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CNN Live Today

Interview With Rep. Harold Ford

Aired August 22, 2003 - 10:17   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.


HARRIS: Well, the U.S. role in Baghdad is also facing the scrutiny of U.S. lawmakers. In fact, a U.S. congressional delegation was taking part in a fact-finding visit to Baghdad at the time of Tuesday's attack on the U.N. headquarters.
Representative Harold Ford was in that group. The Tennessee Democrat has returned early to the U.S., and he's joining us now. I'm hoping that he will share with us his impressions from the trip.

Congressman, thanks for coming in. It's good to see you here.

REP. HAROLD FORD (D), TENNESSEE: Thanks. Pardon my dress. They lost my bags last night coming back, so pardon my dress.

HARRIS: So I see they treat you the same way they treat us at the airport, huh?

(LAUGHTER)

FORD: I told them I was with CNN. It didn't help, they lost the bags anyway.

(LAUGHTER)

HARRIS: Well, listen, I'm glad that you're able to come back and make light of things. And we're glad to see that you're here in one place -- in one piece, rather, considering where you happen to be.

I want you to clear up something, because I had heard on Tuesday morning that your delegation was actually supposed to be in the compound or at that the compound at the time of explosion. Is that true?

FORD: We were scheduled to meet with the top envoy, Mr. Vieira de Mello, there in the CP, or Coalition Provisional Authority, headquarters. We were late getting there because our plan was late leaving Amman, to no difficulties or anything, we were just late leaving out of Amman, Jordan.

Had we arrived on time, we probably would have met with him. And there's a slight likelihood that he may not have been on the compound or at the U.N. Mission, rather, when the bombing took place had we met with him. It's kind of a eerie irony in some ways.

Nonetheless, I think the bombing speaks to two or three things: One, we're making progress there. We have made progress; because Baghdad has almost become a magnet or conference center for international terrorists. The cowardly and pathetic acts of not only some in Iraq, but even other terrorist organizations, perhaps, who have come over from Iran or Syria are creating more and more problems for us from a security standpoint.

The second reality is that the Bush administration, with some of the success -- all of the success we enjoyed militarily before May 1 is at a stalling point now. And we have to, I think -- I'm encouraged by what the foreign secretary from England and Kofi Annan, the secretary general, has just stated, that they're making progress in finding a way to bring international troops to the table, or international assistance to the table.

FORD: We can't solve this alone, Mr. Harris. It will cost entirely too much money, and I don't think we have the -- I should say, we can't deploy enough troops to accomplish the mission there. Our military is already stretched thin.

And if, indeed, we had wanted to build on this success before May 1st, before the president landed on the Abraham Lincoln carrier, I think it's vital at this point that we find meaningful ways to allow some decisionmaking authority for the U.N., to allow some decisionmaking authority even for some of our allies or erstwhile allies or some who may not have been with us early on in this process in Iraq. They're with us now, and we should gather and solicit their support.

HARRIS: Well, let me ask you something about, you mentioned the cost here. There are plenty of people in the media and around the country now who are basically saying the administration has not been coming clean about what the cost actually are here.

If things were to stay on the same plan they are right now, do you have any sense at all about how long this process is going to go on for and how much it's going to cost?

FORD: I can only go on what the experts there say. We met with Paul Bremer, the civil administrator there, a top central diplomat, the head of the Coalition Provisional Authority. He indicates that some $100 billion over the next several years could be needed. Someone suggested upwards of $300 billion to $400 billion will be needed.

If you look at those numbers, $100 billion to $400 billion, that's a lot of money, and it probably will cost somewhere in the middle, if not a little more than half, of that to accomplish our goal there.

So I think it's in our short interest, from a financial standpoint, to involve those around the globe; in our long-term interest if, indeed, we want the credibility and respect and support of the world in building a stable and open Iraq, to have as many partners with us as possible.

And right now, we're not doing as good enough job as we should, and the administration should be more willing to step to the table. And again, this morning's comments are encouraging. I hope we continue to move down that path. It will be the best for our soldiers, the best for Iraq and the best for the American taxpayer in the long run.

HARRIS: All right. Let me ask you one final question, if I can, about another development that we are beginning to hear about today. This is the word coming out, that there are suspicions that this bombing on Tuesday could have been the result of an inside job here.

Now, we know that Mr. Bremer's plans had been to include more Iraqis into the whole process. And, in fact, that's one of the suggestions that's being made by outsiders, is to get more Iraqis out in front.

If it turns out to be the case here that this was a case of insiders, this is a case of Iraqis who had been taken into the whole process and used as security people, how does that complicate things? And how does that actually change the whole plan for getting Iraqis more involved and putting them more in line of responsibility for their own safety?

FORD: I know you are, but we need to be careful before we jump to these conclusions, and also realize that we have problems even in our own intelligence community here in America with people sometimes jumping ship and betraying our confidence.

I think the long-term goal has to be to shift as much authority as we can to the new governing council, after they create and ratify a constitution. A lot of our efforts have to be involving more and more Iraqis to gain their credibility and just to gain their confidence and ensure credibility in the new government.

If, indeed, those allegations turn out to be true, I'm certain we will act accordingly.

HARRIS: All right, good idea. And I thank you for making sure that you remind us to make sure that we take it slow with these accusations. That's our job here. We appreciate that.

Congressman Harold Ford, as I said, good to see you in one piece. Glad to have you back here in the States.

FORD: Yes, sir. Thanks, Mr. Harris, for having me on.

HARRIS: All right. We'll talk to you later on, I hope, too. Take care.

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 22, 2003 - 10:17   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HARRIS: Well, the U.S. role in Baghdad is also facing the scrutiny of U.S. lawmakers. In fact, a U.S. congressional delegation was taking part in a fact-finding visit to Baghdad at the time of Tuesday's attack on the U.N. headquarters.
Representative Harold Ford was in that group. The Tennessee Democrat has returned early to the U.S., and he's joining us now. I'm hoping that he will share with us his impressions from the trip.

Congressman, thanks for coming in. It's good to see you here.

REP. HAROLD FORD (D), TENNESSEE: Thanks. Pardon my dress. They lost my bags last night coming back, so pardon my dress.

HARRIS: So I see they treat you the same way they treat us at the airport, huh?

(LAUGHTER)

FORD: I told them I was with CNN. It didn't help, they lost the bags anyway.

(LAUGHTER)

HARRIS: Well, listen, I'm glad that you're able to come back and make light of things. And we're glad to see that you're here in one place -- in one piece, rather, considering where you happen to be.

I want you to clear up something, because I had heard on Tuesday morning that your delegation was actually supposed to be in the compound or at that the compound at the time of explosion. Is that true?

FORD: We were scheduled to meet with the top envoy, Mr. Vieira de Mello, there in the CP, or Coalition Provisional Authority, headquarters. We were late getting there because our plan was late leaving Amman, to no difficulties or anything, we were just late leaving out of Amman, Jordan.

Had we arrived on time, we probably would have met with him. And there's a slight likelihood that he may not have been on the compound or at the U.N. Mission, rather, when the bombing took place had we met with him. It's kind of a eerie irony in some ways.

Nonetheless, I think the bombing speaks to two or three things: One, we're making progress there. We have made progress; because Baghdad has almost become a magnet or conference center for international terrorists. The cowardly and pathetic acts of not only some in Iraq, but even other terrorist organizations, perhaps, who have come over from Iran or Syria are creating more and more problems for us from a security standpoint.

The second reality is that the Bush administration, with some of the success -- all of the success we enjoyed militarily before May 1 is at a stalling point now. And we have to, I think -- I'm encouraged by what the foreign secretary from England and Kofi Annan, the secretary general, has just stated, that they're making progress in finding a way to bring international troops to the table, or international assistance to the table.

FORD: We can't solve this alone, Mr. Harris. It will cost entirely too much money, and I don't think we have the -- I should say, we can't deploy enough troops to accomplish the mission there. Our military is already stretched thin.

And if, indeed, we had wanted to build on this success before May 1st, before the president landed on the Abraham Lincoln carrier, I think it's vital at this point that we find meaningful ways to allow some decisionmaking authority for the U.N., to allow some decisionmaking authority even for some of our allies or erstwhile allies or some who may not have been with us early on in this process in Iraq. They're with us now, and we should gather and solicit their support.

HARRIS: Well, let me ask you something about, you mentioned the cost here. There are plenty of people in the media and around the country now who are basically saying the administration has not been coming clean about what the cost actually are here.

If things were to stay on the same plan they are right now, do you have any sense at all about how long this process is going to go on for and how much it's going to cost?

FORD: I can only go on what the experts there say. We met with Paul Bremer, the civil administrator there, a top central diplomat, the head of the Coalition Provisional Authority. He indicates that some $100 billion over the next several years could be needed. Someone suggested upwards of $300 billion to $400 billion will be needed.

If you look at those numbers, $100 billion to $400 billion, that's a lot of money, and it probably will cost somewhere in the middle, if not a little more than half, of that to accomplish our goal there.

So I think it's in our short interest, from a financial standpoint, to involve those around the globe; in our long-term interest if, indeed, we want the credibility and respect and support of the world in building a stable and open Iraq, to have as many partners with us as possible.

And right now, we're not doing as good enough job as we should, and the administration should be more willing to step to the table. And again, this morning's comments are encouraging. I hope we continue to move down that path. It will be the best for our soldiers, the best for Iraq and the best for the American taxpayer in the long run.

HARRIS: All right. Let me ask you one final question, if I can, about another development that we are beginning to hear about today. This is the word coming out, that there are suspicions that this bombing on Tuesday could have been the result of an inside job here.

Now, we know that Mr. Bremer's plans had been to include more Iraqis into the whole process. And, in fact, that's one of the suggestions that's being made by outsiders, is to get more Iraqis out in front.

If it turns out to be the case here that this was a case of insiders, this is a case of Iraqis who had been taken into the whole process and used as security people, how does that complicate things? And how does that actually change the whole plan for getting Iraqis more involved and putting them more in line of responsibility for their own safety?

FORD: I know you are, but we need to be careful before we jump to these conclusions, and also realize that we have problems even in our own intelligence community here in America with people sometimes jumping ship and betraying our confidence.

I think the long-term goal has to be to shift as much authority as we can to the new governing council, after they create and ratify a constitution. A lot of our efforts have to be involving more and more Iraqis to gain their credibility and just to gain their confidence and ensure credibility in the new government.

If, indeed, those allegations turn out to be true, I'm certain we will act accordingly.

HARRIS: All right, good idea. And I thank you for making sure that you remind us to make sure that we take it slow with these accusations. That's our job here. We appreciate that.

Congressman Harold Ford, as I said, good to see you in one piece. Glad to have you back here in the States.

FORD: Yes, sir. Thanks, Mr. Harris, for having me on.

HARRIS: All right. We'll talk to you later on, I hope, too. Take care.

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