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State Department Reacts to Violence in Middle East
Aired August 21, 2003 - 13:50 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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Now, more dramatic fallout from the attack in Baghdad against the U.N.
CNN State Department Andrea Koppel, now. We'll get to that in just a moment.
But first, Andrea, reaction there at the State Department to the events in the Middle East.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT: Well, obviously, Kyra, there is a lot of concern here at the State Department and with -- throughout the Bush administration at large, one Powell aide told me that the message that's being given loud and clear by both Powell and President Bush to the Palestinian side is for Yasser Arafat to cede control of the Palestinian security forces to the Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas and his secretary chief, Moahmmed Dahlan, that their arms are tied right now. And we heard Secretary Powell very clearly call on Yasser Arafat to cede that control. They see that, the administration does, as a real stumbling block, for the Palestinians to do what the road map says. And that is, dismantle the terrorist infrastructure, those organizations, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Meanwhile, in Baghdad, what's the latest from there with regard to the U.N. and Iraq? And will its mission there shift focus in any way?
KOPPEL: At this stage that remains to be seen. We know Secretary Powell was at the United Nations today meeting with U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan to talk about the possibility of blowing the dust off this U.N. resolution that the U.S. has been working on for the last several weeks that hasn't introduced officially. And that would expand the peacekeeping force. It would get a U.N. -- some sort of U.N. mandate to get an international peacekeeping force. But, Kyra, no optimism in Washington that there's going to be support for this resolution because the Bush administration is still refusing to cede control, any control, over that peacekeeping force to any of these other countries that might get involved -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right. Andrea Koppel, live from the State Department, thank you.
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 August 21, 2003 - 13:50 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Now, more dramatic fallout from the attack in Baghdad against the U.N.
CNN State Department Andrea Koppel, now. We'll get to that in just a moment.
But first, Andrea, reaction there at the State Department to the events in the Middle East.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT: Well, obviously, Kyra, there is a lot of concern here at the State Department and with -- throughout the Bush administration at large, one Powell aide told me that the message that's being given loud and clear by both Powell and President Bush to the Palestinian side is for Yasser Arafat to cede control of the Palestinian security forces to the Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas and his secretary chief, Moahmmed Dahlan, that their arms are tied right now. And we heard Secretary Powell very clearly call on Yasser Arafat to cede that control. They see that, the administration does, as a real stumbling block, for the Palestinians to do what the road map says. And that is, dismantle the terrorist infrastructure, those organizations, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Meanwhile, in Baghdad, what's the latest from there with regard to the U.N. and Iraq? And will its mission there shift focus in any way?
KOPPEL: At this stage that remains to be seen. We know Secretary Powell was at the United Nations today meeting with U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan to talk about the possibility of blowing the dust off this U.N. resolution that the U.S. has been working on for the last several weeks that hasn't introduced officially. And that would expand the peacekeeping force. It would get a U.N. -- some sort of U.N. mandate to get an international peacekeeping force. But, Kyra, no optimism in Washington that there's going to be support for this resolution because the Bush administration is still refusing to cede control, any control, over that peacekeeping force to any of these other countries that might get involved -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right. Andrea Koppel, live from the State Department, thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
