining of the role that he may have played in all of this. And it seems to be very much one of, again, a mediator, some who was dampening -- someone who was dampening down, perhaps, the emotions that Campbell himself was saying that he definitely gave vent to, you know, anger against the BBC over this whole affair.

And I think Tony Blair, if anyone, is going to rise above this when he comes back. Essentially, Alastair Campbell, whose future as his media chief is in any case relatively short, he's going to leave probably in the autumn. Alastair Campbell is going to be the one who is going to take the fall for this -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right. Thanks a lot. Charles Hodson 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 August 20, 2003 - 05:47   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The deadly attacks in Baghdad and Jerusalem are making headlines overseas, of course, so let's take a closer look in this morning's "Euro Edition." Charles Hodson live in London for us.
Good morning -- Charles.

CHARLES HODSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

Well, as you say, very much the story that is dominating the headlines, the front pages all the way around Europe this morning.

Let's start in Britain with the British press. "The Independent," massacre of the peacemakers. Suicide at U.N. headquarters kills 20, injures 100, senior envoy among the dead.

Moving on to, for example, "The Times," the battle of Iraq rages on two fronts. Again, U.N. envoy dies in suicide bomb. Picture there of the aftermath with a member of the U.S. military gesturing to the crowd to get back.

Meanwhile, of course, on the other side, with the reference to the two fronts, is Alastair Campbell, that's the media chief for Tony Blair, the U.K. Prime Minister, under fire in Court 73. That's a reference to his appearance before the Hutton inquiry that's really on the events surrounding the decision by Britain and Britain's legislators to go to war. And Alastair Campbell seems to have, although some would say the finger of suspicion pointed at him, seems to have acquitted himself relatively well.

Moving on then to "The Daily Telegraph." Again, the Campbell is the headline, but U.N. envoy dies in Baghdad bombing. The picture, the aftermath of the bombing -- bomb attack on the U.N. headquarters, the Canal Hotel, very much the story on the front page in terms of the picture.

And again, Iraq, the agony goes on. This on the front page of "The Guardian." And again, you can see a victim of the bombing walking away, his head wrapped up, one eye closed over, blood all over his face and clothes.

And I think, as I had said, it's really not just in Britain that we're seeing this all over the front pages. Let's go to France for a moment. Here we are, "Le Figaro," a major right of center, center right newspaper in France, the U.N. targeted in Baghdad. Again, the same story on the front page. And "Lali Barasion (ph)," more left leaning newspaper in France, terror against the U.N., 15 people dead. And again, the pictures continue here and they commemorate the life of Sergio Viera de Mello, the U.N. representative in Iraq who, of course, was -- died in that blast. It says Viera de Mello, death of a mediator.

And with that, Carol, back to you.

COSTELLO: Yes, I just wanted to ask you something about Tony Blair. The heat is already up on him, is this making it worse now?

HODSON: What is Alastair Campbell's appearance making it worse? No, I think one of the things that's interesting about what's been going on, Alastair Campbell, the media chief, was, in a way, in a sense, the fall guy.

Tony Blair, by the way, is still on holiday in Barbados, so he's out of the picture. But we are getting some kind of inclining of the role that he may have played in all of this. And it seems to be very much one of, again, a mediator, some who was dampening -- someone who was dampening down, perhaps, the emotions that Campbell himself was saying that he definitely gave vent to, you know, anger against the BBC over this whole affair.

And I think Tony Blair, if anyone, is going to rise above this when he comes back. Essentially, Alastair Campbell, whose future as his media chief is in any case relatively short, he's going to leave probably in the autumn. Alastair Campbell is going to be the one who is going to take the fall for this -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right. Thanks a lot. Charles Hodson 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