Return to Transcripts main page

Live From...

U.S. Delegation Walks Out of U.N. Security Council Meeting

Aired March 27, 2003 - 13:54   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.


JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: We're learning just now at the United Nations, where at the Security Council they've been debating a resolution on this war, just moments ago, the Iraqi ambassador to the U.N. apparently referred to U.S. military coming into his country as war criminals. And at that point, the U.S. delegation to the U.N. walked out. Let's get some details now from our correspondent Michael Okwu, who is at the U.N.
Michael, are you with us? Hello there, Michael.

MICHAEL OKWU, CNN U.N. CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Judy.

You would expect that the drama here would be over. But that is clearly not the case. Diplomats speaking at an open session of the Security Council. And Mohammed Aldouri, who spoke yesterday at this open session of the council, speaking again, something like a lawyer providing a rebuttal after many nations, dozens of nations, Arab states as well as some of the nonaligned countries here at the United Nations, had their chance to weigh in on the war.

Mohammed Aldouri saying that the U.S. are aggressors. He described other countries of following suit here as a caravan of aggression. He said the United States' were neocolonials whose only role here was to carve up Iraq and to redraw the map.

And when he mentioned the fact that U.S. troops, in his words, were hoping or expecting that the Iraqis would just lay down their weapons and welcome them with open arms, the U.S. Ambassador John Negroponte, at that point got up from his seat and walked out with the rest of his delegation.

Something of a bit of drama here, trying to make a point, clearly, with other members of the Security Council.

Judy?

WOODRUFF: Michael, exactly what did the Iraqi ambassador to the U.N. say, that so offended the U.S. delegation apparently?

OKWU: Well, we have to wait to hear from John Negroponte, the U.S. ambassador. We understand that he maybe addressing the microphone and reporters stationed right outside the Security Council.

But it appeared at the moment the Iraqi ambassador was mentioning the U.S. troops and talking about the fact that these troops were expecting to have the Iraqis just welcome them with open arms, that they did not -- essentially implying that the U.S. thought that the Iraqis did not have any fight in them.

It was at this point that the ambassador got up from his seat and left. This was after, Judy, a barrage from Mohammed Aldouri, the Iraqi ambassador.

Judy.

WOODRUFF: I'm asking because, you know, frequently the diplomats at the U.N. do use very tough language. They use, obviously exercise some diplomatic restraint, but they're accustomed to speaking pretty hard words there.

You can see there, we've got a picture on the right side of your screen, at the U.N. We're waiting for the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. John Negroponte, who of course leads the U.S. delegation, to come out and talk with reporters. Explain better, perhaps, what his rationale was for walking out.

But, Michael, as you say, this -- whatever it was prompted him, but it's in a context of an ongoing, days, weeks, months of debate at the U.N. and, clearly, the U.S. and Iraq have been at loggerheads as long as we can remember.

OKWU: That's absolutely right. It's important -- as you see the president of the Security Council, the ambassador from Guinea. Presumably he will sort of wrap up what happened here throughout the course of the past 48 hours.

But it's important not to overstate this, Judy. The fact is that diplomats get up and walk in and out of the council all the time. The ambassador from the United States, Mr. Negroponte had been sitting dutifully throughout the course of many of these speeches today.

And that's why some of the media here reacted with a great deal of concern here, because the fact is you've got the Iraqi ambassador, the last speaker scheduled. It's very interesting that at that point the ambassador would choose his time to leave.

I think we have picture of the ambassador getting up at this point. Again, the Iraqi ambassador was making the point that the United States, as far as he was concerned -- I understand we don't have the video now.

But the Iraqi ambassador, between, making the point that the U.S., as far as he was concerned, were neocolonialists, that their intention was to occupy Iraq, that this was not about disarming all along. It was about regime change. And again, Negroponte using that as an opportunity to leave the floor.

Judy?

WOODRUFF: All right, Michael Okwu.

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




Meeting>


Aired March 27, 2003 - 13:54   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: We're learning just now at the United Nations, where at the Security Council they've been debating a resolution on this war, just moments ago, the Iraqi ambassador to the U.N. apparently referred to U.S. military coming into his country as war criminals. And at that point, the U.S. delegation to the U.N. walked out. Let's get some details now from our correspondent Michael Okwu, who is at the U.N.
Michael, are you with us? Hello there, Michael.

MICHAEL OKWU, CNN U.N. CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Judy.

You would expect that the drama here would be over. But that is clearly not the case. Diplomats speaking at an open session of the Security Council. And Mohammed Aldouri, who spoke yesterday at this open session of the council, speaking again, something like a lawyer providing a rebuttal after many nations, dozens of nations, Arab states as well as some of the nonaligned countries here at the United Nations, had their chance to weigh in on the war.

Mohammed Aldouri saying that the U.S. are aggressors. He described other countries of following suit here as a caravan of aggression. He said the United States' were neocolonials whose only role here was to carve up Iraq and to redraw the map.

And when he mentioned the fact that U.S. troops, in his words, were hoping or expecting that the Iraqis would just lay down their weapons and welcome them with open arms, the U.S. Ambassador John Negroponte, at that point got up from his seat and walked out with the rest of his delegation.

Something of a bit of drama here, trying to make a point, clearly, with other members of the Security Council.

Judy?

WOODRUFF: Michael, exactly what did the Iraqi ambassador to the U.N. say, that so offended the U.S. delegation apparently?

OKWU: Well, we have to wait to hear from John Negroponte, the U.S. ambassador. We understand that he maybe addressing the microphone and reporters stationed right outside the Security Council.

But it appeared at the moment the Iraqi ambassador was mentioning the U.S. troops and talking about the fact that these troops were expecting to have the Iraqis just welcome them with open arms, that they did not -- essentially implying that the U.S. thought that the Iraqis did not have any fight in them.

It was at this point that the ambassador got up from his seat and left. This was after, Judy, a barrage from Mohammed Aldouri, the Iraqi ambassador.

Judy.

WOODRUFF: I'm asking because, you know, frequently the diplomats at the U.N. do use very tough language. They use, obviously exercise some diplomatic restraint, but they're accustomed to speaking pretty hard words there.

You can see there, we've got a picture on the right side of your screen, at the U.N. We're waiting for the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. John Negroponte, who of course leads the U.S. delegation, to come out and talk with reporters. Explain better, perhaps, what his rationale was for walking out.

But, Michael, as you say, this -- whatever it was prompted him, but it's in a context of an ongoing, days, weeks, months of debate at the U.N. and, clearly, the U.S. and Iraq have been at loggerheads as long as we can remember.

OKWU: That's absolutely right. It's important -- as you see the president of the Security Council, the ambassador from Guinea. Presumably he will sort of wrap up what happened here throughout the course of the past 48 hours.

But it's important not to overstate this, Judy. The fact is that diplomats get up and walk in and out of the council all the time. The ambassador from the United States, Mr. Negroponte had been sitting dutifully throughout the course of many of these speeches today.

And that's why some of the media here reacted with a great deal of concern here, because the fact is you've got the Iraqi ambassador, the last speaker scheduled. It's very interesting that at that point the ambassador would choose his time to leave.

I think we have picture of the ambassador getting up at this point. Again, the Iraqi ambassador was making the point that the United States, as far as he was concerned -- I understand we don't have the video now.

But the Iraqi ambassador, between, making the point that the U.S., as far as he was concerned, were neocolonialists, that their intention was to occupy Iraq, that this was not about disarming all along. It was about regime change. And again, Negroponte using that as an opportunity to leave the floor.

Judy?

WOODRUFF: All right, Michael Okwu.

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




Meeting>