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Senate Holds Second Day of Hearings on President Bush's $87 Billion Request
Aired September 23, 2003 - 08:06 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: The Senate today holds a second day of hearings on President Bush's request, $87 billion request for Iraq and Afghanistan. $20 billion would be earmarked for reconstruction in Baghdad and U.S. administrator Paul Bremer terrifying yesterday that if the U.S. turns its back on Iraq now, it will leave Iraqis to a future of danger and deprivation.
How critical is the money and could it be used to make Iraq safer?
Josh Mandel forecasts political and security risks in the Middle East for Control Risk Group.
He joins us live from London.
Security is the primary issue throughout that country. How do you make it safer now, Josh?
JOSH MANDEL, MIDDLE EAST ANALYST, CONTROL RISKS GROUP: Well, clearly, security is a very big issue and I think many of the problems that we've had in security over the past few months have come from really a lack of preparation and a lack of understanding about what it would take to pacify Iraq and stabilize it.
Really, there seems to be two possible options for the future. Certainly, the United States will be seeking additional international troops from India, Pakistan, Turkey, other countries, a greater multinational force to help to stabilize the situation.
Another option which leaders of the Iraqi Governing Council are pushing for is a greater Iraqi role in security, for the militias attached to various Iraqi factions to take over a lot of the front line security duties from U.S. troops. Of course, though, that would raise the question of whether these militias could operate together without descending into warlordism or factional fighting.
HEMMER: I mentioned Paul Bremer. Listen to part of his speech from yesterday. I want to listen to the very last phrase that he uses here, because I want to try and get a better definition of what he's trying to express.
Paul Bremer from D.C. yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
L. PAUL BREMER, U.S./IRAQ RECONSTRUCTION ADMINISTRATOR: Security is the first and indispensable element of the president's plan for Iraq. It is not, however, by itself, sufficient to ensure success, because a security system resting only on arms is a security system that will fail. Recreating Iraq as a nation at peace with itself and with the world, an Iraq that terrorists will flee rather than flock to, requires more than people with guns.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: More than people with guns. What does he mean by that?
MANDEL: Well, I think, you know, there is a perception amongst the Iraqi public that, you know, they're under a foreign military occupation. They see American troops with guns patrolling Baghdad and other cities in the center and north of the country. And this inevitably creates nationalist feelings of resentment and hostility.
So I think, so what Mr. Bremer is talking about is building a consensual security system in which the Iraqi population feels they have a stake and they are participating, and not one which they feel is being imposed on them from Washington.
HEMMER: Josh Mandel from London, thank you very much for sharing your thoughts with us today.
And it's an issue that needs some time. We can all see that every day.
Thanks, Josh.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
$87 Billion Request>
Aired September 23, 2003 - 08:06 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: The Senate today holds a second day of hearings on President Bush's request, $87 billion request for Iraq and Afghanistan. $20 billion would be earmarked for reconstruction in Baghdad and U.S. administrator Paul Bremer terrifying yesterday that if the U.S. turns its back on Iraq now, it will leave Iraqis to a future of danger and deprivation.
How critical is the money and could it be used to make Iraq safer?
Josh Mandel forecasts political and security risks in the Middle East for Control Risk Group.
He joins us live from London.
Security is the primary issue throughout that country. How do you make it safer now, Josh?
JOSH MANDEL, MIDDLE EAST ANALYST, CONTROL RISKS GROUP: Well, clearly, security is a very big issue and I think many of the problems that we've had in security over the past few months have come from really a lack of preparation and a lack of understanding about what it would take to pacify Iraq and stabilize it.
Really, there seems to be two possible options for the future. Certainly, the United States will be seeking additional international troops from India, Pakistan, Turkey, other countries, a greater multinational force to help to stabilize the situation.
Another option which leaders of the Iraqi Governing Council are pushing for is a greater Iraqi role in security, for the militias attached to various Iraqi factions to take over a lot of the front line security duties from U.S. troops. Of course, though, that would raise the question of whether these militias could operate together without descending into warlordism or factional fighting.
HEMMER: I mentioned Paul Bremer. Listen to part of his speech from yesterday. I want to listen to the very last phrase that he uses here, because I want to try and get a better definition of what he's trying to express.
Paul Bremer from D.C. yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
L. PAUL BREMER, U.S./IRAQ RECONSTRUCTION ADMINISTRATOR: Security is the first and indispensable element of the president's plan for Iraq. It is not, however, by itself, sufficient to ensure success, because a security system resting only on arms is a security system that will fail. Recreating Iraq as a nation at peace with itself and with the world, an Iraq that terrorists will flee rather than flock to, requires more than people with guns.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: More than people with guns. What does he mean by that?
MANDEL: Well, I think, you know, there is a perception amongst the Iraqi public that, you know, they're under a foreign military occupation. They see American troops with guns patrolling Baghdad and other cities in the center and north of the country. And this inevitably creates nationalist feelings of resentment and hostility.
So I think, so what Mr. Bremer is talking about is building a consensual security system in which the Iraqi population feels they have a stake and they are participating, and not one which they feel is being imposed on them from Washington.
HEMMER: Josh Mandel from London, thank you very much for sharing your thoughts with us today.
And it's an issue that needs some time. We can all see that every day.
Thanks, Josh.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
$87 Billion Request>
