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CNN SHOWDOWN: IRAQ
Interview With Munir Akram
Aired March 6, 2003 - 12:16 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Pakistan is a key U.S. ally in the war on terrorism, but when it comes to Iraq, things aren't so black and white. Still no idea whether Pakistan will back the new U.S.- sponsored resolution before the U.N. Security Council.
Munir Akram is Pakistan's ambassador to the United Nations. He was also his country's foreign secretary and ambassador to the European Union. He's joining us now live from New York.
Mr. Ambassador, welcome to our program. Thanks very much for joining us. Has your government made up its mind where you will stand with the United States or against the U.S. when it comes to this new resolution?
MUNIR AKRAM, PAKISTAN AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N.: Wolf, it's nice to be with you.
Let me assure you that we are not against the United States. We are a close ally. The question of a vote in the Security Council on Iraq is a complicated one. There are many sides to the story, and we have to make up our mind, taking into account our domestic opinion, the impact on our democratic government, Pakistan's relationship with the regional countries and also Pakistan's relationship with the United States.
So it's a difficult decision. We have not taken it yet. We will take it after we know when the vote has been taken and when all the facts are in.
BLITZER: Sounds as if you wish you wouldn't have to take that kind of decision. It also sounds like an abstention may be in the works. Is that the way you are heading as of now?
AKRAM: Well, Wolf, I would not wish to characterize how we should vote before our leadership has had the opportunity to make the decision, and, certainly, it will be a difficult decision, but sometimes in life one has to make difficult decisions.
BLITZER: Is it fair to say that Pakistan would like to give the U.N. inspectors more time to continue their efforts to disarm Iraq?
AKRAM: Well, I think we would like, like everybody else, to see that Iraq could be disarmed in a peaceful way and that a resort to war would not be necessary. That's our wish and our hope. We have continued to work within the Security Council to try and promote such an approach for a peaceful resolution of this crisis. We are still working at it. We have not given up hope. We hope that there is still time to achieve something that will avoid a war.
BLITZER: Mr. Ambassador, on the arrest of Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, the number three in Al Qaeda, we understand that Pakistan, of course, was instrumental in making that arrest. The CIA Director, George Tenet, we're told has been to Pakistan, met with President Musharraf to express his gratitude for you. Are you getting the kind of information -- didn't you in your initial interrogation of Khalid Shaikh Mohammed get specific information on the whereabouts of Osama Bin Laden?
AKRAM: I'm sure that his interrogation was undertaken by some of our most professional people. We believe that that interrogation is continuing elsewhere. I think that it would be somewhat irresponsible to speculate exactly what we know and what we don't know until we are able to get our hands on Osama Bin Laden and the others who may still be at large.
BLITZER: Does that become more likely now with the interrogation, the arrest of Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and some of his other associates?
AKRAM: We think so. We think that he's a central figure in the operations and, certainly, he, obviously, will have a wealth of information that would be useful in tracking down others who may be connected or members of Al Qaeda.
BLITZER: There is wide speculation today that Osama Bin Laden's location may have been narrowed to a specific area along the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. It's unclear whether he's in Pakistan or Afghanistan. Is that true, though, in general that it looks like the likely area where he may be hiding has been narrowed?
AKRAM: I've heard the rumors, too. At the moment I think it's somewhat speculative to reach any conclusions, and all I can say is, let's hope that we can get a hold of him sooner rather than later.
BLITZER: Mr. Ambassador, thank you very much for spending a few moments with us. Munir Akram, Pakistan's ambassador to the United Nations. We'll continue this conversation on another occasion.
AKRAM: Thank you, Wolf.
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