Return to Transcripts main page
Live From...
Iraqi Opposition Groups Meeting in Northern Iraq
Aired February 27, 2003 - 13:34 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.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: As war seems closer to reality, Iraqi opposition groups continue discussing post-war plans. The groups and U.S. officials are meeting in Kurdish territory in northern Iraq. Also there, CNN's Ben Wedeman -- Ben.
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Martin. Those Kurdish -- or, rather, Iraqi opposition figures began meeting yesterday. They met all day today, and will continue tomorrow. Apparently tomorrow, in a closed session. Now, this meeting includes almost all the major factions in Iraq, including Sunni Arabs, Shi'a Arabs, Kurds, Turkomans, Assyrians, and other political parties as well.
So it's a very difficult task to get them, really, to agree on anything. What they do agree upon -- (AUDIO GAP) opposition to the Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.
Now, the United States is represented at this meeting. The Americans trying to work out some sort of understanding with the opposition. We heard several leading opposition figures calling upon the United States to take into account the wishes of the Iraqi opposition, to really include them in their post-Saddam Hussein plans.
Now, the United States is represented at this meeting by Zalmay Khalilzad, who we spoke to earlier today about what the United States intends for this country. This is what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ZALMAY KHALILZAD, U.S. SPECIAL ENVOY: We're not coming here to colonize anyone. We're not here to oppose anyone. We are here -- we will be here to assist the Iraqi people, perhaps for the first time, to establish a government based on their free choice elections, yes, but before elections, you need to build democratic institutions.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WEDEMAN: And of course, this task of building democratic institutions will not be an easy one, given the long history of turmoil in this country. But as the U.S. special envoy told us, the United States, he says, is going to make a long-term commitment to Iraq -- Martin.
SAVIDGE: Ben Wedeman, 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 February 27, 2003 - 13:34 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: As war seems closer to reality, Iraqi opposition groups continue discussing post-war plans. The groups and U.S. officials are meeting in Kurdish territory in northern Iraq. Also there, CNN's Ben Wedeman -- Ben.
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Martin. Those Kurdish -- or, rather, Iraqi opposition figures began meeting yesterday. They met all day today, and will continue tomorrow. Apparently tomorrow, in a closed session. Now, this meeting includes almost all the major factions in Iraq, including Sunni Arabs, Shi'a Arabs, Kurds, Turkomans, Assyrians, and other political parties as well.
So it's a very difficult task to get them, really, to agree on anything. What they do agree upon -- (AUDIO GAP) opposition to the Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.
Now, the United States is represented at this meeting. The Americans trying to work out some sort of understanding with the opposition. We heard several leading opposition figures calling upon the United States to take into account the wishes of the Iraqi opposition, to really include them in their post-Saddam Hussein plans.
Now, the United States is represented at this meeting by Zalmay Khalilzad, who we spoke to earlier today about what the United States intends for this country. This is what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ZALMAY KHALILZAD, U.S. SPECIAL ENVOY: We're not coming here to colonize anyone. We're not here to oppose anyone. We are here -- we will be here to assist the Iraqi people, perhaps for the first time, to establish a government based on their free choice elections, yes, but before elections, you need to build democratic institutions.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WEDEMAN: And of course, this task of building democratic institutions will not be an easy one, given the long history of turmoil in this country. But as the U.S. special envoy told us, the United States, he says, is going to make a long-term commitment to Iraq -- Martin.
SAVIDGE: Ben Wedeman, 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
