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CNN Live Today

America, Iraq Consider Talks, War

Aired August 08, 2002 - 12:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: The Bush administration is unmoved by the fact that Baghdad is unmoved by the rampant speculation that war is imminent.
Let's get the latest from the southwest wing, in Crawford, Texas, and CNN's Suzanne Malveaux.

Hi there, Suzanne.

What's happening there?

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka.

The president is really keeping a low profile at his Crawford ranch today, but he is being briefed by his national security team and he is keeping a close eye on developments in Iraq, as well as the Middle East. But the White House made it very clear this morning that Saddam Hussein's comments to his own Iraqi people mean absolutely nothing to the Bush administration, a senior administration official saying that we have heard this all before, we've it all before -- there is nothing new.

The White house strategy has been consistent towards Iraq. It was just last week that it dismissed an invitation for the United Nations to come in and resume talks on weapons inspections, even an invitation for members of Congress to come in and take a look for themselves.

The U.S. policy towards Iraq is, of course, regime change, the ousting of Saddam Hussein. That may even include military might. But yesterday, it was interesting that the president as well as the vice president both kind of toned down what some are calling a unilateralist approach, both of them saying that they would consult Congress as well as our U.S. allies before taking action against Saddam -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Suzanne, since neighbors of Iraq have already made it clear that they would not participate or do not support any U.S. action against Saddam Hussein, is the White House in any way alluding to something other than military action, since a staging ground in the nearby area would obviously be a difficulty?

MALVEAUX: Well, you're right. You're absolutely right, Fredricka. It would be very difficult to actually set up a staging ground either in Turkey or Saudi Arabia. We just heard from Saudi officials just yesterday saying that that is certainly not going to happen in their country. But neither have they been asked to actually put those weapons there for any other purpose than rather enforcing that no-fly zone.

But the president just yesterday emphasized that we are not just looking at military options. We are looking at diplomatic options, economic options, that that certainly hasn't been a decision that they have made so far.

WHITFIELD: All right, Suzanne Malveaux, from Crawford, Texas, where the president is vacationing, thank you very -- and working.

In Iraq today, the top brass are marshalling their forces while trying to marshal public opinion. On that front, Saddam Hussein himself received a VIP from Britain.

And CNN's Rym Brahimi joins us from Baghdad with more on that.

RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Fredricka, today was a big nationwide address from the president of Iraq to his people. A lot of tough rhetoric that we have already heard before -- and actually, this was the first time he was -- directly addressed the U.S. threats since they began late last year, saying the only reason he was doing this now was he was worried that they would interpret his silence on that issue as weakness on his part.

So as you said, there's been a lot of show of force in past few days. This morning, a military parade with about 10,000 volunteers, armed and chanting slogans, saying, Bush, Bush, listen well: We all love Saddam Hussein, saying they would fight to defend their ruler and their country, to the death, if need be.

At the same time, the president is also talking dialogue in his speech. He says that if the Untied States thought that war was the way to promote their own peace and security, it was wrong. There was another way, and that was dialogue.

Now the British member of parliament you just mentioned, George Gallaway, saw the president this morning. He saw President Saddam Hussein earlier this morning. And this is his impression of what the leader had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE GALLAWAY, BRITISH PARLIAMENT MEMBER: He was remarkably calm in the circumstances, as calm a world leader as I have ever met. He was also at great pains to demonstrate to me, and obviously it's part of a diplomatic offensive, to convince people that the offers they are making are sincere and, moreover, that they represent a way out of this crisis, a peaceful and diplomatic route out of this crisis.

And personally, I believe people should pick those olive branches up, especially when the alternative is a devastating war which will plunge the whole region into chaos and bloodshed and no one can calculate what the end result will be.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BRAHIMI: So the message that is being conveyed here, Fredricka, in Baghdad, from the Iraqi leadership is basically, if we have to go to war, we will fight, and we will defend our country and this leadership to the very end. But if we can avert it, we will try to move all diplomatic channels if possible -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Rym, can you give us a sense as to what was the primary objective of Britain's Gallaway for going to Iraq in the first place and having such dialogue?

BRAHIMI: Well, Fredricka, George Gallaway has been coming to Iraq since 1993. He was actually quite a vocal opponent, from what he told me a little earlier on, of the regime and of Saddam Hussein and very critical of the fact that during the Iran-Iraq war in late '80s, the West were selling weapons to Saddam Hussein. So he sort of seemed after the Gulf War to have moved positions a little bit.

He came initially because he wanted to see the effect of sanctions on Iraqi children, and so he has been coming on a regular bases in support of the Iraqi people, really. And his take on things, this is a message he said he was going to take back to Britain to members of Parliament, is why not test Saddam Hussein's sincerity, why not give him a chance. And he is saying also to the U.S. members of Congress, why don't you take him up on this invitation, go and visit Iraq for yourself, and if you are not convinced by that sincerity, if you are not convinced that he really wants to make peace and dialogue, you can still bomb him afterwards -- but you have got nothing to lose by trying -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Rym Brahimi, from Baghdad, thank you very much this afternoon.

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