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U.N. Debate Continues

Aired May 09, 2003 - 13:15   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: The United Nations Security Council is considering a resolution to lift all economic sanctions on Iraq. At stake is control of Iraq's vast oil profits. The United States, Britain and Spain cosponsored the resolution. But France and Russia, as you might have predicted, not so enthusiastic.
CNN's Michael Okwu at the United Nations. He joins us live with an update on the discussions there.

Michael, what's the feeling in the halls there? Is it going to be the rancorous debate we saw prior to the war?

MICHAEL OKWU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Miles, at this point, it certainly doesn't look that way, lots of back slapping, lots of smiles, lots of diplomats talking about looking forward, and not looking back.

Just moments ago, Sir Jeremy Greenstock, the British ambassador to the United Nations, telling reporters that this was a feeling of cooperation pervading all over the Security Council.

Earlier, of course, the German ambassador told us, Miles, NEVILLE: at the feeling was one of constructiveness. France has been saying for quite some time now that they'd like to take a pragmatic approach to this resolution.

According to one U.N. diplomat, Chile and Mexico would like to mend fences with the United States. He said don't look for the African nations to be much of an opposition here, as well. In fact this diplomat said with a little bit of fine-tuning, that perhaps this resolution can pass 15-0.

Now, one of the points on the resolution that might be of some concern to council diplomats is the creation of an Iraqi assistance fund. That is where all the oil revenues would go. It would be monitored by some sort of advisory board that would be made up of representatives from the U.N., the World Bank and the IMF. But the discretion to disperse those funds would lie squarely with the so- called authority. That is the United States and Great Britain.

And, Miles, there's absolutely no mention in this resolution about what would happen to U.N. weapons inspectors. Absolutely nothing in there for this. The U.S. Has been saying all along they have some 1,500 inspectors, already doing the job. Although it does call for the appointment of a U.N. special coordinator, the big question is, how powerful will that coordinator actually be?

Miles.

O'BRIEN: Kinder, gentler rhetoric by a long shot, Michael. How much of this has to do with the fact the U.S. holds so many cards as this talk continues here? I mean, or is it that the diplomats want to kiss and make up, so to speak?

OKWU: Well, that's an interesting image to be left with. But I can tell you that there is -- this is still the pregame show. The U.S. would certainly like this to be wrapped up in the next two weeks, but some council diplomats do, in fact, have questions.

The Russian ambassador, Sergey Lavrov said, when he was asked, do you have some questions about the resolution? Simply said, and smiled ominously, we have a long list.

But the fact is that the Russians are a little happy right now, Miles, because this resolution does make some mild concessions. In fact, it calls for the honoring of some $10 billion, at least part of that, of contracts that were secured, that were approved before the war. Russia has a big stake in that. They have some $1.5 billion. So clearly, they would be happy about that -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: All right, undoubtedly, they would be air kisses. It is, after all, New York.

Thank you, Michael Okwu, appreciate it.

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 May 9, 2003 - 13:15   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: The United Nations Security Council is considering a resolution to lift all economic sanctions on Iraq. At stake is control of Iraq's vast oil profits. The United States, Britain and Spain cosponsored the resolution. But France and Russia, as you might have predicted, not so enthusiastic.
CNN's Michael Okwu at the United Nations. He joins us live with an update on the discussions there.

Michael, what's the feeling in the halls there? Is it going to be the rancorous debate we saw prior to the war?

MICHAEL OKWU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Miles, at this point, it certainly doesn't look that way, lots of back slapping, lots of smiles, lots of diplomats talking about looking forward, and not looking back.

Just moments ago, Sir Jeremy Greenstock, the British ambassador to the United Nations, telling reporters that this was a feeling of cooperation pervading all over the Security Council.

Earlier, of course, the German ambassador told us, Miles, NEVILLE: at the feeling was one of constructiveness. France has been saying for quite some time now that they'd like to take a pragmatic approach to this resolution.

According to one U.N. diplomat, Chile and Mexico would like to mend fences with the United States. He said don't look for the African nations to be much of an opposition here, as well. In fact this diplomat said with a little bit of fine-tuning, that perhaps this resolution can pass 15-0.

Now, one of the points on the resolution that might be of some concern to council diplomats is the creation of an Iraqi assistance fund. That is where all the oil revenues would go. It would be monitored by some sort of advisory board that would be made up of representatives from the U.N., the World Bank and the IMF. But the discretion to disperse those funds would lie squarely with the so- called authority. That is the United States and Great Britain.

And, Miles, there's absolutely no mention in this resolution about what would happen to U.N. weapons inspectors. Absolutely nothing in there for this. The U.S. Has been saying all along they have some 1,500 inspectors, already doing the job. Although it does call for the appointment of a U.N. special coordinator, the big question is, how powerful will that coordinator actually be?

Miles.

O'BRIEN: Kinder, gentler rhetoric by a long shot, Michael. How much of this has to do with the fact the U.S. holds so many cards as this talk continues here? I mean, or is it that the diplomats want to kiss and make up, so to speak?

OKWU: Well, that's an interesting image to be left with. But I can tell you that there is -- this is still the pregame show. The U.S. would certainly like this to be wrapped up in the next two weeks, but some council diplomats do, in fact, have questions.

The Russian ambassador, Sergey Lavrov said, when he was asked, do you have some questions about the resolution? Simply said, and smiled ominously, we have a long list.

But the fact is that the Russians are a little happy right now, Miles, because this resolution does make some mild concessions. In fact, it calls for the honoring of some $10 billion, at least part of that, of contracts that were secured, that were approved before the war. Russia has a big stake in that. They have some $1.5 billion. So clearly, they would be happy about that -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: All right, undoubtedly, they would be air kisses. It is, after all, New York.

Thank you, Michael Okwu, appreciate it.

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