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American Morning
Heated Debate in Iraq
Aired November 12, 2002 - 07:04 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: More on the rejection of the U.N. resolution by Iraq's parliament. The unanimous vote came after nearly two days of debate in which speaker after speaker denounced this disarmament plan.
We have live reports now from Jane Arraf in Baghdad and Frank Buckley at the White House. Let's begin with Jane.
Good morning -- Jane.
JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Good morning, Paula. It was a really interesting drama unfolding here. As you mentioned, the National Assembly voted, and unanimously, to reject this resolution.
This was after, though, an appeal from the president's son, his eldest son, Uday Saddam Hussein, who is also a member of parliament, who said essentially that acceptance does not mean surrender. And he recommended that Iraq accept the resolution, although under an Arab umbrella which means getting Arab weapons inspectors in and getting the Arab League involved.
Now, this recommendation of parliament to reject it now goes to the body that really makes the decision. It's the Revolution Command Council, chaired by Saddam Hussein himself. And they are, indeed, expected to accept this resolution, letting in weapons inspectors for the first time in four years.
But this rejection by parliament is an indication that they're not going to do it without a fuss (ph) certainly -- Paula.
ZAHN: What's the point of the whole exercise here, Jane?
ARRAF: The point is really to put on record the very strenuous objections about this resolution. They really do have very deep objections and protests against it. They basically say it's unworkable, and the demands are impossible to comply with.
Now, if they're going to actually accept it by this Friday's deadline, they have to figure out a way to tell the Iraqi public and the rest of the world why it is they're doing this. And it seems to be, by this letter from the son of President Saddam Hussein, that the way they'll do it is to say, although it's a terrible resolution and it's U.S.-engineered and bad for Iraq and the rest of the world, they are doing it to preserve world peace, in a sense, and because they feel that it's their obligation under the Security Council resolutions.
It's a bit of a convoluted argument, but it's also a dilemma that they're facing: How to accept this without losing face -- Paula.
ZAHN: So, do any of these members of parliament get in trouble for sort of taking on Uday here?
ARRAF: They don't, no. It's all quite orchestrated. They do have their own opinion, certainly. This is not a country where people don't have opinions about what's happening in the Security Council. And they certainly voiced them last night and this morning, but this unanimous vote certainly was foreseen; not just foreseen, but planned.
And part of, as I say, a drama unfolding that will determine how it is exactly that Iraq accepts this resolution as it's expected to -- Paula.
ZAHN: Thanks so much, Jane Arraf.
Let's go to Frank Buckley, who is standing by at the White House with the latest from there.
Good morning -- Frank.
FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.
No official reaction here from the White House on this, but the White House position on the Iraqi government -- or the Iraqi parliament, the National Assembly, is that it is a puppet parliament, and really the final answer rests with Saddam Hussein.
Condoleezza Rice, the national advisor, yesterday describing Saddam Hussein as an absolute dictator, saying: "This decision is up to Saddam Hussein. They don't have a right" -- "they" being the parliament -- "to accept or reject the resolution. They are obliged to accept."
Also yesterday, President Bush kept up the pressure on Iraq during Veterans Day observances, saying that Saddam Hussein and Iraq must disarm, or the U.S. will lead a coalition to disarm him with force.
Paula, the real deadline here is this Friday. That's when the administration will be particularly interested in the response from Iraq, not so much from this parliament, but more from Saddam Hussein. What will he say? Will he allow the inspectors to come in? Will he, in fact, take on this obligation, as the administration sees it, to accept U.N. inspectors to come in and begin looking at potential weapons of mass destruction -- Paula.
ZAHN: All right, Frank Buckley, thanks so much.
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, 2002 - 07:04 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: More on the rejection of the U.N. resolution by Iraq's parliament. The unanimous vote came after nearly two days of debate in which speaker after speaker denounced this disarmament plan.
We have live reports now from Jane Arraf in Baghdad and Frank Buckley at the White House. Let's begin with Jane.
Good morning -- Jane.
JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Good morning, Paula. It was a really interesting drama unfolding here. As you mentioned, the National Assembly voted, and unanimously, to reject this resolution.
This was after, though, an appeal from the president's son, his eldest son, Uday Saddam Hussein, who is also a member of parliament, who said essentially that acceptance does not mean surrender. And he recommended that Iraq accept the resolution, although under an Arab umbrella which means getting Arab weapons inspectors in and getting the Arab League involved.
Now, this recommendation of parliament to reject it now goes to the body that really makes the decision. It's the Revolution Command Council, chaired by Saddam Hussein himself. And they are, indeed, expected to accept this resolution, letting in weapons inspectors for the first time in four years.
But this rejection by parliament is an indication that they're not going to do it without a fuss (ph) certainly -- Paula.
ZAHN: What's the point of the whole exercise here, Jane?
ARRAF: The point is really to put on record the very strenuous objections about this resolution. They really do have very deep objections and protests against it. They basically say it's unworkable, and the demands are impossible to comply with.
Now, if they're going to actually accept it by this Friday's deadline, they have to figure out a way to tell the Iraqi public and the rest of the world why it is they're doing this. And it seems to be, by this letter from the son of President Saddam Hussein, that the way they'll do it is to say, although it's a terrible resolution and it's U.S.-engineered and bad for Iraq and the rest of the world, they are doing it to preserve world peace, in a sense, and because they feel that it's their obligation under the Security Council resolutions.
It's a bit of a convoluted argument, but it's also a dilemma that they're facing: How to accept this without losing face -- Paula.
ZAHN: So, do any of these members of parliament get in trouble for sort of taking on Uday here?
ARRAF: They don't, no. It's all quite orchestrated. They do have their own opinion, certainly. This is not a country where people don't have opinions about what's happening in the Security Council. And they certainly voiced them last night and this morning, but this unanimous vote certainly was foreseen; not just foreseen, but planned.
And part of, as I say, a drama unfolding that will determine how it is exactly that Iraq accepts this resolution as it's expected to -- Paula.
ZAHN: Thanks so much, Jane Arraf.
Let's go to Frank Buckley, who is standing by at the White House with the latest from there.
Good morning -- Frank.
FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.
No official reaction here from the White House on this, but the White House position on the Iraqi government -- or the Iraqi parliament, the National Assembly, is that it is a puppet parliament, and really the final answer rests with Saddam Hussein.
Condoleezza Rice, the national advisor, yesterday describing Saddam Hussein as an absolute dictator, saying: "This decision is up to Saddam Hussein. They don't have a right" -- "they" being the parliament -- "to accept or reject the resolution. They are obliged to accept."
Also yesterday, President Bush kept up the pressure on Iraq during Veterans Day observances, saying that Saddam Hussein and Iraq must disarm, or the U.S. will lead a coalition to disarm him with force.
Paula, the real deadline here is this Friday. That's when the administration will be particularly interested in the response from Iraq, not so much from this parliament, but more from Saddam Hussein. What will he say? Will he allow the inspectors to come in? Will he, in fact, take on this obligation, as the administration sees it, to accept U.N. inspectors to come in and begin looking at potential weapons of mass destruction -- Paula.
ZAHN: All right, Frank Buckley, thanks so much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
