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CNN Live At Daybreak
'International News Desk'
Aired January 26, 2004 - 05:32 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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Well, talk about Iraqi elections and controversial statements about its weapons program top our international rap today.
Our senior international editor, David Clinch, joins us now.
A whole lot on tap.
DAVID CLINCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Good morning, Fredericka.
Yes, well, listening to John in Rome there and talking about Colin Powell being in Moscow today, there's an issue which neither of them really wanted to be talking about on their trip to Europe, and that's weapons of mass destruction. It's not an issue that had gone away completely, but certainly that had faded into the background.
The retiring, if you want to put it that way, U.S. weapons inspector David Kay made a comment on NPR in the last couple of days in which he said that the weapons do not exist. Now, that's taking, come at a little...
WHITFIELD: He says they'll never be found.
CLINCH: Well, yes. I mean that's taking both of those comments, though, somewhat out of context. He went out of his way to explain that there are still unanswered questions, that there is still a search continuing. But the effect of his comments, saying that the weapons do not exist, is lingering. Colin Powell and Dick Cheney both in Europe at the moment, facing questions on that. What does that mean? Does it mean they will never be found? And, if so, does that mean that we have to revisit again the whole question of the argument for war?
They, of course, both saying, the U.S. administration saying it's moved well beyond that, let's concentrate on the Iraqi elections, on the handover of power.
And on that subject, we're watching very closely today Kofi Annan, who's also in Europe today, in Sweden, I believe, expected to make an announcement, possibly as soon as today, but early this week, on the invitation from the U.S. and the Iraqi Governing Council to send a U.N. team back into Iraq to help with the hand over.
Still also pending a decision on the U.N. going back full-time into Iraq. That's a different question. But initially the question, a somewhat urgent question given the timing of the hand over of June of this year, to get a U.N. team back in there to help with that transition.
WHITFIELD: And Annan's concerns have been security.
CLINCH: Security. And...
WHITFIELD: Still unstable in Iraq.
CLINCH: Still. A very bloody weekend. We've just seen U.S. troops killed over the weekend, more violence during the day today. It's an issue which he's looking at. There is actually a team in Iraq at the moment on behalf of the U.N. looking into that question.
It is, nevertheless, expected in the general sense that the U.N. will go back in to help with this hand over, and, again, hand over and help, it's not just the logistics, it's politics we're talking about. The Shiites and others still very much in disagreement with the U.S. about how this hand over and elections should take place.
WHITFIELD: OK, and on a lighter note...
CLINCH: So, we're watching all of those things.
Yes, on a much lighter note, I should say, Dick Cheney is going to meet with the pope tomorrow in Rome. We'll be watching that. He did not attend an event yesterday at the Vatican where the pope got to see an example of break dancing. Now, I'm not sure if this was the first time he'd ever seen break dancing. These are some polish break dancers, from his homeland, of course, performing for him at the Vatican yesterday, apparently approving, he waived very generously to each and every performer after they finished so.
WHITFIELD: Ouch.
CLINCH: And, again, that is definitely not...
WHITFIELD: That was pretty good.
CLINCH: ... Dick Cheney. That will be tomorrow that he meets with the people.
WHITFIELD: Oh my gosh, a little upside down pirouette. Not bad.
CLINCH: So those, that's our picture of the day today.
WHITFIELD: All right, that's a good one, indeed.
CLINCH: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
WHITFIELD: Thanks for sharing that with us.
CLINCH: All right.
WHITFIELD: Good to see you, David.
CLINCH: See you later.
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 January 26, 2004 - 05:32 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Well, talk about Iraqi elections and controversial statements about its weapons program top our international rap today.
Our senior international editor, David Clinch, joins us now.
A whole lot on tap.
DAVID CLINCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Good morning, Fredericka.
Yes, well, listening to John in Rome there and talking about Colin Powell being in Moscow today, there's an issue which neither of them really wanted to be talking about on their trip to Europe, and that's weapons of mass destruction. It's not an issue that had gone away completely, but certainly that had faded into the background.
The retiring, if you want to put it that way, U.S. weapons inspector David Kay made a comment on NPR in the last couple of days in which he said that the weapons do not exist. Now, that's taking, come at a little...
WHITFIELD: He says they'll never be found.
CLINCH: Well, yes. I mean that's taking both of those comments, though, somewhat out of context. He went out of his way to explain that there are still unanswered questions, that there is still a search continuing. But the effect of his comments, saying that the weapons do not exist, is lingering. Colin Powell and Dick Cheney both in Europe at the moment, facing questions on that. What does that mean? Does it mean they will never be found? And, if so, does that mean that we have to revisit again the whole question of the argument for war?
They, of course, both saying, the U.S. administration saying it's moved well beyond that, let's concentrate on the Iraqi elections, on the handover of power.
And on that subject, we're watching very closely today Kofi Annan, who's also in Europe today, in Sweden, I believe, expected to make an announcement, possibly as soon as today, but early this week, on the invitation from the U.S. and the Iraqi Governing Council to send a U.N. team back into Iraq to help with the hand over.
Still also pending a decision on the U.N. going back full-time into Iraq. That's a different question. But initially the question, a somewhat urgent question given the timing of the hand over of June of this year, to get a U.N. team back in there to help with that transition.
WHITFIELD: And Annan's concerns have been security.
CLINCH: Security. And...
WHITFIELD: Still unstable in Iraq.
CLINCH: Still. A very bloody weekend. We've just seen U.S. troops killed over the weekend, more violence during the day today. It's an issue which he's looking at. There is actually a team in Iraq at the moment on behalf of the U.N. looking into that question.
It is, nevertheless, expected in the general sense that the U.N. will go back in to help with this hand over, and, again, hand over and help, it's not just the logistics, it's politics we're talking about. The Shiites and others still very much in disagreement with the U.S. about how this hand over and elections should take place.
WHITFIELD: OK, and on a lighter note...
CLINCH: So, we're watching all of those things.
Yes, on a much lighter note, I should say, Dick Cheney is going to meet with the pope tomorrow in Rome. We'll be watching that. He did not attend an event yesterday at the Vatican where the pope got to see an example of break dancing. Now, I'm not sure if this was the first time he'd ever seen break dancing. These are some polish break dancers, from his homeland, of course, performing for him at the Vatican yesterday, apparently approving, he waived very generously to each and every performer after they finished so.
WHITFIELD: Ouch.
CLINCH: And, again, that is definitely not...
WHITFIELD: That was pretty good.
CLINCH: ... Dick Cheney. That will be tomorrow that he meets with the people.
WHITFIELD: Oh my gosh, a little upside down pirouette. Not bad.
CLINCH: So those, that's our picture of the day today.
WHITFIELD: All right, that's a good one, indeed.
CLINCH: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
WHITFIELD: Thanks for sharing that with us.
CLINCH: All right.
WHITFIELD: Good to see you, David.
CLINCH: See you later.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
