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CNN Live Saturday

Arab League Comes Out Against War in Iraq

Aired March 01, 2003 - 18:20   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 Arab League is on the record strongly against the prospect of war on Iraq, but it isn't letting Baghdad entirely off the hook. CNN chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour reports from Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INT'L CORRESPONDENT (voice over): It was a summit that nearly wasn't held for lack of agreement on an agenda. There were deep divisions between Arab leaders implacably opposed to war and those who are providing bases for U.S. troops preparing for possible military action against Iraq.

But in the end a joint declaration called for Iraq to fully comply, for inspections to continue, and for a high-level delegation to go to Baghdad and other capitals to try to avert war.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The vast majority is against that. So, I fail to understand why and what is the hurry to conduct a war that is extremely unpopular in the region, and in the world, and unjustified.

AMANPOUR: Underlining that, hundreds of thousands of demonstrators turned out in various Arab capitals over the past several days. Summit leaders unanimously declared that they would not take part in any war against Iraq. And Syria led a fierce condemnation of the United States.

BASHAR ASSAD, PRESIDENT OF SYRIA (through translator): The whole issue is oil and petroleum. It is a means of control of the whole world. It is to remap the whole world in a manner that suits the interests of the U.S. and Israel. It is to destroy the infrastructure of Iraq.

AMANPOUR: Arab leaders called on the U.N. to ensure the territorial integrity of Iraq. And they said a U.S. plan to occupy a post-Saddam Iraq would lead to chaos and to terrorist backlash.

Iraq, again, warned the United States against invading.

NAJI SABRI, IRAQI FOREIGN MINISTER: We shall defend ourselves on our own territory. And the one who stretches a hand against out border, we shall cut his head off.

AMANPOUR: Later, another Iraqi minister told CNN that his country was committed to destroying any prescribed weapons and accounting for those it claims to have already disposed of. Arab leaders dismissed a claim by the Bush administration that the road to peace between Israelis and Palestinians leads through regime change in Baghdad.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think the road to achieve stability in the whole area goes through a solution of the Palestinian problem. I think this is the cardinal and most important and central problem of the Arab world. I think it is wrong to neglect it. It is wrong to delay.

AMANPOUR: At one point the summit threatened to break down when Libya's leader Moammar Gadhafi accused Saudi Arabia of causing the region's problems by inviting in U.S. troops back during the Gulf War.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Don't try to impose your opinion in this context, if you are not aware of real facts.

AMANPOUR: After some mediation and fence mending the walkouts came back and the summit continued.

(on camera): Despite the joint conclusion, one item they did not take up, was the first public proposal by an Arab leader that Saddam Hussein surrender power and leave Iraq. That proposal, by the United Arab Emirates, was left out of the final communique.

Christiane Amanpour, CNN, Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.

(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 March 1, 2003 - 18:20   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: The Arab League is on the record strongly against the prospect of war on Iraq, but it isn't letting Baghdad entirely off the hook. CNN chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour reports from Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INT'L CORRESPONDENT (voice over): It was a summit that nearly wasn't held for lack of agreement on an agenda. There were deep divisions between Arab leaders implacably opposed to war and those who are providing bases for U.S. troops preparing for possible military action against Iraq.

But in the end a joint declaration called for Iraq to fully comply, for inspections to continue, and for a high-level delegation to go to Baghdad and other capitals to try to avert war.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The vast majority is against that. So, I fail to understand why and what is the hurry to conduct a war that is extremely unpopular in the region, and in the world, and unjustified.

AMANPOUR: Underlining that, hundreds of thousands of demonstrators turned out in various Arab capitals over the past several days. Summit leaders unanimously declared that they would not take part in any war against Iraq. And Syria led a fierce condemnation of the United States.

BASHAR ASSAD, PRESIDENT OF SYRIA (through translator): The whole issue is oil and petroleum. It is a means of control of the whole world. It is to remap the whole world in a manner that suits the interests of the U.S. and Israel. It is to destroy the infrastructure of Iraq.

AMANPOUR: Arab leaders called on the U.N. to ensure the territorial integrity of Iraq. And they said a U.S. plan to occupy a post-Saddam Iraq would lead to chaos and to terrorist backlash.

Iraq, again, warned the United States against invading.

NAJI SABRI, IRAQI FOREIGN MINISTER: We shall defend ourselves on our own territory. And the one who stretches a hand against out border, we shall cut his head off.

AMANPOUR: Later, another Iraqi minister told CNN that his country was committed to destroying any prescribed weapons and accounting for those it claims to have already disposed of. Arab leaders dismissed a claim by the Bush administration that the road to peace between Israelis and Palestinians leads through regime change in Baghdad.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think the road to achieve stability in the whole area goes through a solution of the Palestinian problem. I think this is the cardinal and most important and central problem of the Arab world. I think it is wrong to neglect it. It is wrong to delay.

AMANPOUR: At one point the summit threatened to break down when Libya's leader Moammar Gadhafi accused Saudi Arabia of causing the region's problems by inviting in U.S. troops back during the Gulf War.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Don't try to impose your opinion in this context, if you are not aware of real facts.

AMANPOUR: After some mediation and fence mending the walkouts came back and the summit continued.

(on camera): Despite the joint conclusion, one item they did not take up, was the first public proposal by an Arab leader that Saddam Hussein surrender power and leave Iraq. That proposal, by the United Arab Emirates, was left out of the final communique.

Christiane Amanpour, CNN, Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.

(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