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CNN Live Saturday
White House Approves Iraqi Transition Plans
Aired November 15, 2003 - 14:08 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.
ANDREA KOPPEL, ANCHOR: Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld in Tokyo says the U.S. is willing to wait. He's shrugging off Japan's decision to deploy and delay the deployment of troops to Iraq after the attack on Italian forces this week.
Japan says it's continuing to look at the security situation and hopes to send troops to help with rebuilding soon. That is good enough for the secretary.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: Now, there's no doubt in my mind but that the very solid, cooperative relationship, underpinned by the security agreement between the United States and Japan, will enable us to adjust and evolve our relationship in ways that enable us to do just as successfully in the future those deterrent and defense capabilities we've done in the past.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOPPEL: The White House is welcoming word that the Iraqi Governing Council is moving forward with the political transition.
Let's get that now from the White House -- our White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux.
Now Suzanne, isn't this exactly what the U.S. had been saying all along they didn't want to have? To have the governing council pick the provisional council?
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you're certainly seeing a shift in strategy here. But the White House, the president, as well as his top aides, are saying that this is at least a first important step to bringing democracy to Iraq.
What this is, is it comes after urgent talks between the U.S. Ambassador Paul Bremer, who was summoned back to Washington to talk with the president, about the next steps here and just how to go about speeding up this process of bringing power back to the Iraqi people.
Now, it's a plan that's the result of, we're told, intense negotiations and discussions within the administration and with the Iraqis, most notably over the last ten days. that is because there's a realization among senior administration officials that the Iraqis could not come up way constitution in time before they would get some sort of leadership or greater responsibility. That it would just take too long. The president released this statement this morning, saying, "The plan outlined by the governing council, meets a key neutral objective of the coalition and the Iraqi people: the restoration of sovereignty to a body chosen by the citizens of Iraq and based in a legal framework. It also commits Iraq to a process of drafting a permanent democratic constitution that protects the rights of all citizens."
Now, speaking with a senior administration official earlier today, it was very clear, that administration official saying that it gives greater legitimacy to this process of bringing democracy to the Iraqi people. Also that U.S. troops will remain in that country, at least for now, and that that will be negotiated at times when Iraq is sovereign -- Andrea.
KOPPEL: So, Suzanne, what happens to Paul Bremer after the provisional council is selected in June? Does that mean that he and his team leave?
MALVEAUX: Well, it certainly means that they do not have the power that they once had before. That, quite frankly, that that council, that authority, is dissolved.
But they certainly will have a working partnership, at least senior administration officials say they hope they'll have a good working relationship when it comes to military, political as well as economic arrangements.
KOPPEL: Suzanne Malveaux at the White House. Thank you very much.
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 November 15, 2003 - 14:08 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDREA KOPPEL, ANCHOR: Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld in Tokyo says the U.S. is willing to wait. He's shrugging off Japan's decision to deploy and delay the deployment of troops to Iraq after the attack on Italian forces this week.
Japan says it's continuing to look at the security situation and hopes to send troops to help with rebuilding soon. That is good enough for the secretary.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: Now, there's no doubt in my mind but that the very solid, cooperative relationship, underpinned by the security agreement between the United States and Japan, will enable us to adjust and evolve our relationship in ways that enable us to do just as successfully in the future those deterrent and defense capabilities we've done in the past.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOPPEL: The White House is welcoming word that the Iraqi Governing Council is moving forward with the political transition.
Let's get that now from the White House -- our White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux.
Now Suzanne, isn't this exactly what the U.S. had been saying all along they didn't want to have? To have the governing council pick the provisional council?
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you're certainly seeing a shift in strategy here. But the White House, the president, as well as his top aides, are saying that this is at least a first important step to bringing democracy to Iraq.
What this is, is it comes after urgent talks between the U.S. Ambassador Paul Bremer, who was summoned back to Washington to talk with the president, about the next steps here and just how to go about speeding up this process of bringing power back to the Iraqi people.
Now, it's a plan that's the result of, we're told, intense negotiations and discussions within the administration and with the Iraqis, most notably over the last ten days. that is because there's a realization among senior administration officials that the Iraqis could not come up way constitution in time before they would get some sort of leadership or greater responsibility. That it would just take too long. The president released this statement this morning, saying, "The plan outlined by the governing council, meets a key neutral objective of the coalition and the Iraqi people: the restoration of sovereignty to a body chosen by the citizens of Iraq and based in a legal framework. It also commits Iraq to a process of drafting a permanent democratic constitution that protects the rights of all citizens."
Now, speaking with a senior administration official earlier today, it was very clear, that administration official saying that it gives greater legitimacy to this process of bringing democracy to the Iraqi people. Also that U.S. troops will remain in that country, at least for now, and that that will be negotiated at times when Iraq is sovereign -- Andrea.
KOPPEL: So, Suzanne, what happens to Paul Bremer after the provisional council is selected in June? Does that mean that he and his team leave?
MALVEAUX: Well, it certainly means that they do not have the power that they once had before. That, quite frankly, that that council, that authority, is dissolved.
But they certainly will have a working partnership, at least senior administration officials say they hope they'll have a good working relationship when it comes to military, political as well as economic arrangements.
KOPPEL: Suzanne Malveaux at the White House. Thank you very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
