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CNN Live Event/Special
Look at UN, War With Iraq From Permanent Member Countries
Aired October 02, 2002 - 12:22 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.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Only the five permanent members of the UN Security Council have veto power. The British Prime Minister Tony Blair has already called for action against Iraq, but will Russia, China and France support a resolution calling for such military action?
Joining us now are Moscow bureau chief Jill Dougherty, our Beijing bureau chief, Jamie FlorCruz, and in Paris, CNN's Jim Bittermann.
Let's begin in Russia, with Jill Dougherty.
What's the latest nuance on the Russian stance as far as a new UN Security Council resolution is concerned -- Jill.
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN MOSCOW BUREAU CHIEF: A little shift today, Wolf. You know, up to now, Russia has been saying it didn't believe that any new resolution was necessary, that the existing one should be carried out by Iraq and that those international inspectors should go back as quickly as possible. Today, we heard something a bit different from the foreign minister, Igor Ivanov, opening the door ever so slightly to the possibility that Russia might actually support a new resolution.
Now, he did not say the resolution, the draft resolution that the United States and the U.K. have been writing. And a Russian official tells CNN that if the inspectors were to go back and if Iraq tried to interfere with their work, then that would be a different situation. So you have to say at this point their position still is that they're not closing the door completely now to the possibility of a new resolution, but they do make it very clear that if there is one, they do not want it to give carte blanche to the United States -- or for any other country, for that matter -- to take military action. They believe that that should be the decision by the UN Security Council -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Jill Dougherty, in Moscow, with the latest from the Russian capital.
Let's go to China now and Beijing. Our bureau chief there, Jamie FlorCruz, is standing by.
Jamie, normally, the Chinese abstain when it comes to these kinds of sensitive Security Council resolutions. Is that the expectation this time around as well?
JAMIE FLORCRUZ, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: It looks so right now, Wolf, because the message from Beijing is not so fast, let's get the UN inspectors back to Iraq and let's give a peaceful and diplomatic solution a chance. Today the foreign ministry issued a statement reacting to the news of the breakthrough in Vienna and that they welcomed this breakthrough. They hope that the UN inspectors will be allowed back to Iraq soon and that they will have a successful mission and that political solution can be reached within the framework of the United Nations.
Wolf, for the Chinese, it's very important that, one, this issue is resolved within the UN framework, and, two, that political solution is first exhausted before any military action is taken -- Wolf.
Jaime FlorCruz, in Beijing, thanks very much.
Let's go to Paris now. Our Jim Bittermann is standing by there.
The French, Jim, have wanted two resolutions coming out of the UN Security Council, one that would basically put the Iraqis on warning. The other would actually down the road, if they don't comply with inspections, take immediate, some sort of military action. The Bush administration says it wants one resolution. Is there some room for a deal between Paris and Washington?
JIM BITTERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I think absolutely. The resolution the French want first is something that would toughen up the inspection routine. They haven't said exactly how, but there certainly is some room for acceptance of what Washington might see as a tougher inspection routine. However, the French say that they don't want to give a blank check to the United States in terms of military action, and they want to see a second resolution before any military action is taken. They want to have another meeting of the UN Security Council, to evaluate how the inspections have taken place and whether military action is indeed warranted. So basically, the French position is not just one resolution, but two resolutions -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Jim Bittermann, in Paris, with details from there. Thanks very much.
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 October 2, 2002 - 12:22 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Only the five permanent members of the UN Security Council have veto power. The British Prime Minister Tony Blair has already called for action against Iraq, but will Russia, China and France support a resolution calling for such military action?
Joining us now are Moscow bureau chief Jill Dougherty, our Beijing bureau chief, Jamie FlorCruz, and in Paris, CNN's Jim Bittermann.
Let's begin in Russia, with Jill Dougherty.
What's the latest nuance on the Russian stance as far as a new UN Security Council resolution is concerned -- Jill.
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN MOSCOW BUREAU CHIEF: A little shift today, Wolf. You know, up to now, Russia has been saying it didn't believe that any new resolution was necessary, that the existing one should be carried out by Iraq and that those international inspectors should go back as quickly as possible. Today, we heard something a bit different from the foreign minister, Igor Ivanov, opening the door ever so slightly to the possibility that Russia might actually support a new resolution.
Now, he did not say the resolution, the draft resolution that the United States and the U.K. have been writing. And a Russian official tells CNN that if the inspectors were to go back and if Iraq tried to interfere with their work, then that would be a different situation. So you have to say at this point their position still is that they're not closing the door completely now to the possibility of a new resolution, but they do make it very clear that if there is one, they do not want it to give carte blanche to the United States -- or for any other country, for that matter -- to take military action. They believe that that should be the decision by the UN Security Council -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Jill Dougherty, in Moscow, with the latest from the Russian capital.
Let's go to China now and Beijing. Our bureau chief there, Jamie FlorCruz, is standing by.
Jamie, normally, the Chinese abstain when it comes to these kinds of sensitive Security Council resolutions. Is that the expectation this time around as well?
JAMIE FLORCRUZ, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: It looks so right now, Wolf, because the message from Beijing is not so fast, let's get the UN inspectors back to Iraq and let's give a peaceful and diplomatic solution a chance. Today the foreign ministry issued a statement reacting to the news of the breakthrough in Vienna and that they welcomed this breakthrough. They hope that the UN inspectors will be allowed back to Iraq soon and that they will have a successful mission and that political solution can be reached within the framework of the United Nations.
Wolf, for the Chinese, it's very important that, one, this issue is resolved within the UN framework, and, two, that political solution is first exhausted before any military action is taken -- Wolf.
Jaime FlorCruz, in Beijing, thanks very much.
Let's go to Paris now. Our Jim Bittermann is standing by there.
The French, Jim, have wanted two resolutions coming out of the UN Security Council, one that would basically put the Iraqis on warning. The other would actually down the road, if they don't comply with inspections, take immediate, some sort of military action. The Bush administration says it wants one resolution. Is there some room for a deal between Paris and Washington?
JIM BITTERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I think absolutely. The resolution the French want first is something that would toughen up the inspection routine. They haven't said exactly how, but there certainly is some room for acceptance of what Washington might see as a tougher inspection routine. However, the French say that they don't want to give a blank check to the United States in terms of military action, and they want to see a second resolution before any military action is taken. They want to have another meeting of the UN Security Council, to evaluate how the inspections have taken place and whether military action is indeed warranted. So basically, the French position is not just one resolution, but two resolutions -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Jim Bittermann, in Paris, with details from there. Thanks very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
