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CNN Sunday Morning
Interview With Bouthania Shaacme
Aired December 15, 2002 - 07:42 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.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The threat of war with Iraq is likely to top the agenda of a high level meeting, which is scheduled for Monday in London. British Prime Minister Tony Blair will meet with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
And joining us now from London is Bouthania Shaacme. She is the director of the foreign media in the Syrian Foreign Ministry.
Welcome.
BOUTHANIA SHAACME, SYRIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY: Thank you.
COSTELLO: What will President Assad talk with Tony Blair about Monday?
SHAACME: I think they will be talking about Iraq. As I've said, they will be talking about them at least. And they will be discussing the role of the United Nations and Security Council regarding a peaceful resolution for the Iraqi crisis.
As you know, Syria now is the only Arab country who is a non permanent member in the Security Council. And it has voted for resolution 1441, along with other nations in the world, hoping to enable Iraq to avoid a military strike in the region.
COSTELLO: I understand. And a lot of people were surprised that Syria voted to support the U.N. resolution, but I want to talk about the weapons inspections that are going on right now in Iraq. There is a lot of cynicism in this country that the weapons inspectors won't find what they're looking for. And they firmly believe that Saddam Hussein has weapons of mass destruction. What does Syria believe? Are the weapons inspections going well?
SHAACME: Well -- yes, well, I think, you know, in a matter so serious and so dangerous for the future of the Iraqi people and of the region, we have to step out of what we believe and let mechanism work through. What Syria tried right from the beginning to do is to play an extremely positive role in this, which is to convince the Iraqi leadership to allow an unconditional return of the inspectors, and along with security -- with the Secretary General of the United Nations, Syria was able to do that.
We believe that things are being rushed at the moment, particularly as inspectors are asking for more time for a more peaceful and a quieter way of inspections. And I think Syria would go for that in the hope that inspectors will do their job well, will submit their report to Security Council.
COSTELLO: Allow me to...
SHAACME: And then the -- yes?
COSTELLO: ...interrupt for just a second. You say that the inspectors are being rushed...
SHAACME: Yes, please?
COSTELLO: ...by whom?
SHAACME: Well, by the United States. That's what they've been saying, because the United States wants a hasty, you know, thing to be done. And that's what I heard from the reports from the leader of the inspector and from the Secretary General of the United Nations that they need at least a year...
COSTELLO: Right.
SHAACME: ...to do the inspection of all this.
COSTELLO: What...
SHAACME: And we think it's worth it, you know, to enable the region, to avoid a dangerous war.
COSTELLO: I understand. Let me interrupt you for...
SHAACME: To take your time and...
COSTELLO: Let me interrupt you for just a second more, because...
SHAACME: Yes, please.
COSTELLO: ...we don't have much time.
SHAACME: Okay.
COSTELLO: What would Syria consider a breach of the U.N. resolution?
SHAACME: Well, the breach of the U.N. resolution, if the United States were to take a unilateral military action against Iraq, because the resolution 1449 was agreed that the inspectors would submit their report to Security Council resolutions. And as you know, what happened last week was that their report was submitted first to the United States, and then to the permanent members, which is unprecedented. It should have been submitted to all Security Council members and let them, you know, do their judgment...
COSTELLO: Yes.
SHAACME: ...of the situation.
COSTELLO: I wish we had a lot more time to talk, but our satellite window is closing. Thank you very much, Bouthania Shaacme.
SHAACME: I know, thank you very much.
COSTELLO: All right.
SHAACME: Thank you, 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 December 15, 2002 - 07:42 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The threat of war with Iraq is likely to top the agenda of a high level meeting, which is scheduled for Monday in London. British Prime Minister Tony Blair will meet with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
And joining us now from London is Bouthania Shaacme. She is the director of the foreign media in the Syrian Foreign Ministry.
Welcome.
BOUTHANIA SHAACME, SYRIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY: Thank you.
COSTELLO: What will President Assad talk with Tony Blair about Monday?
SHAACME: I think they will be talking about Iraq. As I've said, they will be talking about them at least. And they will be discussing the role of the United Nations and Security Council regarding a peaceful resolution for the Iraqi crisis.
As you know, Syria now is the only Arab country who is a non permanent member in the Security Council. And it has voted for resolution 1441, along with other nations in the world, hoping to enable Iraq to avoid a military strike in the region.
COSTELLO: I understand. And a lot of people were surprised that Syria voted to support the U.N. resolution, but I want to talk about the weapons inspections that are going on right now in Iraq. There is a lot of cynicism in this country that the weapons inspectors won't find what they're looking for. And they firmly believe that Saddam Hussein has weapons of mass destruction. What does Syria believe? Are the weapons inspections going well?
SHAACME: Well -- yes, well, I think, you know, in a matter so serious and so dangerous for the future of the Iraqi people and of the region, we have to step out of what we believe and let mechanism work through. What Syria tried right from the beginning to do is to play an extremely positive role in this, which is to convince the Iraqi leadership to allow an unconditional return of the inspectors, and along with security -- with the Secretary General of the United Nations, Syria was able to do that.
We believe that things are being rushed at the moment, particularly as inspectors are asking for more time for a more peaceful and a quieter way of inspections. And I think Syria would go for that in the hope that inspectors will do their job well, will submit their report to Security Council.
COSTELLO: Allow me to...
SHAACME: And then the -- yes?
COSTELLO: ...interrupt for just a second. You say that the inspectors are being rushed...
SHAACME: Yes, please?
COSTELLO: ...by whom?
SHAACME: Well, by the United States. That's what they've been saying, because the United States wants a hasty, you know, thing to be done. And that's what I heard from the reports from the leader of the inspector and from the Secretary General of the United Nations that they need at least a year...
COSTELLO: Right.
SHAACME: ...to do the inspection of all this.
COSTELLO: What...
SHAACME: And we think it's worth it, you know, to enable the region, to avoid a dangerous war.
COSTELLO: I understand. Let me interrupt you for...
SHAACME: To take your time and...
COSTELLO: Let me interrupt you for just a second more, because...
SHAACME: Yes, please.
COSTELLO: ...we don't have much time.
SHAACME: Okay.
COSTELLO: What would Syria consider a breach of the U.N. resolution?
SHAACME: Well, the breach of the U.N. resolution, if the United States were to take a unilateral military action against Iraq, because the resolution 1449 was agreed that the inspectors would submit their report to Security Council resolutions. And as you know, what happened last week was that their report was submitted first to the United States, and then to the permanent members, which is unprecedented. It should have been submitted to all Security Council members and let them, you know, do their judgment...
COSTELLO: Yes.
SHAACME: ...of the situation.
COSTELLO: I wish we had a lot more time to talk, but our satellite window is closing. Thank you very much, Bouthania Shaacme.
SHAACME: I know, thank you very much.
COSTELLO: All right.
SHAACME: Thank you, 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
