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American Morning
New British Proposal on Disarmament Meeting Resistance at U.N.
Aired March 13, 2003 - 09:09 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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: The new British proposal on disarmament, already meeting resistance on the U. N. That plan would draw a Monday deadline, March 17th, and insist that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein perform six specific disarmament tasks. One diplomat already accusing Britain and the U.S. of -- quote -- "sneaky games."
For more on this, Richard Roth standing by at his post at the U.N. to bring up to date. Where are we today, Richard? Good morning.
RICHARD ROTH, CNN SR. U.N. CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.
Well, some thought there would be a vote tomorrow, in light of last night's action at the Security Council. Perhaps that's in doubt. It will be up to the U.S. to decide perhaps today whether it wants to put this measure to a vote. A certain veto at this moment from France and Russia.
But what happened last night is a lot of talk about the so-called benchmarks -- tests for Iraq, conditions for Iraq. It's a last-ditch effort by the British government to win approval from the undecided six, and also to get international political cover for any military action, because Britain wants another resolution.
Today, in London, British Foreign Secretary Jack straw defended the British proposals and said, they really should be achievable by Saddam Hussein, in effect, if he wants to avert war.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JACK STRAW, BRITISH FOREIGN SECY.: I think the whole world can see that these are reasonable and they are deliverable by Saddam. And if he fails to deliver on those, then what he's saying is after 12 years, he's unwilling to take the peaceful route to the disarmament of his terrible weapons of mass destruction.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROTH: However, in Iraq today, the foreign minister, now, Naji Sabri (ph) rejected these proposals, saying it's an aggressive project just to get to war. It's polishing up some already existing resolution. France and Russia also oppose. Still, not much give there. We'll see what the undecided members think about them. Council resumes today, bill, 3:00 Eastern Time.
HEMMER: Richard, how much is getting attention right now about the idea about this resolution never being presented at all, to give the Security Council no chance to vote on it? ROTH: President Bush said last week he wanted to see the cards no matter what, but many here think the U.S. may still withdraw the resolution.
Yesterday evening, though, the ambassador from Washington, John Negroponte, saying the U.S. might let that March 17th deadline slip if the British idea starts to -- quote -- "get some traction." Traction will be the new word today. Yesterday it was benchmarks.
HEMMER: Got it. Thank you. We'll watch for the traction. Richard Roth at the U.N.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
U.N.>
Aired March 13, 2003 - 09:09 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: The new British proposal on disarmament, already meeting resistance on the U. N. That plan would draw a Monday deadline, March 17th, and insist that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein perform six specific disarmament tasks. One diplomat already accusing Britain and the U.S. of -- quote -- "sneaky games."
For more on this, Richard Roth standing by at his post at the U.N. to bring up to date. Where are we today, Richard? Good morning.
RICHARD ROTH, CNN SR. U.N. CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.
Well, some thought there would be a vote tomorrow, in light of last night's action at the Security Council. Perhaps that's in doubt. It will be up to the U.S. to decide perhaps today whether it wants to put this measure to a vote. A certain veto at this moment from France and Russia.
But what happened last night is a lot of talk about the so-called benchmarks -- tests for Iraq, conditions for Iraq. It's a last-ditch effort by the British government to win approval from the undecided six, and also to get international political cover for any military action, because Britain wants another resolution.
Today, in London, British Foreign Secretary Jack straw defended the British proposals and said, they really should be achievable by Saddam Hussein, in effect, if he wants to avert war.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JACK STRAW, BRITISH FOREIGN SECY.: I think the whole world can see that these are reasonable and they are deliverable by Saddam. And if he fails to deliver on those, then what he's saying is after 12 years, he's unwilling to take the peaceful route to the disarmament of his terrible weapons of mass destruction.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROTH: However, in Iraq today, the foreign minister, now, Naji Sabri (ph) rejected these proposals, saying it's an aggressive project just to get to war. It's polishing up some already existing resolution. France and Russia also oppose. Still, not much give there. We'll see what the undecided members think about them. Council resumes today, bill, 3:00 Eastern Time.
HEMMER: Richard, how much is getting attention right now about the idea about this resolution never being presented at all, to give the Security Council no chance to vote on it? ROTH: President Bush said last week he wanted to see the cards no matter what, but many here think the U.S. may still withdraw the resolution.
Yesterday evening, though, the ambassador from Washington, John Negroponte, saying the U.S. might let that March 17th deadline slip if the British idea starts to -- quote -- "get some traction." Traction will be the new word today. Yesterday it was benchmarks.
HEMMER: Got it. Thank you. We'll watch for the traction. Richard Roth at the U.N.
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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