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American Morning
Tough Road Ahead
Aired October 23, 2003 - 08:36 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: To Madrid right now. Opening the international donors conference on Iraq today, the U.N. Secretary- General Kofi Annan says the people of Iraq cannot wait, saying the money for reconstruction is needed now. Sheila MacVicar in Madrid now to talk about the two-day conference now under way there.
Sheila, hello?
SHEILA MACVICAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Bill. Good morning.
The foreign ministers, or at least some foreign ministers from the would-be donor nations are here in Madrid. Among them, of course, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell. We've heard from Kofi Annan this morning, the U.N. Secretary-General, making a previously unscheduled appearance here in Madrid, something that was added to his schedule just after that United Nations Security Council resolution unanimously passed, making a plea for donor nations to be generous, saying that the issues are not just stability and security, that the money is needed now.
Kofi Annan also acknowledging that there's still some disagreement in the international community about the war and the way in which it was waged, the time at which it was waged, arguing that nations cannot afford to wait for a sovereign Iraqi government to be established, that the money is needed now.
Now, there are different estimates, Bill, as to how much money exactly is needed. A difference between the U.N. and World Bank. Will now be in charge of an international fund, the money that comes from donors at this conference and the U.S. The U.S. say its believes 55 billion are needed between now and the year 2007. The World Bank saying that it believes $36 million. No one is expecting commitments of that size here. The big question is what the Gulf states, like Saudi Arabia and Kuwait will do. They have indicated that they will be generous. But other nations are suggesting that this is not the time to be talking about so much money in advance. They'd be better off taking it one year at a time -- Bill.
HEMMER: Sheila, back to this whole point about countries like France, and Germany and Russia not sending their foreign ministers, but actually people of much lower positions. Is that an indication or not of how serious they're taking this matter?
MACVICAR: Well, they are taking it seriously. France and Germany have agreed to give money through the European Union, but they are very clearly indicating that at this point, they were not prepared to put up money for reconstruction. All those nations do give to humanitarian causes inside Iraq, things like providing clean water, for example.
But there is still a disagreement about this question of Iraqi sovereignty and how to proceed from here. It was hoped that in creating this U.N. World Bank fund that would, of course, be beyond and outside the control of the U.S. administration, they would get more donors to come forward, but those countries are indicating, that at this moment at least, they're not prepared to pay any more -- Bill.
HEMMER: All right, Sheila, thanks. Sheila MacVicar, watching that story from Madrid, Spain. Again, as we mentioned a two-day conference now under way there in Madrid.
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 October 23, 2003 - 08:36 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: To Madrid right now. Opening the international donors conference on Iraq today, the U.N. Secretary- General Kofi Annan says the people of Iraq cannot wait, saying the money for reconstruction is needed now. Sheila MacVicar in Madrid now to talk about the two-day conference now under way there.
Sheila, hello?
SHEILA MACVICAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Bill. Good morning.
The foreign ministers, or at least some foreign ministers from the would-be donor nations are here in Madrid. Among them, of course, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell. We've heard from Kofi Annan this morning, the U.N. Secretary-General, making a previously unscheduled appearance here in Madrid, something that was added to his schedule just after that United Nations Security Council resolution unanimously passed, making a plea for donor nations to be generous, saying that the issues are not just stability and security, that the money is needed now.
Kofi Annan also acknowledging that there's still some disagreement in the international community about the war and the way in which it was waged, the time at which it was waged, arguing that nations cannot afford to wait for a sovereign Iraqi government to be established, that the money is needed now.
Now, there are different estimates, Bill, as to how much money exactly is needed. A difference between the U.N. and World Bank. Will now be in charge of an international fund, the money that comes from donors at this conference and the U.S. The U.S. say its believes 55 billion are needed between now and the year 2007. The World Bank saying that it believes $36 million. No one is expecting commitments of that size here. The big question is what the Gulf states, like Saudi Arabia and Kuwait will do. They have indicated that they will be generous. But other nations are suggesting that this is not the time to be talking about so much money in advance. They'd be better off taking it one year at a time -- Bill.
HEMMER: Sheila, back to this whole point about countries like France, and Germany and Russia not sending their foreign ministers, but actually people of much lower positions. Is that an indication or not of how serious they're taking this matter?
MACVICAR: Well, they are taking it seriously. France and Germany have agreed to give money through the European Union, but they are very clearly indicating that at this point, they were not prepared to put up money for reconstruction. All those nations do give to humanitarian causes inside Iraq, things like providing clean water, for example.
But there is still a disagreement about this question of Iraqi sovereignty and how to proceed from here. It was hoped that in creating this U.N. World Bank fund that would, of course, be beyond and outside the control of the U.S. administration, they would get more donors to come forward, but those countries are indicating, that at this moment at least, they're not prepared to pay any more -- Bill.
HEMMER: All right, Sheila, thanks. Sheila MacVicar, watching that story from Madrid, Spain. Again, as we mentioned a two-day conference now under way there in Madrid.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
