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American Morning
A Possible Summit This Weekend
Aired March 14, 2003 - 08:11 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: Let's go to Iraq right now. New developments, as we've been reporting now for the past hour, this morning, regarding Iraq. A possible summit this weekend. Word that France may be willing to talk a bit more about that British proposal that was put out yesterday, quickly rejected by the French.
Let's get to London right now, CNN's Robin Oakley, who is tracking all of this for us.
What does it mean?
Robin, good afternoon there.
ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon, Bill.
Well, Tony Blair's spokesman has confirmed that he stands willing to travel this weekend. The British officials are talking about a very fluid and dynamic situation. They say there'll be a frenzy of diplomatic activity over the weekend and that Tony Blair stands ready along with Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar of Spain to travel to a three way summit with President George Bush.
What is not clear from what they're saying at the moment is whether that would be a summit to help all this diplomatic activity or to mark the conclusion of the diplomatic activity and to say what the three leaders planned in terms of action against Saddam Hussein.
But there is some, there have been conversations also between Tony Blair and President Jacques Chirac of France this morning. The French beginning to take a more conciliatory attitude, at least in terms of the language they're using, talking of being ready to compromise, talking about the need to have a consensus in the Security Council.
But it's still made clear to the Tony Blair by Jacques Chirac that the French will not sign up to anything which offers an ultimatum and an automatic trigger for war against Saddam Hussein -- Bill.
HEMMER: We have watched this story change sometimes from minute to minute.
Robin Oakley, thank you, live in London.
We'll watch it again from there.
Meanwhile in Baghdad now, U.N. inspectors on the ground awaiting new reports from Iraq. Iraq expected to account for the makings of chemical weapons it was known to have had years ago.
Nic Robertson's watching the latest on the ground there -- Nic, hello.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Bill, the latest from the U.N. here, another four of the Al Samoud 2 missiles destroyed. That brings it to the total of 65 missiles, another seven warheads. That's 42 warheads, about half of Iraq's declared arsenal of Al Samoud 2 missiles now destroyed.
The thing that the U.N. inspectors here are waiting for today, a report on V.X., V.X. nerve agent from Iraqi officials. Now, this particular report is the Iraq's analysis of how the U.N. inspectors can determine the quantities of V.X. nerve agent that Iraq destroyed. However, the U.N. has already said that it believes that type of DNA, highly sophisticated analysis that Iraq calls for may not be able to give precise enough results for the U.N. really to get a handle on how much V.X. Iraq has actually destroyed.
So even this report may not give the U.N. really what they need to make thorough progress on this -- Bill.
HEMMER: Nic, thank you.
Nic Robertson again in Baghdad for the latest there.
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 March 14, 2003 - 08:11 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Let's go to Iraq right now. New developments, as we've been reporting now for the past hour, this morning, regarding Iraq. A possible summit this weekend. Word that France may be willing to talk a bit more about that British proposal that was put out yesterday, quickly rejected by the French.
Let's get to London right now, CNN's Robin Oakley, who is tracking all of this for us.
What does it mean?
Robin, good afternoon there.
ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon, Bill.
Well, Tony Blair's spokesman has confirmed that he stands willing to travel this weekend. The British officials are talking about a very fluid and dynamic situation. They say there'll be a frenzy of diplomatic activity over the weekend and that Tony Blair stands ready along with Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar of Spain to travel to a three way summit with President George Bush.
What is not clear from what they're saying at the moment is whether that would be a summit to help all this diplomatic activity or to mark the conclusion of the diplomatic activity and to say what the three leaders planned in terms of action against Saddam Hussein.
But there is some, there have been conversations also between Tony Blair and President Jacques Chirac of France this morning. The French beginning to take a more conciliatory attitude, at least in terms of the language they're using, talking of being ready to compromise, talking about the need to have a consensus in the Security Council.
But it's still made clear to the Tony Blair by Jacques Chirac that the French will not sign up to anything which offers an ultimatum and an automatic trigger for war against Saddam Hussein -- Bill.
HEMMER: We have watched this story change sometimes from minute to minute.
Robin Oakley, thank you, live in London.
We'll watch it again from there.
Meanwhile in Baghdad now, U.N. inspectors on the ground awaiting new reports from Iraq. Iraq expected to account for the makings of chemical weapons it was known to have had years ago.
Nic Robertson's watching the latest on the ground there -- Nic, hello.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Bill, the latest from the U.N. here, another four of the Al Samoud 2 missiles destroyed. That brings it to the total of 65 missiles, another seven warheads. That's 42 warheads, about half of Iraq's declared arsenal of Al Samoud 2 missiles now destroyed.
The thing that the U.N. inspectors here are waiting for today, a report on V.X., V.X. nerve agent from Iraqi officials. Now, this particular report is the Iraq's analysis of how the U.N. inspectors can determine the quantities of V.X. nerve agent that Iraq destroyed. However, the U.N. has already said that it believes that type of DNA, highly sophisticated analysis that Iraq calls for may not be able to give precise enough results for the U.N. really to get a handle on how much V.X. Iraq has actually destroyed.
So even this report may not give the U.N. really what they need to make thorough progress on this -- Bill.
HEMMER: Nic, thank you.
Nic Robertson again in Baghdad for the latest there.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
