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American Morning
Interview with Fawaz Gerges
Aired September 17, 2002 - 07:05 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.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: So, now, the questions continue to come: Can Iraq do anything to appease the White House? And is war inevitable?
Fawaz Gerges is a long-time observer and commentator on Middle East politics. He is professor of international affairs and Middle Eastern studies at Sarah Lawrence College in New York.
Welcome -- good to see you this morning.
FAWAZ GERGES, SARAH LAWRENCE COLLEGE: My pleasure, my pleasure.
ZAHN: I wanted to start off this morning by reading a small part of a letter that Kofi Annan at the U.N. received from the foreign minister of Iraq.
It reads: "I am pleased to inform you of the decision of the government of the Republic of Iraq to allow the return of the United Nations weapons inspectors to Iraq without conditions. The government of the Republic of Iraq has based its decision concerning the return of inspectors on its desire to remove any doubts that Iraq still possesses weapons of mass destruction."
What does this letter tell you?
GERGES: Well, the letter tells me that Iraqi officials have finally realized that the game of diplomatic maneuvers was over, and that they really have no choice but to fully cooperate with the United Nations and accept the return of the U.N. inspectors unconditionally.
ZAHN: What do you think of the White House position that the games have just begun...
GERGES: Yes.
ZAHN: ... that all Iraq is trying to do right now is manipulate the U.N.
GERGES: Well...
ZAHN: ... tweak (ph) the U.N.?
GERGES: I think American officials have made it very clear that they have little trust in the Iraqi president, and their stated goal is basically to topple Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and establish a new government in Baghdad.
The truth is the administration is not interested in weapons inspectors. Its stated goal is regime change, not weapons inspectors.
And I really believe that the administration did not expect Iraq to basically accept the return of inspectors without conditions. I think the Iraqi government pulled the carpet from underneath the administration's feet.
ZAHN: Do you really believe when the Iraqis say they'll allow inspectors in without conditions, they're telling us the truth, sir?
GERGES: The Iraqi leadership appreciates now that the game of diplomatic maneuvers is over. And also, I hope that Iraqi leaders appreciate that accepting U.N. inspectors is a double-edged sword, because if they hinder the inspectors in any way, the United States will likely find a legal justification to launch a military attack against Iraq.
So, while Iraq has accepted the return of the U.N. inspectors for now, that it surely -- I mean, I hope it appreciates that somehow this is a double-edged sword, and the United States can find a loophole to launch a military attack against Iraq, if it hinders the work of the inspectors.
ZAHN: Well, you raise a very interesting point, because in the "L.A. Times" this morning, there is a report that the U.S. has scrapped the idea of coercive inspections, and instead, is pushing for this one-strike policy, which would mean ending inspections after a single Iraqi refusal to cooperate, and then potentially permitting a military action.
GERGES: And I think this is now -- I think the political struggle of this particular stage shifts to the U.N. Security Council. Because while Iraq will do its best to convince the international community that there is no need for a new Security Council resolution, the United States and its allies will insist on a new resolution, a Security Council resolution, at least empowering the United States to use force if Iraq hinders the work of the U.N. inspectors.
So, again, this is really the beginning -- the beginning. And this is why I hope that Iraq appreciates that it has to fully cooperate with the United Nations, and basically the game is over. Because if it does not, I think it will provide the United States with the legal justification to launch a military attack and topple the regime of Saddam Hussein.
ZAHN: We've got 10 seconds left. What do you think inspectors will find if they're allowed to go back in?
GERGES: Well, I really do hope -- I really do hope that somehow diplomacy has a chance, and I do hope that President Bush has the patience and the wisdom to allow the inspectors to verify Iraq's compliance with U.N. resolutions. That's what I hope.
ZAHN: Do you think they're going to find the stuff they've been talking about?
GERGES: Well, I mean, this is a very difficult question. I think the administration hasn't actually provided convincing evidence that Iraq has any nuclear weapons or has any weapons. But I'm sure that the inspectors will be able to find some chemical weapons and other non-conventional minor weapons, not the nuclear weapons we've been talking about for the last few weeks.
ZAHN: We'd love to have you come back as this debate rages on. Fawaz Gerges, thank you for your perspective this morning -- appreciate it
GERGES: 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 September 17, 2002 - 07:05 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: So, now, the questions continue to come: Can Iraq do anything to appease the White House? And is war inevitable?
Fawaz Gerges is a long-time observer and commentator on Middle East politics. He is professor of international affairs and Middle Eastern studies at Sarah Lawrence College in New York.
Welcome -- good to see you this morning.
FAWAZ GERGES, SARAH LAWRENCE COLLEGE: My pleasure, my pleasure.
ZAHN: I wanted to start off this morning by reading a small part of a letter that Kofi Annan at the U.N. received from the foreign minister of Iraq.
It reads: "I am pleased to inform you of the decision of the government of the Republic of Iraq to allow the return of the United Nations weapons inspectors to Iraq without conditions. The government of the Republic of Iraq has based its decision concerning the return of inspectors on its desire to remove any doubts that Iraq still possesses weapons of mass destruction."
What does this letter tell you?
GERGES: Well, the letter tells me that Iraqi officials have finally realized that the game of diplomatic maneuvers was over, and that they really have no choice but to fully cooperate with the United Nations and accept the return of the U.N. inspectors unconditionally.
ZAHN: What do you think of the White House position that the games have just begun...
GERGES: Yes.
ZAHN: ... that all Iraq is trying to do right now is manipulate the U.N.
GERGES: Well...
ZAHN: ... tweak (ph) the U.N.?
GERGES: I think American officials have made it very clear that they have little trust in the Iraqi president, and their stated goal is basically to topple Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and establish a new government in Baghdad.
The truth is the administration is not interested in weapons inspectors. Its stated goal is regime change, not weapons inspectors.
And I really believe that the administration did not expect Iraq to basically accept the return of inspectors without conditions. I think the Iraqi government pulled the carpet from underneath the administration's feet.
ZAHN: Do you really believe when the Iraqis say they'll allow inspectors in without conditions, they're telling us the truth, sir?
GERGES: The Iraqi leadership appreciates now that the game of diplomatic maneuvers is over. And also, I hope that Iraqi leaders appreciate that accepting U.N. inspectors is a double-edged sword, because if they hinder the inspectors in any way, the United States will likely find a legal justification to launch a military attack against Iraq.
So, while Iraq has accepted the return of the U.N. inspectors for now, that it surely -- I mean, I hope it appreciates that somehow this is a double-edged sword, and the United States can find a loophole to launch a military attack against Iraq, if it hinders the work of the inspectors.
ZAHN: Well, you raise a very interesting point, because in the "L.A. Times" this morning, there is a report that the U.S. has scrapped the idea of coercive inspections, and instead, is pushing for this one-strike policy, which would mean ending inspections after a single Iraqi refusal to cooperate, and then potentially permitting a military action.
GERGES: And I think this is now -- I think the political struggle of this particular stage shifts to the U.N. Security Council. Because while Iraq will do its best to convince the international community that there is no need for a new Security Council resolution, the United States and its allies will insist on a new resolution, a Security Council resolution, at least empowering the United States to use force if Iraq hinders the work of the U.N. inspectors.
So, again, this is really the beginning -- the beginning. And this is why I hope that Iraq appreciates that it has to fully cooperate with the United Nations, and basically the game is over. Because if it does not, I think it will provide the United States with the legal justification to launch a military attack and topple the regime of Saddam Hussein.
ZAHN: We've got 10 seconds left. What do you think inspectors will find if they're allowed to go back in?
GERGES: Well, I really do hope -- I really do hope that somehow diplomacy has a chance, and I do hope that President Bush has the patience and the wisdom to allow the inspectors to verify Iraq's compliance with U.N. resolutions. That's what I hope.
ZAHN: Do you think they're going to find the stuff they've been talking about?
GERGES: Well, I mean, this is a very difficult question. I think the administration hasn't actually provided convincing evidence that Iraq has any nuclear weapons or has any weapons. But I'm sure that the inspectors will be able to find some chemical weapons and other non-conventional minor weapons, not the nuclear weapons we've been talking about for the last few weeks.
ZAHN: We'd love to have you come back as this debate rages on. Fawaz Gerges, thank you for your perspective this morning -- appreciate it
GERGES: 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.
