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President Bush to Arrive in Belfast to Confer with Tony Blair
Aired April 07, 2003 - 12:21 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.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Explosions once again rocking Baghdad should come as no surprise. It's already dark now in the Iraqi capital. This is when there have been repeated nightly occurrences, bombings of various targets, what the U.S. military calls strategic command and control facilities, Republican Guard locations, other military outposts in and around the Iraqi capital.
We're hearing those explosions now. We don't know if these are coming from the sky or if they're coming from the ground. U.S. forces continue to probe, continue to move in and out of the Iraqi capital. Of course they've established a significant military presence at the international airport about 10 or 12 miles outside of Baghdad.
We're continuing to watch what's happening in Baghdad. We'll show you the pictures of course as we get them.
In the meantime, President Bush is scheduled to arrive in Belfast next hour to confer with the British prime minister, Tony Blair. Our senior White House correspondent, John King, is traveling with the president in northern Ireland. He's joining me live to preview what's likely to emerge over these very important talks -- John.
JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, the leaders obviously will discuss the ongoing battles in and around Baghdad. Both leaders believing the war is at its tipping point and that the Iraqi regime soon will be toppled. But because of that, they also will spend a great deal of time looking at post-war Iraq.
And there has been some talk of a controversy between Washington and London, and Washington and other European capitals over the post- war role of the United Nations. Whites House officials telling us today they believe any talk of a rift is grossly exaggerated, that they believe they will reach an agreement with Britain and with others on the exact role for the United Nations.
But because there is skepticism, especially in the House of Commons in London, the British defense minister, Geoff Hoon, saying earlier today, "Make no mistake about it. In these talks with President Bush, Prime Minister Blair will insist that the United Nations play a major role once the shooting stops."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEOFFREY HOON, BRITISH DEFENSE SECRETARY: It's absolutely clear that we want to see U.N. authority for the operations there in exactly the way that we did in operations in Afghanistan. But as far as maintaining security in the immediate aftermath of a conflict, it is obviously right and at (ph) best that that should be carried out by those forces on the ground who are aware of the security threats, who are aware of the risks, and who are in the best position to safeguard people and indeed themselves.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: This issue also being discussed at the United Nations today, where Secretary General Kofi Annan came out today and speaking to reporters. He said a major role for the United Nations is critical. Because this war has been so controversial, opposed in so many nations around the world, Kofi Annan saying one way to calm everyone down and bring the opponents and the proponents of war in Iraq together at the same table is for the U.N. to take a leading role in trying to put the country back together.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KOFI ANNAN, U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL: We've done quite a bit of work on reconstruction, working with countries and with other U.N. agencies. You've seen the work the U.N. has done in human rights and the area of rule of law. So there are lots of areas the U.N. can play. But above all, the U.N. involvement does bring legitimacy, which is necessary. Necessary for the country, for the region and for the peoples around the world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: What the Bush administration envisions is a U.S.-led civil authority going in. That civil authority would report to the commanding general, Tommy Franks. The Bush administration then wants to get an interim Iraqi authority up and running as soon as possible.
And the White House is saying it wants the United Nations to help, to advise and assist that interim authority, to take the lead in humanitarian efforts. What the White House says it will not tolerate is for the United Nations to be in charge of any interim Iraqi authority. But White House officials are telling us that they are on the same page with the Brits when it comes to that position, that the U.N. should be there to help, not to run the show.
White House officials saying they believe President Bush and Prime Minister Blair will reach a general compromise at this meeting here in Belfast, but they say they cannot fill in all the blanks, if you will, because they do not know how the situation will, exactly what the needs in Iraq will be, until the fighting is over -- Wolf.
BLITZER: John, lot of our viewers are probably wondering, three meetings between President Bush and Prime Minister Blair in three weeks. But they're probably wondering why Belfast, northern Ireland, for this one. What's the reasoning for this site location?
KING: Well, Iraq will dominate the discussions here, but just as Prime Minister Blair has on so many occasions helped President Bush, President Bush returning the favor, if you will, in helping Prime Minister Blair. We are at the five-year anniversary of the so-called Good Friday agreement designed to bring peace and a new government to northern Ireland.
There have been disagreements and disputes. That government is now suspended because the IRA has not, in the view of the Unionists, anyway, kept its commitment to disarm. Prime Minister Blair trying to get that process back up and running.
You'll remember the former U.S. president, Bill Clinton, was critical in getting that Good Friday agreement. Some have said the Bush administration is not as involved as the people of northern Ireland would like. President Bush will be here to try to give the northern Ireland peace process a boost, even as he discusses Iraq with Prime Minister Blair -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right. John King in Belfast, covering this important two-day visit between the president and the prime minister. We'll be checking back with you often. Thanks, John, very much.
Blair>
Aired April 7, 2003 - 12:21 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Explosions once again rocking Baghdad should come as no surprise. It's already dark now in the Iraqi capital. This is when there have been repeated nightly occurrences, bombings of various targets, what the U.S. military calls strategic command and control facilities, Republican Guard locations, other military outposts in and around the Iraqi capital.
We're hearing those explosions now. We don't know if these are coming from the sky or if they're coming from the ground. U.S. forces continue to probe, continue to move in and out of the Iraqi capital. Of course they've established a significant military presence at the international airport about 10 or 12 miles outside of Baghdad.
We're continuing to watch what's happening in Baghdad. We'll show you the pictures of course as we get them.
In the meantime, President Bush is scheduled to arrive in Belfast next hour to confer with the British prime minister, Tony Blair. Our senior White House correspondent, John King, is traveling with the president in northern Ireland. He's joining me live to preview what's likely to emerge over these very important talks -- John.
JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, the leaders obviously will discuss the ongoing battles in and around Baghdad. Both leaders believing the war is at its tipping point and that the Iraqi regime soon will be toppled. But because of that, they also will spend a great deal of time looking at post-war Iraq.
And there has been some talk of a controversy between Washington and London, and Washington and other European capitals over the post- war role of the United Nations. Whites House officials telling us today they believe any talk of a rift is grossly exaggerated, that they believe they will reach an agreement with Britain and with others on the exact role for the United Nations.
But because there is skepticism, especially in the House of Commons in London, the British defense minister, Geoff Hoon, saying earlier today, "Make no mistake about it. In these talks with President Bush, Prime Minister Blair will insist that the United Nations play a major role once the shooting stops."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEOFFREY HOON, BRITISH DEFENSE SECRETARY: It's absolutely clear that we want to see U.N. authority for the operations there in exactly the way that we did in operations in Afghanistan. But as far as maintaining security in the immediate aftermath of a conflict, it is obviously right and at (ph) best that that should be carried out by those forces on the ground who are aware of the security threats, who are aware of the risks, and who are in the best position to safeguard people and indeed themselves.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: This issue also being discussed at the United Nations today, where Secretary General Kofi Annan came out today and speaking to reporters. He said a major role for the United Nations is critical. Because this war has been so controversial, opposed in so many nations around the world, Kofi Annan saying one way to calm everyone down and bring the opponents and the proponents of war in Iraq together at the same table is for the U.N. to take a leading role in trying to put the country back together.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KOFI ANNAN, U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL: We've done quite a bit of work on reconstruction, working with countries and with other U.N. agencies. You've seen the work the U.N. has done in human rights and the area of rule of law. So there are lots of areas the U.N. can play. But above all, the U.N. involvement does bring legitimacy, which is necessary. Necessary for the country, for the region and for the peoples around the world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: What the Bush administration envisions is a U.S.-led civil authority going in. That civil authority would report to the commanding general, Tommy Franks. The Bush administration then wants to get an interim Iraqi authority up and running as soon as possible.
And the White House is saying it wants the United Nations to help, to advise and assist that interim authority, to take the lead in humanitarian efforts. What the White House says it will not tolerate is for the United Nations to be in charge of any interim Iraqi authority. But White House officials are telling us that they are on the same page with the Brits when it comes to that position, that the U.N. should be there to help, not to run the show.
White House officials saying they believe President Bush and Prime Minister Blair will reach a general compromise at this meeting here in Belfast, but they say they cannot fill in all the blanks, if you will, because they do not know how the situation will, exactly what the needs in Iraq will be, until the fighting is over -- Wolf.
BLITZER: John, lot of our viewers are probably wondering, three meetings between President Bush and Prime Minister Blair in three weeks. But they're probably wondering why Belfast, northern Ireland, for this one. What's the reasoning for this site location?
KING: Well, Iraq will dominate the discussions here, but just as Prime Minister Blair has on so many occasions helped President Bush, President Bush returning the favor, if you will, in helping Prime Minister Blair. We are at the five-year anniversary of the so-called Good Friday agreement designed to bring peace and a new government to northern Ireland.
There have been disagreements and disputes. That government is now suspended because the IRA has not, in the view of the Unionists, anyway, kept its commitment to disarm. Prime Minister Blair trying to get that process back up and running.
You'll remember the former U.S. president, Bill Clinton, was critical in getting that Good Friday agreement. Some have said the Bush administration is not as involved as the people of northern Ireland would like. President Bush will be here to try to give the northern Ireland peace process a boost, even as he discusses Iraq with Prime Minister Blair -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right. John King in Belfast, covering this important two-day visit between the president and the prime minister. We'll be checking back with you often. Thanks, John, very much.
Blair>
