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CNN Live Event/Special

Sir Jeremy Greenstock Addresses Reporters

Aired March 10, 2003 - 19:11   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.


(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
JEREMY GREENSTOCK, BRITISH AMB. TO THE U.N. ...about is what going on and I think he's given you a very good and frank account of that exchange and what he feels in answers to your questions.

I've come here only to make one point again, clear because not all of you were here when I came in and spoke to the microphone. That what my minister, Jack Straw, said in the House of Commons this afternoon was that we are examining whether a list of tests of Iraqi compliance would be useful thing for the Council. We are examining whether, doesn't mean to say we reached any conclusions to that, but there's clearly an interest in that area. And we're looking at it and we'll come back to the Council if we come to any conclusions on that.

So don't jump ahead of that, it is still in examination within the -- within London of whether that will be a useful way forward.

QUESTION: Is there a common date being expressed by the six so- called decided countries of a date they would agree on rather than a more than 17th of March?

GREENSTOCK: Is there a....

QUESTION: Is there a common view to a date as to which the six undecided countries would like to see the deadline extended to? If they're not happy with the 17th of March, is there a common view being expressed by all six as to what they would settle for?

GREENSTOCK: I can't speak for them, I'm afraid, but it is not a common view in the Security Council, that's all I can say.

QUESTION: When is the vote?

GREENSTOCK: Not tomorrow.

QUESTION: Are you considering any other changes to your proposed resolution other than what you just mentioned?

GREENSTOCK: I haven't got anything in my hand to bring to the Council at the moment on that.

QUESTION: Ambassador, would you consider pushing back the date of the 17th of March, pushing it back, you know...

GREENSTOCK: No, we're not in that business at the moment. QUESTION: Are you making any progress, Ambassador, in deciding what kinds of benchmarks would be useful? You're talking in that territory -- you're saying it is being discussed in London. Would you say that any progress is being made on laying down a set of benchmarks which might gain enough receive acceptance for an amendment to the second resolution?

GREENSTOCK: We're making progress in our own examination, internally in London, of whether this is an idea worth pursuing, whether it would be useful to the Council. We will then have to clearly talk it our co-sponsors to see how they would like to take forward the draft and then we'll bring something to the Council if we're all agreed on that.

QUESTION: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) ...taking it forward in that way?

GREENSTOCK: Yes, obviously, we're working with our co-sponsors. But since Jack Straw indicated that we are examining whether, then I want to confirm to you that that is the stage we've reached and nothing beyond it at the moment.

QUESTION: You said you're not examining a different deadline?

GREENSTOCK: We are examining that ourselves and then we'll go to our co-sponsors and if we're all agreed, we will come to the Council as a whole. No change of deadlines.

QUESTION: That is not part of what you're re-examining, only whether to have benchmarks or not?

GREENSTOCK: No, I mean, it all goes together.

QUESTION: Do you think that delaying the vote by one day, two days is going to win you more votes among the countries that are still waivering?

GREENSTOCK: I don't think that's the question. I think there are people who want greater clarity on what we're actually proposing in this resolution and that's what we're examining at the moment.

Thank you 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 March 10, 2003 - 19:11   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
JEREMY GREENSTOCK, BRITISH AMB. TO THE U.N. ...about is what going on and I think he's given you a very good and frank account of that exchange and what he feels in answers to your questions.

I've come here only to make one point again, clear because not all of you were here when I came in and spoke to the microphone. That what my minister, Jack Straw, said in the House of Commons this afternoon was that we are examining whether a list of tests of Iraqi compliance would be useful thing for the Council. We are examining whether, doesn't mean to say we reached any conclusions to that, but there's clearly an interest in that area. And we're looking at it and we'll come back to the Council if we come to any conclusions on that.

So don't jump ahead of that, it is still in examination within the -- within London of whether that will be a useful way forward.

QUESTION: Is there a common date being expressed by the six so- called decided countries of a date they would agree on rather than a more than 17th of March?

GREENSTOCK: Is there a....

QUESTION: Is there a common view to a date as to which the six undecided countries would like to see the deadline extended to? If they're not happy with the 17th of March, is there a common view being expressed by all six as to what they would settle for?

GREENSTOCK: I can't speak for them, I'm afraid, but it is not a common view in the Security Council, that's all I can say.

QUESTION: When is the vote?

GREENSTOCK: Not tomorrow.

QUESTION: Are you considering any other changes to your proposed resolution other than what you just mentioned?

GREENSTOCK: I haven't got anything in my hand to bring to the Council at the moment on that.

QUESTION: Ambassador, would you consider pushing back the date of the 17th of March, pushing it back, you know...

GREENSTOCK: No, we're not in that business at the moment. QUESTION: Are you making any progress, Ambassador, in deciding what kinds of benchmarks would be useful? You're talking in that territory -- you're saying it is being discussed in London. Would you say that any progress is being made on laying down a set of benchmarks which might gain enough receive acceptance for an amendment to the second resolution?

GREENSTOCK: We're making progress in our own examination, internally in London, of whether this is an idea worth pursuing, whether it would be useful to the Council. We will then have to clearly talk it our co-sponsors to see how they would like to take forward the draft and then we'll bring something to the Council if we're all agreed on that.

QUESTION: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) ...taking it forward in that way?

GREENSTOCK: Yes, obviously, we're working with our co-sponsors. But since Jack Straw indicated that we are examining whether, then I want to confirm to you that that is the stage we've reached and nothing beyond it at the moment.

QUESTION: You said you're not examining a different deadline?

GREENSTOCK: We are examining that ourselves and then we'll go to our co-sponsors and if we're all agreed, we will come to the Council as a whole. No change of deadlines.

QUESTION: That is not part of what you're re-examining, only whether to have benchmarks or not?

GREENSTOCK: No, I mean, it all goes together.

QUESTION: Do you think that delaying the vote by one day, two days is going to win you more votes among the countries that are still waivering?

GREENSTOCK: I don't think that's the question. I think there are people who want greater clarity on what we're actually proposing in this resolution and that's what we're examining at the moment.

Thank you 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