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CNN SHOWDOWN: IRAQ
Chances for New Resolution Not Necessarily Very Good
Aired March 6, 2003 - 12:46 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: On the surface, it would seem chances for a new resolution to green light a new Gulf War are not necessarily very good. But diplomacy, for the most part, takes place below the surface, and our far-flung correspondents have done some digging. That means they're doing some reporting, which is, of course, they're job.
From London, we're joined by CNN senior European political correspondent Robin Oakley. From Moscow, CNN Moscow bureau chief Jill Dougherty, and from Beijing, our Beijing bureau chief Jaime Florcruz.
Thanks to all of you for joining us.
Let me begin with you, Robin, in London. We're hearing about this British compromise proposal to try to delay a war for at least for a few more days. What exactly are you hearing now?
ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN SR. EUROPEAN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, British politicians and officials are a little bit twitchy, a little sensitive about the suggestion that they're coming forward with a compromise plan. But they do, when you speak to them in private, acknowledge that there is an appetite for such a compromise, particularly among those six swing nations whose votes are needed in the quest for nine votes in the U.N. Security Council.
And basically, it seems that the British are at least contemplating the idea of changing the resolution to put in a specific date, be it -- by which Saddam Hussein would have to make full disclosure of his weapons programs or face military action. And part of the reasoning behind this is that when France, and Russia and Germany Said they would do everything they could to stop a second resolution in the U.N. Security Council, they never actually used the "v" word, the veto word. They hummed around with different sort of phrases, covering up their possible intention on that. And because Dominique de VillePen, the French foreign minister, said that inspections couldn't go on forever, that, I think, has given some fresh home to British politicians and officials that they can craft some kind of compromise. They are saying no political decision to do so has yet been taken, but they point out, this is the whole U.N. process, people produce resolutions, other people say whether they like it or not, and you change the wording as you go along -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Jill Dougherty in Moscow. I know you've been digging on your end, as well. The Russians have been desperately trying to avoid a war, trying to derail the prospects of a war. What's the latest as far as the stance taken by the president, President Putin? JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN MOSCOW BUREAU CHIEF: Well, President Putin, Wolf, is really not saying a lot at this moment. Most of what we're hearing is coming from Igor Ivanov. He is the foreign minister, and what he's been saying has been very hard, hardline, saying that there is no way that Russia is going to support any type of resolution that authorizes the use of force, and he stood firmly with the French and also with the Germans on that. Of course, the French and Russians are the ones that have the veto.
But I spoke to a senior U.S. diplomat just today who said that they are really getting conflicting signals right now, because they're not quite sure what President Putin, who ultimately will make this decision, will do. They are getting this very hard line from Mr. Ivanov, the foreign minister, and in fact, they say that in discussions, the U.S. has made it very clear that there will be a price to be paid both economically and politically by the Russians, if they move toward a veto.
But what they are hearing, at least from one Russian official is, we may be willing to pay that price, we may have to use a veto, because it's the principle of the thing, they were told.
But, again, nobody is really betting that that is a final answer. So when you talk about that British proposal, you really have to look at the -- how it's phrased, Wolf, i think to figure out what the Russians will do.
BLITZER: Jaime, the Chinese government has been pretty silent, pretty low key as far as where it will stand as far as the showdown with Iraq is concerned. In recent hours, we've heard even the "v" word coming from Beijing, the possibility of China, a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council using its veto. What are you hearing in Beijing?
JAIME FLORCRUZ, BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: Wolf, China believes that a new resolution authorizing the use of force is "absolutely unnecessary." Those were the words of Chinese Foreign Minister Tan Ja Shen (ph), speaking in a press conference on the eve of the very important Security Council meeting on Iraq. Minister Shen (ph) He says that China is willing to give the U.N. inspectors more time, even if there is only 1 percent chance of succeeding, to avoid war.
He also says that there is no need for a new resolution, because the weapons inspections path set forth by the resolution 1441 is not yet finished.
Now china's word on this is very important, because it holds a veto power in the Security Council. Minister Tan (ph) wouldn't say that -- whether China will abstain or veto, but he did endorse the joint statement of Russia, and France and Germany, threatening to oppose such a new resolution -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Let me get back to Robin in London.
Robin, Tony Blair, who's got his own domestic political problems, took some time out today to participate in an MTV forum with young people, asking a lot of tough questions about Iraq. What was -- we didn't see it, but I understand you know what happened there. How did it go?
OAKLEY: Well, a couple of very interesting things came out of that, Wolf. First of all, a lot of youngsters were pushing the line with Tony Blair. Look, you and President George Bush are doing this, or planning to do this to Saddam Hussein, because you are interested in his oil. And Tony Blair was very firm about this, he said, look, the United States has not got an interest in Iraq's oil, nor has the U.K.
Basically, he gave a promise that any Iraqi oil revenues in a post-conflict situation would be put in some kind of trust fund by the United Nations and preserved for the Iraqi people. He said the U.S. won't touch them, the U.K. can't touch them. And that was certainly one new emphasis which came out of his talk with the young people. The other was his willingness to suggest that the second way of averting a war, beyond Saddam Hussein making a full disclosure of his weapons programs, was for him and his immediate entourage to go into exile.
Now Tony Blair said there was one big drawback with that, which means he couldn't be prosecuted for his crimes over the years, but he said that was a price he was willing to pay for avoiding a war -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, very interesting. We'll be watching it. Robin Oakley in London, Jill Dougherty in Moscow, and Jaime Florcruz in Beijing, our excellent team of reporters covering this story around the world. Thanks to all of you for joining us.
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