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Blair Continues to Face Enormous Pressure
Aired March 12, 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.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, the diplomats are earning their paychecks today, and at this hour, a plan is in the works to hold off invading Iraq in exchange for another chance for Iraq to disarm. The plan is being pushed by Britain, whose leader facing enormous pressure to either avert a war altogether or, at the very least, secure some semblance of international backing.
CNN's Robin Oakley is in London to tell us more about the emerging British plan -- Robin.
ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN SENIOR EUROPEAN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: As you say, Miles, huge political pressure on Tony Blair. Only 19 percent of the British public, according to opinion polls, would back him in military action against Saddam Hussein if that military action is not backed by U.N. Security Council resolution. Up to 200 of his MPs are threatening rebellion in Parliament if he goes in those circumstances. Clare Short, one of his cabinet members, is saying she will walk out if he goes without U.N. sanction.
So the battle on to get that second U.N. Security Council resolution. The British beginning to make more and more concessions. Now they're willing to see a little more slippage in the date for Saddam Hussein to comply, but they're suggesting a series of benchmarks, a way of testing, really, his willingness to comply with the U.N. demands over his weapons program.
First of all, Tony Blair is saying what Britain would be looking for in this resolution is a public confession by Saddam Hussein on television that he has been hiding his weapons, and an agreement that he will disclose them in the future.
Secondly, he wants to have Iraqi scientists interviewed outside the country, probably in Cyprus.
He wants the anthrax stocks that Saddam Hussein has either disclosed, turned over, or evidence, documentary evidence, produced that they have been destroyed.
Third -- fourth of Tony Blair's conditions is that all the Al Samoud missiles should be destroyed, not just some of them.
Fifthly, the drone aircraft which Tony Blair says could be used for chemical and biological spraying, those have all got to be accounted for by Saddam Hussein.
And finally, the sixth condition that he's got to make full disclosure of the mobile biological warfare units which Britain and others believe that he's got. And Tony Blair is promising his MPs he is going to make an all-out effort to get that U.N. Security Council resolution. With the kind of pressures he's under, you can see why he's doing that -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: Quickly, Robin, will those rebellious MPs being taken off the hunt, if you will, for Tony Blair by these conditions? Is this enough?
OAKLEY: If these conditions bring round the six swing votes in the U.N. Security Council and get that second U.N. Security Council resolution through, even perhaps if it's vetoed by France as Britain is still expecting, that would lessen the political pressures on Tony Blair enormously. It would not reduce them completely, but it would certainly massively lessen those pressures.
O'BRIEN: All right. Robin Oakley in London, thank you very much -- Daryn.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Well, winning international backing is one of Washington's goals as well, but the Bush administration seems perhaps less patient than its counterparts in London, so the question now, how long is the U.S. willing to wait? With more on all of this, let's bring in Chris Burns, who is at the White House today -- Chris, hello.
CHRIS BURNS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Daryn. Not very long. Ari Fleischer, the press spokesman here, saying earlier this morning that the final moments of action or inaction at the U.N. Security Council are in play right now, using other key words words, showing that there's very little patience here, much longer anyway, at the U.N. Security Council. Diplomacy is in the end stages according to Mr. Fleischer, and that the president is going the extra mile. How is he doing that right now? He is talking to leaders on the Security Council as well as other countries.
He made two phone calls earlier this morning to the leaders of the United Arab Emirates, as well as the Philippines. More calls expected later today. But also, perhaps the most telling picture today, the only one we have so far, is the principals coming in to meet with the president, Colin Powell, the secretary of state; Donald Rumsfeld, the defense secretary; as well as Richard Myers, the head of the joint chiefs of staff. Very indicative of the intent to get things ready for a possible attack against Iraq.
What about these benchmarks that the British are pushing for? Well, the president is flexible to that, obviously, very sensitive to the British situation. Here's the reaction from Ari Fleischer.
He said earlier this morning, "It's a diplomatic process that we work shoulder to shoulder with the United Kingdom on, and we're not just going to get into the specifics at any one proposal, or any other -- or another by any nation."
So remaining very vague about this, and indicating, very intent that they want a result from this very soon. On a lighter note, the -- Ari Fleischer was asked this morning what he thought about House members banning -- or changing the name from "french fries" to "freedom fries" in their cafeterias. Ari Fleischer says the president is very busy, he has other fish to fry -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Yuckety-yuck there. Getting back to this more serious matter, what about a more specific date about when the White House would push for a vote with the Security Council? Still looking by the end of this week?
BURNS: That is right. What we're hearing over here is Thursday or Friday, and as far as any deadlines that would be in that Security Council resolution, what we hear from a senior administration official is that a week to 10 days max on that. So we're still talking within this month that there would be a deadline for any ultimatum against Saddam Hussein.
KAGAN: All right. Chris Burns at the White House, 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 March 12, 2003 - 13:02 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, the diplomats are earning their paychecks today, and at this hour, a plan is in the works to hold off invading Iraq in exchange for another chance for Iraq to disarm. The plan is being pushed by Britain, whose leader facing enormous pressure to either avert a war altogether or, at the very least, secure some semblance of international backing.
CNN's Robin Oakley is in London to tell us more about the emerging British plan -- Robin.
ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN SENIOR EUROPEAN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: As you say, Miles, huge political pressure on Tony Blair. Only 19 percent of the British public, according to opinion polls, would back him in military action against Saddam Hussein if that military action is not backed by U.N. Security Council resolution. Up to 200 of his MPs are threatening rebellion in Parliament if he goes in those circumstances. Clare Short, one of his cabinet members, is saying she will walk out if he goes without U.N. sanction.
So the battle on to get that second U.N. Security Council resolution. The British beginning to make more and more concessions. Now they're willing to see a little more slippage in the date for Saddam Hussein to comply, but they're suggesting a series of benchmarks, a way of testing, really, his willingness to comply with the U.N. demands over his weapons program.
First of all, Tony Blair is saying what Britain would be looking for in this resolution is a public confession by Saddam Hussein on television that he has been hiding his weapons, and an agreement that he will disclose them in the future.
Secondly, he wants to have Iraqi scientists interviewed outside the country, probably in Cyprus.
He wants the anthrax stocks that Saddam Hussein has either disclosed, turned over, or evidence, documentary evidence, produced that they have been destroyed.
Third -- fourth of Tony Blair's conditions is that all the Al Samoud missiles should be destroyed, not just some of them.
Fifthly, the drone aircraft which Tony Blair says could be used for chemical and biological spraying, those have all got to be accounted for by Saddam Hussein.
And finally, the sixth condition that he's got to make full disclosure of the mobile biological warfare units which Britain and others believe that he's got. And Tony Blair is promising his MPs he is going to make an all-out effort to get that U.N. Security Council resolution. With the kind of pressures he's under, you can see why he's doing that -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: Quickly, Robin, will those rebellious MPs being taken off the hunt, if you will, for Tony Blair by these conditions? Is this enough?
OAKLEY: If these conditions bring round the six swing votes in the U.N. Security Council and get that second U.N. Security Council resolution through, even perhaps if it's vetoed by France as Britain is still expecting, that would lessen the political pressures on Tony Blair enormously. It would not reduce them completely, but it would certainly massively lessen those pressures.
O'BRIEN: All right. Robin Oakley in London, thank you very much -- Daryn.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Well, winning international backing is one of Washington's goals as well, but the Bush administration seems perhaps less patient than its counterparts in London, so the question now, how long is the U.S. willing to wait? With more on all of this, let's bring in Chris Burns, who is at the White House today -- Chris, hello.
CHRIS BURNS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Daryn. Not very long. Ari Fleischer, the press spokesman here, saying earlier this morning that the final moments of action or inaction at the U.N. Security Council are in play right now, using other key words words, showing that there's very little patience here, much longer anyway, at the U.N. Security Council. Diplomacy is in the end stages according to Mr. Fleischer, and that the president is going the extra mile. How is he doing that right now? He is talking to leaders on the Security Council as well as other countries.
He made two phone calls earlier this morning to the leaders of the United Arab Emirates, as well as the Philippines. More calls expected later today. But also, perhaps the most telling picture today, the only one we have so far, is the principals coming in to meet with the president, Colin Powell, the secretary of state; Donald Rumsfeld, the defense secretary; as well as Richard Myers, the head of the joint chiefs of staff. Very indicative of the intent to get things ready for a possible attack against Iraq.
What about these benchmarks that the British are pushing for? Well, the president is flexible to that, obviously, very sensitive to the British situation. Here's the reaction from Ari Fleischer.
He said earlier this morning, "It's a diplomatic process that we work shoulder to shoulder with the United Kingdom on, and we're not just going to get into the specifics at any one proposal, or any other -- or another by any nation."
So remaining very vague about this, and indicating, very intent that they want a result from this very soon. On a lighter note, the -- Ari Fleischer was asked this morning what he thought about House members banning -- or changing the name from "french fries" to "freedom fries" in their cafeterias. Ari Fleischer says the president is very busy, he has other fish to fry -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Yuckety-yuck there. Getting back to this more serious matter, what about a more specific date about when the White House would push for a vote with the Security Council? Still looking by the end of this week?
BURNS: That is right. What we're hearing over here is Thursday or Friday, and as far as any deadlines that would be in that Security Council resolution, what we hear from a senior administration official is that a week to 10 days max on that. So we're still talking within this month that there would be a deadline for any ultimatum against Saddam Hussein.
KAGAN: All right. Chris Burns at the White House, 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
