Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Saturday Morning News
Difficult Diplomacy for Iraqi UN Ambassador
Aired April 12, 2003 - 05:37 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: Before leaving his post in New York, Iraqi U.N. Ambassador Mohammed Aldouri said, with Saddam Hussein no longer in government, Iraqis are looking forward to free elections.
CNN's senior U.N. correspondent Richard Roth reports on the end of a difficult diplomatic assignment.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RICHARD ROTH, CNN SENIOR U.N. CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The last time Iraqi's U.N. ambassador addressed the Security Council, the U.S. ambassador walked out in protest.
MOHAMMED ALDOURI, IRAQI AMBASSADOR TO U.N. (through translator): What happened is that the Iraqi army up until now has not confronted the United States forces.
ROTH: But now, it's the Iraqi ambassador's time to leave, the United States.
ALDOURI: The game is over. I hope that peace will prevail, and that the Iraqi people at the end of the day will have a peaceful life.
ROTH: Mohammed Aldouri spent more years as a university professor than as a diplomat. In New York, he briefed people interested in his country, recently a group of Lehigh University students. But he never got comfortable in the media glare before and especially during the war.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You said you weren't...
ALDOURI: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) has happened with you? Please, why did you come here?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because we thought...
ALDOURI: Tomorrow, I will see you in the U.N.
ROTH: And at the U.N., all ambassadors carry out their instructions whether they agree with them or not.
JUAN GABRIEL VALDES, CHILEAN AMBASSADOR TO U.S.: Well, I think that he had a very, very difficult task. He defended the positions of his country with courage, I would say.
JEREMY GREENSTOCK, BRITISH AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: He's a decent man, and I hope he finds a decent life representing a decent government.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Aldouri is a dear friend of mine.
ROTH: Aldouri also drew support from opponents of the war a gift of paper cranes. But on the eve of Aldouri's departure, women representing the Daughters of the American Revolution passed by, wanting to let fly with something else.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If I had eggs, I would like to throw eggs at him.
ROTH: U.N. diplomats don't toss eggs, just nods. Several months ago, the U.S. ambassador, John Negroponte, and the Iraqi ambassador almost locked eyes. And forget about Kuwait.
MOHAMMED ABULHASAN, KUWAITI AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: Nothing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not one word?
ABULHASAN: Not one word, except a normal greeting of, "Hello, how are you?"
ROTH: That was as close as residents of New York's Upper East Side district got to know Aldouri, who kept a low profile, like many in the big city. It's a neighborhood you wouldn't expect the diplomatic post of an enemy government to turn up.
ALDOURI: I am very thankful for the people of New York, for their generosity. This is a very decent people. I was really -- without talking about the problem in Iraq, I was really happy to be here in New York, within the people of New York.
ROTH: Aldouri was worried most about the people of Iraq.
ALDOURI: When I see, what I've seen, what you see, my heart squeezes blood.
ROTH: Aldouri was in better spirits as he departed for the airport with a final message.
ALDOURI: I hope that the United States Army will leave Iraq soon, and we will have free election for a free government for a free future for Iraq and the people for Iraq. This is my message to you, to the people of the United States.
ROTH: The ambassador's prime concern now: his family in Iraq. One day he hopes to teach again back home.
Richard Roth, CNN, United Nations.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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 April 12, 2003 - 05:37 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Before leaving his post in New York, Iraqi U.N. Ambassador Mohammed Aldouri said, with Saddam Hussein no longer in government, Iraqis are looking forward to free elections.
CNN's senior U.N. correspondent Richard Roth reports on the end of a difficult diplomatic assignment.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RICHARD ROTH, CNN SENIOR U.N. CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The last time Iraqi's U.N. ambassador addressed the Security Council, the U.S. ambassador walked out in protest.
MOHAMMED ALDOURI, IRAQI AMBASSADOR TO U.N. (through translator): What happened is that the Iraqi army up until now has not confronted the United States forces.
ROTH: But now, it's the Iraqi ambassador's time to leave, the United States.
ALDOURI: The game is over. I hope that peace will prevail, and that the Iraqi people at the end of the day will have a peaceful life.
ROTH: Mohammed Aldouri spent more years as a university professor than as a diplomat. In New York, he briefed people interested in his country, recently a group of Lehigh University students. But he never got comfortable in the media glare before and especially during the war.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You said you weren't...
ALDOURI: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) has happened with you? Please, why did you come here?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because we thought...
ALDOURI: Tomorrow, I will see you in the U.N.
ROTH: And at the U.N., all ambassadors carry out their instructions whether they agree with them or not.
JUAN GABRIEL VALDES, CHILEAN AMBASSADOR TO U.S.: Well, I think that he had a very, very difficult task. He defended the positions of his country with courage, I would say.
JEREMY GREENSTOCK, BRITISH AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: He's a decent man, and I hope he finds a decent life representing a decent government.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Aldouri is a dear friend of mine.
ROTH: Aldouri also drew support from opponents of the war a gift of paper cranes. But on the eve of Aldouri's departure, women representing the Daughters of the American Revolution passed by, wanting to let fly with something else.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If I had eggs, I would like to throw eggs at him.
ROTH: U.N. diplomats don't toss eggs, just nods. Several months ago, the U.S. ambassador, John Negroponte, and the Iraqi ambassador almost locked eyes. And forget about Kuwait.
MOHAMMED ABULHASAN, KUWAITI AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: Nothing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not one word?
ABULHASAN: Not one word, except a normal greeting of, "Hello, how are you?"
ROTH: That was as close as residents of New York's Upper East Side district got to know Aldouri, who kept a low profile, like many in the big city. It's a neighborhood you wouldn't expect the diplomatic post of an enemy government to turn up.
ALDOURI: I am very thankful for the people of New York, for their generosity. This is a very decent people. I was really -- without talking about the problem in Iraq, I was really happy to be here in New York, within the people of New York.
ROTH: Aldouri was worried most about the people of Iraq.
ALDOURI: When I see, what I've seen, what you see, my heart squeezes blood.
ROTH: Aldouri was in better spirits as he departed for the airport with a final message.
ALDOURI: I hope that the United States Army will leave Iraq soon, and we will have free election for a free government for a free future for Iraq and the people for Iraq. This is my message to you, to the people of the United States.
ROTH: The ambassador's prime concern now: his family in Iraq. One day he hopes to teach again back home.
Richard Roth, CNN, United Nations.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
