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CNN Live Sunday
Rumsfeld Meets With Leaders of UAE
Aired April 27, 2003 - 18:32 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: Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is in the Persian Gulf region. You probably know that by now. He flew to Qatar today with U.S. Commanding General Tommy Franks after the two met with leaders of the United Arab Emirates.
CNN's Jeanne Meserve has been keeping close watch on the trip to the Gulf region and she joins us now live from the Pentagon -- Jeanne.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Anderson, it is their first post-war visit, a trip that will take them eventually to Iraq and Afghanistan. As they meet with leaders in the region, there are two subjects on the agenda. One is the future governance of Iraq.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld making it clear once again today that the U.S. will not tolerate an Iranian-backed religious leadership in Iraq. The second subject on the agenda is the future U.S. military presence in the future.
With the collapse of the Saddam Hussein regime, General Tommy Franks said the so-called footprint of the U.S. military in the region would change. He didn't offer any specifics. He wouldn't even say if it would be smaller. He simply said that the U.S. would be looking for the highest payoff.
At a press conference today, Franks was asked if at this point he was willing to officially declare combat operations in Iraq over and done with. Here's what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEN. TOMMY FRANKS, CMDR., U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND: What we know is that the decisive combat, you know the part where you go after armies and navies and air forces and that is the part the secretary alluded to, very successful, done quickly, and we're all very pleased about that but with respect to a declaration that says the war is over and so forth, certainly not.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MESERVE: Also announced today another arrest of an Iraqi official that the U.S. wanted to get its hands on. This time it was Lieutenant General Husam Mohammed Amin. He was the chief Iraqi liaison with U.N. weapons inspectors.
It's hoped that he'll have something to say about the whereabouts of weapons of mass destruction, also because he was reportedly close with Saddam Hussein's personal secretary and with Hussein's son Qusay. It's hoped perhaps he'll have something to say about the whereabouts of regime members. No word yet on whether he's talking.
However, we did learn today that another Iraqi in custody, former Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz is talkative and cooperative in the words of General Tommy Franks. Franks says, however, that it's unclear at this point whether the U.S. can trust what he is saying to be true -- Anderson back to you.
COOPER: Well, Jeanne, as we all know or as a cynic might say we know diplomats can talk an awful lot and not actually say anything, so we'll see what Tariq Aziz actually does say. Thanks very much, Jeanne Meserve.
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 27, 2003 - 18:32 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is in the Persian Gulf region. You probably know that by now. He flew to Qatar today with U.S. Commanding General Tommy Franks after the two met with leaders of the United Arab Emirates.
CNN's Jeanne Meserve has been keeping close watch on the trip to the Gulf region and she joins us now live from the Pentagon -- Jeanne.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Anderson, it is their first post-war visit, a trip that will take them eventually to Iraq and Afghanistan. As they meet with leaders in the region, there are two subjects on the agenda. One is the future governance of Iraq.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld making it clear once again today that the U.S. will not tolerate an Iranian-backed religious leadership in Iraq. The second subject on the agenda is the future U.S. military presence in the future.
With the collapse of the Saddam Hussein regime, General Tommy Franks said the so-called footprint of the U.S. military in the region would change. He didn't offer any specifics. He wouldn't even say if it would be smaller. He simply said that the U.S. would be looking for the highest payoff.
At a press conference today, Franks was asked if at this point he was willing to officially declare combat operations in Iraq over and done with. Here's what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEN. TOMMY FRANKS, CMDR., U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND: What we know is that the decisive combat, you know the part where you go after armies and navies and air forces and that is the part the secretary alluded to, very successful, done quickly, and we're all very pleased about that but with respect to a declaration that says the war is over and so forth, certainly not.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MESERVE: Also announced today another arrest of an Iraqi official that the U.S. wanted to get its hands on. This time it was Lieutenant General Husam Mohammed Amin. He was the chief Iraqi liaison with U.N. weapons inspectors.
It's hoped that he'll have something to say about the whereabouts of weapons of mass destruction, also because he was reportedly close with Saddam Hussein's personal secretary and with Hussein's son Qusay. It's hoped perhaps he'll have something to say about the whereabouts of regime members. No word yet on whether he's talking.
However, we did learn today that another Iraqi in custody, former Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz is talkative and cooperative in the words of General Tommy Franks. Franks says, however, that it's unclear at this point whether the U.S. can trust what he is saying to be true -- Anderson back to you.
COOPER: Well, Jeanne, as we all know or as a cynic might say we know diplomats can talk an awful lot and not actually say anything, so we'll see what Tariq Aziz actually does say. Thanks very much, Jeanne Meserve.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
