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CNN Live Saturday

Middle Eastern Foreign Ministers Meet in Istanbul

Aired January 25, 2003 - 18:39   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: The foreign ministers of six countries in Iraq's neighborhood are pleading for a peaceful solution to the weapons crisis. The officials from Turkey, Syria, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Iran are meeting in Istanbul, and that is where we find CNN's Baghdad bureau chief Jane Arraf.
Jane, a lot of interesting reaction coming out of this meeting, but first I want to find out if you were surprised at the positions that these foreign ministers took on this conflict.

JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Well, Carol, these things are always both predictable and unpredictable. Predictable in the sense that generally what we get is some discussion, some debates on disagreements behind the scenes about the role of the United States, the role of Israel, whether to mention them. But finally what came out really was a very pointed warning to Iraq.

So it was a bit of a surprise in that sense because clearly, Iraq's neighbors, the countries that would be the most affected by any war and the aftermath of the war are putting the responsibility on Iraq, to comply more with weapons resolutions, to cooperate more with the U.N. At the same time, though, there was an implicit warning to the United States that it really does have to work with the United Nations or these countries just couldn't get on board -- Carol.

LIN: Did the foreign ministers talk at all about Saddam Hussein in exile, any other solution other than going to war?

ARRAF: Well that is the most interesting topic, perhaps, but they were very clear that that was not on the agenda, and they're probably telling the truth. It was a very short meeting, and what they really wanted to do was send a message to Iraq, to the United States, and to their own people because a lot of the populations in these countries surrounding Iraq are very anti-war. Now that doesn't mean that exile isn't on people's minds, but you've got to remember that these are Iraq's neighbors. These were five of the six Iraqi neighbors, and these are the people who know Saddam Hussein best.

None of them believe that he would go into exile. To that extent, it's kind of a non-starter. Now as for the other report that they're thinking of trying to foster a coup, the recent newspaper reports that Saudi Arabia was doing so. Of course, there's strenuously denying that. Egypt's foreign minister, for instance, said in a quite indignant tone, we are not in the business of organizing coups. Now that may very well be true simply because it's seen as far too dangerous, possibly even more dangerous than a conventional war -- Carol.

LIN: Jane, we want to take a look at some pictures that you actually told me about earlier today of demonstrations, anti-war demonstrations taking place in Turkey while we talk a little bit more about some of the repercussions of any action. I mean what is the really big fear amongst these foreign ministers, because it seemed to me that there was that undertone of something else that was on their minds when they were issuing this warning to Saddam Hussein.

ARRAF: There's kind of a lot of fears at the moment. The first one, of course, is that this could come to war and that the results will be unpredictable. Now again, these are the countries that are arranging (ph) Iraq and while there (UNINTELLIGIBLE) quite a while ago that Iraq was a threat. The feeling is now that unlike the Gulf War, when it really was pretty easy to get together a coalition of these countries, there is not a clear and credible danger that would allow them to take the risk of openly siding with the United States to go to war against Iraq. They're afraid of the reaction in their countries.

These are countries where the population is overwhelmingly anti- war and where anti-American sentiment is rising. But most of all what they seem to be afraid of, foreign minister after foreign minister at this meeting, Carol, told us that they really were afraid of the consequences of any war. What would happen if it went wrong, for instance. The United States can pick up and go home in a lot of people's view. These countries will be stuck with whatever happens in Iraq -- Carol.

LIN: All right, it'll be interesting to hear their reaction after Hans Blix presents his final report to the United Nations on Monday. Thank you very much. Jane Arraf reporting live in Istanbul.

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 25, 2003 - 18:39   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: The foreign ministers of six countries in Iraq's neighborhood are pleading for a peaceful solution to the weapons crisis. The officials from Turkey, Syria, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Iran are meeting in Istanbul, and that is where we find CNN's Baghdad bureau chief Jane Arraf.
Jane, a lot of interesting reaction coming out of this meeting, but first I want to find out if you were surprised at the positions that these foreign ministers took on this conflict.

JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Well, Carol, these things are always both predictable and unpredictable. Predictable in the sense that generally what we get is some discussion, some debates on disagreements behind the scenes about the role of the United States, the role of Israel, whether to mention them. But finally what came out really was a very pointed warning to Iraq.

So it was a bit of a surprise in that sense because clearly, Iraq's neighbors, the countries that would be the most affected by any war and the aftermath of the war are putting the responsibility on Iraq, to comply more with weapons resolutions, to cooperate more with the U.N. At the same time, though, there was an implicit warning to the United States that it really does have to work with the United Nations or these countries just couldn't get on board -- Carol.

LIN: Did the foreign ministers talk at all about Saddam Hussein in exile, any other solution other than going to war?

ARRAF: Well that is the most interesting topic, perhaps, but they were very clear that that was not on the agenda, and they're probably telling the truth. It was a very short meeting, and what they really wanted to do was send a message to Iraq, to the United States, and to their own people because a lot of the populations in these countries surrounding Iraq are very anti-war. Now that doesn't mean that exile isn't on people's minds, but you've got to remember that these are Iraq's neighbors. These were five of the six Iraqi neighbors, and these are the people who know Saddam Hussein best.

None of them believe that he would go into exile. To that extent, it's kind of a non-starter. Now as for the other report that they're thinking of trying to foster a coup, the recent newspaper reports that Saudi Arabia was doing so. Of course, there's strenuously denying that. Egypt's foreign minister, for instance, said in a quite indignant tone, we are not in the business of organizing coups. Now that may very well be true simply because it's seen as far too dangerous, possibly even more dangerous than a conventional war -- Carol.

LIN: Jane, we want to take a look at some pictures that you actually told me about earlier today of demonstrations, anti-war demonstrations taking place in Turkey while we talk a little bit more about some of the repercussions of any action. I mean what is the really big fear amongst these foreign ministers, because it seemed to me that there was that undertone of something else that was on their minds when they were issuing this warning to Saddam Hussein.

ARRAF: There's kind of a lot of fears at the moment. The first one, of course, is that this could come to war and that the results will be unpredictable. Now again, these are the countries that are arranging (ph) Iraq and while there (UNINTELLIGIBLE) quite a while ago that Iraq was a threat. The feeling is now that unlike the Gulf War, when it really was pretty easy to get together a coalition of these countries, there is not a clear and credible danger that would allow them to take the risk of openly siding with the United States to go to war against Iraq. They're afraid of the reaction in their countries.

These are countries where the population is overwhelmingly anti- war and where anti-American sentiment is rising. But most of all what they seem to be afraid of, foreign minister after foreign minister at this meeting, Carol, told us that they really were afraid of the consequences of any war. What would happen if it went wrong, for instance. The United States can pick up and go home in a lot of people's view. These countries will be stuck with whatever happens in Iraq -- Carol.

LIN: All right, it'll be interesting to hear their reaction after Hans Blix presents his final report to the United Nations on Monday. Thank you very much. Jane Arraf reporting live in Istanbul.

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