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American Morning

British Prime Minister Tony Blair in Washington Today

Aired January 31, 2003 - 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: As we have just reported, British Prime Minister Tony Blair is in Washington this morning. He will meet with President Bush about Iraq. Their talks are expected to include a possible timetable for war if Baghdad does not disarm.
Our chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour traveled to Washington with Blair and she will have an exclusive interview with him a little bit later on this morning. She joins us now live from outside the British Embassy on a chilly morning in Washington.

Good morning -- Christiane.

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula, and the sun is just beginning to rise on what some people are calling a day of critical deliberations over Iraq. The British Prime Minister Tony Blair is readying himself in the British Embassy residence just behind me. And he will later this afternoon head off to Camp David to meet with President Bush.

We asked him very specifically on the plane as he was flying from Europe to the United States last night whether this was specifically going to involve talk about timing, deadlines. He wouldn't be drawn on timing or deadlines, but he said it's about making a judgement as to whether Saddam Hussein and the Iraqi regime are cooperating in this much needed exercise of disarmament of weapons of mass destruction. Blair said in his view, in the U.N. weapons inspector's view, Saddam Hussein is now in breach. However, they are still trying to let some kind of diplomatic daylight go through to see whether this will turn around.

We're hearing from people surrounding Prime Minister Blair that it's a matter of several more weeks while this deliberations and efforts at coalition building continue because Prime Minister Blair, like many other European leaders and indeed leaders around the world, are very conscious that if they do not get as broad an international coalition as possible, then that would spell some difficulties, certainly in the stability of the region and the stability of a coalition going forth as they try to confront Saddam Hussein.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: I believe this is an important moment for us all. It is a test of the seriousness with which we are treating this issue of weapons of mass destruction. It is a test also of the United Nations and the international community and how we resolve it through the United Nations, which is what we want to see. And it is also a test of our political will and political resolve.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AMANPOUR: Now Blair was speaking there in Madrid. The Spanish Prime Minister very clearly said that his preference would be for a second U.N. resolution. Blair was saying the current U.N. resolution clearly implies the possibility of a second U.N. resolution. When we asked the critical question about evidence, what evidence is there to indict Saddam Hussein, he said watch carefully for Secretary of State Colin Powell's presentation to the Security Council next week.

On one issue Blair and the Americans have some difference between them, the Americans believe absolutely that there is a link between al Qaeda and Iraq, Saddam Hussein. The Brits are not quite so clear about that at this point -- Paula.

ZAHN: Christiane Amanpour, thanks for that live report. Of course we will share parts of your exclusive interview with the prime minister a little bit later on this morning. See you in our next hour.

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 January 31, 2003 - 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: As we have just reported, British Prime Minister Tony Blair is in Washington this morning. He will meet with President Bush about Iraq. Their talks are expected to include a possible timetable for war if Baghdad does not disarm.
Our chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour traveled to Washington with Blair and she will have an exclusive interview with him a little bit later on this morning. She joins us now live from outside the British Embassy on a chilly morning in Washington.

Good morning -- Christiane.

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula, and the sun is just beginning to rise on what some people are calling a day of critical deliberations over Iraq. The British Prime Minister Tony Blair is readying himself in the British Embassy residence just behind me. And he will later this afternoon head off to Camp David to meet with President Bush.

We asked him very specifically on the plane as he was flying from Europe to the United States last night whether this was specifically going to involve talk about timing, deadlines. He wouldn't be drawn on timing or deadlines, but he said it's about making a judgement as to whether Saddam Hussein and the Iraqi regime are cooperating in this much needed exercise of disarmament of weapons of mass destruction. Blair said in his view, in the U.N. weapons inspector's view, Saddam Hussein is now in breach. However, they are still trying to let some kind of diplomatic daylight go through to see whether this will turn around.

We're hearing from people surrounding Prime Minister Blair that it's a matter of several more weeks while this deliberations and efforts at coalition building continue because Prime Minister Blair, like many other European leaders and indeed leaders around the world, are very conscious that if they do not get as broad an international coalition as possible, then that would spell some difficulties, certainly in the stability of the region and the stability of a coalition going forth as they try to confront Saddam Hussein.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: I believe this is an important moment for us all. It is a test of the seriousness with which we are treating this issue of weapons of mass destruction. It is a test also of the United Nations and the international community and how we resolve it through the United Nations, which is what we want to see. And it is also a test of our political will and political resolve.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AMANPOUR: Now Blair was speaking there in Madrid. The Spanish Prime Minister very clearly said that his preference would be for a second U.N. resolution. Blair was saying the current U.N. resolution clearly implies the possibility of a second U.N. resolution. When we asked the critical question about evidence, what evidence is there to indict Saddam Hussein, he said watch carefully for Secretary of State Colin Powell's presentation to the Security Council next week.

On one issue Blair and the Americans have some difference between them, the Americans believe absolutely that there is a link between al Qaeda and Iraq, Saddam Hussein. The Brits are not quite so clear about that at this point -- Paula.

ZAHN: Christiane Amanpour, thanks for that live report. Of course we will share parts of your exclusive interview with the prime minister a little bit later on this morning. See you in our next hour.

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