Former Secretary of State Alexander Haig

This is a partial transcript from Your World with Neil Cavuto, March 13, 2003, that was edited for clarity. Click here for complete access to all of Neil Cavuto's CEO interviews.

Watch Your World w/Cavuto weekdays at 4 p.m. and 1 a.m. ET.

NEIL CAVUTO, HOST: Is Saddam Hussein having a good laugh, at our expense? A world divided and the U.S. challenged at every turn? Is this hurting or helping President Bush?

With some thoughts now, I'm happy to say, the former secretary of state, Alexander Haig. Secretary, always a pleasure.

ALEXANDER HAIG, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: It's good to be with you.

CAVUTO: Secretary, what do you think of that, that the more delays we're having — obviously, Saddam Hussein's loving this — that it hurts the president's case? What do you think?

HAIG: Well, it is a funny situation in some respects, the American people are getting fed up with the delays and, therefore, they are becoming more supportive for immediate military action.

On the other hand, the popularity of the president, the uncertainty of the markets is costing quite a bit in terms of the president's political support, which is essential to him.

CAVUTO: Do you think he needs that support, Secretary? There has been talk that, look, just go ahead, you're going to go in there. Do it and deal with the French and the Germans and the Russians and the Chinese later.

What do you think of that?

HAIG: Well, I wouldn't include the Chinese in this mix, because I think the Chinese are not going to put obstacles in the way.

CAVUTO: In other words, they didn't say...

HAIG: I do think the Russians and the French.

CAVUTO: Right.

HAIG: I think the Russians and the French are the two very difficult obstacles. We shouldn't be surprised about the Russians, although from time to time we've been naive, recently.

But the French are a great disappointment because they threaten to veto and that means what they have done is shatter the strategy of the western world to convince Saddam if he doesn't disarm, he's going to face force.

CAVUTO: So is there any — I'm sorry, sir. But is there any risk our going it essentially alone or repudiating whatever the U.N. wants to do, longer term?

HAIG: Well, no, I don't think there's a risk, because if you look back at the history of the United Nations, it only voted "yea" for war once in 1950 when the Russians didn't show for a Security Council meeting, and once during the Iraqi original dust-off in the Gulf War when they were — had invaded Kuwait and it wasn't difficult for anybody to vote yes.

Now we had a strong affirmation with the 17th resolution, and we should have stuck with it, I think.

But there are so many cute diplomats running around putting pressure on the president, and he is so anxious to do a preservation job on the authority and credibility of the Security Council...

CAVUTO: So you would just say bag them? You would say bag them, bag the French, just full throttle?

HAIG: I think if we go in there, the war will rapidly dissipate the Doubting Thomases. Because we're going to find weapons of mass destruction; we're going to find all kinds of violations, as we have already. But this is going to be proof in hand and if we've gotten rid of this son of a gun, then the American people, certainly the Europeans, anybody that wants to do business, is going to rally around the wisdom of the United States' courage.

CAVUTO: All right.

HAIG: And that's what we're confronting.

CAVUTO: Alexander Haig appreciate it, sir.

HAIG: All right.

CAVUTO: Former secretary of state, Alexander Haig.

Content and Programming Copyright 2003 Fox News Network, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Transcription Copyright 2003 eMediaMillWorks, Inc. (f/k/a Federal Document Clearing House, Inc.), which takes sole responsibility for the accuracy of the transcription. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No license is granted to the user of this material except for the user's personal or internal use and, in such case, only one copy may be printed, nor shall user use any material for commercial purposes or in any fashion that may infringe upon Fox News Network, Inc.'s and eMediaMillWorks, Inc.'s copyrights or other proprietary rights or interests in the material. This is not a legal transcript for purposes of litigation.