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CNN Saturday Morning News
Foreign Ministers of Nations Neighboring Iraq Call on U.S. to Withdraw Troops
Aired April 19, 2003 - 09:38 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.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: As we mentioned, foreign ministers of the nations near Iraq are calling for U.S. forces to establish order and then get out of Iraq ASAP.
For White House reaction to that and other developments, CNN's Suzanne Malveaux joins us. She's outside the presidential ranch in Crawford, Texas -- Suzanne.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning.
President Bush spending the long holiday weekend in windy Crawford at his ranch. And he's going to be visiting with the troops tomorrow in Fort Hood, Texas. He's going to be traveling there, attending a church service with them. And really a very important, very significant, as you know, Fort Hood, home to nearly about half of the 42,000 soldiers that are off in Iraq.
Now, President Bush is really focusing on a number of things, but first of all, really trying to break through in the economy, improving the economy inside of Iraq, trying to get the U.N. to lift economic sanctions against Iraq, to clear the way to use oil revenue for reconstruction. This is something that the some of the European allies, they want to see a very strong role with the United Nations.
And it is also something that is causing quite a bit of stir as well in the Middle East. Just yesterday, there was a conference among the foreign ministers of those leaders surrounding Iraq. They said that, yes, they want the United States to restore order as quickly as possible in terms of security. But at the same time, they want them to leave as quickly as possible.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAUD AL-FAISAL, SAUDI FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): (UNINTELLIGIBLE) it is a necessity, an urgent need for the occupying forces to work hard, to accelerate seriously and actively to provide security that will enable the quick withdrawal from the occupied land.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Well, of course, the administration dealing with the urgency of the situation, but at the same time having to work with the United Nations Security Council. They have to approve a resolution that would actually make the Iraqi interim government a legitimate one. They also have to not only clear the way for sanctions to be lifted, but also have to certify that Iraq is free of weapons of mass destruction.
A lot of work ahead, Anderson.
COOPER: There certainly is that. Suzanne Malveaux, appreciate you joining us this Saturday morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
to Withdraw Troops>
Aired April 19, 2003 - 09:38 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: As we mentioned, foreign ministers of the nations near Iraq are calling for U.S. forces to establish order and then get out of Iraq ASAP.
For White House reaction to that and other developments, CNN's Suzanne Malveaux joins us. She's outside the presidential ranch in Crawford, Texas -- Suzanne.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning.
President Bush spending the long holiday weekend in windy Crawford at his ranch. And he's going to be visiting with the troops tomorrow in Fort Hood, Texas. He's going to be traveling there, attending a church service with them. And really a very important, very significant, as you know, Fort Hood, home to nearly about half of the 42,000 soldiers that are off in Iraq.
Now, President Bush is really focusing on a number of things, but first of all, really trying to break through in the economy, improving the economy inside of Iraq, trying to get the U.N. to lift economic sanctions against Iraq, to clear the way to use oil revenue for reconstruction. This is something that the some of the European allies, they want to see a very strong role with the United Nations.
And it is also something that is causing quite a bit of stir as well in the Middle East. Just yesterday, there was a conference among the foreign ministers of those leaders surrounding Iraq. They said that, yes, they want the United States to restore order as quickly as possible in terms of security. But at the same time, they want them to leave as quickly as possible.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAUD AL-FAISAL, SAUDI FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): (UNINTELLIGIBLE) it is a necessity, an urgent need for the occupying forces to work hard, to accelerate seriously and actively to provide security that will enable the quick withdrawal from the occupied land.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Well, of course, the administration dealing with the urgency of the situation, but at the same time having to work with the United Nations Security Council. They have to approve a resolution that would actually make the Iraqi interim government a legitimate one. They also have to not only clear the way for sanctions to be lifted, but also have to certify that Iraq is free of weapons of mass destruction.
A lot of work ahead, Anderson.
COOPER: There certainly is that. Suzanne Malveaux, appreciate you joining us this Saturday morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
to Withdraw Troops>
