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CNN Live Today
President Considering Military Options in Iraq
Aired August 26, 2002 - 13:14 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: In an unprecedented move, the Pentagon is keeping thousands of the National Guard and reservist troops on active duty for two years. About 14,000 troops have been informed that their current tours of duty could be extended another year. The forces most likely to serve longer tours are Air Force reservists and Air Guard security forces who fulfill key roles overseas.
President Bush is carefully considering his legal options on how to proceed with Iraq. White House lawyers have told the president he doesn't need congressional approval to strike Iraq. The War Powers Act of 1973 sought to limit the president's ability to go it alone. It states: The President in every possible instance shall consult with Congress before introducing United States Armed Forces into hostilities or into situations where imminent involvement in hostilities is clearly indicated by the circumstances, and after every such introduction shall consult regularly with the Congress until United States Armed Forces are no longer engaged in hostilities or have been removed from such situations.
Let's turn to CNN White House correspondent Kelly Wallace with more on that. Maybe you can put that in layman's terms, Kelly.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Thats a challenge there. The message, really, is the president -- the Constitution really calls the president Commander in Chief, gives him the authority to make military decisions, but you know, Kyra, the president's lawyers looking at a couple other things, too. They are looking up, besides the legal authority they believe in the Constitution; theyre also looking at the 1991 Persian Gulf Resolution passed by Congress, authorizing the use of force against Iraq and also the resolution passed by Congress back in September, really endorsing a military response in this campaign against terrorism.
So the headline, really, is the president's lawyers have concluded that legally, he is not required to go to Congress for approval for a military attack on Iraq, but here is the key point. Officials saying legal issues alone wont settle the matter. The president will consider other factors: historical factors and political considerations. And the officials we're talking to are pointing us to what happened in the case of the president's father. Youll recall during 1990 and 1991, the president's own lawyers told him that legally he was not required to go to Congress for approval to pursue a military attack on Iraq, but the former president decided to go to Congress, and then Congress approved a resolution, and then, of course, we had the U.S. campaign against Iraq, after Iraq invaded Kuwait. And, Kyra, whats also happening, we are seeing this administration making the case for regime change. In fact, Vice President Cheney speaking out on this day in Tennessee, speaking at a Veterans of Foreign Wars convention, he is saying that Saddam Hussein cannot be trusted, even if inspectors make their way back inside the country. He said he possesses weapons of mass destruction, that he can blackmail the world, the vice president saying the Iraqi people and Iraq's neighbors would be better off without him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VICE PRESIDENT DICK CHENEY: Today in Afghanistan the world has seen that America acts not to conquer but to liberate and remains in friendship to help the people build a future of stability, self- determination and peace. We would act in that same spirit after a regime change in Iraq. With our help, a liberated Iraq can be a great nation once again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALLACE: And aides continue to say that the president will consult with Congress, will consult with U.S. allies and, Kyra, they keep saying the president has not made any decision about what to do about Saddam Hussein. Kyra?
PHILLIPS: All right. Kelly Wallace, there in Texas, following the president. Thank you.
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