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CNN Live At Daybreak
International Wrap, Eye on World
Aired September 09, 2003 - 06:38 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: Our senior international editor, David Clinch, is with us now to talk a little bit more about the international picture and what we're covering today.
DAVID CLINCH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Right. One of the very interesting things on the Iraq story that we've covering today in Cairo, the Arab League is meeting in Cairo today. They've been under huge pressure from the U.S. and others to give a member of the Iraqi Governing Council -- this is the U.S.-backed, basically the U.S.-created Governing Council that is being put in place to run Iraq -- the Arab League under pressure to give a member of that council a place on the Arab League, to basically sit in the Iraqi seat.
Well, they've been resisting that pressure, but apparently they've changed their minds. They did, in fact, give the man who has been named as the Iraqi foreign minister, they did give him a seat at the Arab League meeting in Cairo today. He took his seat. He addressed the meeting today, and he will get a full functional part of the Arab League for the Governing Council.
That's very encouraging news for the U.S. They hope eventually -- perhaps within the next few months -- that the same Governing Council will get a place at the U.N.; again, taking the vacated Iraqi seat at the U.N. That remains to be seen.
Now, there is one caveat, though. The foreign ministers -- the Arab foreign ministers meeting in Cairo, and now including this Iraqi foreign minister, one of the first things they're expected to do is issue a very strong statement calling, again, for a strict and very clear outline or timetable for American troops to get out of Iraq.
So, the irony is that he's been given the seat on the Arab League Council. He'll sit with the other Arab countries. But he, the Iraqi Governing Council member, may end up being part of a statement calling for the U.S. troops to put a timetable on when they'll get out.
WHITFIELD: Well, there had been a lot of criticism in the Arab community about the whole Iraqi Governing Council, not liking it. So, this kind of endorsement for this minister, does that sort of warm up to an endorsement of the entire Iraqi Governing Council now, too?
CLINCH: Yes. I think it's good news/bad news. I think it definitely gives the impression that the Arab countries -- and this reflects on what Richard Roth was talking about, the European countries warming up to the idea that maybe they all do need to go to Geneva, meet with Colin Powell at the weekend and actually thrash this out and get a U.N. resolution; the Arabs thinking the same thing. We just can't afford to be negative. They need to include the Governing Council. They need to be positive and include it.
But the Governing Council itself is being very critical of the U.S. actions, at least some of them are. And this member -- the foreign member will take a seat on the Arab League and take part in a critical statement, saying that the U.S. needs to put a timetable on when it will get out of Iraq. So, it's good news/bad news.
WHITFIELD: All right, very good. David Clinch, thanks very much.
CLINCH: OK.
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 9, 2003 - 06:38 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Our senior international editor, David Clinch, is with us now to talk a little bit more about the international picture and what we're covering today.
DAVID CLINCH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Right. One of the very interesting things on the Iraq story that we've covering today in Cairo, the Arab League is meeting in Cairo today. They've been under huge pressure from the U.S. and others to give a member of the Iraqi Governing Council -- this is the U.S.-backed, basically the U.S.-created Governing Council that is being put in place to run Iraq -- the Arab League under pressure to give a member of that council a place on the Arab League, to basically sit in the Iraqi seat.
Well, they've been resisting that pressure, but apparently they've changed their minds. They did, in fact, give the man who has been named as the Iraqi foreign minister, they did give him a seat at the Arab League meeting in Cairo today. He took his seat. He addressed the meeting today, and he will get a full functional part of the Arab League for the Governing Council.
That's very encouraging news for the U.S. They hope eventually -- perhaps within the next few months -- that the same Governing Council will get a place at the U.N.; again, taking the vacated Iraqi seat at the U.N. That remains to be seen.
Now, there is one caveat, though. The foreign ministers -- the Arab foreign ministers meeting in Cairo, and now including this Iraqi foreign minister, one of the first things they're expected to do is issue a very strong statement calling, again, for a strict and very clear outline or timetable for American troops to get out of Iraq.
So, the irony is that he's been given the seat on the Arab League Council. He'll sit with the other Arab countries. But he, the Iraqi Governing Council member, may end up being part of a statement calling for the U.S. troops to put a timetable on when they'll get out.
WHITFIELD: Well, there had been a lot of criticism in the Arab community about the whole Iraqi Governing Council, not liking it. So, this kind of endorsement for this minister, does that sort of warm up to an endorsement of the entire Iraqi Governing Council now, too?
CLINCH: Yes. I think it's good news/bad news. I think it definitely gives the impression that the Arab countries -- and this reflects on what Richard Roth was talking about, the European countries warming up to the idea that maybe they all do need to go to Geneva, meet with Colin Powell at the weekend and actually thrash this out and get a U.N. resolution; the Arabs thinking the same thing. We just can't afford to be negative. They need to include the Governing Council. They need to be positive and include it.
But the Governing Council itself is being very critical of the U.S. actions, at least some of them are. And this member -- the foreign member will take a seat on the Arab League and take part in a critical statement, saying that the U.S. needs to put a timetable on when it will get out of Iraq. So, it's good news/bad news.
WHITFIELD: All right, very good. David Clinch, thanks very much.
CLINCH: OK.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
