Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Live Sunday
Iraq Gains Allies
Aired November 03, 2002 - 18:21 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: The White House has said it can form a coalition to forcibly disarm Saddam Hussein if the U.N. doesn't to it, but some U.S. allies and sympathizers from the Gulf War may be conspicuous in their absence this time around. CNN Baghdad bureau chief Jane Arraf reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): With the looming prospect of war, Iraq's allies are coming out of the shadows, giving Iraq the strength to resist new U.S. proposals for weapons inspections that Baghdad calls "a mandate for war."
NAJI SABRI, IRAQI FOREIGN MINISTER: There's no need for any resolution there. There is no need for any resolution there. This is our position.
ARRAF: Among the unlikely collection of supporters of Baghdad's annual trade fair, Austrian far right leader, Joerg Haider.
JOERG HAIDER, AUSTRIAN FAR RIGHT LEADER: We don't want to have war, we want to make peace, and we want to have peace, stable peace in this region, because it's good for Europe, too.
ARRAF: With peace comes stability and a chance to do more business with oil-rich Iraq.
France, although a relatively small trading partner, is currently in favor with the Iraqi government, for its attempt to offset U.S. threats at the Security Council.
ANDRE JANIER, FRENCH INTERESTS SECTION: Iraq is an important country in the area. It is a big producer of -- oil producer, of course, and with population of 24 million people, so of course, it is an important country for France, for every country in the world.
ARRAF: Among the countries that matter most here are Iraq's Arab former allies, many of them who have slowly repaired ties with Iraq cut during the Gulf War.
For the first time in a decade, the Saudi government has sent trade officials to Baghdad's international fair, in addition to scores of Saudi companies expected to do hundreds of millions of dollars of business through a newly re-opened border.
(on camera): This is a much different climate from 1991. Then Iraq's invasion of Kuwait gave Baghdad's allies and trading partners a clear reason to join the U.S.-led war. Now a lot of those countries seem to believe that there's no compelling need to attack Iraq, and that there's a lot to lose if war does break out.
Jane Arraf, CNN, Baghdad.
(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 November 3, 2002 - 18:21 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: The White House has said it can form a coalition to forcibly disarm Saddam Hussein if the U.N. doesn't to it, but some U.S. allies and sympathizers from the Gulf War may be conspicuous in their absence this time around. CNN Baghdad bureau chief Jane Arraf reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): With the looming prospect of war, Iraq's allies are coming out of the shadows, giving Iraq the strength to resist new U.S. proposals for weapons inspections that Baghdad calls "a mandate for war."
NAJI SABRI, IRAQI FOREIGN MINISTER: There's no need for any resolution there. There is no need for any resolution there. This is our position.
ARRAF: Among the unlikely collection of supporters of Baghdad's annual trade fair, Austrian far right leader, Joerg Haider.
JOERG HAIDER, AUSTRIAN FAR RIGHT LEADER: We don't want to have war, we want to make peace, and we want to have peace, stable peace in this region, because it's good for Europe, too.
ARRAF: With peace comes stability and a chance to do more business with oil-rich Iraq.
France, although a relatively small trading partner, is currently in favor with the Iraqi government, for its attempt to offset U.S. threats at the Security Council.
ANDRE JANIER, FRENCH INTERESTS SECTION: Iraq is an important country in the area. It is a big producer of -- oil producer, of course, and with population of 24 million people, so of course, it is an important country for France, for every country in the world.
ARRAF: Among the countries that matter most here are Iraq's Arab former allies, many of them who have slowly repaired ties with Iraq cut during the Gulf War.
For the first time in a decade, the Saudi government has sent trade officials to Baghdad's international fair, in addition to scores of Saudi companies expected to do hundreds of millions of dollars of business through a newly re-opened border.
(on camera): This is a much different climate from 1991. Then Iraq's invasion of Kuwait gave Baghdad's allies and trading partners a clear reason to join the U.S.-led war. Now a lot of those countries seem to believe that there's no compelling need to attack Iraq, and that there's a lot to lose if war does break out.
Jane Arraf, CNN, Baghdad.
(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
