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British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw Backs Stronger U.N. Role
Aired August 22, 2003 - 13:12 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: At the U.N. today, Secretary-General Kofi Annan refused any comment on the blast investigation. He says it's just the beginning.
CNN's Michael Okwu is standing by live in New York, where the U.S. and Britain continue to ask for help with Iraq -- Michael.
MICHAEL OKWU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw met with Kofi Annan this morning for about 45 minutes behind closed doors. The very key topic on top of the agenda: a resolution that would send a multinational police and security force into Iraq.
Now, Annan appeared to make a reference to the U.S. occupation, saying that the consensus on a resolution may be possible, as long as the U.S. is willing to power-share.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KOFI ANNAN, U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL: Now, I think yesterday the discussions we had concerned internationalization -- of the further internationalization of the process in Iraq. I think most member states, as you've heard this morning, would want to see further internationalization through broadening of a U.N. rule, to permit them to join the operations on the ground, and that those discussions cover both the political and economic reconstruction, as well as the security aspects of the operation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
OKWU: Now, various countries have been asking specifically for the United States to cede power. And the French have gone so far as to even ask for a timetable, after which the United States would leave power back in the hands of the Iraqi people.
British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw made it very clear that he is willing to see a greater U.N. mandate.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JACK STRAW, BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY: I don't want to be more specific, and for this very good reason. That the discussions that took place informally and in private yesterday amongst members of the Security Council were constructive. Our approach was to say to our colleagues in the Security Council, look, we want to develop a consensus here and we don't wish to be prescriptive. Now, each country on the Security Council comes to the discussions with its own approach, but we did show this time last year over 1441 -- and we have shown, I hope, subsequently with 1483 and 1500 -- that although people's starting positions may be different, it is possible to reach a strong consensus.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
OKWU: A U.N. diplomat says that the U.S. is not willing to cede enough authority and that other countries are not really serious about sending multinational forces into Iraq. So, it remains, at this point, unclear about whether the resolution will ever come to pass. And yet, another diplomat says that it certainly looks like a draft resolution will be circulated as early as next week -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right, Michael Okwu, 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.
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Aired August 22, 2003 - 13:12 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: At the U.N. today, Secretary-General Kofi Annan refused any comment on the blast investigation. He says it's just the beginning.
CNN's Michael Okwu is standing by live in New York, where the U.S. and Britain continue to ask for help with Iraq -- Michael.
MICHAEL OKWU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw met with Kofi Annan this morning for about 45 minutes behind closed doors. The very key topic on top of the agenda: a resolution that would send a multinational police and security force into Iraq.
Now, Annan appeared to make a reference to the U.S. occupation, saying that the consensus on a resolution may be possible, as long as the U.S. is willing to power-share.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KOFI ANNAN, U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL: Now, I think yesterday the discussions we had concerned internationalization -- of the further internationalization of the process in Iraq. I think most member states, as you've heard this morning, would want to see further internationalization through broadening of a U.N. rule, to permit them to join the operations on the ground, and that those discussions cover both the political and economic reconstruction, as well as the security aspects of the operation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
OKWU: Now, various countries have been asking specifically for the United States to cede power. And the French have gone so far as to even ask for a timetable, after which the United States would leave power back in the hands of the Iraqi people.
British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw made it very clear that he is willing to see a greater U.N. mandate.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JACK STRAW, BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY: I don't want to be more specific, and for this very good reason. That the discussions that took place informally and in private yesterday amongst members of the Security Council were constructive. Our approach was to say to our colleagues in the Security Council, look, we want to develop a consensus here and we don't wish to be prescriptive. Now, each country on the Security Council comes to the discussions with its own approach, but we did show this time last year over 1441 -- and we have shown, I hope, subsequently with 1483 and 1500 -- that although people's starting positions may be different, it is possible to reach a strong consensus.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
OKWU: A U.N. diplomat says that the U.S. is not willing to cede enough authority and that other countries are not really serious about sending multinational forces into Iraq. So, it remains, at this point, unclear about whether the resolution will ever come to pass. And yet, another diplomat says that it certainly looks like a draft resolution will be circulated as early as next week -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right, Michael Okwu, 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.
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