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European Union Leaders Try to Narrow Chasm on Iraq
Aired February 17, 2003 - 13:16 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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: They meet against a background of weekend peace demonstrations. European Union leaders gathered in Brussels trying to heal a deep rift over policy on Iraq.
CNN's Robin Oakley live now from the Belgium capital -- Robin.
ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN SR. EUROPOEAN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: It's a deep rift indeed, Kyra, because opinions all across the European Union go from one end of the spectrum to the other on the Iraqi crisis.
You've got Gerhard Schroeder, the German chancellor, saying Germany wouldn't back military action against Saddam Hussein even if the U.N. authorized it.
You've got President Jacques Chirac of France saying that although he might be prepared to use force at the end of the day, there's absolutely no need for it now. He wants the work of the inspectors to go on.
You've got Tony Blair of the U.K. backing George Bush with the support of perhaps four other countries, Spain, Portugal, Denmark, Italy basically saying that the U.N. has got to make up its mind soon, or else its authority will be destroyed.
President Jacques Chirac of France has added to the drama tonight, as the EU leaders sit down to dinner to try and hammer out a common policy, by arriving here and saying he sees no need for a second U.N. Security Council resolution, and if there was one, France would oppose it.
Now, that's going to put him on a collision course with Tony Blair, because Tony Blair desperately needs that second resolution in the U.N. Security Council. He's virtually promised the British people he will get it. He's not got a lot of support at home for his policy either in the public or in his own Labor Party. He desperately needs that resolution.
There's a lot of arguing to go on over dinner here tonight, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Robin Oakley, live from Brussels, 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 February 17, 2003 - 13:16 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: They meet against a background of weekend peace demonstrations. European Union leaders gathered in Brussels trying to heal a deep rift over policy on Iraq.
CNN's Robin Oakley live now from the Belgium capital -- Robin.
ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN SR. EUROPOEAN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: It's a deep rift indeed, Kyra, because opinions all across the European Union go from one end of the spectrum to the other on the Iraqi crisis.
You've got Gerhard Schroeder, the German chancellor, saying Germany wouldn't back military action against Saddam Hussein even if the U.N. authorized it.
You've got President Jacques Chirac of France saying that although he might be prepared to use force at the end of the day, there's absolutely no need for it now. He wants the work of the inspectors to go on.
You've got Tony Blair of the U.K. backing George Bush with the support of perhaps four other countries, Spain, Portugal, Denmark, Italy basically saying that the U.N. has got to make up its mind soon, or else its authority will be destroyed.
President Jacques Chirac of France has added to the drama tonight, as the EU leaders sit down to dinner to try and hammer out a common policy, by arriving here and saying he sees no need for a second U.N. Security Council resolution, and if there was one, France would oppose it.
Now, that's going to put him on a collision course with Tony Blair, because Tony Blair desperately needs that second resolution in the U.N. Security Council. He's virtually promised the British people he will get it. He's not got a lot of support at home for his policy either in the public or in his own Labor Party. He desperately needs that resolution.
There's a lot of arguing to go on over dinner here tonight, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Robin Oakley, live from Brussels, 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.
