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Bigger U.N. Role in Iraq?
Aired September 03, 2003 - 07:03 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: Back to the White House right now this morning and its effort to increase international participation in Iraq. As early as today, the White House may propose a U.N. Security Council resolution that would strengthen the U.N.'s role in post-war Iraq -- a critical issue almost a year after the president first went there.
To the White House this morning and Kathleen Koch.
Good morning.
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.
Well, this is a dramatic about-face for the Bush administration, but it had become abundantly clear that it would be virtually impossible to get more international funds to help rebuild Iraq or more international troop support to keep the peace there unless the mission took on some sort of U.N. cover, to place it under U.N. auspices.
And also, of course, the mission there -- this is becoming more serious because the mission is growing so expensive. The latest estimates by the Congressional Budget Office are that keeping U.S. forces there will have an annual price tag of between $8 billion and $29 billion a year.
So, after meeting yesterday afternoon with Secretary of State Colin Powell, President Bush agreed that the U.S. could begin to circulate a United Nations Security Council resolution that would, as you said, give the U.N. a greater role in the political reconstruction of Iraq. That's the first item.
An administration official tells CNN that that would involve giving the U.N. some involvement in helping the Iraqis draft a constitution, helping them move toward elections.
The second component, of course, would be creating this multinational force under the U.N. auspices, but, of course, this would be still under the control and command of a U.S. military officer. The plan is to start shopping the resolution around, perhaps as soon as today, with the point being to really get some support behind it before it goes to a full vote before the council -- Bill.
HEMMER: We all know this may be difficult. France and Germany were opposed to it from the very beginning. How difficult could it be to get these two nations to sign up? KOCH: Well, Bill, you hit the nail on the head with that one, because clearly from the start both of these countries adamantly and publicly opposed the U.S. action in Iraq. So, they do not want to sign on to contributing more dollars or contributing any of their forces until all of the I's are dotted, all of the T's are crossed, and this mission has clear support, clear approval by the United Nations.
Now, of course, France also has veto power on the Security Council, and it and Russia had been saying that they want a clear timetable for establishing a constitution, a democratic government, restoration of full sovereignty. Those are very difficult issues that we are not hearing are going to be addressed in this resolution.
And then, of course, add the complicating factor of the recent attack on the U.N. headquarters there that claimed the lives of the head envoy and some 21 others. So, there are also very serious security concerns among any of these countries that might consider sending their own troops into Iraq, Bill. So it's very tough.
HEMMER: Kathleen Koch at the White House, thanks.
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 September 3, 2003 - 07:03 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Back to the White House right now this morning and its effort to increase international participation in Iraq. As early as today, the White House may propose a U.N. Security Council resolution that would strengthen the U.N.'s role in post-war Iraq -- a critical issue almost a year after the president first went there.
To the White House this morning and Kathleen Koch.
Good morning.
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.
Well, this is a dramatic about-face for the Bush administration, but it had become abundantly clear that it would be virtually impossible to get more international funds to help rebuild Iraq or more international troop support to keep the peace there unless the mission took on some sort of U.N. cover, to place it under U.N. auspices.
And also, of course, the mission there -- this is becoming more serious because the mission is growing so expensive. The latest estimates by the Congressional Budget Office are that keeping U.S. forces there will have an annual price tag of between $8 billion and $29 billion a year.
So, after meeting yesterday afternoon with Secretary of State Colin Powell, President Bush agreed that the U.S. could begin to circulate a United Nations Security Council resolution that would, as you said, give the U.N. a greater role in the political reconstruction of Iraq. That's the first item.
An administration official tells CNN that that would involve giving the U.N. some involvement in helping the Iraqis draft a constitution, helping them move toward elections.
The second component, of course, would be creating this multinational force under the U.N. auspices, but, of course, this would be still under the control and command of a U.S. military officer. The plan is to start shopping the resolution around, perhaps as soon as today, with the point being to really get some support behind it before it goes to a full vote before the council -- Bill.
HEMMER: We all know this may be difficult. France and Germany were opposed to it from the very beginning. How difficult could it be to get these two nations to sign up? KOCH: Well, Bill, you hit the nail on the head with that one, because clearly from the start both of these countries adamantly and publicly opposed the U.S. action in Iraq. So, they do not want to sign on to contributing more dollars or contributing any of their forces until all of the I's are dotted, all of the T's are crossed, and this mission has clear support, clear approval by the United Nations.
Now, of course, France also has veto power on the Security Council, and it and Russia had been saying that they want a clear timetable for establishing a constitution, a democratic government, restoration of full sovereignty. Those are very difficult issues that we are not hearing are going to be addressed in this resolution.
And then, of course, add the complicating factor of the recent attack on the U.N. headquarters there that claimed the lives of the head envoy and some 21 others. So, there are also very serious security concerns among any of these countries that might consider sending their own troops into Iraq, Bill. So it's very tough.
HEMMER: Kathleen Koch at the White House, thanks.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
