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U.S. Still Pushing For Votes in Security Council

Aired March 12, 2003 - 15:02   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: We begin this hour with the last mile for diplomacy. That's how the White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer talks about the president's campaign for one more vote and, of course, no vetoes, among the deeply split members of the U.N. Security Council. The split may have narrowed since this time yesterday.
CNN White House correspondent Chris Burns bringing us up to date.

Hello, Chris.

CHRIS BURNS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Miles.

Well, there is -- there are indications from what we're hearing that there could be as many as eight votes could be ensured on that Security Council. The United States and its allies need nine for it to pass on the Security Council. That 15-member Security Council. President Bush working the phones today. Most important of all, his talks to president Putin of Russia. Ari Fleischer, the White House spokesman not giving any details of what that conversation was about, except, of course, that it was about Iraq.

Russia threatening to veto that U.N. Security Council resolution. It does have the power to do that. Other countries the president spoke with, the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, and the Philippines, among other countries. Those phone calls go on and continue today. The president is also expressing his support, his qualified, however, support of the British attempt to get through some benchmark to win over a few more votes.

Here's what Ari Fleischer had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARI FLEISCHER, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The president very much appreciates the United Kingdom's benchmarks and their approach to this. We are working very closely with the United Kingdom. And other nations on the Security Council, discussing the United Kingdom and other nations various ideas. It is all part of these final stages in diplomacy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNS: Note those words, final stages in diplomacy. As the president met earlier today with members of his national security council, including Colin Powell and the -- and Donald Rumsfeld, as well as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Richard Meyers. Very important picture showing that the war plans do go on, despite this consideration of diplomacy, but that window is closing very fast. One other thing I might mention is that Ari Fleischer asked about the vote on the Security Council. He noted that eight is a majority, although the U.N. requires nine. A super majority of nine. Read between the lines on what that means. Perhaps the expectations of getting nine have been lowered significantly.

O'BRIEN: So, we're talking about a lot of expectation here. They've already laid the expectation of going to veto. And perhaps they'd like to declare a victory even with that veto.

BURNS: Well, keep in mind, too, that if you don't have nine on the Security Council, that means countries like France and China, and Russia don't have to cast -- if they do cast a no vote that does not signify a veto. It's only if you get nine yes votes that they would perhaps be feel obligate to cast a veto. So, this might be a way if you have eight votes on the Security Council, that would avoid that veto situation that could inflame and hurt relations between Washington and those countries -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Interesting. Interesting. Lots of tea leaves to read in all of this.

Chris Burns, thanks 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 - 15:02   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: We begin this hour with the last mile for diplomacy. That's how the White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer talks about the president's campaign for one more vote and, of course, no vetoes, among the deeply split members of the U.N. Security Council. The split may have narrowed since this time yesterday.
CNN White House correspondent Chris Burns bringing us up to date.

Hello, Chris.

CHRIS BURNS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Miles.

Well, there is -- there are indications from what we're hearing that there could be as many as eight votes could be ensured on that Security Council. The United States and its allies need nine for it to pass on the Security Council. That 15-member Security Council. President Bush working the phones today. Most important of all, his talks to president Putin of Russia. Ari Fleischer, the White House spokesman not giving any details of what that conversation was about, except, of course, that it was about Iraq.

Russia threatening to veto that U.N. Security Council resolution. It does have the power to do that. Other countries the president spoke with, the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, and the Philippines, among other countries. Those phone calls go on and continue today. The president is also expressing his support, his qualified, however, support of the British attempt to get through some benchmark to win over a few more votes.

Here's what Ari Fleischer had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARI FLEISCHER, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The president very much appreciates the United Kingdom's benchmarks and their approach to this. We are working very closely with the United Kingdom. And other nations on the Security Council, discussing the United Kingdom and other nations various ideas. It is all part of these final stages in diplomacy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNS: Note those words, final stages in diplomacy. As the president met earlier today with members of his national security council, including Colin Powell and the -- and Donald Rumsfeld, as well as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Richard Meyers. Very important picture showing that the war plans do go on, despite this consideration of diplomacy, but that window is closing very fast. One other thing I might mention is that Ari Fleischer asked about the vote on the Security Council. He noted that eight is a majority, although the U.N. requires nine. A super majority of nine. Read between the lines on what that means. Perhaps the expectations of getting nine have been lowered significantly.

O'BRIEN: So, we're talking about a lot of expectation here. They've already laid the expectation of going to veto. And perhaps they'd like to declare a victory even with that veto.

BURNS: Well, keep in mind, too, that if you don't have nine on the Security Council, that means countries like France and China, and Russia don't have to cast -- if they do cast a no vote that does not signify a veto. It's only if you get nine yes votes that they would perhaps be feel obligate to cast a veto. So, this might be a way if you have eight votes on the Security Council, that would avoid that veto situation that could inflame and hurt relations between Washington and those countries -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Interesting. Interesting. Lots of tea leaves to read in all of this.

Chris Burns, thanks 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