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CNN Live At Daybreak

Progress in Rebuilding Iraq

Aired September 03, 2003 - 05:36   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.


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Let's get some more insight into what's going on in and around Iraq.
For that, we turn to our senior international editor David Clinch -- good to see you.

DAVID CLINCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: A whole lot of changes and proposed changes.

CLINCH: Yes, a lot of things going on. You know, one of our jobs here at news central in Atlanta is always to sort of look at what's going on on our main story in Iraq every day and make a judgment. Basically, are we looking at two steps forward, one step back, or one step forward, two steps back. It's very difficult to make that judgment on a daily basis.

But I'd have to say it's very easy to be cynical. We're a cynical lot, we journalists. But it's very easy to be cynical and say, you know, a new cabinet is voted in in Baghdad but they won't really have any power, who are these people, they're all from outside Iraq. But they have been put in place. They are Iraqis. They do have some authority. And it's a start. It's very easy to be cynical about this polish-led force that's taking over a huge section of Iraq, you know, the Poles, the Mongolians, the Hondurans -- can they really be an effective security force? Will they themselves become targets and will they basically do a runner the very first time a polish soldier is killed? We don't know.

But, again, it's a start. These are not American troops. They're less likely, I suppose, to be targets; less likely to create animosity in Iraq. It's a beginning.

But they are small steps, and I think the kind of really big step that the United States, the Bush administration, is looking for is what our headline really on the story is today, the proposed U.N. resolution. And it is just a proposal that would allow other countries -- Pakistan, India, Turkey, perhaps -- to come in under the protection, if you want to put it that way, of a U.N. resolution. That would be a really big step forward.

But it remains to be seen. We've seen the idea that this resolution is going forward. I've yet to see really any language that is significantly different on the fundamental question, will the French in particular, with a Security Council veto, be in a position to vote yes for the U.N. resolution that still leaves the U.S. in charge? WHITFIELD: Well, regardless of the language, it's still quite significant that the U.S. would even try to make such a proposal...

CLINCH: Right. Absolutely.

WHITFIELD: ... when, you know, only a few months ago...

CLINCH: Significant. Again...

WHITFIELD: ... the U.N. was insignificant.

CLINCH: ... trying not to be cynical, but it is quite a remarkable reversal. And, again, we haven't seen the language yet, so we don't know whether it really will end up being a reversal. But at least the proposal of giving the U.N. that much more of a significant role, both on the military and the political side, is, without a doubt, a reversal, a turnaround from what we've seen so far.

But, again, a positive in the sense that the Bush administration is acknowledging the problems and looking for help.

WHITFIELD: All right, and some might say, those who are very critical of the Bush administration say this is almost acknowledgement now that there was no post-Saddam plan.

CLINCH: Right. I'm not going to say that, but that's definitely an issue.

WHITFIELD: But we've heard a number of critics say that.

CLINCH: We have heard that. But they are taking steps and we'll be watching closely in New York to see exactly how far they're prepared to go.

WHITFIELD: All right, some of our coverage expected today.

CLINCH: Absolutely.

WHITFIELD: Thanks very much, David.

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 September 3, 2003 - 05:36   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Let's get some more insight into what's going on in and around Iraq.
For that, we turn to our senior international editor David Clinch -- good to see you.

DAVID CLINCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: A whole lot of changes and proposed changes.

CLINCH: Yes, a lot of things going on. You know, one of our jobs here at news central in Atlanta is always to sort of look at what's going on on our main story in Iraq every day and make a judgment. Basically, are we looking at two steps forward, one step back, or one step forward, two steps back. It's very difficult to make that judgment on a daily basis.

But I'd have to say it's very easy to be cynical. We're a cynical lot, we journalists. But it's very easy to be cynical and say, you know, a new cabinet is voted in in Baghdad but they won't really have any power, who are these people, they're all from outside Iraq. But they have been put in place. They are Iraqis. They do have some authority. And it's a start. It's very easy to be cynical about this polish-led force that's taking over a huge section of Iraq, you know, the Poles, the Mongolians, the Hondurans -- can they really be an effective security force? Will they themselves become targets and will they basically do a runner the very first time a polish soldier is killed? We don't know.

But, again, it's a start. These are not American troops. They're less likely, I suppose, to be targets; less likely to create animosity in Iraq. It's a beginning.

But they are small steps, and I think the kind of really big step that the United States, the Bush administration, is looking for is what our headline really on the story is today, the proposed U.N. resolution. And it is just a proposal that would allow other countries -- Pakistan, India, Turkey, perhaps -- to come in under the protection, if you want to put it that way, of a U.N. resolution. That would be a really big step forward.

But it remains to be seen. We've seen the idea that this resolution is going forward. I've yet to see really any language that is significantly different on the fundamental question, will the French in particular, with a Security Council veto, be in a position to vote yes for the U.N. resolution that still leaves the U.S. in charge? WHITFIELD: Well, regardless of the language, it's still quite significant that the U.S. would even try to make such a proposal...

CLINCH: Right. Absolutely.

WHITFIELD: ... when, you know, only a few months ago...

CLINCH: Significant. Again...

WHITFIELD: ... the U.N. was insignificant.

CLINCH: ... trying not to be cynical, but it is quite a remarkable reversal. And, again, we haven't seen the language yet, so we don't know whether it really will end up being a reversal. But at least the proposal of giving the U.N. that much more of a significant role, both on the military and the political side, is, without a doubt, a reversal, a turnaround from what we've seen so far.

But, again, a positive in the sense that the Bush administration is acknowledging the problems and looking for help.

WHITFIELD: All right, and some might say, those who are very critical of the Bush administration say this is almost acknowledgement now that there was no post-Saddam plan.

CLINCH: Right. I'm not going to say that, but that's definitely an issue.

WHITFIELD: But we've heard a number of critics say that.

CLINCH: We have heard that. But they are taking steps and we'll be watching closely in New York to see exactly how far they're prepared to go.

WHITFIELD: All right, some of our coverage expected today.

CLINCH: Absolutely.

WHITFIELD: Thanks very much, David.

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