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CNN Live Event/Special
Greenstock Addresses Reporters at U.N.
Aired January 29, 2003 - 13:38 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.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Security Council members are poring over the reports they got Monday from their chief weapons inspector, seen over my shoulder.
CNN's Richard Roth at the United Nations, at his familiar perch. What came out today, Richard?
RICHARD ROTH, CNN SENIOR U.N. CORRESPONDENT: Well, first, Miles, I'm recovering from David Ensor's comment that the U.S. might have to show a little leg here. I don't know how that will play inside the Security Council.
The consultations have just ended for this morning. Hans Blix, Mohamed ElBaradei, lead weapons inspectors, taking questions from the 15 countries. They probably have a lot of questions left. They're going to resume at 3:30 Eastern time today.
At the United Nations Security Council, many countries are not on the council, and thus mill around. Iraq used this opportunity to come to the microphone to denounce, in very strong language, what President Bush said about his country and weapons it may possess.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MOHAMMED AL DOURI, IRAQI AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: Last night, we heard business as usual from President Bush. We had heard the same from other American officials in the past few days, but the bottom line -- the bottom line is one. You can accuse as much as you like, but you cannot provide one piece of evidence.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROTH: All right. A different view here. Also at the United Nations, as you see the U.S. ambassador go in, the British. Let's listen to Sir Jeremy Greenstock, who's speaking live right now.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
JEREMY GREENSTOCK, BRITISH AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N.: I think the debate will go on. I also think that Dr. Blix's statement on Monday has changed the character of the debate, because -- well, I'll come to that.
In the council, there are some members of the council who see the glass as being half empty; there are some members of the council who see the glass as being half full. I think that circle will be run a bit further in the council, but it misses the point. The point is that 1441, the resolution of last November, asked for the Iraqi cooperative attitude to be unequivocally a full glass. No messing around. No prevarication. A final opportunity. Do it properly now, after 12 years.
We're not going to be, and 1441 does ask it to be a matter of waiting for the drips to fill the glass, the drips that may not come.
The question is, Does Iraq realize that the game is up or doesn't it? I think Hans Blix answered that question on Monday.
We haven't had anything more than partial, passive cooperation.
A little bit of access, yes. But prevarication and harassment and intimidation increasingly evident.
And in that context, I think the debate has moved on.
Yes, there are members of the council who are asking for time, but it isn't a matter of time. It's a matter of whether Iraq realizes that the game is up or whether it is continuing to try to keep the inspectors at bay.
So, today won't be the last day. You know there's a date for the 5th of February. I think that will be interesting...
O'BRIEN: All right. We're going to shift gears...
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 January 29, 2003 - 13:38 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Security Council members are poring over the reports they got Monday from their chief weapons inspector, seen over my shoulder.
CNN's Richard Roth at the United Nations, at his familiar perch. What came out today, Richard?
RICHARD ROTH, CNN SENIOR U.N. CORRESPONDENT: Well, first, Miles, I'm recovering from David Ensor's comment that the U.S. might have to show a little leg here. I don't know how that will play inside the Security Council.
The consultations have just ended for this morning. Hans Blix, Mohamed ElBaradei, lead weapons inspectors, taking questions from the 15 countries. They probably have a lot of questions left. They're going to resume at 3:30 Eastern time today.
At the United Nations Security Council, many countries are not on the council, and thus mill around. Iraq used this opportunity to come to the microphone to denounce, in very strong language, what President Bush said about his country and weapons it may possess.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MOHAMMED AL DOURI, IRAQI AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: Last night, we heard business as usual from President Bush. We had heard the same from other American officials in the past few days, but the bottom line -- the bottom line is one. You can accuse as much as you like, but you cannot provide one piece of evidence.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROTH: All right. A different view here. Also at the United Nations, as you see the U.S. ambassador go in, the British. Let's listen to Sir Jeremy Greenstock, who's speaking live right now.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
JEREMY GREENSTOCK, BRITISH AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N.: I think the debate will go on. I also think that Dr. Blix's statement on Monday has changed the character of the debate, because -- well, I'll come to that.
In the council, there are some members of the council who see the glass as being half empty; there are some members of the council who see the glass as being half full. I think that circle will be run a bit further in the council, but it misses the point. The point is that 1441, the resolution of last November, asked for the Iraqi cooperative attitude to be unequivocally a full glass. No messing around. No prevarication. A final opportunity. Do it properly now, after 12 years.
We're not going to be, and 1441 does ask it to be a matter of waiting for the drips to fill the glass, the drips that may not come.
The question is, Does Iraq realize that the game is up or doesn't it? I think Hans Blix answered that question on Monday.
We haven't had anything more than partial, passive cooperation.
A little bit of access, yes. But prevarication and harassment and intimidation increasingly evident.
And in that context, I think the debate has moved on.
Yes, there are members of the council who are asking for time, but it isn't a matter of time. It's a matter of whether Iraq realizes that the game is up or whether it is continuing to try to keep the inspectors at bay.
So, today won't be the last day. You know there's a date for the 5th of February. I think that will be interesting...
O'BRIEN: All right. We're going to shift gears...
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
