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NEWS FROM CNN
Interview With Julianne Malveaux, Armstrong Williams
Aired September 3, 2003 - 12:52 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: The more important news of the day, though, right now the Bush administration announcing they're going forward with a new draft resolution before the U.N. Security Council, seeking a U.N. framework to get more countries involved, not only militarily, but financially and politically in the post war situation.
Let's bring in two guests, two syndicated columnists. Julianne Malveaux's joining us, Armstrong Williams as usual.
Julianne, your reaction to what the Bush administration is now doing, trying to bring the U.N. into the equation in Iraq?
JULIANNE MALVEAUX, SYNDICATED COLUMNIST: Too little, too late. Certainly appropriate that the world should be involved that -- and they've tried to get the world involved in the past.
In fact, as Colin Powell says in his press conference, they withdrew a resolution, rather than get a no vote on it. And so now that they come together, the question is, is this because of convenience, or are you prepared to change the way that you're engaged with the world?
I think it's convenience. And we've spent a lot of money. We've lost a lot of lives here in the United States. And so, now we want to spread the damage around.
And if they're not prepared to change in terms of engagement, why should the world be prepared to engage with us?
BLITZER: Some will argue that there's an act of confession of failure, an acknowledgement of failure for the administration now to try to get the U.N. involved, Armstrong?
ARMSTRONG WILLIAMS, SYNDICATED COLUMNIST: And (unintelligible) diplomacy that early steps for the steps for the times that we're in. Obviously, our (unintelligible) -- we've made the greatest sacrifices in Iraq in terms of the commitment we've made to go there, to liberate these people. Our men are dying everyday, but this administration's realized that Americans cannot do it alone. They need the U.N. involved.
I think after the current bombing, where one of our allies lost lives, and one of the people we put in place said it was the fault of the Americans. I think it's very difficult to (unintelligible) when we build these police forces with the Iraqis and the Security Council. I don't know if we can really trust them. They're (unintelligible) with a regime that is dead. And they should blame the United States.
BLITZER: We only have a little time left. But very briefly on the Secretary's basic dismissal of Yasser Arafat, what do you make of that in this current impasse on the road map?
MALVEAUX: I think it was a mistake. I don't think you can ever count Yasser Arafat out. And I think part of the problem in terms of the Middle East is that we have gone in and tried to count people out. We've ignored the way that Palestinian people feel, ignored the fact that Israelis have taken over these settlements.
And as long as we do that, you've got a people who thought they have nothing to lose.
BLITZER: You're just back from Israel?
WILLIAMS: Yes, all of that is irrelevant. Even the Palestinians don't support Arafat. Arafat is the reason why you have the intifadah. Arafat is the reason why they had the bombing in Israel for the last two weeks. It is all his fault. He does not want peace. He wants to remain relevant. He's undermining Abbas. And he just needs to get out of the way.
And the worst thing the administration could have done was to give him credibility a couple of weeks ago, when they reached the situation of desperation.
BLITZER: We're going to continue this on another occasion. We were cut short on our little debate segment because of Colin Powell, but it's important news. And we're a news organization. Thanks very much.
MALVEAUX: Thank you, Wolf.
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