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CNN Live At Daybreak
Donors Conference in Madrid
Aired October 23, 2003 - 05:13 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 COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Halfway around the world, in Madrid, Spain, a rather interesting scenario. The U.S. asking for help to rebuild Iraq. The richest nation on Earth with its hand held out.
To our Al Goodman now at the donors conference in Madrid -- how is it going for the United States, Al?
AL GOODMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, so far there's not fresh cash on the table. That's supposed to happen between today and tomorrow. The conference is officially kicked off, done so by U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, who said this is a day of hope for Iraq and he said this conference will send a signal that the world is ready to help rebuild Iraq. And then he made a very direct appeal for money.
Let's hear how he put it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KOFI ANNAN, U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL: I appeal to donors to give and give generously and for those contributions to be provided in addition to existing commitments. One ought not to take resources earmarked for major emergencies elsewhere and shift them to Iraq.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOODMAN: Now, the United Nations and the World Bank have an estimate that $35 billion or $36 billion is needed for Iraq from now through the year 2007. The United States has a slightly higher estimate. They don't expect to get all of that money here, Carol, but here's how Kofi Annan put his definition of success for the delegates here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANNAN: Success depends not only on the availability of resources, but also on a number of factors. First and foremost is security. This will be the primary constraint both now and into the foreseeable future.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOODMAN: So, Carol, it's hard -- and what he's referring to, apparently, is it's very hard for nations and international investors to put money into Iraq if it's such an insecure environment -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Well, that doesn't bode well for the United States. I know of many -- among the donors there -- France, Germany, Russia, Arab nations -- who has ponied up the most money?
GOODMAN: All right, well, that's an easy one. So far, in terms of hard cash, which is what the Iraqis say they need, Japan is leading the pack. They put up a -- they pledged $1.5 billion last week to give a kind of a good boost. Now, some of the European countries, Spain, the host country, $300 million; Canada is at about $300 million, I believe; and the European Union at about slightly over $200 million. But we're waiting to see -- France and Germany actually are saying they're not going to put up fresh money here and they've sent lower level delegations to this. We're waiting to see what the Gulf States are going to do -- Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar. Australia is here. There are still some major players that have to be heard from -- Carol.
COSTELLO: That's not a lot of money, the money you just showed us, because, what, the United States is putting up $20 billion?
GOODMAN: Well, indeed, and actually there's two funds. Most of the money, all of the money the United States has been putting up has been going into a fund that's run basically by -- Washington is having a very big say in how that money is being spent. What they're trying to do at this conference is internationalize it and create a different fund that would be run by the United Nations and the World Bank. That's where they're trying to get all of these countries that have been a little more reticent, that maybe weren't part of the coalition of the willing in terms of the war, to put money into this other fund, which will be managed not by Washington, but by these international agencies -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Al Goodman, many thanks.
We'll get back to you throughout the hour on DAYBREAK.
For a who's who at this donors conference and more on Iraq, click onto our Web site, cnn.com/world, AOL keyword, of course, CNN.
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 23, 2003 - 05:13 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Halfway around the world, in Madrid, Spain, a rather interesting scenario. The U.S. asking for help to rebuild Iraq. The richest nation on Earth with its hand held out.
To our Al Goodman now at the donors conference in Madrid -- how is it going for the United States, Al?
AL GOODMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, so far there's not fresh cash on the table. That's supposed to happen between today and tomorrow. The conference is officially kicked off, done so by U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, who said this is a day of hope for Iraq and he said this conference will send a signal that the world is ready to help rebuild Iraq. And then he made a very direct appeal for money.
Let's hear how he put it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KOFI ANNAN, U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL: I appeal to donors to give and give generously and for those contributions to be provided in addition to existing commitments. One ought not to take resources earmarked for major emergencies elsewhere and shift them to Iraq.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOODMAN: Now, the United Nations and the World Bank have an estimate that $35 billion or $36 billion is needed for Iraq from now through the year 2007. The United States has a slightly higher estimate. They don't expect to get all of that money here, Carol, but here's how Kofi Annan put his definition of success for the delegates here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANNAN: Success depends not only on the availability of resources, but also on a number of factors. First and foremost is security. This will be the primary constraint both now and into the foreseeable future.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOODMAN: So, Carol, it's hard -- and what he's referring to, apparently, is it's very hard for nations and international investors to put money into Iraq if it's such an insecure environment -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Well, that doesn't bode well for the United States. I know of many -- among the donors there -- France, Germany, Russia, Arab nations -- who has ponied up the most money?
GOODMAN: All right, well, that's an easy one. So far, in terms of hard cash, which is what the Iraqis say they need, Japan is leading the pack. They put up a -- they pledged $1.5 billion last week to give a kind of a good boost. Now, some of the European countries, Spain, the host country, $300 million; Canada is at about $300 million, I believe; and the European Union at about slightly over $200 million. But we're waiting to see -- France and Germany actually are saying they're not going to put up fresh money here and they've sent lower level delegations to this. We're waiting to see what the Gulf States are going to do -- Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar. Australia is here. There are still some major players that have to be heard from -- Carol.
COSTELLO: That's not a lot of money, the money you just showed us, because, what, the United States is putting up $20 billion?
GOODMAN: Well, indeed, and actually there's two funds. Most of the money, all of the money the United States has been putting up has been going into a fund that's run basically by -- Washington is having a very big say in how that money is being spent. What they're trying to do at this conference is internationalize it and create a different fund that would be run by the United Nations and the World Bank. That's where they're trying to get all of these countries that have been a little more reticent, that maybe weren't part of the coalition of the willing in terms of the war, to put money into this other fund, which will be managed not by Washington, but by these international agencies -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Al Goodman, many thanks.
We'll get back to you throughout the hour on DAYBREAK.
For a who's who at this donors conference and more on Iraq, click onto our Web site, cnn.com/world, AOL keyword, of course, CNN.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
