On Sunday 13 June Andrew Marr interviewed His Excellency Louis Susman, US Ambassador to the UK. Please note 'The Andrew Marr Show' must be credited if any part of this transcript is used. ANDREW MARR: Now, as we heard a little earlier on, President Obama's been using some rather un-diplomatic language about BP. His supporters say that he's entirely justified because of the depth of the oil spill and the crisis, but a lot of people in this country, led by the London Mayor Boris Johnson, have been fighting back saying BP's being unfairly beaten up. I'm joined now by the US Ambassador Louis Susman. Ambassador, thank you very much indeed for coming in. Would you accept that perhaps some of the language used by the administration was a little over the top - all this stuff about putting their, keeping a boot on British Petroleum's throat? AMBASSADOR SUSMAN: Well I would suggest to you that the importance of what we're saying is President Obama and the administration would probably have said the same thing if it had been an American company. It's not the issue of diplomatic issues. It's an issue that we have a catastrophic event that has not only caused loss of lives, loss of all of the fisheries in the sea, economically devastated. So while it might seem a bit un-diplomatic in terms of the words - trust me, it had nothing to do with the fact that it was British or American. It was the fact that it's a problem. ANDREW MARR: I suppose it was the constant use of British Petroleum where they changed their name nine years ago. And you know I don't remember anything about the nationality of Occidental when we had a much worse disaster with Piper Alpha. Nobody said, "That's an American company" here. AMBASSADOR SUSMAN: I think the President potentially spoke that one time where he said British Petroleum, and he's very keen to say BP at this point. ANDREW MARR: So he spoke yesterday to David Cameron, the Prime Minister … AMBASSADOR SUSMAN: Yes. ANDREW MARR: … and we've got some accounts of the conversation from the British side in the newspapers this morning. Can you enlighten us from your side what it felt like? AMBASSADOR SUSMAN: It was as reported: a very warm conversation on a multitude of issues - Afghanistan, Iran, G20. And when the BP particular issue came up, they both are agreed it's an ecological disaster. BP has to do everything possible to stop the leak, accept the responsibility. And the President made it very clear that he has no intention of trying to hurt the financial viability of BP. That would be the last thing we want. ANDREW MARR: Or of this being seen as an anti-British thing. AMBASSADOR SUSMAN: It has nothing to do with anti-British. ANDREW MARR: Let's talk about Afghanistan, which is another of the crucial questions. People in this country are asking again when troops are going to come home and all the rest of it. In terms of the way the British operation has been perceived in America - whether it's been perhaps not sufficiently supported in terms of gear and kit and so on, the British have had a very, very hard time down in Helmand - what's the perception? AMBASSADOR SUSMAN: Well I was with Secretary Gates and General Petraeus this week, and we were with the Prime Minister. We were with Liam Fox and we were with William Hague. And both countries have mutuality purpose and objective. And I think Secretary Gates said it well; that both countries are looking for progress, signs of progress, trend lines by the end of the year. And that's probably when we'll be looking at it, as to how we go forward. But I call your attention to the fact that, one, President Obama will have practically all the troops out of Iraq by August. We have set a date of July 11th to evaluate the situation 2011. And I am positive, because I know this, that he and Prime Minister Cameron are exactly on the same page. ANDREW MARR: So we should look to 2011 as the sort of crucial year in terms of …? AMBASSADOR SUSMAN: Absolutely. ANDREW MARR: Okay. One of the other big issues of course is Iran. People in this country, the former Foreign Secretary said any kind of military response to Iran was unthinkable or crackers. I mean he used some pretty salty phrase about it on this programme. Is that still also the view in Washington? AMBASSADOR SUSMAN: Well the view in Washington is one we are determined with our P5 plus 1 partners not for Iran to obtain nuclear weapons. Number two: we are very gratified of the UN Resolution which came out to put the sanctions in place. And, Andrew, that's just the beginning. The sanctions are the platform now for America to put their sanctions, British sanctions and the EU. And it is crucial, crucial, that these sanctions be appropriately aimed to get the Iranians either back to the table or to stop. ANDREW MARR: The Prime Minister's going over for his first visit to Washington next month to see the President. There has been a perception in this country that perhaps the new administration wasn't as naturally or instinctively close to Britain as previous administrations have been. What are we going to see, do you think, in that visit? AMBASSADOR SUSMAN: Well I think already we've seen the fact that the first call that Prime Minister Cameron got was from the President. He re-emphasised the special relationship. He did it again yesterday on the call. ANDREW MARR: Cameron's going to have to explain coalition governments to the President. AMBASSADOR SUSMAN: He certainly will. (Marr laughs) But we also feel that we have no better ally, no greater friend than the United Kingdom. We may have had a little bit of a tiff last night, but it only adds to the relationship. ANDREW MARR: (laughs) And how did you explain to the President the result of the election because that was your job? I mean you had to say right, this is how it's going to work. AMBASSADOR SUSMAN: I told the President that I felt the coalition government from America's point of view had some very, very favourable results because it appears we will have a stable government for anywhere from two to five, four to five years. And stability without paralysis is very important in governing, in facing the objectives that we have to face. ANDREW MARR: Let's turn to a really serious issue, of course, which was your bet with our Ambassador in Washington. AMBASSADOR SUSMAN: Oh yes, oh yes. ANDREW MARR: It was a burger, I think, or a meal was it? AMBASSADOR SUSMAN: No, no, it was a meal. It was a meal. ANDREW MARR: And now you've got a 1 all draw. Does that mean you just have to go and sit in solitary splendour in your respective restaurants? AMBASSADOR SUSMAN: No, no, we're going to get together and go 50-50 on some meal somewhere because it was a draw. ANDREW MARR: Indeed. Ambassador Susman, thanks very much indeed for joining us. See you again soon, I hope. AMBASSADOR SUSMAN: Always a pleasure. ANDREW MARR: Thank you. AMBASSADOR SUSMAN: Bye, bye. INTERVIEW ENDS
| 
E-mail this to a friend 
Printable version 
Bookmark with:
What are these?