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CNN Live Sunday

Another U.S. Soldier Killed in Iraq

Aired September 14, 2003 - 11:04   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.


HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: One day after key U.N. talks on stabilizing Iraq wrapped up in Geneva with no agreement, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell is visiting Iraq for the first time. As Powell landed in Baghdad, more troubling news. Attackers killed another American soldier.
CNN White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux is keeping track of these latest developments. Suzanne, hello, once again.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Heidi. President Bush and his aides are really trying to convince the American people that they have a clear strategy inside of Iraq. They say that it is about meeting three goals, to fight the terrorists, to also enlist international support, but also to try to transfer authority back to the Iraqi people as quickly as possible.

Now, as you know, Secretary Powell has a very busy weekend. It was just yesterday that he was in Geneva meeting with his counterparts on the U.N. Security Council, those five permanent members, trying to come up with a U.N. Security Council resolution to everyone's liking, essentially trying to accomplish two things. First of all, to expand U.N. authority over Iraq and secondly to try to allow Iraqi's control -- ensure control of their country as quickly as possible.

The sticking point here is the timetable. France is saying it should be done within a month or so. Secretary Powell saying that that was totally unrealistic. Secretary Powell is now in Iraq today, coming from Kuwait. That's where he's going to be meeting with U.S. officials, as well as Iraqi local officials, to talk about the progress of reconstruction. And he spoke to our own Wolf Blitzer earlier this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COLIN POWELL, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: The last thing we want to do is to set up the Iraqis to fail. They need time to bring their ministries up to speed, to man them, to start functioning. They need time to write a constitution. They need time after that constitution is written and ratified to hold elections. We want to turn the government over from us to the Iraqi people, but with an Iraqi leadership that has been elected by the people, not just a group of individuals who have been appointed. And I think that's the flaw in the French plan.

(END VIDEO CLIP) MALVEAUX: So the whole business that they will approve the U.S. plan, and really the strategy now is to hit all of those U.N. Security Council members, not just the permanent five, but all 15 of them. Also, of course, to try to press France not to use its veto power against a resolution, and finally Heidi, the president is going to take his plan, he's going to take that resolution before the U.N. General Assembly September 24. The big question is whether or not this administration is going to be more successful this time around in winning international support than it did last time.

COLLINS: And Suzanne, quickly, you did just mention France's veto power. How concerned is the administration about the French? They have no military fighting in Iraq, but they do have that veto power.

MALVEAUX: They do. And so far France has pretty much held back. They have not used the "v" word; they have not even threatened using their veto power. There is some sense of optimism on both sides that they can work through this language, but, again, it is not up to just those permanent five, it's up to the 15, and of course, France could always abstain, which is another possibility.

COLLINS: All right. CNN White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux, thanks so 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



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Aired September 14, 2003 - 11:04   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: One day after key U.N. talks on stabilizing Iraq wrapped up in Geneva with no agreement, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell is visiting Iraq for the first time. As Powell landed in Baghdad, more troubling news. Attackers killed another American soldier.
CNN White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux is keeping track of these latest developments. Suzanne, hello, once again.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Heidi. President Bush and his aides are really trying to convince the American people that they have a clear strategy inside of Iraq. They say that it is about meeting three goals, to fight the terrorists, to also enlist international support, but also to try to transfer authority back to the Iraqi people as quickly as possible.

Now, as you know, Secretary Powell has a very busy weekend. It was just yesterday that he was in Geneva meeting with his counterparts on the U.N. Security Council, those five permanent members, trying to come up with a U.N. Security Council resolution to everyone's liking, essentially trying to accomplish two things. First of all, to expand U.N. authority over Iraq and secondly to try to allow Iraqi's control -- ensure control of their country as quickly as possible.

The sticking point here is the timetable. France is saying it should be done within a month or so. Secretary Powell saying that that was totally unrealistic. Secretary Powell is now in Iraq today, coming from Kuwait. That's where he's going to be meeting with U.S. officials, as well as Iraqi local officials, to talk about the progress of reconstruction. And he spoke to our own Wolf Blitzer earlier this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COLIN POWELL, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: The last thing we want to do is to set up the Iraqis to fail. They need time to bring their ministries up to speed, to man them, to start functioning. They need time to write a constitution. They need time after that constitution is written and ratified to hold elections. We want to turn the government over from us to the Iraqi people, but with an Iraqi leadership that has been elected by the people, not just a group of individuals who have been appointed. And I think that's the flaw in the French plan.

(END VIDEO CLIP) MALVEAUX: So the whole business that they will approve the U.S. plan, and really the strategy now is to hit all of those U.N. Security Council members, not just the permanent five, but all 15 of them. Also, of course, to try to press France not to use its veto power against a resolution, and finally Heidi, the president is going to take his plan, he's going to take that resolution before the U.N. General Assembly September 24. The big question is whether or not this administration is going to be more successful this time around in winning international support than it did last time.

COLLINS: And Suzanne, quickly, you did just mention France's veto power. How concerned is the administration about the French? They have no military fighting in Iraq, but they do have that veto power.

MALVEAUX: They do. And so far France has pretty much held back. They have not used the "v" word; they have not even threatened using their veto power. There is some sense of optimism on both sides that they can work through this language, but, again, it is not up to just those permanent five, it's up to the 15, and of course, France could always abstain, which is another possibility.

COLLINS: All right. CNN White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux, thanks so 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



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