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CNN Saturday Morning News
Five Permanent Members of U.N. Security Council Meeting in Geneva
Aired September 13, 2003 - 09:00 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.
STEPHEN FRAZIER, CNN ANCHOR: Let's get some more now on our top story, diplomacy to pave a way for a multinational force in Iraq.
CNN's Sheila MacVicar joins us now live from Geneva, where the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council are meeting. Good morning again, Sheila.
SHEILA MACVICAR, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Stephen.
Well, those meetings have just gotten under way here at the League of Nations building here at -- in Geneva. Secretary of State Colin Powell meeting with his counterparts from the other permanent members of the Security Council.
What's on the table for discussion here is a U.S.-authored resolution which would bring the U.N. into the situation in Iraq and bring a U.N. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) -- and bring, basically, U.N. expectance and agreement that forces could be deployed alongside U.S. forces under U.S. military command in Iraq.
The U.S. has said it wants between 10,000 and 15,000 more troops on the -- in Iraq. Mostly they are hoping troops from other Muslim nations, nations like Turkey and Pakistan, perhaps.
Now, there are disagreements amongst the members of the Security Council about what -- exactly how this resolution should go forward. The French, in particular, are saying, OK, they will agree to U.S. military command, but what they want to see is a reduction of U.S. civilian control and a quick handover to Iraq's governing council.
Colin Powell, speaking earlier this week, said that such a quick handover was not very realistic.
There have been reports of some tension at some of the meetings that took place earlier today. We heard reports earlier that there had been raised voices heard in a corridor of the nearby hotel, where there were some bilateral meetings taking place as Secretary of State Powell and French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin walked along a corridor.
All are now in the building, and British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw arriving, putting it in context what they hope to achieve here. JACK STRAW, BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY: How we get from where we are now to what we all want to see, which is a fully representative Iraqi government, able to exercise fully the sovereignty of the Iraqi people as quickly as possible, and that the issue under discussion.
MACVICAR: Now, Jack Straw is also indicating that there -- we should not expect any final agreement coming out of this meeting today. It's going to be a pretty short meeting. Jack Straw saying that this was an informal session, and that formal discussions would continue back at the U.N. in New York.
Secretary of State Colin Powell is here only a few more hours. He flies out of here very shortly to go on to Kuwait and Iraq, Stephen.
FRAZIER: A short meeting, perhaps, but a long day for you. Sheila, we're grateful. Sheila MacVicar from Geneva.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Geneva>
Aired September 13, 2003 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
STEPHEN FRAZIER, CNN ANCHOR: Let's get some more now on our top story, diplomacy to pave a way for a multinational force in Iraq.
CNN's Sheila MacVicar joins us now live from Geneva, where the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council are meeting. Good morning again, Sheila.
SHEILA MACVICAR, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Stephen.
Well, those meetings have just gotten under way here at the League of Nations building here at -- in Geneva. Secretary of State Colin Powell meeting with his counterparts from the other permanent members of the Security Council.
What's on the table for discussion here is a U.S.-authored resolution which would bring the U.N. into the situation in Iraq and bring a U.N. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) -- and bring, basically, U.N. expectance and agreement that forces could be deployed alongside U.S. forces under U.S. military command in Iraq.
The U.S. has said it wants between 10,000 and 15,000 more troops on the -- in Iraq. Mostly they are hoping troops from other Muslim nations, nations like Turkey and Pakistan, perhaps.
Now, there are disagreements amongst the members of the Security Council about what -- exactly how this resolution should go forward. The French, in particular, are saying, OK, they will agree to U.S. military command, but what they want to see is a reduction of U.S. civilian control and a quick handover to Iraq's governing council.
Colin Powell, speaking earlier this week, said that such a quick handover was not very realistic.
There have been reports of some tension at some of the meetings that took place earlier today. We heard reports earlier that there had been raised voices heard in a corridor of the nearby hotel, where there were some bilateral meetings taking place as Secretary of State Powell and French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin walked along a corridor.
All are now in the building, and British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw arriving, putting it in context what they hope to achieve here. JACK STRAW, BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY: How we get from where we are now to what we all want to see, which is a fully representative Iraqi government, able to exercise fully the sovereignty of the Iraqi people as quickly as possible, and that the issue under discussion.
MACVICAR: Now, Jack Straw is also indicating that there -- we should not expect any final agreement coming out of this meeting today. It's going to be a pretty short meeting. Jack Straw saying that this was an informal session, and that formal discussions would continue back at the U.N. in New York.
Secretary of State Colin Powell is here only a few more hours. He flies out of here very shortly to go on to Kuwait and Iraq, Stephen.
FRAZIER: A short meeting, perhaps, but a long day for you. Sheila, we're grateful. Sheila MacVicar from Geneva.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Geneva>
