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American Morning
Showdown: Iraq: Russia Reacts
Aired February 10, 2003 - 08:02 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: Now more on the rift between the U.S. and some of its NATO allies. France, Belgium and Germany blocking the start of military preparations to protect Turkey if there is a war against its neighbor Iraq. But Russian President Vladimir Putin says -- quote -- "we must continue all efforts for a peaceful resolution in Iraq." President Putin is set to arrive in France within the hour.
Let's check in with our senior European political correspondent Robin Oakley who is standing by live in Paris.
Good morning from here, good afternoon there -- Robin.
ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN SENIOR EUROPEAN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon, Paula.
And with the heavy diplomatic arm wrestling going on this week ahead of the U.N. Security Council's key meeting on Friday to decide what to do about Saddam Hussein, it really isn't going the way the U.S. would like to see at the moment. As you say, President Putin here about to meet President Chirac of France. President Chirac says that war is not inevitable. President Putin saying that the case for the use of force has not been made.
And then a big blow to the coherence of any Western alliance in terms of France, Germany and Belgium all refusing to authorize NATO to plan in advance measures to protect Turkey should it come to a war in Iraq. Now the Secretary-General of NATO, Lord Robertson, has admitted that that is a serious blow to the cohesion of the alliance, but he argues that NATO will, in the end, come round to giving that help to Turkey.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LORD ROBERTSON, NATO SECRETARY-GENERAL: We're united in our commitment to the security of all NATO's members. The question is not if but when to begin the planning. We have a difficult issue in front of us. It's an issue which concerns solidarity with one ally, Turkey, it is not related to any possible participation by NATO in a military operation against Iraq.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
OAKLEY: Lord Robertson has made it clear that he intends to keep the 19 NATO ambassadors meeting as often and as long as it takes basically to get a reversal of that decision. And Turkey has now appealed directly to NATO members saying it feels its security threatened and that may well see some of the three at least turn round in their opinions.
But the gap across the Atlantic between the U.S. and its potential allies in a war against Iraq is widening rather than closing at this particular stage. And a further sign of the impending crisis really is that the current presidency of the European Union, the Greeks, Costas Simitis, their prime minister, he's called a special summit of the E.U. next Monday to try to get a common line on Iraq -- Paula.
ZAHN: But, Robin, very quickly here, once again, if there is a war with Iraq, there is no doubt though that NATO would come to its defense?
OAKLEY: There is no doubt that the individual NATO countries would help to any -- sustain any U.S. effort in a war against Iraq. Whether NATO would do so specifically as an alliance remains an open question, particularly with France and Germany taking the attitude that they are at the moment -- Paula.
ZAHN: Thanks, Robin. Robin Oakley reporting from Paris for us this morning.
For more reaction to NATO's diplomatic standoff and the latest on the showdown in Iraq, let's go to White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux.
So how mad is the White House this morning -- Suzanne?
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Paula, White House officials are furious at this, and -- but they're keeping a very close eye of what's happening with this NATO debacle because it may really give some signs what's going to play out later in the week with members of the U.N. Security Council.
But over the weekend, we heard some very strong words. Secretary of State Colin Powell as well as Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld both saying that this is really inexcusable. The administration has put a lot of political capital in trying to get Turkey to commit its resources. So far the United States has upgraded its bases as well as ports but still it doesn't have the permission to get U.S. troops on the ground. That is really critical if there was a war with Iraq, it would really allow the U.S. to squeeze out Saddam Hussein from the north. That has not yet happened. That vote is expected to happen sometime next week. So this really could not come at a worse time for the administration.
Aired February 10, 2003 - 08:02 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Now more on the rift between the U.S. and some of its NATO allies. France, Belgium and Germany blocking the start of military preparations to protect Turkey if there is a war against its neighbor Iraq. But Russian President Vladimir Putin says -- quote -- "we must continue all efforts for a peaceful resolution in Iraq." President Putin is set to arrive in France within the hour.
Let's check in with our senior European political correspondent Robin Oakley who is standing by live in Paris.
Good morning from here, good afternoon there -- Robin.
ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN SENIOR EUROPEAN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon, Paula.
And with the heavy diplomatic arm wrestling going on this week ahead of the U.N. Security Council's key meeting on Friday to decide what to do about Saddam Hussein, it really isn't going the way the U.S. would like to see at the moment. As you say, President Putin here about to meet President Chirac of France. President Chirac says that war is not inevitable. President Putin saying that the case for the use of force has not been made.
And then a big blow to the coherence of any Western alliance in terms of France, Germany and Belgium all refusing to authorize NATO to plan in advance measures to protect Turkey should it come to a war in Iraq. Now the Secretary-General of NATO, Lord Robertson, has admitted that that is a serious blow to the cohesion of the alliance, but he argues that NATO will, in the end, come round to giving that help to Turkey.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LORD ROBERTSON, NATO SECRETARY-GENERAL: We're united in our commitment to the security of all NATO's members. The question is not if but when to begin the planning. We have a difficult issue in front of us. It's an issue which concerns solidarity with one ally, Turkey, it is not related to any possible participation by NATO in a military operation against Iraq.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
OAKLEY: Lord Robertson has made it clear that he intends to keep the 19 NATO ambassadors meeting as often and as long as it takes basically to get a reversal of that decision. And Turkey has now appealed directly to NATO members saying it feels its security threatened and that may well see some of the three at least turn round in their opinions.
But the gap across the Atlantic between the U.S. and its potential allies in a war against Iraq is widening rather than closing at this particular stage. And a further sign of the impending crisis really is that the current presidency of the European Union, the Greeks, Costas Simitis, their prime minister, he's called a special summit of the E.U. next Monday to try to get a common line on Iraq -- Paula.
ZAHN: But, Robin, very quickly here, once again, if there is a war with Iraq, there is no doubt though that NATO would come to its defense?
OAKLEY: There is no doubt that the individual NATO countries would help to any -- sustain any U.S. effort in a war against Iraq. Whether NATO would do so specifically as an alliance remains an open question, particularly with France and Germany taking the attitude that they are at the moment -- Paula.
ZAHN: Thanks, Robin. Robin Oakley reporting from Paris for us this morning.
For more reaction to NATO's diplomatic standoff and the latest on the showdown in Iraq, let's go to White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux.
So how mad is the White House this morning -- Suzanne?
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Paula, White House officials are furious at this, and -- but they're keeping a very close eye of what's happening with this NATO debacle because it may really give some signs what's going to play out later in the week with members of the U.N. Security Council.
But over the weekend, we heard some very strong words. Secretary of State Colin Powell as well as Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld both saying that this is really inexcusable. The administration has put a lot of political capital in trying to get Turkey to commit its resources. So far the United States has upgraded its bases as well as ports but still it doesn't have the permission to get U.S. troops on the ground. That is really critical if there was a war with Iraq, it would really allow the U.S. to squeeze out Saddam Hussein from the north. That has not yet happened. That vote is expected to happen sometime next week. So this really could not come at a worse time for the administration.
