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Jesse Jackson to U.N.: Check on Condition of POWs

Aired April 02, 2003 - 14:20   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, ANCHOR: The Reverend Jesse Jackson, as we know, civil rights activist, has spoken up at several times since the Iraq war got underway. He was at the U.N. several days ago, talking about the need for a truce to get help for Iraqis.
Today he was at the U.N. again, meeting with the Iraqi ambassador to the U.N. And that's where we find our Michael Okwu -- Michael.

MICHAEL OKWU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Judy, good afternoon. Jesse Jackson -- Reverend Jesse Jackson has been making efforts in the last week or, so meeting with Secretary-General Kofi Annan, in an effort to try to get the U.S. forces, as well as the Iraqi forces, to come up with some sort of a cease-fire.

Part of the reason he'd like to do this, he says, is he'd like to try to work out an agreement with the Iraqi leadership, mainly through religious leaders, to get into the country so that he can check on the condition of POWs. He says that this will be the first step along a line, a pattern to try to eventually get some of the POWs out of the country.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REV. JESSE JACKSON, CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST: We want to see our POWs, to assure that they have humane treatment. But the other POWs as well, because to be humane, you must have a commitment to reconciliation and to seek relief for all parties involved. Right now we've heard from families of POWs and we've heard from families of missing persons and we hope that we can ascertain their safety and their humane treatment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

OKWU: Obviously, there are many questions that have been raised about what sort of leadership there might be in Iraq at this point. In fact, I asked Mr. -- Reverend Jackson that question, and he said most of the discussions that he is having are with religious leaders in Iraq, that that's where he has had some of his success in the past.

He said that he had discussions with Mr. Al Douri, again, the Iraqi ambassador. And indirectly, the ambassador is having conversations with some of those religious leaders.

He says he is very confident that at some point in the very near future he might personally be able to travel there himself, but he has no assurances at this point -- Judy. WOODRUFF: Michael, so what Reverend Jackson is saying is that Ambassador Al Douri is talking with religious leaders but not with government representatives in Iraq?

OKWU: Well, it's interesting. The Iraqi ambassador not making it very clear to Mr. Jackson who he's talking to. He said that he's having indirect talks with some of the leaders in Iraq.

There has been some speculation, of course, Judy, that perhaps this ambassador is not having direct talks with the leadership in Baghdad, that he's been having mainly conversations with his foreign minister.

But the reverend made it very clear that most of the substantive talks that he is having are indirectly through the ambassador to religious leaders back in Baghdad -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: Very important point, because of course, what everybody wants to know is just what does exist or what does remain of the Iraqi regime at this point.

All right, Michael Okwu reporting for us from the Iraqi mission to the United Nations. Thanks very much, Michael.

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 April 2, 2003 - 14:20   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, ANCHOR: The Reverend Jesse Jackson, as we know, civil rights activist, has spoken up at several times since the Iraq war got underway. He was at the U.N. several days ago, talking about the need for a truce to get help for Iraqis.
Today he was at the U.N. again, meeting with the Iraqi ambassador to the U.N. And that's where we find our Michael Okwu -- Michael.

MICHAEL OKWU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Judy, good afternoon. Jesse Jackson -- Reverend Jesse Jackson has been making efforts in the last week or, so meeting with Secretary-General Kofi Annan, in an effort to try to get the U.S. forces, as well as the Iraqi forces, to come up with some sort of a cease-fire.

Part of the reason he'd like to do this, he says, is he'd like to try to work out an agreement with the Iraqi leadership, mainly through religious leaders, to get into the country so that he can check on the condition of POWs. He says that this will be the first step along a line, a pattern to try to eventually get some of the POWs out of the country.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REV. JESSE JACKSON, CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST: We want to see our POWs, to assure that they have humane treatment. But the other POWs as well, because to be humane, you must have a commitment to reconciliation and to seek relief for all parties involved. Right now we've heard from families of POWs and we've heard from families of missing persons and we hope that we can ascertain their safety and their humane treatment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

OKWU: Obviously, there are many questions that have been raised about what sort of leadership there might be in Iraq at this point. In fact, I asked Mr. -- Reverend Jackson that question, and he said most of the discussions that he is having are with religious leaders in Iraq, that that's where he has had some of his success in the past.

He said that he had discussions with Mr. Al Douri, again, the Iraqi ambassador. And indirectly, the ambassador is having conversations with some of those religious leaders.

He says he is very confident that at some point in the very near future he might personally be able to travel there himself, but he has no assurances at this point -- Judy. WOODRUFF: Michael, so what Reverend Jackson is saying is that Ambassador Al Douri is talking with religious leaders but not with government representatives in Iraq?

OKWU: Well, it's interesting. The Iraqi ambassador not making it very clear to Mr. Jackson who he's talking to. He said that he's having indirect talks with some of the leaders in Iraq.

There has been some speculation, of course, Judy, that perhaps this ambassador is not having direct talks with the leadership in Baghdad, that he's been having mainly conversations with his foreign minister.

But the reverend made it very clear that most of the substantive talks that he is having are indirectly through the ambassador to religious leaders back in Baghdad -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: Very important point, because of course, what everybody wants to know is just what does exist or what does remain of the Iraqi regime at this point.

All right, Michael Okwu reporting for us from the Iraqi mission to the United Nations. Thanks very much, Michael.

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