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American Morning
Wake-Up Call: U.S. Facing Stiff Opposition From Germany, France
Aired January 23, 2003 - 06:37 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.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: As for the possibility of war against Iraq, the U.S. is facing stiff opposition from Germany and France. Secretary of State Colin Powell says they're just not facing reality.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLIN POWELL, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: There are some nations in the world who would like to simply turn away from this problem, pretend it isn't there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Today, Powell will talk with Britain's Foreign Secretary about the strategy on Iraq.
And as Jonathan Karl just mentioned, National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice is also weighing in on the conflict with Iraq. She voiced her opinion in "The New York Times" on Iraq's unwillingness to disarm.
She says, and I quote, "Iraq, led by Saddam Hussein and his son, has a political commitment to maintain and conceal its weapons." Rice also writes that "the declaration fails to account for Iraq's efforts to get uranium from abroad or gaps previously identified by the United Nations." And she also says "Iraq has maintained institutions whose main purpose is to impede the work of inspectors." Rice goes on to say "by both its actions and its inactions, Iraq is proving not that it is a nation bent on disarmament, but that it is a nation with something to hide." The national security advisor adds "Iraq is still treating inspections as a game. It should know that time is running out."
We want to get much more on the Iraq situation right now in our "Wake-Up Call" to CNN State Department correspondent Andrea Koppel.
Good morning -- Andrea.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT: Good morning -- Carol.
COSTELLO: You know we talked about that PR blitz yesterday, but it's really heating up today.
KOPPEL: It is, absolutely. And in fact, Condoleezza Rice's op- ed is really previewing a speech that we're going to be hearing later today from Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz. The theme of which again is we know what disarmament looks like, we've seen it in the past, we've seen it with South Africa, we've seen it with some of the former Soviet states, it's a very clear thing and we know that Iraq is not doing that. And it's going to peak.
This is not the end of the PR blitz. It's really going to peak with the president's State of the Union on Tuesday. And then it's going to continue on Wednesday, not necessarily through formal speeches, I'm told, but through just various appearances that we'll be seeing cabinet members make, continuing to beat this scene.
COSTELLO: Let's talk about cabinet members for just a second. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said something that made France and Germany really angry. Do you think there will be any behind-the- scenes talks with those countries?
KOPPEL: My understanding is that right now we know that Secretary of State Powell spoke with the French Foreign Minister on Tuesday. The way that it's been described to me is this was a follow- up conversation to what some say was a French ambush at the United Nations on Monday when they came out. This was all supposed to be about a meeting about counterterrorism. Everybody knew Iraq was going to come up but not necessarily in such a public way. The French Foreign Minister held a press conference outside the U.N. So Secretary Powell wanted to talk with the French Foreign Minister to find out what that was all about and to make sure that there was -- that there were no strained feelings over the -- over the Monday event.
Now having said that, he is not talking to the Germans and the Germans are talking as tough as the French are. Remember what happened to Gerhard Schroeder after his election campaign, Carol? Remember how he campaigned against war with Iraq? President Bush wouldn't even shake his hand for months.
So we are seeing two sides across the transatlantic here drawing lines in the sand and neither side appears ready to blink at this point -- Carol.
COSTELLO: OK, we'll continue to follow this, as I'm sure you will too, Andrea Koppel, our State Department correspondent waking up early with DAYBREAK.
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 January 23, 2003 - 06:37 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: As for the possibility of war against Iraq, the U.S. is facing stiff opposition from Germany and France. Secretary of State Colin Powell says they're just not facing reality.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLIN POWELL, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: There are some nations in the world who would like to simply turn away from this problem, pretend it isn't there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Today, Powell will talk with Britain's Foreign Secretary about the strategy on Iraq.
And as Jonathan Karl just mentioned, National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice is also weighing in on the conflict with Iraq. She voiced her opinion in "The New York Times" on Iraq's unwillingness to disarm.
She says, and I quote, "Iraq, led by Saddam Hussein and his son, has a political commitment to maintain and conceal its weapons." Rice also writes that "the declaration fails to account for Iraq's efforts to get uranium from abroad or gaps previously identified by the United Nations." And she also says "Iraq has maintained institutions whose main purpose is to impede the work of inspectors." Rice goes on to say "by both its actions and its inactions, Iraq is proving not that it is a nation bent on disarmament, but that it is a nation with something to hide." The national security advisor adds "Iraq is still treating inspections as a game. It should know that time is running out."
We want to get much more on the Iraq situation right now in our "Wake-Up Call" to CNN State Department correspondent Andrea Koppel.
Good morning -- Andrea.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT: Good morning -- Carol.
COSTELLO: You know we talked about that PR blitz yesterday, but it's really heating up today.
KOPPEL: It is, absolutely. And in fact, Condoleezza Rice's op- ed is really previewing a speech that we're going to be hearing later today from Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz. The theme of which again is we know what disarmament looks like, we've seen it in the past, we've seen it with South Africa, we've seen it with some of the former Soviet states, it's a very clear thing and we know that Iraq is not doing that. And it's going to peak.
This is not the end of the PR blitz. It's really going to peak with the president's State of the Union on Tuesday. And then it's going to continue on Wednesday, not necessarily through formal speeches, I'm told, but through just various appearances that we'll be seeing cabinet members make, continuing to beat this scene.
COSTELLO: Let's talk about cabinet members for just a second. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said something that made France and Germany really angry. Do you think there will be any behind-the- scenes talks with those countries?
KOPPEL: My understanding is that right now we know that Secretary of State Powell spoke with the French Foreign Minister on Tuesday. The way that it's been described to me is this was a follow- up conversation to what some say was a French ambush at the United Nations on Monday when they came out. This was all supposed to be about a meeting about counterterrorism. Everybody knew Iraq was going to come up but not necessarily in such a public way. The French Foreign Minister held a press conference outside the U.N. So Secretary Powell wanted to talk with the French Foreign Minister to find out what that was all about and to make sure that there was -- that there were no strained feelings over the -- over the Monday event.
Now having said that, he is not talking to the Germans and the Germans are talking as tough as the French are. Remember what happened to Gerhard Schroeder after his election campaign, Carol? Remember how he campaigned against war with Iraq? President Bush wouldn't even shake his hand for months.
So we are seeing two sides across the transatlantic here drawing lines in the sand and neither side appears ready to blink at this point -- Carol.
COSTELLO: OK, we'll continue to follow this, as I'm sure you will too, Andrea Koppel, our State Department correspondent waking up early with DAYBREAK.
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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