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American Morning

'International News Desk'

Aired December 10, 2003 - 05:33   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.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Well, the rebuilding of Afghanistan and Iraq subjects affecting Americans here.
We want to talk more about that with our senior international editor, David Clinch.

And we were just talking about those countries left off the list.

DAVID CLINCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: That's right, Carol.

No real surprise there. I mean we sort of need to avoid the sense that France, Germany or Russia are going to be shocked that their companies aren't being allowed to bid for contracts in Iraq in post-war Iraq.

But, on the other hand, I suppose there had been calls from some quarters that maybe some kind of move to warm relations could come through, allowing Russian or French or German companies to be at least allowed to bid, even if they didn't get the contracts. That hasn't happened. But there are a few points. This is only the first round of contracts. There may be more. And if there are more, Russian, French, German companies may be allowed to bid.

There's nothing to prevent Russian, French, German companies being included in subcontract work. Many of the British or American companies that get involved are these huge companies, global companies, really, and there's -- it's not impossible that they might allow Russian and French, German companies to be subcontracted to do work in Iraq.

But, again, the political point is an opportunity not taken, I suppose, to pull those countries back in...

COSTELLO: Well, it's not like those countries have been bending to the United States' will lately.

CLINCH: Well, that may very well be true. And, again, the real point is that there's no shock factor here. The Pentagon had made it clear that there was no intention to include those countries in those contracts at this point.

Another story that we're looking at in Baghdad today, we've heard about this for the last few days, but official confirmation today from the Iraqi Governing Council that they are forming an internal war crimes tribunal to try Saddam Hussein, if he's caught, but certainly his regime, for war crimes during his time in power. An interesting sort of aspect of this is this is an internal thing. Iraqi judges will try Saddam if he's caught or other regime leaders. There is, of course, a U.N. War Crimes Tribunal that exists, and I suppose no reason in theory why that U.N. War Crimes Tribunal couldn't try Saddam or others. The U.S., of course, not putting much faith in that U.N. War Crimes Tribunal and, in fact, not supporting it because the U.N. won't allow the U.S. to be exempt from that U.N. War Crimes Tribunal. So they have worked with the Governing Council to set up an internal Iraqi Governing Council war crimes tribunal.

COSTELLO: Well, it'll be interesting to see when the first trial will take place because the United States does have regime leaders in custody now.

CLINCH: That is true, not Saddam, of course, but there are try -- there are regime leaders in custody within Iraq and it'll be interesting to see whether we will, in fact, see any of them in front of this tribunal and, if so, how soon. No word on exactly when that tribunal will go into effect.

The big story still the effect of President Bush's statement on Taiwan yesterday, warning Taiwan and China to be fair, but warning Taiwan not to do anything to effect the status quo between Taiwan and China. In one aspect, you're looking at an American president warning Democratic Taiwan to back off in the face of pressure from communist China, quite a sort of a shock effect if you look at it that way. But, of course, it's never that simple. There are so many reasons why the U.S. needs China's help, on North Korea, on U.S. jobs here in America, pushing China to lower the value of its currency. And obviously they don't, the United States does not want to see China and Taiwan get involved in any kind of military face-off.

So, it's not simple, but there's still a little bit of a shock effect there of the U.S. wagging its finger at someone...

COSTELLO: Well, especially in light of what President Bush said about Taiwan previous to this.

CLINCH: Yes. On record as saying he would do whatever was necessary to protect Taiwan. And the referendum that we're talking about here in Taiwan is not a referendum on independence, it's a referendum on -- for Taiwan to ask China, demand China stop aiming missiles towards Taiwan.

So, again, a bit of a shock factor there, but not as simple as just the surface value. There's more to it.

COSTELLO: Nothing ever is, is it?

All right, David, thank you very much.

CLINCH: OK.

COSTELLO: We 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 December 10, 2003 - 05:33   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Well, the rebuilding of Afghanistan and Iraq subjects affecting Americans here.
We want to talk more about that with our senior international editor, David Clinch.

And we were just talking about those countries left off the list.

DAVID CLINCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: That's right, Carol.

No real surprise there. I mean we sort of need to avoid the sense that France, Germany or Russia are going to be shocked that their companies aren't being allowed to bid for contracts in Iraq in post-war Iraq.

But, on the other hand, I suppose there had been calls from some quarters that maybe some kind of move to warm relations could come through, allowing Russian or French or German companies to be at least allowed to bid, even if they didn't get the contracts. That hasn't happened. But there are a few points. This is only the first round of contracts. There may be more. And if there are more, Russian, French, German companies may be allowed to bid.

There's nothing to prevent Russian, French, German companies being included in subcontract work. Many of the British or American companies that get involved are these huge companies, global companies, really, and there's -- it's not impossible that they might allow Russian and French, German companies to be subcontracted to do work in Iraq.

But, again, the political point is an opportunity not taken, I suppose, to pull those countries back in...

COSTELLO: Well, it's not like those countries have been bending to the United States' will lately.

CLINCH: Well, that may very well be true. And, again, the real point is that there's no shock factor here. The Pentagon had made it clear that there was no intention to include those countries in those contracts at this point.

Another story that we're looking at in Baghdad today, we've heard about this for the last few days, but official confirmation today from the Iraqi Governing Council that they are forming an internal war crimes tribunal to try Saddam Hussein, if he's caught, but certainly his regime, for war crimes during his time in power. An interesting sort of aspect of this is this is an internal thing. Iraqi judges will try Saddam if he's caught or other regime leaders. There is, of course, a U.N. War Crimes Tribunal that exists, and I suppose no reason in theory why that U.N. War Crimes Tribunal couldn't try Saddam or others. The U.S., of course, not putting much faith in that U.N. War Crimes Tribunal and, in fact, not supporting it because the U.N. won't allow the U.S. to be exempt from that U.N. War Crimes Tribunal. So they have worked with the Governing Council to set up an internal Iraqi Governing Council war crimes tribunal.

COSTELLO: Well, it'll be interesting to see when the first trial will take place because the United States does have regime leaders in custody now.

CLINCH: That is true, not Saddam, of course, but there are try -- there are regime leaders in custody within Iraq and it'll be interesting to see whether we will, in fact, see any of them in front of this tribunal and, if so, how soon. No word on exactly when that tribunal will go into effect.

The big story still the effect of President Bush's statement on Taiwan yesterday, warning Taiwan and China to be fair, but warning Taiwan not to do anything to effect the status quo between Taiwan and China. In one aspect, you're looking at an American president warning Democratic Taiwan to back off in the face of pressure from communist China, quite a sort of a shock effect if you look at it that way. But, of course, it's never that simple. There are so many reasons why the U.S. needs China's help, on North Korea, on U.S. jobs here in America, pushing China to lower the value of its currency. And obviously they don't, the United States does not want to see China and Taiwan get involved in any kind of military face-off.

So, it's not simple, but there's still a little bit of a shock effect there of the U.S. wagging its finger at someone...

COSTELLO: Well, especially in light of what President Bush said about Taiwan previous to this.

CLINCH: Yes. On record as saying he would do whatever was necessary to protect Taiwan. And the referendum that we're talking about here in Taiwan is not a referendum on independence, it's a referendum on -- for Taiwan to ask China, demand China stop aiming missiles towards Taiwan.

So, again, a bit of a shock factor there, but not as simple as just the surface value. There's more to it.

COSTELLO: Nothing ever is, is it?

All right, David, thank you very much.

CLINCH: OK.

COSTELLO: We 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