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Interview with Lawrence Eagleburger
Aired December 15, 2003 - 13:22 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: Saddam Hussein's capture is a major victory for Iraq, but what kind of impact will it have internationally? Joining us now from Charlottesville, Virginia Lawrence Eagleburger, former secretary of state under the first Bush administration. Mr. Secretary, nice to see you.
LAWRENCE EAGLEBURGER, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: Good to see you.
PHILLIPS: Well, let's talk about the fact that Saddam has been captured. It's great for the U.S., for the Iraqi people.
However, what does this mean with regard to the guerrilla warfare that's going to? I mean the fact that he was living wait he was, does it necessarily mean he's been behind all of the terrorist activity?
EAGLEBURGER: I think you're right. I don't think it's going to make much difference on the guerrilla activity -- I have to correct myself here -- in the sense that it probably demoralizes those guerrillas that are still going at us. But by and large, I think it's going to continue probably, it will get worse for a while.
And I think it's also clear, as you just said that Saddam was not directing this game that they've been playing against us. And somebody somewhere has been doing some of the coordinating and I think we've got to get in before we see things begin to tone down.
PHILLIPS: Mr. Secretary, may I ask you to hold just for a second here. We're going to take a quick break, we're going to continue this discussion in about 50 seconds.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Once again, continuing our discussion with former secretary of state out of the first Bush administration, Lawrence Eagleburger. We were talking about Saddam Hussein, his influence with the guerrilla warfare. Let's continue what you were saying Mr. Secretary.
EAGLEBURGER: Well, basically, it's fairly clear, I think. Saddam was not coordinating this whole effort against us. He couldn't have been when he was living the way we now see it.
So somebody else has been coordinating to the degree this has been coordinated at all and I think it has been. So we're going to have to figure out who that is and get him and as soon as possible. PHILLIPS: And of course, that's what the troops are focusing on. But let me ask you, does the capture of Saddam Hussein make U.S. troop withdrawal maybe a little easier?
EAGLEBURGER: Yes. You know, I'm one of those who thinks we should be staying there for a fair length of time, but there's no question it makes it easier.
As long as Saddam was free, I think it would have been foolhardy for us to even contemplate withdrawal because the Iraqi people were sitting there looking over their shoulders wondering when we left whether Saddam would be coming back.
So that attenuated the way they were dealing with us. I think now they will be more enthusiastic about our being in Iraq now that they know Saddam is out of the way.
PHILLIPS: Looking at this video of him getting the medical exam, hiding down in the hole. Is there some spin that's going on here? Is there a message that the government, the U.S. government is hoping that either countries will take from looking at this, Iran, North Korea, Syria?
EAGLEBURGER: I devoutly hope so. It's how the mighty have fallen here, I guess.
But again, when you have dictators like we have in North Korea, for instance, their egos on are such that I'm not at all sure that this will affect them very much. You notice that even now Saddam is not prepared to concede that he might have done something wrong.
So when you're one of those people your ego is going to convince you that you are above anyone else. I don't think it will make too much difference.
PHILLIPS: International community and the effect this will have on it, expanding the coalition. Jim Baker now appointed the new emissary of post-war Iraq, former secretary of state, also.
What's your advice to him? What do you see happening now with regard to international relations?
EAGLEBURGER: Well, I used to work for Jim and he was a superb secretary of state. He's one of the best negotiators I've ever seen anywhere.
And that's what he's going to be trying to do now, and it's going to be tough particularly with countries like France and Germany and Russia all of whom are those who -- Iraq owes them more money than anybody else.
But if anybody can manage the process it's Jim Baker. But it's going to be very tough and it's been made worse or more difficult when we announced that these people were not going to be able to get any of the contracts to rebuild Iraq. So it's a tough job, but if anyone can do it and I think he can, it will be Jim Baker. But it's going to take some time and a lot of work.
Mr. Secretary, I want to ask you right now while you're on live television. Will you come back and talk to me again once that trip that Jim Baker takes begins?
EAGLEBURGER: I would be happy to come back and talk to you any time, ma'am.
PHILLIPS: Outstanding. Lawrence Eagleburger, thank you for your time.
EAGLEBURGER: Righto.
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 December 15, 2003 - 13:22 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Saddam Hussein's capture is a major victory for Iraq, but what kind of impact will it have internationally? Joining us now from Charlottesville, Virginia Lawrence Eagleburger, former secretary of state under the first Bush administration. Mr. Secretary, nice to see you.
LAWRENCE EAGLEBURGER, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: Good to see you.
PHILLIPS: Well, let's talk about the fact that Saddam has been captured. It's great for the U.S., for the Iraqi people.
However, what does this mean with regard to the guerrilla warfare that's going to? I mean the fact that he was living wait he was, does it necessarily mean he's been behind all of the terrorist activity?
EAGLEBURGER: I think you're right. I don't think it's going to make much difference on the guerrilla activity -- I have to correct myself here -- in the sense that it probably demoralizes those guerrillas that are still going at us. But by and large, I think it's going to continue probably, it will get worse for a while.
And I think it's also clear, as you just said that Saddam was not directing this game that they've been playing against us. And somebody somewhere has been doing some of the coordinating and I think we've got to get in before we see things begin to tone down.
PHILLIPS: Mr. Secretary, may I ask you to hold just for a second here. We're going to take a quick break, we're going to continue this discussion in about 50 seconds.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Once again, continuing our discussion with former secretary of state out of the first Bush administration, Lawrence Eagleburger. We were talking about Saddam Hussein, his influence with the guerrilla warfare. Let's continue what you were saying Mr. Secretary.
EAGLEBURGER: Well, basically, it's fairly clear, I think. Saddam was not coordinating this whole effort against us. He couldn't have been when he was living the way we now see it.
So somebody else has been coordinating to the degree this has been coordinated at all and I think it has been. So we're going to have to figure out who that is and get him and as soon as possible. PHILLIPS: And of course, that's what the troops are focusing on. But let me ask you, does the capture of Saddam Hussein make U.S. troop withdrawal maybe a little easier?
EAGLEBURGER: Yes. You know, I'm one of those who thinks we should be staying there for a fair length of time, but there's no question it makes it easier.
As long as Saddam was free, I think it would have been foolhardy for us to even contemplate withdrawal because the Iraqi people were sitting there looking over their shoulders wondering when we left whether Saddam would be coming back.
So that attenuated the way they were dealing with us. I think now they will be more enthusiastic about our being in Iraq now that they know Saddam is out of the way.
PHILLIPS: Looking at this video of him getting the medical exam, hiding down in the hole. Is there some spin that's going on here? Is there a message that the government, the U.S. government is hoping that either countries will take from looking at this, Iran, North Korea, Syria?
EAGLEBURGER: I devoutly hope so. It's how the mighty have fallen here, I guess.
But again, when you have dictators like we have in North Korea, for instance, their egos on are such that I'm not at all sure that this will affect them very much. You notice that even now Saddam is not prepared to concede that he might have done something wrong.
So when you're one of those people your ego is going to convince you that you are above anyone else. I don't think it will make too much difference.
PHILLIPS: International community and the effect this will have on it, expanding the coalition. Jim Baker now appointed the new emissary of post-war Iraq, former secretary of state, also.
What's your advice to him? What do you see happening now with regard to international relations?
EAGLEBURGER: Well, I used to work for Jim and he was a superb secretary of state. He's one of the best negotiators I've ever seen anywhere.
And that's what he's going to be trying to do now, and it's going to be tough particularly with countries like France and Germany and Russia all of whom are those who -- Iraq owes them more money than anybody else.
But if anybody can manage the process it's Jim Baker. But it's going to be very tough and it's been made worse or more difficult when we announced that these people were not going to be able to get any of the contracts to rebuild Iraq. So it's a tough job, but if anyone can do it and I think he can, it will be Jim Baker. But it's going to take some time and a lot of work.
Mr. Secretary, I want to ask you right now while you're on live television. Will you come back and talk to me again once that trip that Jim Baker takes begins?
EAGLEBURGER: I would be happy to come back and talk to you any time, ma'am.
PHILLIPS: Outstanding. Lawrence Eagleburger, thank you for your time.
EAGLEBURGER: Righto.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
