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American Morning
U.N. Debate Over Iraq Continues
Aired February 19, 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: More now on our top story. In just a few hours, the debate on Iraq resumes at the United Nations, where opposition is strong to a U.S.-led war against Baghdad.
Let's check in with Richard Roth right now, who joins us there with a preview.
Good morning -- Richard.
RICHARD ROTH, CNN SENIOR U.N. CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.
Round 2 of an open debate here at the Security Council. No votes expected. It's just a chance for the world to air their views on the Iraq crisis.
Yesterday, 27 countries addressed the Security Council. They just give various speeches. There's no back-and-forth between the countries. Many supported giving the inspectors more time on the ground to do their job.
There was an effort to press Iraq to cooperate more. However, most speakers, including Iraq's neighbor, Iran, said now is not the time to go to war.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAVAD ZARIF, IRANIAN AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: We cannot accept that the priorities of one power could provide the criteria for the effectiveness or relevance of the United Nations.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROTH: Of course, Iran was invaded by Iraq in 1980, and now the two are tense neighbors at times.
Inside the council debate, only perhaps Australia, Japan and Kuwait gave some support to the U.S. efforts to stop the clock on Saddam Hussein. There will be at least 30 speakers today.
Outside in the hallways, discussion will start on a second resolution, but there is no guarantee, Paula, that the U.S. and U.K. will introduce it. If it happens, it will be at the end of the week or sometime next week, and it will be simple, and it will start to press Saddam Hussein to give one last opportunity to cooperate -- Paula. ZAHN: What about this February 28 date that's being bandied about? That's just a date that I saw in "The Washington Post" and a couple of other newspapers this morning, whereby the administration would give the council a deadline to act before deciding to form a coalition of countries that would be willing to attack Iraq.
ROTH: Well, there's been no confirmation here. That's a date set up for Hans Blix's next report also, and the U.S. is hoping that by giving Iraq several benchmarks to hit -- cooperation on private interviews with scientists, the destruction of those Al Samoud missiles -- that would then get more countries on board by then. It's designed to time out.
There is no guarantee the U.S. will use that deadline for the council or for Iraq. Things are still very fluid, a lot of trial balloons being tossed out there.
ZAHN: And I know you'll be trying to figure out what all of those trial balloons mean today. Richard Roth, thanks so much for the update.
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 February 19, 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: More now on our top story. In just a few hours, the debate on Iraq resumes at the United Nations, where opposition is strong to a U.S.-led war against Baghdad.
Let's check in with Richard Roth right now, who joins us there with a preview.
Good morning -- Richard.
RICHARD ROTH, CNN SENIOR U.N. CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.
Round 2 of an open debate here at the Security Council. No votes expected. It's just a chance for the world to air their views on the Iraq crisis.
Yesterday, 27 countries addressed the Security Council. They just give various speeches. There's no back-and-forth between the countries. Many supported giving the inspectors more time on the ground to do their job.
There was an effort to press Iraq to cooperate more. However, most speakers, including Iraq's neighbor, Iran, said now is not the time to go to war.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAVAD ZARIF, IRANIAN AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: We cannot accept that the priorities of one power could provide the criteria for the effectiveness or relevance of the United Nations.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROTH: Of course, Iran was invaded by Iraq in 1980, and now the two are tense neighbors at times.
Inside the council debate, only perhaps Australia, Japan and Kuwait gave some support to the U.S. efforts to stop the clock on Saddam Hussein. There will be at least 30 speakers today.
Outside in the hallways, discussion will start on a second resolution, but there is no guarantee, Paula, that the U.S. and U.K. will introduce it. If it happens, it will be at the end of the week or sometime next week, and it will be simple, and it will start to press Saddam Hussein to give one last opportunity to cooperate -- Paula. ZAHN: What about this February 28 date that's being bandied about? That's just a date that I saw in "The Washington Post" and a couple of other newspapers this morning, whereby the administration would give the council a deadline to act before deciding to form a coalition of countries that would be willing to attack Iraq.
ROTH: Well, there's been no confirmation here. That's a date set up for Hans Blix's next report also, and the U.S. is hoping that by giving Iraq several benchmarks to hit -- cooperation on private interviews with scientists, the destruction of those Al Samoud missiles -- that would then get more countries on board by then. It's designed to time out.
There is no guarantee the U.S. will use that deadline for the council or for Iraq. Things are still very fluid, a lot of trial balloons being tossed out there.
ZAHN: And I know you'll be trying to figure out what all of those trial balloons mean today. Richard Roth, thanks so much for the update.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
