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U.N. Security Council Due to Convene in Emergency Session

Aired February 26, 2004 - 10:01   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.


HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: We begin, though, this hour with the deepening crisis in Haiti. The U.N. Security Council is due to convene in emergency session now. One immediate concern is re- establishing some level of lawful security. But doing that may cost president Aristide his job. France is now calling for his immediate resignation.
CNN's senior U.N. correspondent Richard Roth has the very latest from the United Nations.

And as we've been saying Richard, two stories out of the U.N. today. Haiti and the accusations. Also that the British may have spied on Kofi Annan before the start of the Iraq War.

Let's go ahead and begin, if we could, with Haiti.

RICHARD ROTH, CNN SR. U.N. CORRESPONDENT: On Haiti, the U.N. Security Council is probably going to discuss today no votes, but it's a chance for airing of deep concerns especially from the Caribbean nations. This is a so-called urgent meeting requested by the Jamaican ambassador regarding the deterioration in Haiti.

Yesterday the Security Council condemned the violence, and called on the opposition members in Haiti to come to an agreement with the Aristide government. And it also called in a statement for renouncing of all violence. The Security Council will have speeches later this afternoon after morning consultations -- Heidi.

COLLINS: All right, Richard. Let's go ahead and get to the other story now out of the U.N. The possibility that the British may have spied on or bugged Kofi Annan's office. British Prime Minister Tony Blair did respond. Let's go ahead and listen to what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: We act in accordance with domestic and international law. And we act in the best interest of this country. And our security services are a vital part of the protection of this country. So I'm not going to comment on their operations. Not directly, not indirectly. That should not be taken, as I say, as any indication about the truth of any particular allegations. And I think the fact that those allegations were made, I think is deeply irresponsible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Richard, he commented but he didn't comment.

ROTH: That's correct. Tony Blair is talking about Claire Short, former minister of Development for Britain, who said in a BBC Radio interview, that she read transcripts of conversations that Secretary- General Kofi Annan had. So far, the United States' mission to the U.N. saying in effect this is a British matter. We don't comment on intelligence matters. The United Nations spokesman issuing no comment for now. Legal affairs is looking into it. Yesterday, I asked the U.N. spokesman about the possibility of spying inside the U.N. There really was no comment. The London "Observer" newspaper a year ago said the U.S. spied on six nations on the Security Council. That the U.S. was very interested in how they were voting on Iraq.

All of this because a former translator in the U.K. communications division, leaked a memo to the London "Observer" newspaper, saying that indeed spying was going on. This week the case against that British translator was dropped in -- by the prosecutors in Britain.

Heidi, back to you.

COLLINS: Senior U.N. correspondent Richard Roth.

Richard, thanks so much.

And with tensions threatening to boil over, some Haitians are ready to leave any way they can, which usually means by boat. And President Bush warns that those who reach the U.S. will be turned back. But for desperate people, it is a risk they may be willing to take.

CNN's Lucia Newman has the report now from the Haitian city of San Marc.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LUCIA NEWMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Having faced almost no resistance in northern Haiti, heavily armed insurgents vowed to take the capital within days. This as the peaceful opposition says the only way to prevent a blood bath now, is for the world to convince president Aristide to go.

CHARLES BAKER, OPPOSITION LEADER: Believe that it is absolutely necessary for the international community to accompany the country in its quest for a mechanism that will allow for a timely and orderly departure of Mr. Jean Bertrand Aristide.

NEWMAN: Along the road to San Marc this boat maker is working at a fast pace.

(on camera): These are the boats Haitians use to leave this country. The same ones that President Aristide is warning will be used to transport a mass exodus of Haitians to the United States, unless the international community sends in help to stop the rebellion. The boat maker says the violence worsens; he'll start building bigger boats for people to go to Florida. "People say they'd rather take their chances at sea," he says.

(voice-over): As tension escalates opposition leaders say Aristide thugs have attacked their property, including this car dealership. And an attempt to evacuate all nonessential U.N. personnel and their families was thwarted by aggressive government supporters.

NICHOLAS MARIN, U.N. SECURITY CHIEF: There's several roadblocks in town, which makes access to the airport extremely dangerous.

NEWMAN: The opposition is betting armed supporters and opponents of the president will put down their weapons and embrace democracy, if and when Aristide goes. But, Haiti has a long history of plans for democracy going wrong.

Lucia Newman, CNN, San Marc, Haiti.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Some Haitians are already trying to flee the unrest. The Coast Guard has intercepted at least two ships; one was just a few miles off the coast of Florida.

CNN's John Zarrella has that part of the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Immigrations and Customs enforcement agents along with the Coast Guard, and the FBI remain on board the Margot this morning, trying to determine what happened back on the 22 of this month. Apparently, some 17 Haitians commandeered the vessel at a port in Haiti, brought the vessel, forced the captain to bring the vessel to Miami. About 4:00 yesterday afternoon, the captain of the Margot was able to contact the Coast Guard, saying that armed men had forced him to come to Miami. The boat stopped off the coast between 5 and 10 miles. The armed men agreed to put down their weapons and to hand those weapons over the side in a bag; they were picked up by Coast Guard officials. Turned out they had three shot guns and one handgun.

Now, after that happened about 7:00 Eastern Time last night, federal agents went on board to secure the boat, and to begin the investigation as to who these people were, and whether they might have any asylum claims here in the United States. At this point the investigation is continuing.

It remains unclear what will happen to the 17 Haitians, whether they will be turned around and sent back to Haiti before they ever set foot on the United States soil. Or if they will be brought in to the United States and charged with federal hijacking. Or a third possibility, they could possibly actually have amnesty claims and asylum claims that would have to be heard here in the U.S. ports.

John Zarrella, CNN, Miami.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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 February 26, 2004 - 10:01   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: We begin, though, this hour with the deepening crisis in Haiti. The U.N. Security Council is due to convene in emergency session now. One immediate concern is re- establishing some level of lawful security. But doing that may cost president Aristide his job. France is now calling for his immediate resignation.
CNN's senior U.N. correspondent Richard Roth has the very latest from the United Nations.

And as we've been saying Richard, two stories out of the U.N. today. Haiti and the accusations. Also that the British may have spied on Kofi Annan before the start of the Iraq War.

Let's go ahead and begin, if we could, with Haiti.

RICHARD ROTH, CNN SR. U.N. CORRESPONDENT: On Haiti, the U.N. Security Council is probably going to discuss today no votes, but it's a chance for airing of deep concerns especially from the Caribbean nations. This is a so-called urgent meeting requested by the Jamaican ambassador regarding the deterioration in Haiti.

Yesterday the Security Council condemned the violence, and called on the opposition members in Haiti to come to an agreement with the Aristide government. And it also called in a statement for renouncing of all violence. The Security Council will have speeches later this afternoon after morning consultations -- Heidi.

COLLINS: All right, Richard. Let's go ahead and get to the other story now out of the U.N. The possibility that the British may have spied on or bugged Kofi Annan's office. British Prime Minister Tony Blair did respond. Let's go ahead and listen to what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: We act in accordance with domestic and international law. And we act in the best interest of this country. And our security services are a vital part of the protection of this country. So I'm not going to comment on their operations. Not directly, not indirectly. That should not be taken, as I say, as any indication about the truth of any particular allegations. And I think the fact that those allegations were made, I think is deeply irresponsible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Richard, he commented but he didn't comment.

ROTH: That's correct. Tony Blair is talking about Claire Short, former minister of Development for Britain, who said in a BBC Radio interview, that she read transcripts of conversations that Secretary- General Kofi Annan had. So far, the United States' mission to the U.N. saying in effect this is a British matter. We don't comment on intelligence matters. The United Nations spokesman issuing no comment for now. Legal affairs is looking into it. Yesterday, I asked the U.N. spokesman about the possibility of spying inside the U.N. There really was no comment. The London "Observer" newspaper a year ago said the U.S. spied on six nations on the Security Council. That the U.S. was very interested in how they were voting on Iraq.

All of this because a former translator in the U.K. communications division, leaked a memo to the London "Observer" newspaper, saying that indeed spying was going on. This week the case against that British translator was dropped in -- by the prosecutors in Britain.

Heidi, back to you.

COLLINS: Senior U.N. correspondent Richard Roth.

Richard, thanks so much.

And with tensions threatening to boil over, some Haitians are ready to leave any way they can, which usually means by boat. And President Bush warns that those who reach the U.S. will be turned back. But for desperate people, it is a risk they may be willing to take.

CNN's Lucia Newman has the report now from the Haitian city of San Marc.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LUCIA NEWMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Having faced almost no resistance in northern Haiti, heavily armed insurgents vowed to take the capital within days. This as the peaceful opposition says the only way to prevent a blood bath now, is for the world to convince president Aristide to go.

CHARLES BAKER, OPPOSITION LEADER: Believe that it is absolutely necessary for the international community to accompany the country in its quest for a mechanism that will allow for a timely and orderly departure of Mr. Jean Bertrand Aristide.

NEWMAN: Along the road to San Marc this boat maker is working at a fast pace.

(on camera): These are the boats Haitians use to leave this country. The same ones that President Aristide is warning will be used to transport a mass exodus of Haitians to the United States, unless the international community sends in help to stop the rebellion. The boat maker says the violence worsens; he'll start building bigger boats for people to go to Florida. "People say they'd rather take their chances at sea," he says.

(voice-over): As tension escalates opposition leaders say Aristide thugs have attacked their property, including this car dealership. And an attempt to evacuate all nonessential U.N. personnel and their families was thwarted by aggressive government supporters.

NICHOLAS MARIN, U.N. SECURITY CHIEF: There's several roadblocks in town, which makes access to the airport extremely dangerous.

NEWMAN: The opposition is betting armed supporters and opponents of the president will put down their weapons and embrace democracy, if and when Aristide goes. But, Haiti has a long history of plans for democracy going wrong.

Lucia Newman, CNN, San Marc, Haiti.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Some Haitians are already trying to flee the unrest. The Coast Guard has intercepted at least two ships; one was just a few miles off the coast of Florida.

CNN's John Zarrella has that part of the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Immigrations and Customs enforcement agents along with the Coast Guard, and the FBI remain on board the Margot this morning, trying to determine what happened back on the 22 of this month. Apparently, some 17 Haitians commandeered the vessel at a port in Haiti, brought the vessel, forced the captain to bring the vessel to Miami. About 4:00 yesterday afternoon, the captain of the Margot was able to contact the Coast Guard, saying that armed men had forced him to come to Miami. The boat stopped off the coast between 5 and 10 miles. The armed men agreed to put down their weapons and to hand those weapons over the side in a bag; they were picked up by Coast Guard officials. Turned out they had three shot guns and one handgun.

Now, after that happened about 7:00 Eastern Time last night, federal agents went on board to secure the boat, and to begin the investigation as to who these people were, and whether they might have any asylum claims here in the United States. At this point the investigation is continuing.

It remains unclear what will happen to the 17 Haitians, whether they will be turned around and sent back to Haiti before they ever set foot on the United States soil. Or if they will be brought in to the United States and charged with federal hijacking. Or a third possibility, they could possibly actually have amnesty claims and asylum claims that would have to be heard here in the U.S. ports.

John Zarrella, CNN, Miami.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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