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CNN Live Saturday
Interview With Christopher Shays
Aired April 19, 2003 - 12:16 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.
JONATHAN KARL, CNN ANCHOR: One U.S. congressman defied protests from the Pentagon and the State Department to take a trip into Iraq. Connecticut's Christopher Shays is the first lawmaker to see the war- torn country firsthand. He joins us now from Jerusalem to tell us what he found.
And Congressman Shays, welcome to the show. I guess it's the former Peace Corps volunteer in you that sent you into Iraq as the very first congressman to do so.
REP. CHRISTOPHER SHAYS (R), CONNECTICUT: You got it. You need to see it, you need to hear it, you need to feel it, you need to talk with the people to hear what they have to say.
One gentleman said to me, an Iraqi gentleman said to me, he said, you don't know us and we don't know you. And to a Peace Corps volunteer, that's real clear. We need to take the time to get to know them. He also told me, he said, Iraqis are very well educated, and you need to let us do most of the work.
KARL: Now, congressional delegations to various places, of course, always happen when Congress is in recess, but you are basically freelancing out there. You went there on your own. The State Department and the Defense Department told you not to go into Iraq. Why did you feel it was so important to defy those warnings? I guess the main reason was they couldn't guarantee your safety?
SHAYS: Well, you know what. The interesting thing is, though, I sent men and women into battle to risk their lives. You have the press who's there, and they're everywhere, and you have these incredible NGOs, these non-government agencies that are out there doing their work.
It's absolutely imperative that members of Congress see what's happening there. And we fought an incredible war. On a scale of one to 10, it was an 11. But our reconstruction effort has to be an 11, too.
KARL: What's your sense right now? You've expressed some strong criticism of getting humanitarian aid, not getting in there quick enough. What do you think? How is it going so far, based on what you saw? Is the United States acting quickly enough to help the Iraqis now that the war is all but over?
SHAYS: The last thing I want to do is criticize anyone in the military, because they've done such an outstanding job, but we want to push them along. ORHA, which is going to be in charge of the reconstruction, needs to get these NGOs in there as quickly as possible. These are the people that go all around the world, they know how to get water and food and medicine, they know how to open up schools, they know how to get people back to work and get them paid. And obviously, our military will help with the reconstruction of the electricity and the water lines and so on. So it's got to be a team effort.
KARL: Now you're in Jerusalem. Obviously, the other major thing on the plate of the United States right now is the question of the road map to peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Two of your colleagues actually met with Yasser Arafat. Are you planning to meet with Arafat? What are you doing while you're there in Israel?
SHAYS: No, I'm not planning to meet with Arafat. But let me say this to you. This is a story in the Middle East of war, reconstruction, and ultimately peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Every Arab I speak with either starts with the conversation of finding peace in Israel between Palestinians and Jews, or they end their conversation with that.
So I met with the king of Jordan. He's put so much on the line. He's been a true ally, I think, a model government. We need to be making sure that his word is held with esteem when he says the Americans are going to reach out now and try to solve the problems that exist in this great country of Israel.
Let me say this to you. I love the Israelis. I love the Palestinians. These are remarkable people. And they've got to find a way to live together in peace.
KARL: Well, how is the dynamic changed in the wake of the war? I mean, how bitter is the resentment for the U.S. action in Iraq? Do you this as a more difficult task ahead or an easier one?
SHAYS: I think it's easier. I think we had a sore with Saddam Hussein. He was like a snake in the bedroom for the last 13 years, and now we're moving forward.
And the Iraqi people, they want to do this on their own, they want us out as quickly as possible, but they truly are grateful that we put an end to his regime. And the world leaders in the Middle East are apprehensive about democracy and so on, but know that we have to move in this direction, that they have to move in this direction. I consider this an awesome opportunity that we need to seize.
KARL: All right, Congressman Shays, live from Jerusalem. We'll see you when you get back to Washington. Thanks for joining us.
SHAYS: Thank you.
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 April 19, 2003 - 12:16 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JONATHAN KARL, CNN ANCHOR: One U.S. congressman defied protests from the Pentagon and the State Department to take a trip into Iraq. Connecticut's Christopher Shays is the first lawmaker to see the war- torn country firsthand. He joins us now from Jerusalem to tell us what he found.
And Congressman Shays, welcome to the show. I guess it's the former Peace Corps volunteer in you that sent you into Iraq as the very first congressman to do so.
REP. CHRISTOPHER SHAYS (R), CONNECTICUT: You got it. You need to see it, you need to hear it, you need to feel it, you need to talk with the people to hear what they have to say.
One gentleman said to me, an Iraqi gentleman said to me, he said, you don't know us and we don't know you. And to a Peace Corps volunteer, that's real clear. We need to take the time to get to know them. He also told me, he said, Iraqis are very well educated, and you need to let us do most of the work.
KARL: Now, congressional delegations to various places, of course, always happen when Congress is in recess, but you are basically freelancing out there. You went there on your own. The State Department and the Defense Department told you not to go into Iraq. Why did you feel it was so important to defy those warnings? I guess the main reason was they couldn't guarantee your safety?
SHAYS: Well, you know what. The interesting thing is, though, I sent men and women into battle to risk their lives. You have the press who's there, and they're everywhere, and you have these incredible NGOs, these non-government agencies that are out there doing their work.
It's absolutely imperative that members of Congress see what's happening there. And we fought an incredible war. On a scale of one to 10, it was an 11. But our reconstruction effort has to be an 11, too.
KARL: What's your sense right now? You've expressed some strong criticism of getting humanitarian aid, not getting in there quick enough. What do you think? How is it going so far, based on what you saw? Is the United States acting quickly enough to help the Iraqis now that the war is all but over?
SHAYS: The last thing I want to do is criticize anyone in the military, because they've done such an outstanding job, but we want to push them along. ORHA, which is going to be in charge of the reconstruction, needs to get these NGOs in there as quickly as possible. These are the people that go all around the world, they know how to get water and food and medicine, they know how to open up schools, they know how to get people back to work and get them paid. And obviously, our military will help with the reconstruction of the electricity and the water lines and so on. So it's got to be a team effort.
KARL: Now you're in Jerusalem. Obviously, the other major thing on the plate of the United States right now is the question of the road map to peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Two of your colleagues actually met with Yasser Arafat. Are you planning to meet with Arafat? What are you doing while you're there in Israel?
SHAYS: No, I'm not planning to meet with Arafat. But let me say this to you. This is a story in the Middle East of war, reconstruction, and ultimately peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Every Arab I speak with either starts with the conversation of finding peace in Israel between Palestinians and Jews, or they end their conversation with that.
So I met with the king of Jordan. He's put so much on the line. He's been a true ally, I think, a model government. We need to be making sure that his word is held with esteem when he says the Americans are going to reach out now and try to solve the problems that exist in this great country of Israel.
Let me say this to you. I love the Israelis. I love the Palestinians. These are remarkable people. And they've got to find a way to live together in peace.
KARL: Well, how is the dynamic changed in the wake of the war? I mean, how bitter is the resentment for the U.S. action in Iraq? Do you this as a more difficult task ahead or an easier one?
SHAYS: I think it's easier. I think we had a sore with Saddam Hussein. He was like a snake in the bedroom for the last 13 years, and now we're moving forward.
And the Iraqi people, they want to do this on their own, they want us out as quickly as possible, but they truly are grateful that we put an end to his regime. And the world leaders in the Middle East are apprehensive about democracy and so on, but know that we have to move in this direction, that they have to move in this direction. I consider this an awesome opportunity that we need to seize.
KARL: All right, Congressman Shays, live from Jerusalem. We'll see you when you get back to Washington. Thanks for joining us.
SHAYS: Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
