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British Admit Second Resolution Will Be Diplomatically Difficult

Aired February 24, 2003 - 13:02   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.


ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Well, the closing act is beginning in the diplomatic prelude to a possible war with Iraq. After weeks of discussion, the United States and Britain are to petition the U.N. Security Council to declare that Iraq has failed to comply with the first U.N. resolution calling on it to disarm.
We'll begin with our chief international correspondent, CNN's Christiane Amanpour, who comes to us live from London -- Christiane.

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Anderson, the British here are admitting that it's going to be so difficult to get a majority of Security Council members on board for a second resolution that any kind of second resolution will be short, will be clear, and will be very lacking in specific go to war authorization. There won't be ultimatums.

We understand that it will be a resolution that simply reiterates the first resolution, ordering Saddam Hussein to disarm, and also, perhaps, declaring him in material breach. Is it being tabled today, we're told, and the British are saying that there is now a window between now, when it's tabled, the draft of it, when the debates and discussions begin, until there is an actual formal vote, which could be within two or more weeks. That window exists for Saddam Hussein, say the British, to finally, finally, disarm considerably and significantly.

In the meantime, the British foreign secretary, Jack Straw, is in Brussels trying to shore up a fragile declaration by the European Community last week, demanding that Saddam Hussein disarm. Jack Straw is saying that there would now be a period of negotiations while this so-called window for peace remains open.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JACK STRAW, BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY: Because we want an international consensus, and we want the cooperation -- we want the cooperation of Iraq fully and completely to comply in substance as well as process. We'll be allowing a good period of up two weeks, maybe a little more, before we ask for a decision. It is still not too late for there to be complete and substantive compliance by Iraq, but they are not going to achieve that by playing games or by trying to split the international community.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AMANPOUR: Now, the British prime minister, Tony Blair, who is George Bush's strongest ally on this matter, has been engaged in some frantic phone diplomacy, and he will be travelling around. He's been in Italy meeting with Silvio Berlusconi, the prime minister, who is another ally on board with potential military action.

Over the weekend, there was a four-way conference call between the Spanish and Italian prime ministers, along with Tony Blair and President Bush, and the Bulgarian prime minister, who also supports potential military action, will be received at the White House.

This is sort of the little coalition of the willing that is being gathered together, and they're going to attempt to try to influence those who are on the fence, and those who are patently against war.

France and Germany lead those against war. France and Germany, their leaders are meeting today in Berlin, and they will shortly have a press conference in a couple of hours from now to announce what could be a competing introduction of a draft at the international level. They want to give Iraq some deadlines and some markers. But that has already been dismissed as out of hand by the British. France saying that if there was a second resolution, it would vote against if that was tabled today -- Anderson.

COOPER: Christiane Amanpour. The world will be watching what happens at the U.N. in the coming days. Thanks very much, live from London.

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




Difficult>


Aired February 24, 2003 - 13:02   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Well, the closing act is beginning in the diplomatic prelude to a possible war with Iraq. After weeks of discussion, the United States and Britain are to petition the U.N. Security Council to declare that Iraq has failed to comply with the first U.N. resolution calling on it to disarm.
We'll begin with our chief international correspondent, CNN's Christiane Amanpour, who comes to us live from London -- Christiane.

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Anderson, the British here are admitting that it's going to be so difficult to get a majority of Security Council members on board for a second resolution that any kind of second resolution will be short, will be clear, and will be very lacking in specific go to war authorization. There won't be ultimatums.

We understand that it will be a resolution that simply reiterates the first resolution, ordering Saddam Hussein to disarm, and also, perhaps, declaring him in material breach. Is it being tabled today, we're told, and the British are saying that there is now a window between now, when it's tabled, the draft of it, when the debates and discussions begin, until there is an actual formal vote, which could be within two or more weeks. That window exists for Saddam Hussein, say the British, to finally, finally, disarm considerably and significantly.

In the meantime, the British foreign secretary, Jack Straw, is in Brussels trying to shore up a fragile declaration by the European Community last week, demanding that Saddam Hussein disarm. Jack Straw is saying that there would now be a period of negotiations while this so-called window for peace remains open.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JACK STRAW, BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY: Because we want an international consensus, and we want the cooperation -- we want the cooperation of Iraq fully and completely to comply in substance as well as process. We'll be allowing a good period of up two weeks, maybe a little more, before we ask for a decision. It is still not too late for there to be complete and substantive compliance by Iraq, but they are not going to achieve that by playing games or by trying to split the international community.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AMANPOUR: Now, the British prime minister, Tony Blair, who is George Bush's strongest ally on this matter, has been engaged in some frantic phone diplomacy, and he will be travelling around. He's been in Italy meeting with Silvio Berlusconi, the prime minister, who is another ally on board with potential military action.

Over the weekend, there was a four-way conference call between the Spanish and Italian prime ministers, along with Tony Blair and President Bush, and the Bulgarian prime minister, who also supports potential military action, will be received at the White House.

This is sort of the little coalition of the willing that is being gathered together, and they're going to attempt to try to influence those who are on the fence, and those who are patently against war.

France and Germany lead those against war. France and Germany, their leaders are meeting today in Berlin, and they will shortly have a press conference in a couple of hours from now to announce what could be a competing introduction of a draft at the international level. They want to give Iraq some deadlines and some markers. But that has already been dismissed as out of hand by the British. France saying that if there was a second resolution, it would vote against if that was tabled today -- Anderson.

COOPER: Christiane Amanpour. The world will be watching what happens at the U.N. in the coming days. Thanks very much, live from London.

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




Difficult>