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CNN Live Saturday

Blix: Iraqi Cooperation Limited

Aired March 01, 2003 - 18:24   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: United Nations chief weapons inspector Hans Blix calls Iraq's disarmament efforts very limited so far. So, where does that leave the Security Council as it struggles with whether to OK war on Baghdad? CNN senior U.N. correspondent Richard Roth joins us from U.N. headquarters in New York.
What is the word in the hallways there, Richard?

RICHARD ROTH, CNN SENIOR U.N. CORRESPONDENT: Well, you mentioned Dr. -- first of all, there is no word in the hallways, because the building is closed. It is completely empty.

But also, on your other point on Dr. Blix, as they say in Broadway and television news circles, you are only as good as your last, and in Dr. Blix's case, as your last report, because the Al Samoud missile destructions were not included in that report. It was a quarterly update in which he said Iraq was rather limited in its cooperation on disarmament over the last three months.

But Blix will get another chance and he will update with the Al Samoud missile findings and conclusions, when he briefs the Security Council, probably on Friday. But that date has been fought over by Russia and Britain, many people wondering why does it have to be that date? Can we move it up? Can we move it back? Everybody has a political reason as the threat of war looms over the Security Council.

The Security Council remains divided. Coming up this week, when the place does open here, the United Nation's Security Council will resume discussions behind closed doors. But a lot of messages will be coming from the ambassadors' bosses, the foreign ministers, the secretaries of states, they will be calling the shots in telephone calls and in meetings around the globe.

Canada, which has proposed its own plan, hasn't seen it go that far, although, non-permanent members, such as Chile and Mexico, embrace it. The plan moves up the timetable for Iraqi cooperation and challenged the Security Council to vote quickly, to decide once and for all, whether Iraq has come clean.

The Canadian ambassador, appearing on CNN's "Diplomatic License", is fearful of what would happen if U.S. acted militarily outside of council approval.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL HEINBECKER, CANADIAN AMB. TO U.N.: If the council is heading into deadlock, and if there are people on both sides who see, as we see, and believe as we see, that this is highly undesirable, that this is a very dangerous thing.

That we're going to need the U.N. to be effective in the future. We're going to need the U.N. to be effective on terrorism. We're going to need the U.N. to be effective on North Korea and on any other unknown crisis, which are certain to come. If we're going to need and effective U.N., then we ought to be very careful about causing it damage.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROTH: There was no vote planned for this week. The United States was hoping that next week, after that, after Blix's latest report, they would press for a vote. But they need nine votes. They don't have it yet. And If Russia and France stick to their possible threat of a veto the U.S might withdraw the resolution completely.

Everything is still up in the air here, Carol.

LIN: All right, thank you very much, Richard Roth, live at the United Nations.

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 - 18:24   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: United Nations chief weapons inspector Hans Blix calls Iraq's disarmament efforts very limited so far. So, where does that leave the Security Council as it struggles with whether to OK war on Baghdad? CNN senior U.N. correspondent Richard Roth joins us from U.N. headquarters in New York.
What is the word in the hallways there, Richard?

RICHARD ROTH, CNN SENIOR U.N. CORRESPONDENT: Well, you mentioned Dr. -- first of all, there is no word in the hallways, because the building is closed. It is completely empty.

But also, on your other point on Dr. Blix, as they say in Broadway and television news circles, you are only as good as your last, and in Dr. Blix's case, as your last report, because the Al Samoud missile destructions were not included in that report. It was a quarterly update in which he said Iraq was rather limited in its cooperation on disarmament over the last three months.

But Blix will get another chance and he will update with the Al Samoud missile findings and conclusions, when he briefs the Security Council, probably on Friday. But that date has been fought over by Russia and Britain, many people wondering why does it have to be that date? Can we move it up? Can we move it back? Everybody has a political reason as the threat of war looms over the Security Council.

The Security Council remains divided. Coming up this week, when the place does open here, the United Nation's Security Council will resume discussions behind closed doors. But a lot of messages will be coming from the ambassadors' bosses, the foreign ministers, the secretaries of states, they will be calling the shots in telephone calls and in meetings around the globe.

Canada, which has proposed its own plan, hasn't seen it go that far, although, non-permanent members, such as Chile and Mexico, embrace it. The plan moves up the timetable for Iraqi cooperation and challenged the Security Council to vote quickly, to decide once and for all, whether Iraq has come clean.

The Canadian ambassador, appearing on CNN's "Diplomatic License", is fearful of what would happen if U.S. acted militarily outside of council approval.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL HEINBECKER, CANADIAN AMB. TO U.N.: If the council is heading into deadlock, and if there are people on both sides who see, as we see, and believe as we see, that this is highly undesirable, that this is a very dangerous thing.

That we're going to need the U.N. to be effective in the future. We're going to need the U.N. to be effective on terrorism. We're going to need the U.N. to be effective on North Korea and on any other unknown crisis, which are certain to come. If we're going to need and effective U.N., then we ought to be very careful about causing it damage.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROTH: There was no vote planned for this week. The United States was hoping that next week, after that, after Blix's latest report, they would press for a vote. But they need nine votes. They don't have it yet. And If Russia and France stick to their possible threat of a veto the U.S might withdraw the resolution completely.

Everything is still up in the air here, Carol.

LIN: All right, thank you very much, Richard Roth, live at the United Nations.

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