Return to Transcripts main page

Live From...

No Details on Possible British Compromise Ideas

Aired March 06, 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.


HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: First this hour, President Bush and the press. Mr. Bush to face reporters tonight at a critical time for the nation and his presidency.
CNN's Suzanne Malveaux is standing by now at the White House, where preparations are underway for a prime time news conference, and Suzanne, we have been saying it all morning, this is sort of rare for the president to do.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, it is. It's really only the eighth formal news conference that he's had since the beginning of his presidency. We are told that he is not going to use the opportunity to declare war. He's not going to offer any new intelligence, or make any major new announcements.

But what the president is going to do at 8:00 in the East Room, he is going to answer reporter's questions. He is also going to be making an opening statement, talking about the update on the war on terror, that it is going to be an optimistic progress report. He is going to talk about and praise the recent arrest of al Qaeda's Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, but he will also outline a case against Saddam Hussein and, most importantly, according to a senior administration official, he will make the case to the American people the sense of urgency that really it is only a matter of days before the president makes that critical decision whether or not the United States is going to go to war -- Heidi.

COLLINS: What do you think the confidence level is of his, right now, the president's, in particular?

MALVEAUX: The confidence level that we won't go to war, this will...

COLLINS: Exactly.

MALVEAUX: Exactly.

COLLINS: Right.

MALVEAUX: Well, the administration really isn't very optimistic that Saddam Hussein is going to get us out of this one. The only choice that he has, really, is to perhaps leave his country, or perhaps his generals will turn on him.

But aside from that, they do not believe that he is going to produce any type of weapons of mass destruction in the days to come. Right now, they are focusing not only on the war plan, they're also focusing on diplomacy. But they see this as winding down here, the president to make that final decision. That decision, whether or not this country goes to war, not in weeks, but in days now.

COLLINS: All right, Suzanne Malveaux, live from the White House today, thank you.

MALVEAUX: Sure.

COLLINS: And on the subject of Iraq, the long, diplomatic struggle appears to be nearing a climax. Things are happening fast on a number of fronts.

To try to sort it all out, we have Andrea Koppel is at the State Department and Richard Roth at U.N. headquarters -- and, I'd like to start with you, then, Richard, today.

What exactly do we know about this British compromise that we've been hearing about this morning?

RICHARD ROTH, CNN SENIOR U.N. CORRESPONDENT: Well, we have nothing official. Even the British ambassador denied there was a compromise, but there are ideas afoot. As one council diplomat said, governments always have ideas floating around, and that was a British diplomat.

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw a short time ago met with United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Annan, we're told, is now going to meet with all ambassadors from the five permanent members of the Security Council, and British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw will deliver, and appear, before a press conference momentarily here at U.N. headquarters, and if there are any details, he is going to be pressured to give it up.

But Britain is using Chile and Mexico to kind of float these ideas. Short deadline for Iraq to cooperate, with specific disarmament tasks.

COLLINS: Tell us, if you can, Richard, a little bit more about tomorrow, and what we are going to see from Hans Blix.

ROTH: Hans Blix is likely to list 29 areas where Iraq is still short of disarming, but that the United Nations' weapons inspectors, under previous resolutions, can state to Iraq, here's what you have to do. Council members who want to avert war will say if Iraq complies with these in a short amount of time, there shouldn't be a war. The U.S. is reluctant to get into 29 such areas. Blix's report before the Security Council tomorrow morning. He is likely to praise Iraq for cooperating on the Al Samoud 2 missiles, but not fully coming clean in other areas.

COLLINS: And after that report, what do you think will happen inside the council?

ROTH: There will be another furious debate in public session before the public, a divide that we saw weeks ago when France and the United States jousted. There will be no compromise on any resolution before that debate. The public differences will be there. Then they will go behind closed doors, and see if they can patch it up together, though diplomats don't hold out hope for a quick solution.

COLLINS: All right. Richard, thank you.

And Andrea Koppel now at the State Department, some questions for you along those same lines.

When it is all said and done and it comes down to this vote, does the U.S. think it has enough votes now to get this second resolution? What's the latest on that?

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT: Privately, Heidi, U.S. officials have voiced some degree of optimism that they have the votes, but truthfully, as things stand right now, they only have four votes in the bank, one of them their own.

They still need five more in order to get the nine necessary to pass a second resolution. So what you have right now is a tremendous focus on six countries. They're known as the undecided six, Security Council members who haven't made up their mind.

That is why Secretary of State Powell is heading up to New York early. He is heading up this afternoon ahead of the Blix report tomorrow to meet with some of these emissaries from those governments to try to persuade them.

Now, privately, again, U.S. officials believe that they do have the support of these governments, but they don't want to take any chances. And what Richard was just talking about there is certainly in the air.

I've been told by U.S. officials, again, that there's some noodling around that's happening with the text of the second resolution, some ideas that are being discussed, these ideas coming from those six undecided countries, but nothing has really been put down on paper, and it remains to be seen whether or not that would go anywhere.

Having said, Secretary of State Powell, before he heads up to New York, was on Capitol Hill this morning, speaking to a Senate subcommittee. While he was there, he said something that our viewers have heard him say many, many times. He said this is the time to take action, to deal with the threat from Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: The moment we find ourselves in now is a critical moment, where we are being tested and where the Security Council, United Nations, international community, is being tested. Are we going to allow an individual such as Saddam Hussein to continue to develop these weapon of mass destruction, or deceive us into believing that he isn't when we know he is, because it's too hard to face the consequences of dealing with the truth? (END VIDEO CLIP)

KOPPEL: Again, Secretary Powell speaking to a Senate subcommittee. Once the U.S. finishes up with that meeting tomorrow with Hans Blix and all the other Security Council members, Heidi, the U.S. is going to try to make a decision. If it thinks it has the nine votes, then it would bring it to a vote early next week. If it doesn't have the votes, they won't -- Heidi.

COLLINS: All right, Andrea Koppel from the State Department. Thanks for sorting it out for us.

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 March 6, 2003 - 13:02   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: First this hour, President Bush and the press. Mr. Bush to face reporters tonight at a critical time for the nation and his presidency.
CNN's Suzanne Malveaux is standing by now at the White House, where preparations are underway for a prime time news conference, and Suzanne, we have been saying it all morning, this is sort of rare for the president to do.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, it is. It's really only the eighth formal news conference that he's had since the beginning of his presidency. We are told that he is not going to use the opportunity to declare war. He's not going to offer any new intelligence, or make any major new announcements.

But what the president is going to do at 8:00 in the East Room, he is going to answer reporter's questions. He is also going to be making an opening statement, talking about the update on the war on terror, that it is going to be an optimistic progress report. He is going to talk about and praise the recent arrest of al Qaeda's Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, but he will also outline a case against Saddam Hussein and, most importantly, according to a senior administration official, he will make the case to the American people the sense of urgency that really it is only a matter of days before the president makes that critical decision whether or not the United States is going to go to war -- Heidi.

COLLINS: What do you think the confidence level is of his, right now, the president's, in particular?

MALVEAUX: The confidence level that we won't go to war, this will...

COLLINS: Exactly.

MALVEAUX: Exactly.

COLLINS: Right.

MALVEAUX: Well, the administration really isn't very optimistic that Saddam Hussein is going to get us out of this one. The only choice that he has, really, is to perhaps leave his country, or perhaps his generals will turn on him.

But aside from that, they do not believe that he is going to produce any type of weapons of mass destruction in the days to come. Right now, they are focusing not only on the war plan, they're also focusing on diplomacy. But they see this as winding down here, the president to make that final decision. That decision, whether or not this country goes to war, not in weeks, but in days now.

COLLINS: All right, Suzanne Malveaux, live from the White House today, thank you.

MALVEAUX: Sure.

COLLINS: And on the subject of Iraq, the long, diplomatic struggle appears to be nearing a climax. Things are happening fast on a number of fronts.

To try to sort it all out, we have Andrea Koppel is at the State Department and Richard Roth at U.N. headquarters -- and, I'd like to start with you, then, Richard, today.

What exactly do we know about this British compromise that we've been hearing about this morning?

RICHARD ROTH, CNN SENIOR U.N. CORRESPONDENT: Well, we have nothing official. Even the British ambassador denied there was a compromise, but there are ideas afoot. As one council diplomat said, governments always have ideas floating around, and that was a British diplomat.

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw a short time ago met with United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Annan, we're told, is now going to meet with all ambassadors from the five permanent members of the Security Council, and British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw will deliver, and appear, before a press conference momentarily here at U.N. headquarters, and if there are any details, he is going to be pressured to give it up.

But Britain is using Chile and Mexico to kind of float these ideas. Short deadline for Iraq to cooperate, with specific disarmament tasks.

COLLINS: Tell us, if you can, Richard, a little bit more about tomorrow, and what we are going to see from Hans Blix.

ROTH: Hans Blix is likely to list 29 areas where Iraq is still short of disarming, but that the United Nations' weapons inspectors, under previous resolutions, can state to Iraq, here's what you have to do. Council members who want to avert war will say if Iraq complies with these in a short amount of time, there shouldn't be a war. The U.S. is reluctant to get into 29 such areas. Blix's report before the Security Council tomorrow morning. He is likely to praise Iraq for cooperating on the Al Samoud 2 missiles, but not fully coming clean in other areas.

COLLINS: And after that report, what do you think will happen inside the council?

ROTH: There will be another furious debate in public session before the public, a divide that we saw weeks ago when France and the United States jousted. There will be no compromise on any resolution before that debate. The public differences will be there. Then they will go behind closed doors, and see if they can patch it up together, though diplomats don't hold out hope for a quick solution.

COLLINS: All right. Richard, thank you.

And Andrea Koppel now at the State Department, some questions for you along those same lines.

When it is all said and done and it comes down to this vote, does the U.S. think it has enough votes now to get this second resolution? What's the latest on that?

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT: Privately, Heidi, U.S. officials have voiced some degree of optimism that they have the votes, but truthfully, as things stand right now, they only have four votes in the bank, one of them their own.

They still need five more in order to get the nine necessary to pass a second resolution. So what you have right now is a tremendous focus on six countries. They're known as the undecided six, Security Council members who haven't made up their mind.

That is why Secretary of State Powell is heading up to New York early. He is heading up this afternoon ahead of the Blix report tomorrow to meet with some of these emissaries from those governments to try to persuade them.

Now, privately, again, U.S. officials believe that they do have the support of these governments, but they don't want to take any chances. And what Richard was just talking about there is certainly in the air.

I've been told by U.S. officials, again, that there's some noodling around that's happening with the text of the second resolution, some ideas that are being discussed, these ideas coming from those six undecided countries, but nothing has really been put down on paper, and it remains to be seen whether or not that would go anywhere.

Having said, Secretary of State Powell, before he heads up to New York, was on Capitol Hill this morning, speaking to a Senate subcommittee. While he was there, he said something that our viewers have heard him say many, many times. He said this is the time to take action, to deal with the threat from Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: The moment we find ourselves in now is a critical moment, where we are being tested and where the Security Council, United Nations, international community, is being tested. Are we going to allow an individual such as Saddam Hussein to continue to develop these weapon of mass destruction, or deceive us into believing that he isn't when we know he is, because it's too hard to face the consequences of dealing with the truth? (END VIDEO CLIP)

KOPPEL: Again, Secretary Powell speaking to a Senate subcommittee. Once the U.S. finishes up with that meeting tomorrow with Hans Blix and all the other Security Council members, Heidi, the U.S. is going to try to make a decision. If it thinks it has the nine votes, then it would bring it to a vote early next week. If it doesn't have the votes, they won't -- Heidi.

COLLINS: All right, Andrea Koppel from the State Department. Thanks for sorting it out for us.

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