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CNN Live Today

Discussion with President of Iraqi Government Council

Aired November 12, 2003 - 08:22   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.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: We want to turn our attention again straight on Baghdad right now, take you there live. As we have been reporting today, at the White House, anyway, Paul Bremer will meet with the president, the second day of meetings there. The administration frustrated now about the pace of reform with the Iraqi Governing Council.
Jalal Talabani is president of that Council.

He's live with us now in Baghdad.

We certainly appreciate your time, especially on short notice.

Is the Council dragging its feet, sir?

Jalal Talabani, Bill Hemmer, CNN, New York.

I'm going to try this one more time here. Communications are sporadic at times.

If you can here me again, there's an accusation in some quarters that the Iraqi Governing Council is not moving fast enough. The question again, is the Council dragging its feet?

JALAL TALABANI, PRESIDENT, IRAQI GOVERNING COUNCIL: Well, I think that the Governing Council of Iraq is now working and doing well its duty. The Iraqi Governing Council was founded in a difficult position it faced a lot of problems, but it started to work well. I think it achieved many things, including the formation and appointment of ministers and a cabinet of ministers and many committees were established and many good decisions were taken about many things.

HEMMER: The job is a difficult one. It's a massive one, as well, trying to transform your country. But I'd like to get your reaction to what Paul Bremer said about two weeks ago. He says that at least half the Council is out of the country at any one time and that at some meetings only four or five members show up.

Is that accurate, sir?

TALABANI: No, it's not accurate. It's true that many members of the Governing Council went outside. But not all of them or the majority of them. Those who had work went to the Madrid conference, for example, or they went to Islamic meeting, organization meeting, or went to visit Arab countries or sometimes they have other works in other European countries. But not all the time they were outside. The majority always was present in Baghdad. HEMMER: It is November 12 today, sir, as we are talking here. In one month, on December 15, there's a deadline imposed to try and get this constitution written, to try and set up some sort of free and fair elections in Iraq.

Do you believe that deadline right now is still possible, one month from now?

TALABANI: Yes. It's possible and we found the acuity to deal with this problem and I think everything will be OK before the time.

HEMMER: What about the claims about speeding up the time line, though? Back to the original question here. There is pressure from Washington to do that. Can you do that right now, given what you have in Baghdad and throughout the country?

TALABANI: Well, we can do it, but there is no pressure or there is some further consultation that our American friends want to see the Governing Council more active and doing everything very quick and that is all.

HEMMER: What do you make of the CIA report that came out yesterday that indicates that things in Iraq will get worse in terms of violence before they get better? Do you agree with that report? And does your own intelligence have the same report?

TALABANI: Well, I haven't seen the CIA's report. But I think the situation in certain areas of Iraq is not quite. But in the majority part of Iraq, the, our area are quiet and (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Even sometimes if something's happening in other parts of this triangle, for example, what happened today in Nasiriyah, that's people going from this place, this triangle, which is starting from Samarrah to West Baghdad and to Falluja, people from this area going to do such kind of crimes, not local people cooperating with them or doing.

Nasiriyah, for example, is a quiet area. There is no activities of terrorist organizations. But some terrorists are going from far away from Nasiriyah to commit such a kind of crimes.

HEMMER: Jalal Talabani is the president of the Iraqi Governing Council.

Thank you, sir, for your time in Baghdad.

The mission is an enormous one at this point.

We wish you the best of luck there in your home country.

Thank you, sir.

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 November 12, 2003 - 08:22   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: We want to turn our attention again straight on Baghdad right now, take you there live. As we have been reporting today, at the White House, anyway, Paul Bremer will meet with the president, the second day of meetings there. The administration frustrated now about the pace of reform with the Iraqi Governing Council.
Jalal Talabani is president of that Council.

He's live with us now in Baghdad.

We certainly appreciate your time, especially on short notice.

Is the Council dragging its feet, sir?

Jalal Talabani, Bill Hemmer, CNN, New York.

I'm going to try this one more time here. Communications are sporadic at times.

If you can here me again, there's an accusation in some quarters that the Iraqi Governing Council is not moving fast enough. The question again, is the Council dragging its feet?

JALAL TALABANI, PRESIDENT, IRAQI GOVERNING COUNCIL: Well, I think that the Governing Council of Iraq is now working and doing well its duty. The Iraqi Governing Council was founded in a difficult position it faced a lot of problems, but it started to work well. I think it achieved many things, including the formation and appointment of ministers and a cabinet of ministers and many committees were established and many good decisions were taken about many things.

HEMMER: The job is a difficult one. It's a massive one, as well, trying to transform your country. But I'd like to get your reaction to what Paul Bremer said about two weeks ago. He says that at least half the Council is out of the country at any one time and that at some meetings only four or five members show up.

Is that accurate, sir?

TALABANI: No, it's not accurate. It's true that many members of the Governing Council went outside. But not all of them or the majority of them. Those who had work went to the Madrid conference, for example, or they went to Islamic meeting, organization meeting, or went to visit Arab countries or sometimes they have other works in other European countries. But not all the time they were outside. The majority always was present in Baghdad. HEMMER: It is November 12 today, sir, as we are talking here. In one month, on December 15, there's a deadline imposed to try and get this constitution written, to try and set up some sort of free and fair elections in Iraq.

Do you believe that deadline right now is still possible, one month from now?

TALABANI: Yes. It's possible and we found the acuity to deal with this problem and I think everything will be OK before the time.

HEMMER: What about the claims about speeding up the time line, though? Back to the original question here. There is pressure from Washington to do that. Can you do that right now, given what you have in Baghdad and throughout the country?

TALABANI: Well, we can do it, but there is no pressure or there is some further consultation that our American friends want to see the Governing Council more active and doing everything very quick and that is all.

HEMMER: What do you make of the CIA report that came out yesterday that indicates that things in Iraq will get worse in terms of violence before they get better? Do you agree with that report? And does your own intelligence have the same report?

TALABANI: Well, I haven't seen the CIA's report. But I think the situation in certain areas of Iraq is not quite. But in the majority part of Iraq, the, our area are quiet and (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Even sometimes if something's happening in other parts of this triangle, for example, what happened today in Nasiriyah, that's people going from this place, this triangle, which is starting from Samarrah to West Baghdad and to Falluja, people from this area going to do such kind of crimes, not local people cooperating with them or doing.

Nasiriyah, for example, is a quiet area. There is no activities of terrorist organizations. But some terrorists are going from far away from Nasiriyah to commit such a kind of crimes.

HEMMER: Jalal Talabani is the president of the Iraqi Governing Council.

Thank you, sir, for your time in Baghdad.

The mission is an enormous one at this point.

We wish you the best of luck there in your home country.

Thank you, sir.

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