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American Morning

U.S. at the U.N.

Aired September 05, 2003 - 09:03   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: The White House plans to spell out its plan for a resolution requesting for help in Iraq. France and Germany already yesterday, and again today criticizing that plan. French President Jacques Chirac says it does not go far enough towards the quick transfer of power to the people in Iraq, but he does not reject it out of hand. How, then, how do we gauge the reaction to this proposal?
Patricia Schlesinger, senior correspondent for German TV, in Washington this morning.

Good morning, Patricia.

PATRICIA SCHLESINGER, SR. CORRESPONDENT, ARD TV: Good morning.

HEMMER: Also Christian Malard, from Paris, the senior foreign analyst for France 3 Television with us. Well, let's Start in Paris.

What's the reaction with the U.S. going back to the U.N. and putting this proposal on the line, Christian?

CHRISTIAN MALARD, SR. FOREIGN ANALYST, FRANCE 3 TV: Well, it's clear, when you talk to President Chirac's people, the president doesn't want to appear as a troublemaker to the United States. The French president is very well concerned by what George Bush is facing right now inside Iraq. He would not be the kind of person saying, I told you so. No way. He is very upset, very sad to see that every day American soldiers are killed by terrorists inside Iraq, Muslim fundamentalist groups backed by Al Qaeda.

At the same time, the message is addressing to President Bush, is we are ready to share the burden, political, economical, military burden on the ground with our different allies. Maybe Germany, maybe Soviet -- sorry, Russia. Russia. And at the same time, you would like George Bush to say, I don't want to rule the whole thing. I don't want to get the overall control of the overall operation. You want just United States say, let's all share this big burden, and don't leave it only in the hands of the United States.

HEMMER: All right, Christian, thanks.

Patricia, if you listen to the statements from yesterday again earlier today it sounds like there's a lot of public bargaining going on. Are they negotiating in public at this point?

SCHLESINGER: Not in public. But, of course, it's time for bargaining, time for negotiating right now. It's give and take. And I can only read and hear now those lines line like stubborn old Europe is back, now gloating over the mess in Iraq. That's not the case. I think our governments want to make sure that this is not a continuation of an occupation, just with another label going on. And later demanding, by calling it by another name.

I mean, right now it is about winning the hearts and minds, the souls of the Iraqis, and you know what? Many people in Germany, and not only in Germany, I'm sure, thought the outcome would be that way, that sooner or later the United States would turn to the U.N. asking for help, asking for support. Because you could foresee for weeks now this road to reconstruction of Baghdad, post-war Baghdad, was a bumpy one. So nobody's surprised. It is now give and take bargaining. And I think the outcome will be -- we will see pretty soon.

HEMMER: Yes, listen, we're mentioning three countries here as primary players in all of this, France, Germany and Russia.

Christian, do these three countries come together and vote as a unit, as a bloc at the U.N.?

MALARD: I think so, but at the same time, what I could be quite sure of, Bill, is that President Chirac is for the enlargement of a multinational force on the ground in Iraq. If other countries, different from France, Germany or Russia, decide to join the American troops on the ground, the French wouldn't oppose that, I don't think there would be any French veto. The French are ready to help more, and side with the United States once more, under the condition that we quit this logic of occupation as soon as we can to go to a logic of sovereignty, hand it over to the Iraqi people.

At the same time, we understand the preoccupation that George Bush, President Bush is having right now, and once more, I want to reiterate what I heard from President Chirac's people, we don't want to appear as troublemakers, we want to help.

HEMMER: Patricia, in the short time that we have left here, there's an element that we haven't talked about. Outside the political and the military, there's a business element to all of this. What are the demands of French companies, Russian companies, maybe German companies, saying we want a piece of the pie in Iraq as well, not just the Americans?

SCHLESINGER: Of course. I mean, that's part of the motivation of our chancellor as well, put it clear. Of course, this time he's more careful. He is negotiating more. He's waiting, discussing options.

But, of course, part of the motivation is having part of the pie of the reconstruction in Iraq, part of the pie of the business, the old business, put it clear.

I mean, but for our government as well, it is very important to be back on the table of the big players. The end of the trans- Atlantic cold waves, I would say, nobody liked that. I think everybody wants to get an end to that. And you know what, right now, the help is needed. Everybody sees it. It's not like the hidden or nonexistent weapons of mass destruction we were discussing about for weeks and months now. This help is needed now, and our government sees it. So I think sooner or later we'll come into good terms to see that.

HEMMER: The negotiations will continue, we know that, in your capitals is back home, and also at the U.N. later today.

Patricia Schlesinger, Christian Malard, thanks, in D.C., and also Paris today with the views from overseas.

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 5, 2003 - 09:03   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: The White House plans to spell out its plan for a resolution requesting for help in Iraq. France and Germany already yesterday, and again today criticizing that plan. French President Jacques Chirac says it does not go far enough towards the quick transfer of power to the people in Iraq, but he does not reject it out of hand. How, then, how do we gauge the reaction to this proposal?
Patricia Schlesinger, senior correspondent for German TV, in Washington this morning.

Good morning, Patricia.

PATRICIA SCHLESINGER, SR. CORRESPONDENT, ARD TV: Good morning.

HEMMER: Also Christian Malard, from Paris, the senior foreign analyst for France 3 Television with us. Well, let's Start in Paris.

What's the reaction with the U.S. going back to the U.N. and putting this proposal on the line, Christian?

CHRISTIAN MALARD, SR. FOREIGN ANALYST, FRANCE 3 TV: Well, it's clear, when you talk to President Chirac's people, the president doesn't want to appear as a troublemaker to the United States. The French president is very well concerned by what George Bush is facing right now inside Iraq. He would not be the kind of person saying, I told you so. No way. He is very upset, very sad to see that every day American soldiers are killed by terrorists inside Iraq, Muslim fundamentalist groups backed by Al Qaeda.

At the same time, the message is addressing to President Bush, is we are ready to share the burden, political, economical, military burden on the ground with our different allies. Maybe Germany, maybe Soviet -- sorry, Russia. Russia. And at the same time, you would like George Bush to say, I don't want to rule the whole thing. I don't want to get the overall control of the overall operation. You want just United States say, let's all share this big burden, and don't leave it only in the hands of the United States.

HEMMER: All right, Christian, thanks.

Patricia, if you listen to the statements from yesterday again earlier today it sounds like there's a lot of public bargaining going on. Are they negotiating in public at this point?

SCHLESINGER: Not in public. But, of course, it's time for bargaining, time for negotiating right now. It's give and take. And I can only read and hear now those lines line like stubborn old Europe is back, now gloating over the mess in Iraq. That's not the case. I think our governments want to make sure that this is not a continuation of an occupation, just with another label going on. And later demanding, by calling it by another name.

I mean, right now it is about winning the hearts and minds, the souls of the Iraqis, and you know what? Many people in Germany, and not only in Germany, I'm sure, thought the outcome would be that way, that sooner or later the United States would turn to the U.N. asking for help, asking for support. Because you could foresee for weeks now this road to reconstruction of Baghdad, post-war Baghdad, was a bumpy one. So nobody's surprised. It is now give and take bargaining. And I think the outcome will be -- we will see pretty soon.

HEMMER: Yes, listen, we're mentioning three countries here as primary players in all of this, France, Germany and Russia.

Christian, do these three countries come together and vote as a unit, as a bloc at the U.N.?

MALARD: I think so, but at the same time, what I could be quite sure of, Bill, is that President Chirac is for the enlargement of a multinational force on the ground in Iraq. If other countries, different from France, Germany or Russia, decide to join the American troops on the ground, the French wouldn't oppose that, I don't think there would be any French veto. The French are ready to help more, and side with the United States once more, under the condition that we quit this logic of occupation as soon as we can to go to a logic of sovereignty, hand it over to the Iraqi people.

At the same time, we understand the preoccupation that George Bush, President Bush is having right now, and once more, I want to reiterate what I heard from President Chirac's people, we don't want to appear as troublemakers, we want to help.

HEMMER: Patricia, in the short time that we have left here, there's an element that we haven't talked about. Outside the political and the military, there's a business element to all of this. What are the demands of French companies, Russian companies, maybe German companies, saying we want a piece of the pie in Iraq as well, not just the Americans?

SCHLESINGER: Of course. I mean, that's part of the motivation of our chancellor as well, put it clear. Of course, this time he's more careful. He is negotiating more. He's waiting, discussing options.

But, of course, part of the motivation is having part of the pie of the reconstruction in Iraq, part of the pie of the business, the old business, put it clear.

I mean, but for our government as well, it is very important to be back on the table of the big players. The end of the trans- Atlantic cold waves, I would say, nobody liked that. I think everybody wants to get an end to that. And you know what, right now, the help is needed. Everybody sees it. It's not like the hidden or nonexistent weapons of mass destruction we were discussing about for weeks and months now. This help is needed now, and our government sees it. So I think sooner or later we'll come into good terms to see that.

HEMMER: The negotiations will continue, we know that, in your capitals is back home, and also at the U.N. later today.

Patricia Schlesinger, Christian Malard, thanks, in D.C., and also Paris today with the views from overseas.

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