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American Morning

Interview With John Negroponte

Aired October 22, 2003 - 07:34   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.


SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: A two day Iraq donors conference begins tomorrow in Madrid. The U.S. is hoping to raise billions of dollars in pledges from 58 nations. National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice explained how urgently needed the money would be used.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: The thing to keep our focus on here is that all of this funding goes to the highest priority tasks of the Iraqi people in rebuilding their economy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: Joining me this morning, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. and this month's Security Council president, John Negroponte.

Good morning.

JOHN NEGROPONTE, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: Good morning.

O'BRIEN: Nice to see you, Ambassador.

The hope, of course, is to raise billions of dollars from these 58 nations that will be attending. What are the specific goals? Lay out for me what exactly you want.

NEGROPONTE: Well, the, it's 58 countries plus the international financial institutions, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, and they're going to be important, as well. The goal is to rebuild the Iraqi economy. It's been devastated by years of neglect and dictatorship and conflict. There are vital infrastructure needs, whether it's in the power or in the oil sectors. Security, which is also an indispensable element of economic development, also needs to be attended to. So there's a whole range of infrastructure needs which, in total over the next four or five years, are estimated at some $55 billion.

O'BRIEN: So $55 billion, do you have specific goals that you want particular countries to step up to, for example, France and Germany and Russia?

NEGROPONTE: Well, that's the overall assessment. As you know, there's a $20 billion package before our own Congress. The reminder we're hoping to acquire from the international community, as well, eventually, through Iraq's own contributions through increased revenues. But what's important at the moment is that the economy be jumpstarted because it's flat on its back. Unemployment is a serious problem. And it's just come through this extremely difficult period. So the most important thing is to get contributions quickly.

O'BRIEN: But you don't...

NEGROPONTE: A specific number, I would hesitate to say. We're right on the eve of the conference. It's going to take place over the next two days. Japan has already pledged a billion and a half dollars, Great Britain close to a billion. Many others have also indicated pledges. We're very encouraged by what's been said so far. But I think we'll just...

O'BRIEN: But you don't go in with a number that you'd like to see from specific countries?

NEGROPONTE: Well, I think we're very pleased with the contributions that have been announced so far and we find that very encouraging.

O'BRIEN: A U.N. resolution has passed, obviously, and many people characterized it as a victory for the White House. But then, very shortly afterward, we heard from both Germany and France that they thought it was a flawed resolution.

Does that, to some degree, undermine the victory?

NEGROPONTE: I don't think so. People will forget those explanatory comments. The vote was 15-0. A consensus resolution in the Security Council is no small matter. I think it was a strong signal of support to the people of Iraq. I think it shows that the international community is closing ranks behind Iraq in this post- conflict phase, no matter what people might have felt about the events leading up to the conflict. And I think it provides a basis for many countries to make contributions either in the security or in the economic area in the future.

O'BRIEN: The multi-donor fund has been described this way -- two arms, one will be administered by the World Bank, the other administrated by the U.N., all of that overseen by an international coordinating committee.

Some people say that just sounds like a lot of bureaucracy with another layer of bureaucracy on top of it.

You don't think that's fair?

NEGROPONTE: No, it's not fair, because I think there are going to be a variety of ways to give money. We already have a development fund for Iraq, which is where we intend to put all the oil revenues and all the money from frozen assets. This fund is being created under World Bank and U.N. auspices for those countries that feel comfortable giving money in that way. But countries are also free to give their money bilaterally or in any other way they wish. So I don't think there's anything constraining about the mechanism that's being created. It's really designed to facilitate donations by some countries.

O'BRIEN: Let's talk for just one moment about North Korea. We don't have a ton of time, but the U.S. proposal which offers North Korea, as you well know, the security assurances in exchange for Pyongyang basically shelving their nuclear program. This is what North Korea has said. They called the program, the offer, rather, "laughable," "not worth consideration." Those are quotes.

What's your reaction to that?

NEGROPONTE: Well, I think if I had a nickel for every outrageous statement that North Korea has made over the years on this subject, I'd be a rich man. I think what we've got to do is await the results. I think the important point is the president is committed to a multilateral diplomatic approach to this question and I think the countries of the region are vitally interested -- China, Japan, South Korea and Russia. And we want to work with them towards finding a diplomatic solution.

O'BRIEN: Ambassador John Negroponte, nice to have you this morning.

NEGROPONTE: Thank you.

O'BRIEN: Of course, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N.

Thanks for joining us.

NEGROPONTE: Thank you.

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 October 22, 2003 - 07:34   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: A two day Iraq donors conference begins tomorrow in Madrid. The U.S. is hoping to raise billions of dollars in pledges from 58 nations. National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice explained how urgently needed the money would be used.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: The thing to keep our focus on here is that all of this funding goes to the highest priority tasks of the Iraqi people in rebuilding their economy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: Joining me this morning, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. and this month's Security Council president, John Negroponte.

Good morning.

JOHN NEGROPONTE, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: Good morning.

O'BRIEN: Nice to see you, Ambassador.

The hope, of course, is to raise billions of dollars from these 58 nations that will be attending. What are the specific goals? Lay out for me what exactly you want.

NEGROPONTE: Well, the, it's 58 countries plus the international financial institutions, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, and they're going to be important, as well. The goal is to rebuild the Iraqi economy. It's been devastated by years of neglect and dictatorship and conflict. There are vital infrastructure needs, whether it's in the power or in the oil sectors. Security, which is also an indispensable element of economic development, also needs to be attended to. So there's a whole range of infrastructure needs which, in total over the next four or five years, are estimated at some $55 billion.

O'BRIEN: So $55 billion, do you have specific goals that you want particular countries to step up to, for example, France and Germany and Russia?

NEGROPONTE: Well, that's the overall assessment. As you know, there's a $20 billion package before our own Congress. The reminder we're hoping to acquire from the international community, as well, eventually, through Iraq's own contributions through increased revenues. But what's important at the moment is that the economy be jumpstarted because it's flat on its back. Unemployment is a serious problem. And it's just come through this extremely difficult period. So the most important thing is to get contributions quickly.

O'BRIEN: But you don't...

NEGROPONTE: A specific number, I would hesitate to say. We're right on the eve of the conference. It's going to take place over the next two days. Japan has already pledged a billion and a half dollars, Great Britain close to a billion. Many others have also indicated pledges. We're very encouraged by what's been said so far. But I think we'll just...

O'BRIEN: But you don't go in with a number that you'd like to see from specific countries?

NEGROPONTE: Well, I think we're very pleased with the contributions that have been announced so far and we find that very encouraging.

O'BRIEN: A U.N. resolution has passed, obviously, and many people characterized it as a victory for the White House. But then, very shortly afterward, we heard from both Germany and France that they thought it was a flawed resolution.

Does that, to some degree, undermine the victory?

NEGROPONTE: I don't think so. People will forget those explanatory comments. The vote was 15-0. A consensus resolution in the Security Council is no small matter. I think it was a strong signal of support to the people of Iraq. I think it shows that the international community is closing ranks behind Iraq in this post- conflict phase, no matter what people might have felt about the events leading up to the conflict. And I think it provides a basis for many countries to make contributions either in the security or in the economic area in the future.

O'BRIEN: The multi-donor fund has been described this way -- two arms, one will be administered by the World Bank, the other administrated by the U.N., all of that overseen by an international coordinating committee.

Some people say that just sounds like a lot of bureaucracy with another layer of bureaucracy on top of it.

You don't think that's fair?

NEGROPONTE: No, it's not fair, because I think there are going to be a variety of ways to give money. We already have a development fund for Iraq, which is where we intend to put all the oil revenues and all the money from frozen assets. This fund is being created under World Bank and U.N. auspices for those countries that feel comfortable giving money in that way. But countries are also free to give their money bilaterally or in any other way they wish. So I don't think there's anything constraining about the mechanism that's being created. It's really designed to facilitate donations by some countries.

O'BRIEN: Let's talk for just one moment about North Korea. We don't have a ton of time, but the U.S. proposal which offers North Korea, as you well know, the security assurances in exchange for Pyongyang basically shelving their nuclear program. This is what North Korea has said. They called the program, the offer, rather, "laughable," "not worth consideration." Those are quotes.

What's your reaction to that?

NEGROPONTE: Well, I think if I had a nickel for every outrageous statement that North Korea has made over the years on this subject, I'd be a rich man. I think what we've got to do is await the results. I think the important point is the president is committed to a multilateral diplomatic approach to this question and I think the countries of the region are vitally interested -- China, Japan, South Korea and Russia. And we want to work with them towards finding a diplomatic solution.

O'BRIEN: Ambassador John Negroponte, nice to have you this morning.

NEGROPONTE: Thank you.

O'BRIEN: Of course, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N.

Thanks for joining us.

NEGROPONTE: Thank you.

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