Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Sunday Morning

U.S.-Led War on Iraq Becomes Major Issue in German Elections

Aired September 22, 2002 - 11:11   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.


KRIS OSBORN, CNN ANCHOR: Now we want to go to Germany. The question of Iraq may be a major factor in today's parliamentary elections in Germany. The prospect of a U.S.-led war has played a huge role thus far in the campaigns. CNN's Robin Oakley joins us now live to set the scene from Berlin on this voting day. Hello, Robin.
ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Kris.

Polls close here in less than an hour, and there is an air of very tense expectancy in what has been a knife-edge election, and as you say, an election in which the question of a potential U.S.-led attack on Iraq has figured very highly. Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, the Social Democrat leader, defending his position, was way behind in the polls. First, he handled the floods which hit Germany last month very effectively, and then he turned to the issue of Iraq, and Chancellor Schroeder, who voted today in Lower Saxony, and his opponent, Edmund Stoiber, the conservative union leader, voted in his home area of Bavaria.

They have both been at odds on this question of Iraq. Schroeder has insisted that under his leadership, if he remains chancellor, Germany will play no part in any U.S.-led attack. Stoiber has been more equivocal. He suggested that there might be some kind of support for a U.N.-led operation, but seeing how popular Gerhard Schroeder was getting, clawing his way back in the polls by attacking the idea of any action against Iraq, he too has said he would ban the use of German bases to any U.S.-led attack.

And finally, the last stages of the election campaign saw a huge controversy over remarks by the justice minister here, comparing George Bush, allegedly, to Adolf Hitler, remarks which she has denied, but those forced Chancellor Schroeder to write to the U.S. administration, apologizing to George Bush for any upset that may have been caused, and the expectation now is that that justice minister will not be part of any government formed by Gerhard Schroeder if he does happen to win this election -- Kris,

OSBORN: Robin Oakley, live in Berlin. We anticipate hearing the initial returns and results as this moves forward. Thanks very much for that debrief.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com




Elections>


Aired September 22, 2002 - 11:11   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KRIS OSBORN, CNN ANCHOR: Now we want to go to Germany. The question of Iraq may be a major factor in today's parliamentary elections in Germany. The prospect of a U.S.-led war has played a huge role thus far in the campaigns. CNN's Robin Oakley joins us now live to set the scene from Berlin on this voting day. Hello, Robin.
ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Kris.

Polls close here in less than an hour, and there is an air of very tense expectancy in what has been a knife-edge election, and as you say, an election in which the question of a potential U.S.-led attack on Iraq has figured very highly. Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, the Social Democrat leader, defending his position, was way behind in the polls. First, he handled the floods which hit Germany last month very effectively, and then he turned to the issue of Iraq, and Chancellor Schroeder, who voted today in Lower Saxony, and his opponent, Edmund Stoiber, the conservative union leader, voted in his home area of Bavaria.

They have both been at odds on this question of Iraq. Schroeder has insisted that under his leadership, if he remains chancellor, Germany will play no part in any U.S.-led attack. Stoiber has been more equivocal. He suggested that there might be some kind of support for a U.N.-led operation, but seeing how popular Gerhard Schroeder was getting, clawing his way back in the polls by attacking the idea of any action against Iraq, he too has said he would ban the use of German bases to any U.S.-led attack.

And finally, the last stages of the election campaign saw a huge controversy over remarks by the justice minister here, comparing George Bush, allegedly, to Adolf Hitler, remarks which she has denied, but those forced Chancellor Schroeder to write to the U.S. administration, apologizing to George Bush for any upset that may have been caused, and the expectation now is that that justice minister will not be part of any government formed by Gerhard Schroeder if he does happen to win this election -- Kris,

OSBORN: Robin Oakley, live in Berlin. We anticipate hearing the initial returns and results as this moves forward. Thanks very much for that debrief.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com




Elections>