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American Morning

Transition Problems

Aired November 28, 2003 - 09:06   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: One of the Iraqis that the president met with yesterday in Iraq was the current leader of the Iraqi Governing Council, Jalal Talibani. The council right now struggling with issues, including how to proceed with the transition of full sovereignty.
Jalal Talibani now with us from his home in Baghdad, our guest back again here on AMERICAN MORNING.

There is this struggle going on right now between the Grand Ayatollah there, Ali Al Sistani (ph), who now is trying to push for elections in June. You met with the president yesterday. Would you support that call for elections in June, as opposed to the preordained date coming sometime in the year 2005?

JALAL TALIBANI, CURRENT HEAD OF IRAQI GOVERNING COUNCIL: Well, I have the honor of meeting his Highness Ayatollah Sistani. Ayatollah Sistani supported the agreement and supported the whole situation, and he proposed that the democracy must be respected, that the provisional national assembly, it is better to be elected by the people, not be choose by some officials in the country. I think this is something logic.

HEMMER: So you're agreeing with that, then. You would agree with him that elections should be held much sooner than later, even this summer?

TALIBANI: You know, if practical measure could be helping, of course, I agree because election is most Democratic way back, and we must look to realities. Is it possible to have it or not? If it is possible, it's better to have this election. If it's not possible, we must look for some other compromise about this.

HEMMER: Condoleezza Rice last hour here live with us on CNN talked about that very compromise, possibly in the works. She mentioned that Paul Bremer right now is in discussions right now, that appears to give the impression anyway that negotiations are under way. Did you talk about this with the president yesterday in your meetings in Baghdad? And would he support it, do you think?

TALIBANI: Well, we didn't talk about the president of the United States about this specific matter. But in general, we talk about democracy, and democratization of Iraq. We gave him our regards and thanks for his brave decision to liberate Iraq, because we told him that there was only way, the war was only way to topple the worst kind of dictatorship in the world. And by liberating Iraq now, we are Iraqi people living in freedom and democracy, and there is no more national oppression, no more religious oppression, no more ethnic cleansing, and we are living in free climate that we are never have it the future, and never have it in the past of Iraq.

HEMMER: And you're saying then yesterday, you did not talk about this very issue with the president of the United States?

TALIBANI: Well, the president of the United States assured us that he will not leave Iraq unless the job will be finished, and that he's assured us that he's helping the Iraqi people to build a Democratic state, and Democratic life, and he will help the Iraqi people.

HEMMER: We have a little bit of breakup in the satellite, asking our viewers here to be patient for a little bit here. If we've still got the signal, one question about who rules in Iraq. Even if these elections take place this summer, you yourself, sir, you're a Sunni, the Grand Ayatollah represents the Shiite population there. Are you concerned that if elections are held, that it will drift toward a more religious society as opposed to a secular one?

TALIBANI: No, there will be no religious society. He is not asking for an Islamic regime immediately. He thinks that there must be Democratic regime, and there must be democracy, and Iraqi society must be respected, because Iraqi society, as you know, there are Sunnis, and for having real unity of Iraqi people, there must be a consensus among these nationalities and religious sanctions about some principles in the new constitution.

HEMMER: We'll see how it plays out. Again, as you point out, the talks are under way. And we'll see where we go from here. Jalal Talibani, thank you for spending time with us from your home there in Baghdad.

Appreciate it.

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 November 28, 2003 - 09:06   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: One of the Iraqis that the president met with yesterday in Iraq was the current leader of the Iraqi Governing Council, Jalal Talibani. The council right now struggling with issues, including how to proceed with the transition of full sovereignty.
Jalal Talibani now with us from his home in Baghdad, our guest back again here on AMERICAN MORNING.

There is this struggle going on right now between the Grand Ayatollah there, Ali Al Sistani (ph), who now is trying to push for elections in June. You met with the president yesterday. Would you support that call for elections in June, as opposed to the preordained date coming sometime in the year 2005?

JALAL TALIBANI, CURRENT HEAD OF IRAQI GOVERNING COUNCIL: Well, I have the honor of meeting his Highness Ayatollah Sistani. Ayatollah Sistani supported the agreement and supported the whole situation, and he proposed that the democracy must be respected, that the provisional national assembly, it is better to be elected by the people, not be choose by some officials in the country. I think this is something logic.

HEMMER: So you're agreeing with that, then. You would agree with him that elections should be held much sooner than later, even this summer?

TALIBANI: You know, if practical measure could be helping, of course, I agree because election is most Democratic way back, and we must look to realities. Is it possible to have it or not? If it is possible, it's better to have this election. If it's not possible, we must look for some other compromise about this.

HEMMER: Condoleezza Rice last hour here live with us on CNN talked about that very compromise, possibly in the works. She mentioned that Paul Bremer right now is in discussions right now, that appears to give the impression anyway that negotiations are under way. Did you talk about this with the president yesterday in your meetings in Baghdad? And would he support it, do you think?

TALIBANI: Well, we didn't talk about the president of the United States about this specific matter. But in general, we talk about democracy, and democratization of Iraq. We gave him our regards and thanks for his brave decision to liberate Iraq, because we told him that there was only way, the war was only way to topple the worst kind of dictatorship in the world. And by liberating Iraq now, we are Iraqi people living in freedom and democracy, and there is no more national oppression, no more religious oppression, no more ethnic cleansing, and we are living in free climate that we are never have it the future, and never have it in the past of Iraq.

HEMMER: And you're saying then yesterday, you did not talk about this very issue with the president of the United States?

TALIBANI: Well, the president of the United States assured us that he will not leave Iraq unless the job will be finished, and that he's assured us that he's helping the Iraqi people to build a Democratic state, and Democratic life, and he will help the Iraqi people.

HEMMER: We have a little bit of breakup in the satellite, asking our viewers here to be patient for a little bit here. If we've still got the signal, one question about who rules in Iraq. Even if these elections take place this summer, you yourself, sir, you're a Sunni, the Grand Ayatollah represents the Shiite population there. Are you concerned that if elections are held, that it will drift toward a more religious society as opposed to a secular one?

TALIBANI: No, there will be no religious society. He is not asking for an Islamic regime immediately. He thinks that there must be Democratic regime, and there must be democracy, and Iraqi society must be respected, because Iraqi society, as you know, there are Sunnis, and for having real unity of Iraqi people, there must be a consensus among these nationalities and religious sanctions about some principles in the new constitution.

HEMMER: We'll see how it plays out. Again, as you point out, the talks are under way. And we'll see where we go from here. Jalal Talibani, thank you for spending time with us from your home there in Baghdad.

Appreciate it.

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