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Powell to Take President's Message to Middle East
Aired May 09, 2003 - 15:04 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: Secretary of State Colin Powell, as you heard from Chris, will be taking the president's message to the Middle East in person this weekend, when he holds talks in several Mideast capitals.
In addition to meetings with Israeli leader Ariel Sharon and the new Palestinian prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas, Powell plans stops in Egypt, in Saudi Arabia and in Jordan.
Just a short time ago, Powell said he believed the U.S.-backed peace plan offers a fresh start in the region.
After leaving the Middle East, Secretary Powell is going to be stopping in Russia, in Bulgaria, and Germany before returning to the U.S. next Friday.
At the United Nations, the U.S. has introduced a resolution that would lift U.N. sanctions on Iraq and also give the U.S. and Britain primary control over Iraq's oil revenues for use in rebuilding the country.
CNN's Michael Okwu is following developments at the United Nations.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAEL OKWU, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): No rancor and no discord, at least not today. One Security Council diplomat said that the feeling among members of the Security Council was one of cooperation and constructiveness.
One U.N. diplomat said that Chile and Mexico would like to mend fences with the United States and that the African nations on the council will likely not oppose it.
British ambassador Sir Jeremy Greenstock.
JEREMY GREENSTOCK, BRITISH AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N.: What we're trying to do in the council and the coalition on the ground is serve the needs of the Iraqi people and restore Iraq back to Iraqis for their own purposes and their own benefit as quickly as possible.
Second, we need to establish what a vital role for the United Nations, as President Bush and Prime Minister Blair said will be and parts of the resolution do that. OKWU: In addition to lifting sanctions, the resolution would also phase out the oil for food program over the course of the next four months and put all of Iraqi's oil revenues into an Iraqi assistance fund that would be monitored by representatives on an advisory board from the United Nations, the World Bank and the IMF.
But still, council members have some questions.
GUNTER PLEUGER, GERMAN AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N.: The resolution contained some very difficult and complicated legal arrangements as far as economic reconstruction, the disposal of the oil and its revenue, is concerned and that would have to be reviewed by the experts, I think. I can't really say right now how difficult thee questions are, but we certainly need to sometime to settle these.
OKWU: One council member said that the Russians took the most extreme position, that they were concerned about the resolution not mentioning the return of U.N. weapons inspectors. And also concerned about the fact that Iraq owes them some $7 to $8 billion.
Michael Okwu, CNN at the United Nations.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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 - 15:04 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Secretary of State Colin Powell, as you heard from Chris, will be taking the president's message to the Middle East in person this weekend, when he holds talks in several Mideast capitals.
In addition to meetings with Israeli leader Ariel Sharon and the new Palestinian prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas, Powell plans stops in Egypt, in Saudi Arabia and in Jordan.
Just a short time ago, Powell said he believed the U.S.-backed peace plan offers a fresh start in the region.
After leaving the Middle East, Secretary Powell is going to be stopping in Russia, in Bulgaria, and Germany before returning to the U.S. next Friday.
At the United Nations, the U.S. has introduced a resolution that would lift U.N. sanctions on Iraq and also give the U.S. and Britain primary control over Iraq's oil revenues for use in rebuilding the country.
CNN's Michael Okwu is following developments at the United Nations.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAEL OKWU, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): No rancor and no discord, at least not today. One Security Council diplomat said that the feeling among members of the Security Council was one of cooperation and constructiveness.
One U.N. diplomat said that Chile and Mexico would like to mend fences with the United States and that the African nations on the council will likely not oppose it.
British ambassador Sir Jeremy Greenstock.
JEREMY GREENSTOCK, BRITISH AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N.: What we're trying to do in the council and the coalition on the ground is serve the needs of the Iraqi people and restore Iraq back to Iraqis for their own purposes and their own benefit as quickly as possible.
Second, we need to establish what a vital role for the United Nations, as President Bush and Prime Minister Blair said will be and parts of the resolution do that. OKWU: In addition to lifting sanctions, the resolution would also phase out the oil for food program over the course of the next four months and put all of Iraqi's oil revenues into an Iraqi assistance fund that would be monitored by representatives on an advisory board from the United Nations, the World Bank and the IMF.
But still, council members have some questions.
GUNTER PLEUGER, GERMAN AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N.: The resolution contained some very difficult and complicated legal arrangements as far as economic reconstruction, the disposal of the oil and its revenue, is concerned and that would have to be reviewed by the experts, I think. I can't really say right now how difficult thee questions are, but we certainly need to sometime to settle these.
OKWU: One council member said that the Russians took the most extreme position, that they were concerned about the resolution not mentioning the return of U.N. weapons inspectors. And also concerned about the fact that Iraq owes them some $7 to $8 billion.
Michael Okwu, CNN at the United Nations.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
