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American Morning
How Will Power be Shifted in Iraq?
Aired February 20, 2004 - 07:35 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: Now to the issue of Iraq. The U.S. plan for turning power over to the Iraqis getting an endorsement now from the U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan backing the White House plan for a July 1 hand over, saying Iraq is not ready for direct elections.
But how will power be shifted and to whom?
From Washington, Ken Adelman, a member of the Defense Policy Board and a former U.S. arms control director, back with us here on AMERICAN MORNING.
Nice to see you again.
Good morning to you.
KEN ADELMAN, DEFENSE POLICY BOARD MEMBER: Thank you, Bill.
HEMMER: A lot of reaction this morning. A couple of articles, first, the "Washington Post" now suggesting this plan for caucuses will be scrapped. They'll work out another plan. Such as what, Ken?
ADELMAN: Such as expanding the provisional authority there, including more segments that are hopefully locally elected. But the main thing is that the U.N. is going to be involved, that it's going to have good legitimacy because of the U.S. hand over and that the June 30th date will stick.
HEMMER: Well, that was the "Washington Post" article.
The "New York Times" says there's the suggestion the Iraqi Governing Council, which today, based on all the reporting we have gotten, is not seen as legitimate in the eyes of most Iraqis. So you take this 25 member panel and you increase it fivefold to 125.
Does that sound viable?
ADELMAN: Well, it's going to be sloppy. It's going to be big. And I don't know where they get the idea of legitimacy. Part of the problem with legitimacy right now, Bill, is because there is an American overseer to the whole situation. When the Iraqis have it and they are responsible for it, I think that'll change. It's their country. They have to have the leadership and you have to have that date pretty firm or else it's going to slip and slip and slip.
Listen, what we know now is the Iraqis don't want Americans there and they don't want Americans to leave. And, you know, it's just got to change.
HEMMER: But you believe that date should be firm, June 30th, July 1st, hand it over?
ADELMAN: Yes.
HEMMER: And to whom?
ADELMAN: To the authority that is in Iraq, the -- probably the enlarged provisional authority.
HEMMER: Based on your first answer, is it your feeling that the U.S. and the U.N. are working closer together and moving now on parallel tracks, whereas in the past that has not been the case?
ADELMAN: Yes. And I think that's good. I was, one year ago, I think on this show, I said the problem was not involving the United Nations. We went through all that Security Council business with 1441 and it was very damaging and it was, in my mind, a big waste of time.
But the problem was not involving the United Nations. The problem was involving the United Nations too early. And I think the United Nations is not very good at deciding when to go in for liberation and to do away with tyranny, because a lot of the countries in the U.N. are tyrants and dictators. But the U.N. really has an expertise in helping the country after liberation.
So I would say the United States is very good at liberation. The United Nations is very good at -- I don't want to use the phrase nation building, but if I have to, I would.
HEMMER: Yes, Ken, you don't believe the U.S. can do this without the U.N., do you?
ADELMAN: Oh, it could, but it's better to have the U.N. and what we want is no different from the goals of the U.N., which is a legitimate government in Iraq, one central government that includes all three ethnic groups and a government that does not terrorize its neighbor, does not slaughter its own people, does not build weapons of mass destruction. And beyond that, personally I don't care who leads Iraq, as long as they do a good job.
HEMMER: Ken Adelman, thanks.
ADELMAN: You're welcome.
HEMMER: An election year issue, for certain.
Thanks.
Nice to talk to you again.
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 20, 2004 - 07:35 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Now to the issue of Iraq. The U.S. plan for turning power over to the Iraqis getting an endorsement now from the U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan backing the White House plan for a July 1 hand over, saying Iraq is not ready for direct elections.
But how will power be shifted and to whom?
From Washington, Ken Adelman, a member of the Defense Policy Board and a former U.S. arms control director, back with us here on AMERICAN MORNING.
Nice to see you again.
Good morning to you.
KEN ADELMAN, DEFENSE POLICY BOARD MEMBER: Thank you, Bill.
HEMMER: A lot of reaction this morning. A couple of articles, first, the "Washington Post" now suggesting this plan for caucuses will be scrapped. They'll work out another plan. Such as what, Ken?
ADELMAN: Such as expanding the provisional authority there, including more segments that are hopefully locally elected. But the main thing is that the U.N. is going to be involved, that it's going to have good legitimacy because of the U.S. hand over and that the June 30th date will stick.
HEMMER: Well, that was the "Washington Post" article.
The "New York Times" says there's the suggestion the Iraqi Governing Council, which today, based on all the reporting we have gotten, is not seen as legitimate in the eyes of most Iraqis. So you take this 25 member panel and you increase it fivefold to 125.
Does that sound viable?
ADELMAN: Well, it's going to be sloppy. It's going to be big. And I don't know where they get the idea of legitimacy. Part of the problem with legitimacy right now, Bill, is because there is an American overseer to the whole situation. When the Iraqis have it and they are responsible for it, I think that'll change. It's their country. They have to have the leadership and you have to have that date pretty firm or else it's going to slip and slip and slip.
Listen, what we know now is the Iraqis don't want Americans there and they don't want Americans to leave. And, you know, it's just got to change.
HEMMER: But you believe that date should be firm, June 30th, July 1st, hand it over?
ADELMAN: Yes.
HEMMER: And to whom?
ADELMAN: To the authority that is in Iraq, the -- probably the enlarged provisional authority.
HEMMER: Based on your first answer, is it your feeling that the U.S. and the U.N. are working closer together and moving now on parallel tracks, whereas in the past that has not been the case?
ADELMAN: Yes. And I think that's good. I was, one year ago, I think on this show, I said the problem was not involving the United Nations. We went through all that Security Council business with 1441 and it was very damaging and it was, in my mind, a big waste of time.
But the problem was not involving the United Nations. The problem was involving the United Nations too early. And I think the United Nations is not very good at deciding when to go in for liberation and to do away with tyranny, because a lot of the countries in the U.N. are tyrants and dictators. But the U.N. really has an expertise in helping the country after liberation.
So I would say the United States is very good at liberation. The United Nations is very good at -- I don't want to use the phrase nation building, but if I have to, I would.
HEMMER: Yes, Ken, you don't believe the U.S. can do this without the U.N., do you?
ADELMAN: Oh, it could, but it's better to have the U.N. and what we want is no different from the goals of the U.N., which is a legitimate government in Iraq, one central government that includes all three ethnic groups and a government that does not terrorize its neighbor, does not slaughter its own people, does not build weapons of mass destruction. And beyond that, personally I don't care who leads Iraq, as long as they do a good job.
HEMMER: Ken Adelman, thanks.
ADELMAN: You're welcome.
HEMMER: An election year issue, for certain.
Thanks.
Nice to talk to you again.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
