Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Today

Arab League Declares Unity Against Attack

Aired September 05, 2002 - 10:01   ET

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


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Up first this hour on CNN, the war rhetoric heating up at the White House, and some chilling words echo from the Arab world. The secretary general of the Arab League says that Washington's threats against Iraq are considered threats against all Arab countries, and any such attack would be very dangerous.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AMR MOUSSA, ARAB LEAGUE SECY. GENERAL: Everybody in the middle east and beyond is angry and frustrated and cannot accept what is going on in the occupied Palestinian territories, in the Palestinian- occupied territories. Therefore, the -- an action against Iraq, with the general opposition of the world, wide opposition to such an action, I believe would lead to serious repercussions in this region and perhaps beyond.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: The Arab League Secretary-General Moussa will be a guest, live on CNN, coming up at noon Eastern.

Right now, let's go to our senior White House correspondent John King, who is at the White House this morning.

John, good morning.

JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Daryn.

Those comments by the Arab secretary general, another reminder of the steep challenge the president faces on the world stage in trying to make the case that Saddam Hussein must go, and additionally trying to make the case that it is possible, very possible, some say inevitable, there will be a U.S.-led military confrontation with Saddam Hussein down the road.

Still, as the president travels today, he is out fund-raising today for Republican candidates. The White House says that the president is prepared to make that case. First, to the members of Congress, British Prime Minister Tony Blair will be at Camp David over the weekend, two leaders swapping notes, talking about Russia, China, France in the days ahead, as well as a major speech to the United Nations next week in which we are told Mr. Bush will lay down the challenge, saying that the credibility of the nation is at stake if it turns its back and allows Saddam Hussein to break the rules, violate those agreements he made with the United Nations at the end of the Persian Gulf War, now more than a decade ago. And apologies from here, Daryn, they are doing some rather aggressive landscaping, so there is a bit of background noise.

KAGAN: We will cut you loose in just a second, so you can give them a hand there.

But first a question, yesterday we heard the president as he made those comments that we showed here on CNN, talking not just about working with Congress, but working with certain world leaders. What can you tell us more about that, John?

KING: Well, in the short term, he has one ally, the British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who again, will be here this Saturday. And even the British government has said, first he would like to see if they can win agreement to get those weapons inspectors back into Iraq, and see how that would go. The administration believes more inspections would be doomed to failure, because this administration is convinced Saddam Hussein would frustrate them.

But the administration also acknowledges the political reality that if you are to build any support down the road for a possible military action, there may have to be another debate about inspections, and indeed, there may have to be another effort to put the inspectors into Iraq. What The president wants to say is identifying what the vice president said in his speeches last week,

The administration does not want a three strikes and you're out policy, does not want negotiations. If there are frustrations during any new inspections, the administration's position would be, if inspectors go in, and they are turned away, they should immediately be pulled out of Iraq, and President Hussein should be put on notice that he should accept the consequences.

KAGAN: John King at the White House. It's OK, my friend, cut you loose. Go help the wood chippers there on the White House Lawn. Do your duty.

KING: Thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com