Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

Transition in Iraq

Aired February 16, 2004 - 07:15   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: Despite escalating violence in Iraq, the U.S.-led coalition insists that the last day of June will be the last day foreign troops will be in charge in that country. The coalition's top civilian administrator says there will still be much to do after that, even after the transfer of power is complete this summer.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL BREMER, U.S. CIVILIAN ADMINISTRATOR: All of us who are here recognize that there isn't a magic wand we're going to wave over this country on June 30 and have it suddenly change. There will still be a security problem. There will still be huge needs for reconstructing an economy that was brutalized over 35 years and a political system that was fragmented and repressed by Saddam's tyranny.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: Now the question today: Can the coalition hand over power without Iraq falling into civil war?

From Baghdad today, Army Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt is our guest again; so is Dan Senor, senior adviser to Ambassador Bremer.

Gentlemen, welcome back to our program here on AMERICAN MORNING.

BRIG. GEN. MARK KIMMITT, U.S. ARMY: Good morning.

DAN SENOR, SENIOR ADVISOR TO AMBASSADOR PAUL BREMER: Good morning, Bill.

HEMMER: We spoke last week.

To Mr. Senor, you heard what Paul Bremer said yesterday. You're well aware of his comments. What exactly will be handed over come July 1 this summer?

SENOR: Bill, what will be handed over is political sovereignty. The Iraqi people will have total control of their government, while we will continue to have a security presence here. The Iraqi people will manage their ministries. They will manage their constitutional process. They'll have elections. There will be a chief executive in the government that is running the affairs. The country will no longer be politically occupied.

HEMMER: Respond to this report today in "The New York Times" suggesting that this is a rush in the process, a band-aid on something that needs surgery. How do you react to that?

SENOR: I think that, for instance, in the last week, we have seen a document surface that we believe is authored by an al Qaeda affiliate, Mr. Zarqawi, who talks about the greatest threat to terrorism in Iraq will be the development of a self-governing society, the development of democratic institutions, Iraqis in charge of their own affairs.

As we move closer and closer to June 30, that's a greater and greater threat to the terrorists trying to cause -- wreak havoc in this country. It's important we move forward. This is not a band- aid. This isn't a temporary solution. It's about handing sovereignty over to the Iraqi people, so they can move their country forward.

HEMMER: So, you're saying the source in "The New York Times" is inaccurate then when he suggests this is a rush in Iraq?

SENOR: No, I don't think -- I mean, I'm not going to respond to a specific anonymous source. I'm just saying that this is a plan that we've agreed to with the Governing Council. We've agreed to hand over sovereignty. We've agreed to continue to move forward on the reconstruction during this interim period here before we hand over sovereignty and afterwards. We'll continue to do that. It's a plan that the administration supports. It's a plan that the over 17-member coalition supports. And it's a plan the Iraqi people support.

HEMMER: To General Kimmitt, this raid in Fallujah over the weekend, absolutely deadly with this essential jail break that took place. What can you tell our viewers about how you evaluate this state of Iraqi security when you see incidents like these knowing that the Iraqis were in charge of security at this prison?

KIMMITT: Well, I think there are two things we would say. First of all, this is an isolated incident. It was a large incident, and it was tragic. And we believe that there were some inside aspects to this that facilitated that.

But I will also say at the same time the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps unit inside the city was very quick to establish control without coalition assistance. In fact, requested that the coalition allow them to do the work. And throughout the entire country, we're seeing more and more of the Iraqi security services take responsibility and take that kind of initiative, recognizing that the coalition will stand by them and be there when needed.

HEMMER: You heard Mr. Senor mention the name Zarqawi again. Are you any closer to locating that man in Iraq today?

Oh, that's -- we're working that every day, and we are absolutely confident that we are getting closer and closer to him. And we're going to catch him.

HEMMER: Mr. Senor, in the time we have left here, there are suggestions now from many circles about the concerns for civil war in Iraq. How can you address that possibility today? SENOR: Well, the important point is the Iraqi people are addressing it, Bill. There have been multiple opportunities since we've arrived for this country to erupt in civil war, and it hasn't.

The one that comes to mind for me was in August when there was that dreadful bombing down in Najaf that killed almost 100 Shia Muslims there just praying at a mosque, and there were no reprisals. If you compare this to post-World War II Italy or post-World War II France, where in Italy you had some 20,000 individual acts of retribution, 20,000 deaths, in France you had almost 100,000 members against of the Vishi (ph) regime. There is nothing even comparable here.

The overwhelming majority of Iraqis want this process to work. There's an incredible sense of national resilience and national pride here that doesn't get reported enough. So, we have the greatest confidence in the Iraqi people. We've got to stick around and continue to usher through the process. But the people will prevent this country from turning to civil war.

HEMMER: Are you saying, Mr. Senor with your answer, that civil war is not a concern of yours?

SENOR: It's something we have to monitor, and it's not so much civil war, Bill, as it is just sort of ethnic tensions, if you will. But, again, the leaders from every single community, every single region, is involved in this political process.

Take ayatollah -- take Mr. Hakim, for instance, who is a Shia leader, who sits on the Iraqi Governing Council. He's been doing all sorts of outreach to Sunni Muslims in a way that's never been done in this country for 35 years.

So, there are serious leaders from all over the country who are working hard to keep the process forward and keep working together.

HEMMER: Dan Senor, Brigadier Mark Kimmitt, again, thanks, gentlemen, to both of you in Baghdad on this Monday morning.

KIMMITT: Thank you.

SENOR: Thank you, Bill.

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 February 16, 2004 - 07:15   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Despite escalating violence in Iraq, the U.S.-led coalition insists that the last day of June will be the last day foreign troops will be in charge in that country. The coalition's top civilian administrator says there will still be much to do after that, even after the transfer of power is complete this summer.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL BREMER, U.S. CIVILIAN ADMINISTRATOR: All of us who are here recognize that there isn't a magic wand we're going to wave over this country on June 30 and have it suddenly change. There will still be a security problem. There will still be huge needs for reconstructing an economy that was brutalized over 35 years and a political system that was fragmented and repressed by Saddam's tyranny.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: Now the question today: Can the coalition hand over power without Iraq falling into civil war?

From Baghdad today, Army Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt is our guest again; so is Dan Senor, senior adviser to Ambassador Bremer.

Gentlemen, welcome back to our program here on AMERICAN MORNING.

BRIG. GEN. MARK KIMMITT, U.S. ARMY: Good morning.

DAN SENOR, SENIOR ADVISOR TO AMBASSADOR PAUL BREMER: Good morning, Bill.

HEMMER: We spoke last week.

To Mr. Senor, you heard what Paul Bremer said yesterday. You're well aware of his comments. What exactly will be handed over come July 1 this summer?

SENOR: Bill, what will be handed over is political sovereignty. The Iraqi people will have total control of their government, while we will continue to have a security presence here. The Iraqi people will manage their ministries. They will manage their constitutional process. They'll have elections. There will be a chief executive in the government that is running the affairs. The country will no longer be politically occupied.

HEMMER: Respond to this report today in "The New York Times" suggesting that this is a rush in the process, a band-aid on something that needs surgery. How do you react to that?

SENOR: I think that, for instance, in the last week, we have seen a document surface that we believe is authored by an al Qaeda affiliate, Mr. Zarqawi, who talks about the greatest threat to terrorism in Iraq will be the development of a self-governing society, the development of democratic institutions, Iraqis in charge of their own affairs.

As we move closer and closer to June 30, that's a greater and greater threat to the terrorists trying to cause -- wreak havoc in this country. It's important we move forward. This is not a band- aid. This isn't a temporary solution. It's about handing sovereignty over to the Iraqi people, so they can move their country forward.

HEMMER: So, you're saying the source in "The New York Times" is inaccurate then when he suggests this is a rush in Iraq?

SENOR: No, I don't think -- I mean, I'm not going to respond to a specific anonymous source. I'm just saying that this is a plan that we've agreed to with the Governing Council. We've agreed to hand over sovereignty. We've agreed to continue to move forward on the reconstruction during this interim period here before we hand over sovereignty and afterwards. We'll continue to do that. It's a plan that the administration supports. It's a plan that the over 17-member coalition supports. And it's a plan the Iraqi people support.

HEMMER: To General Kimmitt, this raid in Fallujah over the weekend, absolutely deadly with this essential jail break that took place. What can you tell our viewers about how you evaluate this state of Iraqi security when you see incidents like these knowing that the Iraqis were in charge of security at this prison?

KIMMITT: Well, I think there are two things we would say. First of all, this is an isolated incident. It was a large incident, and it was tragic. And we believe that there were some inside aspects to this that facilitated that.

But I will also say at the same time the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps unit inside the city was very quick to establish control without coalition assistance. In fact, requested that the coalition allow them to do the work. And throughout the entire country, we're seeing more and more of the Iraqi security services take responsibility and take that kind of initiative, recognizing that the coalition will stand by them and be there when needed.

HEMMER: You heard Mr. Senor mention the name Zarqawi again. Are you any closer to locating that man in Iraq today?

Oh, that's -- we're working that every day, and we are absolutely confident that we are getting closer and closer to him. And we're going to catch him.

HEMMER: Mr. Senor, in the time we have left here, there are suggestions now from many circles about the concerns for civil war in Iraq. How can you address that possibility today? SENOR: Well, the important point is the Iraqi people are addressing it, Bill. There have been multiple opportunities since we've arrived for this country to erupt in civil war, and it hasn't.

The one that comes to mind for me was in August when there was that dreadful bombing down in Najaf that killed almost 100 Shia Muslims there just praying at a mosque, and there were no reprisals. If you compare this to post-World War II Italy or post-World War II France, where in Italy you had some 20,000 individual acts of retribution, 20,000 deaths, in France you had almost 100,000 members against of the Vishi (ph) regime. There is nothing even comparable here.

The overwhelming majority of Iraqis want this process to work. There's an incredible sense of national resilience and national pride here that doesn't get reported enough. So, we have the greatest confidence in the Iraqi people. We've got to stick around and continue to usher through the process. But the people will prevent this country from turning to civil war.

HEMMER: Are you saying, Mr. Senor with your answer, that civil war is not a concern of yours?

SENOR: It's something we have to monitor, and it's not so much civil war, Bill, as it is just sort of ethnic tensions, if you will. But, again, the leaders from every single community, every single region, is involved in this political process.

Take ayatollah -- take Mr. Hakim, for instance, who is a Shia leader, who sits on the Iraqi Governing Council. He's been doing all sorts of outreach to Sunni Muslims in a way that's never been done in this country for 35 years.

So, there are serious leaders from all over the country who are working hard to keep the process forward and keep working together.

HEMMER: Dan Senor, Brigadier Mark Kimmitt, again, thanks, gentlemen, to both of you in Baghdad on this Monday morning.

KIMMITT: Thank you.

SENOR: Thank you, Bill.

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