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Bush Remains Skeptical About Iraq
Aired September 17, 2002 - 10:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: The Senate Armed Services Committee is meeting behind closed doors this hour, and possible military action against Iraq is sure to be the headline there. But those sands in the political landscape are shifting, virtually by the hour. CNN senior White House correspondent, John King, has the latest.
Good morning, John.
JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Leon.
You'll hear Marine One arriving here at the White House behind me. Moments from now, the president will leave for a political trip. He's off to Nashville, Tennessee, to help Lamar Alexander. the former governor of that state, a former presidential candidate who is running for Senate, as the president prepares to leave a fresh dose of skepticism from the White House this morning to this new offer from Iraq to let weapons inspectors back in.
Iraq says the United Nations can send them without conditions. The White House is saying the world has been down this road before, and Saddam Hussein has tried to lie and cheat his way out of weapons inspections in the past. A senior administration official, briefing reporters just moments ago, said that this is proof though that Saddam Hussein -- quote -- reacts to maximum pressure and this official saying it is now imperative that the United States Congress and the United Nations Security Council make clear, that letting weapons inspectors in is not enough, that Saddam Hussein must do a whole lot more, and must keep many more commitments to the United Nations that this administration says have been broken to avert a crisis and to avert possible military strikes -- Leon.
HARRIS: All right, John, what's on the president's agenda for the day?
KING: He's off to Tennessee to raise money for Lamar Alexander, he is running for the seat, as you might remember, Fred Thompson, he was the actor turned Senator, now he's gone back to being an actor for the NBC series "Law and Order." He will be the district attorney in the upcoming series. Fred Thompson leaving the Senate, Republicans very much want to hold that seat. Lamar Alexander, again the former governor, former education secretary, two times a failed presidential candidate in the Republican party, running for that Senate seat against the Congressman Bob Clemente. President Bush going down to lend a helping hand and, most importantly, to raise a lot of money.
HARRIS: Only in Washington, that Fred Thompson story, life imitating art imitating life once again. John King at the White House, thanks very much, John. We'll see you soon.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired September 17, 2002 - 10:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: The Senate Armed Services Committee is meeting behind closed doors this hour, and possible military action against Iraq is sure to be the headline there. But those sands in the political landscape are shifting, virtually by the hour. CNN senior White House correspondent, John King, has the latest.
Good morning, John.
JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Leon.
You'll hear Marine One arriving here at the White House behind me. Moments from now, the president will leave for a political trip. He's off to Nashville, Tennessee, to help Lamar Alexander. the former governor of that state, a former presidential candidate who is running for Senate, as the president prepares to leave a fresh dose of skepticism from the White House this morning to this new offer from Iraq to let weapons inspectors back in.
Iraq says the United Nations can send them without conditions. The White House is saying the world has been down this road before, and Saddam Hussein has tried to lie and cheat his way out of weapons inspections in the past. A senior administration official, briefing reporters just moments ago, said that this is proof though that Saddam Hussein -- quote -- reacts to maximum pressure and this official saying it is now imperative that the United States Congress and the United Nations Security Council make clear, that letting weapons inspectors in is not enough, that Saddam Hussein must do a whole lot more, and must keep many more commitments to the United Nations that this administration says have been broken to avert a crisis and to avert possible military strikes -- Leon.
HARRIS: All right, John, what's on the president's agenda for the day?
KING: He's off to Tennessee to raise money for Lamar Alexander, he is running for the seat, as you might remember, Fred Thompson, he was the actor turned Senator, now he's gone back to being an actor for the NBC series "Law and Order." He will be the district attorney in the upcoming series. Fred Thompson leaving the Senate, Republicans very much want to hold that seat. Lamar Alexander, again the former governor, former education secretary, two times a failed presidential candidate in the Republican party, running for that Senate seat against the Congressman Bob Clemente. President Bush going down to lend a helping hand and, most importantly, to raise a lot of money.
HARRIS: Only in Washington, that Fred Thompson story, life imitating art imitating life once again. John King at the White House, thanks very much, John. We'll see you soon.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
