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American Morning
Reaction from London on Capture
Aired December 15, 2003 - 09:33 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.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Worldwide reaction seems generally positive to the capture of Saddam Hussein. I want to get some details and comments from world leaders and check in with what the newspapers are saying today. So let's go live to London.
CNN's senior European political editor Robin Oakley.
Good morning, Robin.
ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN SR. EUROPEAN POL. EDITOR: Good morning.
And Tony Blair has not greeted the news about Saddam Hussein with quite as much enthusiasm as George Bush, because, of course, Tony Blair took the British people to war because of weapons of mass destruction. Regime change was always a side issue for Tony Blair. And he's still in trouble in a sense, because the weapons of mass destruction weren't found with Saddam Hussein.
But that hasn't stopped the British media, for example, from really going to town on the capture of Saddam Hussein. Two expressions dominating in the British papers, of course, "Ace in the Hole," and of course, "We Got Him." And the mood of the British public has certainly been an encouraging one. They've greeted the fall of Saddam Hussein with real joy.
Across Europe, even the opponents of the war in Iraq, Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder of Germany, President Chirac of France, welcoming it, too. Gerhard Schroeder sending a letter of congratulations to George Bush. Jacques Chirac expressing his delight, and saying, of course, this is a chance for Iraq to go forward with greater democracy. And the European Union today announced all 15 members of the EU, that this was a real new chance for peace and opportunity in Iraq.
Tony Blair, of course, saying now is the time for those people who were forced into Saddam Hussein's party to come and help create a new Iraq, those people who were forced in rather than going in through conviction.
COOPER: With reaction from London this morning, Robin Oakley. Thanks very much, Robin.
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 15, 2003 - 09:33 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Worldwide reaction seems generally positive to the capture of Saddam Hussein. I want to get some details and comments from world leaders and check in with what the newspapers are saying today. So let's go live to London.
CNN's senior European political editor Robin Oakley.
Good morning, Robin.
ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN SR. EUROPEAN POL. EDITOR: Good morning.
And Tony Blair has not greeted the news about Saddam Hussein with quite as much enthusiasm as George Bush, because, of course, Tony Blair took the British people to war because of weapons of mass destruction. Regime change was always a side issue for Tony Blair. And he's still in trouble in a sense, because the weapons of mass destruction weren't found with Saddam Hussein.
But that hasn't stopped the British media, for example, from really going to town on the capture of Saddam Hussein. Two expressions dominating in the British papers, of course, "Ace in the Hole," and of course, "We Got Him." And the mood of the British public has certainly been an encouraging one. They've greeted the fall of Saddam Hussein with real joy.
Across Europe, even the opponents of the war in Iraq, Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder of Germany, President Chirac of France, welcoming it, too. Gerhard Schroeder sending a letter of congratulations to George Bush. Jacques Chirac expressing his delight, and saying, of course, this is a chance for Iraq to go forward with greater democracy. And the European Union today announced all 15 members of the EU, that this was a real new chance for peace and opportunity in Iraq.
Tony Blair, of course, saying now is the time for those people who were forced into Saddam Hussein's party to come and help create a new Iraq, those people who were forced in rather than going in through conviction.
COOPER: With reaction from London this morning, Robin Oakley. Thanks very much, Robin.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
