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U.S., Britain Will Go For Second U.N. Resolution
Aired February 19, 2003 - 13:05 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: The White House makes it official: The U.S. and Britain will go for a second U.N. resolution, authorizing military force against Iraq.
CNN's Chris Burns now live from the White House with more.
Hi, Chris.
CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra.
Well, President Bush said just yesterday that he could take it or leave it when it comes to a U.N. resolution, but he does see Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain is facing some serious heat back home, political heat, back home for his support of an eventual, possible war against Iraq. There, that is probably part of the calculation for going ahead with calling for a resolution. The Bush administration saying they will put out and propose a resolution either this week or next week.
Let's see what Ari Fleischer, the spokesman for the White House, has to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARI FLEISCHER, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECY.: The president intends to work with our friends and allies to offer a resolution, either this week or next, at the United Nations Security Council, and the president has made repeatedly clear that the preferable outcome is for the United Nations to act.
If the United Nations security council fails to act, the president, along with a coalition of the willing, will enforce resolution 1441 by disarming Saddam Hussein.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNS: But what's really crunch time is, take a look at these pictures in Turkey. Some of these pictures will show you some grainy shots, some faraway shots of U.S. forces unloading from ships into Turkey. Very discreet about it right now, very small numbers relatively. What the U.S. would like to do is land reportedly some 20 to 30 cargo ships and troops into Turkey to prepare for a possible attack on Iraq.
So far, Turkey is holding out. They say they would like billions more in aid before they agree to that. Turkey saying that they lost a lot of money during the Gulf War in terms of lost trade and economic activity. They would like to be recompensed for that.
So the standoff with Washington continues. Washington saying it's crunch time. In the next 48 hours, they want to land these ships. Otherwise, they will redirect them, possibly toward a plan b, maybe toward Kuwait instead. That's going to be very difficult. Without that second front opening against Iraq, it will be difficult for a U.S.-led effort.
Meanwhile, President Bush is going to be meeting this evening with the Nato Secretary General Lord Robertson, expressing his thanks for Robertson pushing through that effort, going past the German, and Belgium and French opposition, to get NATO to approve stationing at least defensive forces in Turkey, Turkey being a NATO member. Also, they'll be talking about the NATO-led force in Afghanistan, as well as NATO enlargement -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right, Chris Burns, live from the White House, 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 19, 2003 - 13:05 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: The White House makes it official: The U.S. and Britain will go for a second U.N. resolution, authorizing military force against Iraq.
CNN's Chris Burns now live from the White House with more.
Hi, Chris.
CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra.
Well, President Bush said just yesterday that he could take it or leave it when it comes to a U.N. resolution, but he does see Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain is facing some serious heat back home, political heat, back home for his support of an eventual, possible war against Iraq. There, that is probably part of the calculation for going ahead with calling for a resolution. The Bush administration saying they will put out and propose a resolution either this week or next week.
Let's see what Ari Fleischer, the spokesman for the White House, has to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARI FLEISCHER, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECY.: The president intends to work with our friends and allies to offer a resolution, either this week or next, at the United Nations Security Council, and the president has made repeatedly clear that the preferable outcome is for the United Nations to act.
If the United Nations security council fails to act, the president, along with a coalition of the willing, will enforce resolution 1441 by disarming Saddam Hussein.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNS: But what's really crunch time is, take a look at these pictures in Turkey. Some of these pictures will show you some grainy shots, some faraway shots of U.S. forces unloading from ships into Turkey. Very discreet about it right now, very small numbers relatively. What the U.S. would like to do is land reportedly some 20 to 30 cargo ships and troops into Turkey to prepare for a possible attack on Iraq.
So far, Turkey is holding out. They say they would like billions more in aid before they agree to that. Turkey saying that they lost a lot of money during the Gulf War in terms of lost trade and economic activity. They would like to be recompensed for that.
So the standoff with Washington continues. Washington saying it's crunch time. In the next 48 hours, they want to land these ships. Otherwise, they will redirect them, possibly toward a plan b, maybe toward Kuwait instead. That's going to be very difficult. Without that second front opening against Iraq, it will be difficult for a U.S.-led effort.
Meanwhile, President Bush is going to be meeting this evening with the Nato Secretary General Lord Robertson, expressing his thanks for Robertson pushing through that effort, going past the German, and Belgium and French opposition, to get NATO to approve stationing at least defensive forces in Turkey, Turkey being a NATO member. Also, they'll be talking about the NATO-led force in Afghanistan, as well as NATO enlargement -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right, Chris Burns, live from the White House, 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
