Katie Couric interview with Ambassador Wolfgang Ischinger on NBC's Today Show on February 26, 2003

(transcript)

KATIE COURIC: On Close-up this morning, the debate over war with Iraq. Earlier this week, Germany, along with France and Russia, introduced a memorandum at the United Nations Security Council calling for at least four more months of UN-led inspections of Iraq's nuclear, chemical and biological progra The U.S.-backed resolution asserts that time is up for Saddam to disarm.

Wolfgang Ischinger is Germany's ambassador to the United States. Mr. Ambassador, good morning. Thanks so much for joining us.

AMBASSADOR ISCHINGER: Good morning.

COURIC: I know that the memorandum circulated at the UN, along with France and Russia, said, quote, "No evidence has been given that Iraq still possesses weapons of mass destruction or capabilities in this field." The Americans remain convinced otherwise. What evidence do you need to be convinced that Iraq does, in fact, possess weapons of mass destruction?

ISCHINGER: I think all of our governments believe that Iraq has produced weapons of mass destruction and that we have to assume that they continue to have weapons of mass destruction. We have not yet seen evidence produced by the inspectors. But our point is we think that the inspection process, which we all together, the United States and all the other members of the Security Council, created a few months ago, we believe that process is working. It's not working well, but it's working sufficiently well in our view to justify its continuation. We think we should let the inspectors do their job until they say they can't do a useful job anymore. I think that's our point.

COURIC: You say sufficiently well. But doesn't that UN Resolution 1441 demand immediate compliance or Iraq will face serious consequences? Isn't it clear that that country, Iraq, has not complied fully with the weapons-inspection process?

ISCHINGER: Absolutely. And that presents us with a very straightforward question: Is that degree of non-compliance, about which there is not really a dispute between us, is that sufficient to justify going to war now? Or is it better -- and that would be our view -- to try again, to try once more? In our view, going to war against Iraq can only be the very last resort. Let's exhaust every possible means to disarm Iraq peacefully.

COURIC: You call for weapons inspections to continue for four more months, but the memo concedes that inspections, quote, "cannot continue indefinitely."

ISCHINGER: Yes.

COURIC: Why four months specifically? And how long can the inspection process go on?

ISCHINGER: Well, it's not really about four months. The memorandum speaks of a period of 120 days after which the inspectors would have to present a comprehensive report. Now, of course, all of this is not (chiseled?) in stone, but we think a period of a few more months, a number of tests to be given to Iraq by the inspectors, is a good idea.

We have just heard that Iraq has apparently -- I haven't yet seen the firm evidence -- that Iraq has come up with something again. Apparently a bomb has been found. Some documents have been handed over. Let's wait and see what the inspectors have to say about that.

Is that for real? Is Iraq finally coming around?

I know that we have to be very skeptical. I am not naive and my government isn't naive. We know that we're dealing here with a very, very bad dictator. But if there is a chance that we can disarm him without going to war, that's what we ought to do.

COURIC: As you know, there's been no commitment so far in Iraq in terms of destroying those al-Samoud missiles, which exceed the distance dictated by UN mandate. Inspectors, in fact, fear that more of those missiles are being produced even as we speak. Why don't you view that as a significant material breach?

ISCHINGER: Oh, I certainly do. I think what this shows is what we all agree about, namely that the ball is squarely in the Iraqi court. It's up to President Saddam Hussein to comply with these requests. If he does not start destroying the Samoud rockets, as demanded by Inspector Blix, I think he's about to make a very, very fundamental mistake.

COURIC: We only have a few seconds left. But many observers say relations between the U.S. and Germany are at their lowest point since World War II. Do you agree? And what steps, in your view, need to be taken to improve relations between the two countries?

ISCHINGER: I don't agree at all that we have had that kind of a deterioration. Look, relations between Germany and the United States are rich, broadly based in culture, in investment, in trade, in so many other areas. Our business communities are totally interrelated.

This is a relationship that is about a lot more than just a question how best to oppose this dictator in Iraq. I'm very confident that the German-American relationship will survive this difference of view that we're having about one specific issue.

We are one of your best allies in the fight against international terrorism. Let's not forget that my country has 10,000 soldiers fighting side by side, standing side by side with Americans in fighting international terrorism worldwide. So we're not bad allies. We're good allies, but we have a different view on one issue. And I think that's not a reason for despair.

COURIC: Wolfgang Ischinger, ambassador to the United States from Germany, thank you so much for talking with us this morning. We really appreciate your time.

ISCHINGER: Thank you very much. Good to be on your show.

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