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CNN Live At Daybreak

New Iraq: France Reacts

Aired September 04, 2003 - 06:32   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: In Washington, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell is working the phones, trying to gain support for a proposed U.N. resolution adding -- or requesting the addition of more international troops in Iraq under U.S. command.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: Certainly the United States will continue to play a dominant role, a dominant political role through the work of Ambassador Bremer and his coalition colleagues, and a dominant role because of the size of the U.S. force presence that is there and the leadership we are providing to the effort. But a dominant role doesn't mean the only role.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: The French have been strong critics of the U.S.-led war in Iraq.

Let's get their take on Powell's new push for U.N. help. Our Jim Bittermann reports now from Paris.

Any early indicators -- Jim?

JIM BITTERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka. No, not really. We know that the resolution the United States is proposing has been handed over to the French ambassador. The ambassador has handed it over to his bosses at the Foreign Ministry here in Paris. And everybody is sort of looking at things.

We expect we might get some kind of indication of what the French position is this afternoon. President Jacques Chirac is having a meeting with Gerhard Schroeder, the German chancellor, in Dresden, Germany, today -- one of their regular meetings. And Iraq is going to be one of the subjects they're talking about. There is supposed to be a news conference about two and a half hours from now, and without doubt the subject will come up.

But we do know a little bit of what the French thinking is from what the U.N. ambassador said a couple of days ago, basically saying that any resolution that would involve more troops from -- any troops from the French or any kind of military commitment from the French or any involvement of the French would have to share authority and share information.

Now, Colin Powell yesterday said that the resolution that's been tabled would keep the U.S. in command, both politically and militarily, but that that command would report to the U.N. Security Council.

Now, whether or not that's enough to satisfy the French demands of sharing authority remains to be seen. We'll just have to wait and see what the president says later on this afternoon -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: So, sharing of authority and information. How about any of the French proposing a sharing of getting bids to help rebuild Iraq if it comes to that?

BITTERMANN: Well, I think all of those things are -- could be looked at down the line. But I think what really is in the French mind, and it has been for a year now -- in fact, it was one year and one day ago that French President Jacques Chirac set out the French policy, which has not changed. And that is basically that France believes the United Nations should be involved in the reconstruction of Iraq.

And there has been no rule-out of any possible commitment of French troops to Iraq if that responsibility for the troops is under a U.N. mandate, and France has maintained that position all along.

Now, whether this resolution that's been tabled yesterday, whether that resolution brings the troops under a U.N. mandate with a reporting back to the Security Council, whether that's sufficient for the French remains to be seen -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, Jim Bittermann in Paris, thank you very much.

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 4, 2003 - 06:32   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: In Washington, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell is working the phones, trying to gain support for a proposed U.N. resolution adding -- or requesting the addition of more international troops in Iraq under U.S. command.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: Certainly the United States will continue to play a dominant role, a dominant political role through the work of Ambassador Bremer and his coalition colleagues, and a dominant role because of the size of the U.S. force presence that is there and the leadership we are providing to the effort. But a dominant role doesn't mean the only role.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: The French have been strong critics of the U.S.-led war in Iraq.

Let's get their take on Powell's new push for U.N. help. Our Jim Bittermann reports now from Paris.

Any early indicators -- Jim?

JIM BITTERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka. No, not really. We know that the resolution the United States is proposing has been handed over to the French ambassador. The ambassador has handed it over to his bosses at the Foreign Ministry here in Paris. And everybody is sort of looking at things.

We expect we might get some kind of indication of what the French position is this afternoon. President Jacques Chirac is having a meeting with Gerhard Schroeder, the German chancellor, in Dresden, Germany, today -- one of their regular meetings. And Iraq is going to be one of the subjects they're talking about. There is supposed to be a news conference about two and a half hours from now, and without doubt the subject will come up.

But we do know a little bit of what the French thinking is from what the U.N. ambassador said a couple of days ago, basically saying that any resolution that would involve more troops from -- any troops from the French or any kind of military commitment from the French or any involvement of the French would have to share authority and share information.

Now, Colin Powell yesterday said that the resolution that's been tabled would keep the U.S. in command, both politically and militarily, but that that command would report to the U.N. Security Council.

Now, whether or not that's enough to satisfy the French demands of sharing authority remains to be seen. We'll just have to wait and see what the president says later on this afternoon -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: So, sharing of authority and information. How about any of the French proposing a sharing of getting bids to help rebuild Iraq if it comes to that?

BITTERMANN: Well, I think all of those things are -- could be looked at down the line. But I think what really is in the French mind, and it has been for a year now -- in fact, it was one year and one day ago that French President Jacques Chirac set out the French policy, which has not changed. And that is basically that France believes the United Nations should be involved in the reconstruction of Iraq.

And there has been no rule-out of any possible commitment of French troops to Iraq if that responsibility for the troops is under a U.N. mandate, and France has maintained that position all along.

Now, whether this resolution that's been tabled yesterday, whether that resolution brings the troops under a U.N. mandate with a reporting back to the Security Council, whether that's sufficient for the French remains to be seen -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, Jim Bittermann in Paris, thank you very much.

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