ITALY: MEETING OF INTERNATIONAL SOCIALIST COUNCIL REJECTS UNILATERAL MILITARY ACTION AGAINST IRAQ.
Record ID:
647169
ITALY: MEETING OF INTERNATIONAL SOCIALIST COUNCIL REJECTS UNILATERAL MILITARY ACTION AGAINST IRAQ.
- Title: ITALY: MEETING OF INTERNATIONAL SOCIALIST COUNCIL REJECTS UNILATERAL MILITARY ACTION AGAINST IRAQ.
- Date: 21st January 2003
- Summary: (EU) ROME, ITALY (JANUARY 20, 2003) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. GV: EXTERIORS OF FORMER HOSPITAL SANTO SPIRITO THAT HOSTS THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIALISTS COUNCIL, POLICE OUTSIDE 0.02 2. CU: PLACARD READING (Italian): "INTERNATIONAL SOCIALIST COUNCIL 2003" 0.05 3. GV: POLICE CARS OUTSIDE 0.08 4. GV: WIDE OF COUNCIL MEETING'S OPENING SESSION 0.13 5. MV/CU: DELEGATES FROM SPAIN LISTENING (2 SHOTS) 0.21 6. GV/CU: SENIOR MEMBER OF THE PARTY OF EUROPEAN SOCIALISTS (PES) AND FORMER BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY ROBIN COOK AT OPENING SESSION (3 SHOTS) 0.33 7. MV: FORMER ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTER SHIMON PERES (ON THE LEFT) AND FORMER SPANISH PRIME MINISTER FELIPE GONZALEZ AT OPENING SESSION/ AUDIENCE CUTAWAY (2 SHOTS) 0.40 8. CU: SECRETARY GENERAL OF SPANISH PSOE, JOSE' LUIS RODRIGUEZ ZAPATERO, AT OPENING SESSION 0.44 9. MV: (SOUNDBITE) (French) PRESIDENT OF INTERNATIONAL SOCIALISTS, ANTONIO GUTERRES, SAYING: " We think that war is not inevitable in order to prevent Iraq from becoming a threat for the possible use of weapons of mass destruction, according to the will of the international community. We need to give peace a chance. We also think that in order for this to be possible we need to categorically reject any unilateral approach and the concept of preventive war." (CONGRESS AUDIENCE APPLAUSE CUTAWAY) GUTERRES, SAYING: "Regarding inspections, we need to make absolutely sure that there is enough time so that inspections are totally credible." (3 SHOTS) 1.44 10. GV/CU: AUDIENCE; SIGN (2 SHOTS) 1.49 11. MCU: (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) JOSE' LUIS RODRIGUEZ ZAPATERO: "I believe that in order to gain time and to give a feeling of hope - no matter how tiny - to millions of human beings, the International Socialists have to say a clear "No!" to war, a clear "No!" to a unilateral policy of the U.S., a clear "Yes!" to peace and to the only war worth being fought: the war against poverty and misery in many areas of the world." 2.44 12. MV/CU: IRAQ AND U.S. DELEGATIONS (4 SHOTS) 2.56 13. GV: WIDE OF MEETING 2.59 (EU) EARLIER AT NEWS CONFERENCE HOTEL, ROME, ITALY (JANUARY 20, 2002) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 14. GV: WIDE OF NEWS CONFERENCE; JOSE' LUIS RODRIGUEZ ZAPATERO AT NEWS CONFERENCE 3.03 15. MCU: (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ZAPATERO SAYING: "Many things have happened. Many voices against George W. Bush's policy have risen up all over the world and in the U.S. Every day, in the U.S. there are more voices against Bush's policies. These voices have built a wall - a wall that demands peace and diplomacy as a priority as opposed to the logic of force. We need to keep strengthening this wall against the instinct of resolving things through military action. And, Europe plays a very important role in this: it is the hope of world peace." 3.52 16. MV: ZAPATERO SPEAKING TO REPORTERS AFTER NEWS CONFERENCE 4.03 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 5th February 2003 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: ROME, ITALY
- Country: Italy
- Reuters ID: LVACZD6KT8FII9HB8YSEA44OV2M8
- Story Text: Over 100 prominent political figures gathered in
Rome to say 'no' to unilateral military action on Iraq as part
of a congress of International Socialists.
Israeli ex-foreign minister Shimon Peres was among the
prominent political figures in the Italian capital to attend a
two-day meeting of the International Socialist council to
discuss the war on Iraq amongst other issues.
Antonio Guterres, president of the International
Socialists, said that war on Iraq was not inevitable and he
rejected the idea of a 'preventive' war.
"We think that war is not inevitable in order to prevent
Iraq from becoming a threat for the possible use of weapons of
mass destruction, according to the will of the international
community. We need to give peace a chance. We also think that
in order for this to be possible we need to categorically
reject any unilateral approach and the concept of preventive
war," said Guterres.
He continued to say that it was important to allow
sufficient time for the U.N. inspections in order to make them
credible.
"Regarding inspections, we need to make absolutely sure
that there is enough time so that inspections are totally
credible," he said
Jose' Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, secretary general of the
Spanish Socialist Party, said it was important to say no to a
war against Iraq but instead to fight the war against poverty
worldwide.
"I believe that in order to gain time and to give a
feeling of hope - no matter how tiny - to millions of human
beings, the International Socialists have to say a clear "No!"
to war, a clear "No!" to a unilateral policy of the U.S., a
clear "Yes!"
to peace and to the only war worth being fought: the war
against poverty and misery in many areas of the world,"
Zapatero said.
Earlier in the morning at a news conference in a Rome
hotel, Zapatero said that although the U.S. approach had
somewhat softened compared to the beginning of the crisis, it
was important to continue to fight against the temptation to
resolve the conflict through the use of military action.
"Many things have happened. Many voices against George W.
Bush's policy have risen up all over the world and in the U.S.
Every day, in the U.S. there are more voices against Bush's
policies. These voices have built a wall - a wall that demands
peace and diplomacy as a priority as opposed to the logic of
force. We need to keep strengthening this wall against the
instinct of resolving things through military action," he
said.
"And, Europe plays a very important role in this: it is
the hope of world peace," Zapatero added.
cah/
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