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American Morning

Interview With Yahya Mahmassani

Aired August 25, 2003 - 09:04   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.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Back to Iraq right now. The debate about sending more American troops is heating up after another weekend of bloodshed. One side of that debate insists that the American presence is the source of the problem, and that American visibility is already too high. What is needed, others argue, is a larger international force including a larger contribution from Arab nations.
Let's talk about it with the Ambassador Yahya Mahmassani. He represents the Arab League at the United Nations. Sir, good morning to you. Welcome to AMERICAN MORNING with us here, Mr. Ambassador.

AMB. YAHYA MAHMASSANI, ARAB LEAGUE, AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: Good morning to you.

HEMMER: What is the Arab League's position right now on putting more troops, or troops at all for that matter, to try and police the peace in Iraq?

MAHMASSANI: Well let me say at the outset that the decision to send troops into Iraq is a matter of concern to the Security Council of the United Nations. The idea has been circulating for some time to sent multi-national forces or some other form forces. but these are simply ideas. Nothing had materialized yet.

HEMMER: If it does materialize, which countries are willing, from the Arab perspective, to put their own soldiers on the ground there to help out in Iraq?

MAHMASSANI: Well it's not a question of Arab countries as much as it's a question of the international community. It all depends, you know. You just can't decide without having a framework, without having a text before.

It depends on has forces are needed? How many? What is the mandate? What is the duration? Under what flag? What is the authority? What decision do they take? All these things have to be looked upon before any decision is made. Go ahead.

HEMMER: So you leave open a lot of questions here. Let's try and fill a few hypotheticals. If you had a U.N. resolution, do you think putting Arab soldiers on the streets of Iraq would help?

MAHMASSANI: No. What I would like to say here is this -- you know is the United Nations Security Council takes a decision that each member country has to look into what's best for itself and for Iraq as well. As far as our position is concerned, you know, we think that the best thing for the Iraqis is to have them regain their sovereignty, choose their own representatives, elect their own government and take the rightful place in the world community. This is what we are interested in.

HEMMER: If you, sir -- if you canvas the Arab League and talk to your friends within that organization, is there concern that they have that if they were to send their own fighters into Iraq and help out there could be a backlash in their own country?

MAHMASSANI: No -- well -- you see, sending troop is not the answer, only (ph). The answer is to have the Iraqis be responsible for their own affairs. Take care of their own security.

What is required now, I believe, is that you should have a timetable or a plan ahead of time to tell the Iraqis what are the intentions of the coalition forces. What are you going to do about Iraq? OK. You are already there, but what are the next step? The next step is we are (ph) to do everything possible to help reconstruct the Iraqis' economy, help to secure the infrastructure of the Iraqis.

You know the Iraqi situation now is completely -- in complete misery. and the Iraqis have suffered enough during the sanctions, now they are even suffering worse during the presence of the coalition forces. What is really at work is an insidious attempt, an insidious sort of a plan or a timetable to show that Iraqis sooner or later they're going to be responsible for their own destiny, rule themselves and chose their own constitution. This's what is required for the Iraqis.

HEMMER: So -- I don't want to push you again on this because I know the answer you're going to give me. But would you, at this point, not even consider the possibility that Arab fighters would go to Iraq and help out?

MAHMASSANI: It all depends on the resolution. We cannot decide without looking at the resolution itself. You know a decision without having concrete terms, concrete mandates is not possible. You have to look into the residuals first and decide whether it is in the interests of the Iraqis. We would like to do whatever is good, whatever is in the interests of the Iraqi people.

HEMMER: Mr. Ambassador, Yahya Mahmassani, thank you for your time today. This is an issue that is starting to gather steam in certain corners, and certainly the U.N. as well. Thank you, Mr. Ambassador.

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 25, 2003 - 09:04   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Back to Iraq right now. The debate about sending more American troops is heating up after another weekend of bloodshed. One side of that debate insists that the American presence is the source of the problem, and that American visibility is already too high. What is needed, others argue, is a larger international force including a larger contribution from Arab nations.
Let's talk about it with the Ambassador Yahya Mahmassani. He represents the Arab League at the United Nations. Sir, good morning to you. Welcome to AMERICAN MORNING with us here, Mr. Ambassador.

AMB. YAHYA MAHMASSANI, ARAB LEAGUE, AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: Good morning to you.

HEMMER: What is the Arab League's position right now on putting more troops, or troops at all for that matter, to try and police the peace in Iraq?

MAHMASSANI: Well let me say at the outset that the decision to send troops into Iraq is a matter of concern to the Security Council of the United Nations. The idea has been circulating for some time to sent multi-national forces or some other form forces. but these are simply ideas. Nothing had materialized yet.

HEMMER: If it does materialize, which countries are willing, from the Arab perspective, to put their own soldiers on the ground there to help out in Iraq?

MAHMASSANI: Well it's not a question of Arab countries as much as it's a question of the international community. It all depends, you know. You just can't decide without having a framework, without having a text before.

It depends on has forces are needed? How many? What is the mandate? What is the duration? Under what flag? What is the authority? What decision do they take? All these things have to be looked upon before any decision is made. Go ahead.

HEMMER: So you leave open a lot of questions here. Let's try and fill a few hypotheticals. If you had a U.N. resolution, do you think putting Arab soldiers on the streets of Iraq would help?

MAHMASSANI: No. What I would like to say here is this -- you know is the United Nations Security Council takes a decision that each member country has to look into what's best for itself and for Iraq as well. As far as our position is concerned, you know, we think that the best thing for the Iraqis is to have them regain their sovereignty, choose their own representatives, elect their own government and take the rightful place in the world community. This is what we are interested in.

HEMMER: If you, sir -- if you canvas the Arab League and talk to your friends within that organization, is there concern that they have that if they were to send their own fighters into Iraq and help out there could be a backlash in their own country?

MAHMASSANI: No -- well -- you see, sending troop is not the answer, only (ph). The answer is to have the Iraqis be responsible for their own affairs. Take care of their own security.

What is required now, I believe, is that you should have a timetable or a plan ahead of time to tell the Iraqis what are the intentions of the coalition forces. What are you going to do about Iraq? OK. You are already there, but what are the next step? The next step is we are (ph) to do everything possible to help reconstruct the Iraqis' economy, help to secure the infrastructure of the Iraqis.

You know the Iraqi situation now is completely -- in complete misery. and the Iraqis have suffered enough during the sanctions, now they are even suffering worse during the presence of the coalition forces. What is really at work is an insidious attempt, an insidious sort of a plan or a timetable to show that Iraqis sooner or later they're going to be responsible for their own destiny, rule themselves and chose their own constitution. This's what is required for the Iraqis.

HEMMER: So -- I don't want to push you again on this because I know the answer you're going to give me. But would you, at this point, not even consider the possibility that Arab fighters would go to Iraq and help out?

MAHMASSANI: It all depends on the resolution. We cannot decide without looking at the resolution itself. You know a decision without having concrete terms, concrete mandates is not possible. You have to look into the residuals first and decide whether it is in the interests of the Iraqis. We would like to do whatever is good, whatever is in the interests of the Iraqi people.

HEMMER: Mr. Ambassador, Yahya Mahmassani, thank you for your time today. This is an issue that is starting to gather steam in certain corners, and certainly the U.N. as well. Thank you, Mr. Ambassador.

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