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CNN Live Sunday
Hussein Has Until Friday to Comply With U.N. Resolution
Aired November 10, 2002 - 18:02 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: Tense times as the eyes of the world focus on Iraq this week. Iraqi President Saddam Hussein has until Friday to decide if he'll comply with the U.N. resolution. Tick tock, he's expected to meet with his national assembly tomorrow. President Bush is not of a mindset to tolerate any delays or stalls from Baghdad. The Arab League is welcoming the U.N.'s demands, but their support comes, well it comes with a few demands of their own. CNN's Sandy Petrowski joins us by phone from Cairo -- Sandy.
SANDY PETROWSKI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Arab foreign ministers meeting centered on one topic, Iraq, and what happens next. Iraq still hasn't given its official response but the Arab ministers said they would back the U.N. resolution and wanted all sides to respect it.
After six hours of discussion, the League issued an eight-point statement, saying they welcome Resolution 1441, providing that there won't be an imminent military attack on Iraq. They also welcomed Iraq's previous decision to allow inspectors in and demanded that Iraq continue working to solve the situation in a peaceful way. Regarding the inspectors, they asked that they be objective and professional and neutral, and also that there be Arab inspectors on the team -- Anderson.
COOPER: All right, Sandy, thanks very much. The White House is not very optimistic Iraq will comply with the Security Council resolution. At 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, they are preparing for what could be a military showdown with Iraq. CNN's Frank Buckley joins us from the White House now with details on what that would involve -- Frank.
FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Anderson, war plans have been in place for quite some time here at the White House. We're told they are still being refined. Some of the military assets that would be required for a military operation are not yet in place in the Persian Gulf region. The broad outline of the war plan calls for a huge troop presence in the Persian Gulf area, some 200,000 to 250,000 land, sea, and air troops. Currently only 27,000 U.S. military personnel are in the Gulf region.
It will also involve a call up of 265,000 National Guard and reserve soldiers. The air campaign would employ B-2s and other aircraft in a punishing opening air assault designed not just to knockout air defenses but also to deliver a knockout blow to Iraqi military leaders that planners hope will dissuade them from using chemical or biological weapons. What the U.S. doesn't need, according to many Bush administration officials, is any further authority from the U.N. to act if Iraq blocks U.N. inspectors.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: The United States believes because of past material breaches, current material breaches, and new material breaches there is more than enough authority for it to act with like-minded nations, if not with the entire council supporting an all necessary means new resolution.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BUCKLEY: The Security Council resolution that was passed on Friday set in place a timeline, as you mentioned, by this Friday the Iraqis must answer whether or not they intend to cooperate by November 18. Hans Blix, the chief U.N. weapons inspector plans to be in Iraq. Within 30 days, the Iraqis are to supply an inventory of chemical and biological weapons in part of its developing nuclear program, and by December 23, Anderson, the full inspection team is expected to be on the ground in Iraq -- Anderson.
COOPER: Frank, has the White House said anything about Iraqi opposition perhaps playing some sort of a role? I mean do they have any confidence that there is Iraqi opposition on the ground that might play a role in this action?
BUCKLEY: Well, not insofar as the U.N. inspections are concerned. The belief here is that the U.N. inspectors now have all the authority they need to go in, that the U.S. has all the authority it needs if those inspectors are blocked, and that the U.S. will simply act with friends, as the president put it, militarily if it believes that those inspectors are being blocked.
The way it would work is that the U.S. would contact the Security Council. They would engage in the debate that the Security Council would engage in, but it will hold onto the opportunity to act unilaterally if it feels that that's necessary.
COOPER: All right, Frank Buckley at the White House, 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 November 10, 2002 - 18:02 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Tense times as the eyes of the world focus on Iraq this week. Iraqi President Saddam Hussein has until Friday to decide if he'll comply with the U.N. resolution. Tick tock, he's expected to meet with his national assembly tomorrow. President Bush is not of a mindset to tolerate any delays or stalls from Baghdad. The Arab League is welcoming the U.N.'s demands, but their support comes, well it comes with a few demands of their own. CNN's Sandy Petrowski joins us by phone from Cairo -- Sandy.
SANDY PETROWSKI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Arab foreign ministers meeting centered on one topic, Iraq, and what happens next. Iraq still hasn't given its official response but the Arab ministers said they would back the U.N. resolution and wanted all sides to respect it.
After six hours of discussion, the League issued an eight-point statement, saying they welcome Resolution 1441, providing that there won't be an imminent military attack on Iraq. They also welcomed Iraq's previous decision to allow inspectors in and demanded that Iraq continue working to solve the situation in a peaceful way. Regarding the inspectors, they asked that they be objective and professional and neutral, and also that there be Arab inspectors on the team -- Anderson.
COOPER: All right, Sandy, thanks very much. The White House is not very optimistic Iraq will comply with the Security Council resolution. At 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, they are preparing for what could be a military showdown with Iraq. CNN's Frank Buckley joins us from the White House now with details on what that would involve -- Frank.
FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Anderson, war plans have been in place for quite some time here at the White House. We're told they are still being refined. Some of the military assets that would be required for a military operation are not yet in place in the Persian Gulf region. The broad outline of the war plan calls for a huge troop presence in the Persian Gulf area, some 200,000 to 250,000 land, sea, and air troops. Currently only 27,000 U.S. military personnel are in the Gulf region.
It will also involve a call up of 265,000 National Guard and reserve soldiers. The air campaign would employ B-2s and other aircraft in a punishing opening air assault designed not just to knockout air defenses but also to deliver a knockout blow to Iraqi military leaders that planners hope will dissuade them from using chemical or biological weapons. What the U.S. doesn't need, according to many Bush administration officials, is any further authority from the U.N. to act if Iraq blocks U.N. inspectors.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: The United States believes because of past material breaches, current material breaches, and new material breaches there is more than enough authority for it to act with like-minded nations, if not with the entire council supporting an all necessary means new resolution.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BUCKLEY: The Security Council resolution that was passed on Friday set in place a timeline, as you mentioned, by this Friday the Iraqis must answer whether or not they intend to cooperate by November 18. Hans Blix, the chief U.N. weapons inspector plans to be in Iraq. Within 30 days, the Iraqis are to supply an inventory of chemical and biological weapons in part of its developing nuclear program, and by December 23, Anderson, the full inspection team is expected to be on the ground in Iraq -- Anderson.
COOPER: Frank, has the White House said anything about Iraqi opposition perhaps playing some sort of a role? I mean do they have any confidence that there is Iraqi opposition on the ground that might play a role in this action?
BUCKLEY: Well, not insofar as the U.N. inspections are concerned. The belief here is that the U.N. inspectors now have all the authority they need to go in, that the U.S. has all the authority it needs if those inspectors are blocked, and that the U.S. will simply act with friends, as the president put it, militarily if it believes that those inspectors are being blocked.
The way it would work is that the U.S. would contact the Security Council. They would engage in the debate that the Security Council would engage in, but it will hold onto the opportunity to act unilaterally if it feels that that's necessary.
COOPER: All right, Frank Buckley at the White House, 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
