Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

Interview with Ambassador Richard Murphy

Aired June 24, 2003 - 07:32   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: U.S. officials are still trying to determine who was killed last week when American missiles hit a convoy in western Iraq. DNA tests right now said are being performed on some of the remains to see if Saddam Hussein may or may not have been inside the vehicles. Several Syrian guards also wounded in that skirmish as the convoy tried to cross the border.
The question today: Is this incident now likely to create tension between the U.S. and Syria?

Ambassador Richard Murphy, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and former assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern Affairs.

Mr. Ambassador, good morning to you. Great to have you back here on AMERICAN MORNING.

AMB. ROBERT MURPHY, FORMER ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE: Good morning.

HEMMER: What do you make of the news that we did not hear about this for about five days running?

MURPHY: Well, the fact it took so long for the story to surface shows that neither government wanted to make an issue out of it. I assume somebody wanted to leak it five days later.

HEMMER: Why do you think at this point we still don't know who was in that convoy?

MURPHY: Well, I don't know what the condition of the remains of the ones that were killed, because if they're having to do DNA tests then they weren't at all sure who was there. I think that it just shows the degree of suspicion, irritation that has focused on Syria and the possible escape routes for Iraqi leadership into Syria. They're take no chances.

HEMMER: You touched on it in your first answer there. What about relations between the two countries? Is this something that could linger and strain those relations? Or do you see it that way?

MURPHY: I don't think this incident in itself, no. But, again, it's against the backdrop of suspicion that Syria may have provided an exit route for some of the Iraqi leaders during the war. Syria has closed its borders, according to its president. But you remember Secretary Powell was there just a few weeks ago saying that he wanted Syria to close down the offices of Palestinian extremists in Damascus and has labeled that reaction as inadequate to date.

HEMMER: And you mentioned closing the border. That's about a 300-mile stretch, I believe, between Iraq and Syria. Is it possible to just close that amount of land?

MURPHY: No. No, it's not. It's very porous. But I think the fact that we're talking about border guards, it presumably was a recognized crossing point, paved road, et cetera, right there. So that point would be controlled, but the rest of the borders, no, you couldn't possibly man it to seal it off.

HEMMER: Yes, we are told Task Force 20 was involved in this raid on Wednesday of last week. What does that indicate to you, special forces involved on the air -- excuse me -- in the air and on the ground?

MURPHY: Well, special forces had been operating even before the war, as we now know, inside Iraq. And there, the most forward contact point and indispensable in ferreting out and investigating stories about the whereabouts of the leaders in particular.

HEMMER: What do you think about Damascus right now? Would they risk harboring Iraqis knowing the notice they have been put on by the U.S.?

MURPHY: I don't think so. I don't think if it's any of the, certainly the president, his sons and the very much publicly identified group, I don't think it will be kept quiet. And I think that probably when President Musharraf gave that assurance that that was accurate and direct, they would not harbor them.

HEMMER: Thank you, Mr. Ambassador. Richard Murphy in D.C., good to see you again.

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 June 24, 2003 - 07:32   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: U.S. officials are still trying to determine who was killed last week when American missiles hit a convoy in western Iraq. DNA tests right now said are being performed on some of the remains to see if Saddam Hussein may or may not have been inside the vehicles. Several Syrian guards also wounded in that skirmish as the convoy tried to cross the border.
The question today: Is this incident now likely to create tension between the U.S. and Syria?

Ambassador Richard Murphy, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and former assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern Affairs.

Mr. Ambassador, good morning to you. Great to have you back here on AMERICAN MORNING.

AMB. ROBERT MURPHY, FORMER ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE: Good morning.

HEMMER: What do you make of the news that we did not hear about this for about five days running?

MURPHY: Well, the fact it took so long for the story to surface shows that neither government wanted to make an issue out of it. I assume somebody wanted to leak it five days later.

HEMMER: Why do you think at this point we still don't know who was in that convoy?

MURPHY: Well, I don't know what the condition of the remains of the ones that were killed, because if they're having to do DNA tests then they weren't at all sure who was there. I think that it just shows the degree of suspicion, irritation that has focused on Syria and the possible escape routes for Iraqi leadership into Syria. They're take no chances.

HEMMER: You touched on it in your first answer there. What about relations between the two countries? Is this something that could linger and strain those relations? Or do you see it that way?

MURPHY: I don't think this incident in itself, no. But, again, it's against the backdrop of suspicion that Syria may have provided an exit route for some of the Iraqi leaders during the war. Syria has closed its borders, according to its president. But you remember Secretary Powell was there just a few weeks ago saying that he wanted Syria to close down the offices of Palestinian extremists in Damascus and has labeled that reaction as inadequate to date.

HEMMER: And you mentioned closing the border. That's about a 300-mile stretch, I believe, between Iraq and Syria. Is it possible to just close that amount of land?

MURPHY: No. No, it's not. It's very porous. But I think the fact that we're talking about border guards, it presumably was a recognized crossing point, paved road, et cetera, right there. So that point would be controlled, but the rest of the borders, no, you couldn't possibly man it to seal it off.

HEMMER: Yes, we are told Task Force 20 was involved in this raid on Wednesday of last week. What does that indicate to you, special forces involved on the air -- excuse me -- in the air and on the ground?

MURPHY: Well, special forces had been operating even before the war, as we now know, inside Iraq. And there, the most forward contact point and indispensable in ferreting out and investigating stories about the whereabouts of the leaders in particular.

HEMMER: What do you think about Damascus right now? Would they risk harboring Iraqis knowing the notice they have been put on by the U.S.?

MURPHY: I don't think so. I don't think if it's any of the, certainly the president, his sons and the very much publicly identified group, I don't think it will be kept quiet. And I think that probably when President Musharraf gave that assurance that that was accurate and direct, they would not harbor them.

HEMMER: Thank you, Mr. Ambassador. Richard Murphy in D.C., good to see you again.

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