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Calls for Tony Blair to Stay Away From Today's Remembrance Service
Aired October 10, 2003 - 05:33 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.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: British Prime Minister Tony Blair's public approval rating has taken a dive because of his support for the war in Iraq. In fact, there have been calls for him to stay away from today's remembrance service for the men and women killed there.
Our Diana Muriel is at the site of the ceremony and joins us live from London -- Diana, that's got to be a blow to the prime minister.
DIANA MURIEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, yes, and certainly there's been a lot of outspoken criticism about his attendance here. The families of those who died, the 51 British servicemen who died, have just been arriving here at St. Paul's Cathedral in central London. You can probably hear the bells ringing out from the cathedral.
The service will actually start in around half an hour, when Her Majesty, the queen, and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, will also be attending with senior members of the royal family, many of whom are expected to be wearing their military uniforms. Many of them head individual regiments of the British armed forces.
But Tony Blair will not be taking any active part in the service, Carol. He will simply be attending together with Geoff Hoon, the defense minister, who's been much criticized in recent weeks and months.
Speaking at the service, though, will be Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. He'll be reading from rather an unusual text, Carol, from Romans 8, where he will say, "If god is on our side, who is against us?"
And this very much reflects the mood of the service. It's very much a service of remembrance. I was speaking to the dean of St. Paul's earlier this morning and he told me that if there was anything other than a simple act of remembrance going on here today, if there was any hint of triumphalism, then there would probably be demonstrations against this service in central London today -- Carol.
LIN: All right, Diana Muriel, we'll be waiting for the service and your reporting there.
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
Service>
Aired October 10, 2003 - 05:33 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: British Prime Minister Tony Blair's public approval rating has taken a dive because of his support for the war in Iraq. In fact, there have been calls for him to stay away from today's remembrance service for the men and women killed there.
Our Diana Muriel is at the site of the ceremony and joins us live from London -- Diana, that's got to be a blow to the prime minister.
DIANA MURIEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, yes, and certainly there's been a lot of outspoken criticism about his attendance here. The families of those who died, the 51 British servicemen who died, have just been arriving here at St. Paul's Cathedral in central London. You can probably hear the bells ringing out from the cathedral.
The service will actually start in around half an hour, when Her Majesty, the queen, and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, will also be attending with senior members of the royal family, many of whom are expected to be wearing their military uniforms. Many of them head individual regiments of the British armed forces.
But Tony Blair will not be taking any active part in the service, Carol. He will simply be attending together with Geoff Hoon, the defense minister, who's been much criticized in recent weeks and months.
Speaking at the service, though, will be Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. He'll be reading from rather an unusual text, Carol, from Romans 8, where he will say, "If god is on our side, who is against us?"
And this very much reflects the mood of the service. It's very much a service of remembrance. I was speaking to the dean of St. Paul's earlier this morning and he told me that if there was anything other than a simple act of remembrance going on here today, if there was any hint of triumphalism, then there would probably be demonstrations against this service in central London today -- Carol.
LIN: All right, Diana Muriel, we'll be waiting for the service and your reporting there.
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
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