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CNN Live Event/Special
Showdown Iraq: UN Deliberates on Iraq Resolution
Aired October 29, 2002 - 12:09 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: For seven weeks, the United States has been trying to convince the UN Security Council to adopt a new and tough resolution on Iraq. And a vote that was supposed to take place, as we have been saying, this week, of course, could be delayed, perhaps even until after next week's congressional elections.
Richard Roth is over at UN headquarters in New York.
What's happening, the back and forth where you are -- Richard.
RICHARD ROTH, CNN SENIOR UN CORRESPONDENT: All right, first, Wolf, let's remember, it's not been seven weeks, though, that it's been in front of the full Security Council. That's what diplomats, especially from Europe and the Middle East will tell you, though the permanent five powers have been discussing it for some time.
What you're seeing is France and the U.S., either in person or over the phone -- Paris, Moscow, Washington, phone calls going on -- edging toward a compromise on the UN jargon and language that the French government has problems with, trigger language that might open the door to military force.
As for President Bush's criticisms of the United Nations in the campaign trail yesterday, he said Saddam Hussein has made the UN look foolish. He said the United Nations is threatening to become the League of Nations.
Well, I asked Secretary-General Kofi Annan about President Bush's remarks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KOFI ANNAN, SECRETARY-GENERAL, UNITED NATIONS: I think the Security Council is going about this deliberately and very carefully. It is a serious matter, and I think we shouldn't forget that the Council as a whole got the resolution only last Monday. So, it's just about a week. And I think for them to take the time and discuss this issue seriously is something that we should be grateful for.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROTH: One diplomat, Wolf, telling us that he could see some slippage, that the vote wouldn't happen this week if Washington and Paris were indeed making some progress, which may be happening regarding the finessing of the language, moving the threatening language, the material breach reference of different places in the resolution. The word games that becomes international law here, that's what they're hung up on still -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, Richard Roth at the United Nations. I wonder what, if any, impact next Tuesday's election here in the United States might have. I'm sure the Bush administration would like to see this matter resolved before then. We'll be checking that as well -- Richard Roth at the UN.
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 29, 2002 - 12:09 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: For seven weeks, the United States has been trying to convince the UN Security Council to adopt a new and tough resolution on Iraq. And a vote that was supposed to take place, as we have been saying, this week, of course, could be delayed, perhaps even until after next week's congressional elections.
Richard Roth is over at UN headquarters in New York.
What's happening, the back and forth where you are -- Richard.
RICHARD ROTH, CNN SENIOR UN CORRESPONDENT: All right, first, Wolf, let's remember, it's not been seven weeks, though, that it's been in front of the full Security Council. That's what diplomats, especially from Europe and the Middle East will tell you, though the permanent five powers have been discussing it for some time.
What you're seeing is France and the U.S., either in person or over the phone -- Paris, Moscow, Washington, phone calls going on -- edging toward a compromise on the UN jargon and language that the French government has problems with, trigger language that might open the door to military force.
As for President Bush's criticisms of the United Nations in the campaign trail yesterday, he said Saddam Hussein has made the UN look foolish. He said the United Nations is threatening to become the League of Nations.
Well, I asked Secretary-General Kofi Annan about President Bush's remarks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KOFI ANNAN, SECRETARY-GENERAL, UNITED NATIONS: I think the Security Council is going about this deliberately and very carefully. It is a serious matter, and I think we shouldn't forget that the Council as a whole got the resolution only last Monday. So, it's just about a week. And I think for them to take the time and discuss this issue seriously is something that we should be grateful for.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROTH: One diplomat, Wolf, telling us that he could see some slippage, that the vote wouldn't happen this week if Washington and Paris were indeed making some progress, which may be happening regarding the finessing of the language, moving the threatening language, the material breach reference of different places in the resolution. The word games that becomes international law here, that's what they're hung up on still -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, Richard Roth at the United Nations. I wonder what, if any, impact next Tuesday's election here in the United States might have. I'm sure the Bush administration would like to see this matter resolved before then. We'll be checking that as well -- Richard Roth at the UN.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
