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CNN Live At Daybreak

Bush Administration Far From Satisfied With Iraq's Offer

Aired September 18, 2002 - 05:02   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.


CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Well, the Bush administration is far from satisfied with Iraq's offer to allow U.N. weapons inspectors back into that country.
As CNN White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux tells us, the U.S. has more demands than disarmament.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Bush administration is openly dismissing Saddam Hussein's offer to allow U.N. weapons inspectors back into Iraq. At an education event in Tennessee, the president blasted the Iraqi leader.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This is a man who has delayed, denied, deceived.

MALVEAUX: The Bush administration says if and when inspectors return, the terms will be set by the United States and the United Nations.

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: But we cannot just take a one and a quarter page letter signed by the foreign minister as the end of this matter. We have seen this game before.

MALVEAUX: The White House says Iraqi weapons inspections and disarmament are not enough. It wants a new U.N. resolution with teeth that demands Iraq comply with other commitments, such as addressing human rights violations, reparations to Kuwait and an accounting of Gulf War prisoners.

But the administration's big concern now is that Saddam's offer will undermine a push to get the U.N. Security Council to commit to the enforcement of the current U.N. Security Council's resolutions or the proposal of new ones. Security Council members may decide simply to put inspectors back in and wait to see what happens before they authorize military action, a two step process preferred by Russia and France, which does not address Mr. Bush's goal of regime change.

RICHARD HOLBROOKE, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: No matter what Iraq does, regime change would mean Saddam Hussein being removed from power. And that's a very different objective from the one most of the international community, with the exception of the British, are prepared to support.

(END VIDEOTAPE) CALLAWAY: Bush hosts a breakfast meeting with the top four congressional leaders this morning. The leaders from both political parties are expected to show up with a draft of a congressional resolution backing Mr. Bush on Iraq.

Meanwhile, Vice President Dick Cheney still putting some pressure on the U.N. to deal with Iraq. His comments came during a Republican fundraiser.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The United Nations clearly has a vital interest in seeing to it that Saddam Hussein does comply with those resolutions and the question of whether or not the U.N. is relevant, going to be relevant in the 21st century turns very much on whether or not it can, in fact, bring significant agreement and develop a consensus upon the way forward with respect to insisting upon the full and complete compliance with those U.N. Security Council resolutions.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CALLAWAY: And as you've heard, there has been an apparent turnaround among some leading Democrats in Congress on the timing of a vote on Iraq. Two weeks ago, Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle questioned the need for a congressional resolution before the November elections. Well, now Daschle says he would like to move up that vote, even as he requests more evidence about the threat from Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. THOMAS DASCHLE (D-SD), SENATE MAJORITY LEADER: Well, I think that there will be a vote well before the election and I think it's important that we work together to achieve it. The real question is what will the resolution say and in part that's, that will be, that will be a function of the administration's own strategy and goals.

TRENT LOTT (R-MI), MINORITY LEADER: If we don't move this legislation on through the Senate in a reasonable period of time, there will be a problem of getting it completed and out of conference before we leave and it is possible then that it would be next January or February before we could get it completed. And I believe that every day that passes that we're not doing the best possible job in protecting homeland security is another day that we've taken an unnecessary risk.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CALLAWAY: Both Republicans and Democrats say a resolution on Iraq will pass overwhelmingly. And Iraq's offer on inspectors may hope, Iraq may hope its invitation to weapons inspectors is an offer that the U.N. can't refuse.

But as CNN's Rula Amin reports, Iraqi officials are under no illusions that war can now be avoided.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RULA AMIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Iraq's decision was announced too late into the night for the local newspapers to print it. Iraqis didn't learn about it until later in the morning, mostly through word of mouth. And it was a big relief.

"We hoped this would be an opening, a chance to move forward," says this man. Iraq's deputy prime minister was congratulated as he met with law makers and delegates from different parts of the world here to voice support for Iraq in a stand-off with the U.S.

Delegates like the British M.P. George Galloway, a long time advocate for lifting the sanctions and who had repeatedly urged Iraq to accept the return of the inspectors, now urging the world to reciprocate that Iraq has acted.

GEORGE GALLOWAY, BRITISH PARLIAMENT MEMBER: And I think that the world atmosphere will now, should now quickly assure Iraq that if it complies in good faith and in good grace with the demands of the Security Council, that it will not be invaded. That's logic.

AMIN: The threat of war is still looming. The U.S. dismissed the Iraqi announcement that Baghdad will allow the inspectors back as a tactical step designed to heat up U.N. action. Iraq says the U.S. response to its compromise proves Iraq's suspicions that the U.S. is only using the weapons of mass destruction issue as a pretext to attack Baghdad.

TARIQ AZIZ, IRAQI DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER: The issue is not so and so. The issue is oil. America, which now feels it is the great power, cannot use force whenever it wants. It wants to control oil and it can only control the oil of Iraq by destroying Iraq.

AMIN: Despite the skepticism, Tariq Aziz says Iraq will deliver on its promise.

GALLOWAY: I think that Iraq, to use an English phrase, has now bitten the bullet and I don't think it's going to spit the bullet out and spoil the effect.

AMIN (on camera): Iraq's deputy prime minister says this was a courageous, balanced decision. Diplomats say this was a preemptive strike by Iraq aimed at U.S. efforts to get the United Nations Security Council to issue a new resolution regarding Iraq that would sanction the use of force against Baghdad.

(voice-over): The U.N.'s weapons inspectors say they are ready to come to Baghdad any time. Iraq says it's ready for the challenge to give the inspectors unfettered access.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CALLAWAY: U.N. weapons inspectors and Iraqi officials are expected to meet in Vienna next week to finalize the arrangements for the inspectors' return.

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 18, 2002 - 05:02   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Well, the Bush administration is far from satisfied with Iraq's offer to allow U.N. weapons inspectors back into that country.
As CNN White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux tells us, the U.S. has more demands than disarmament.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Bush administration is openly dismissing Saddam Hussein's offer to allow U.N. weapons inspectors back into Iraq. At an education event in Tennessee, the president blasted the Iraqi leader.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This is a man who has delayed, denied, deceived.

MALVEAUX: The Bush administration says if and when inspectors return, the terms will be set by the United States and the United Nations.

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: But we cannot just take a one and a quarter page letter signed by the foreign minister as the end of this matter. We have seen this game before.

MALVEAUX: The White House says Iraqi weapons inspections and disarmament are not enough. It wants a new U.N. resolution with teeth that demands Iraq comply with other commitments, such as addressing human rights violations, reparations to Kuwait and an accounting of Gulf War prisoners.

But the administration's big concern now is that Saddam's offer will undermine a push to get the U.N. Security Council to commit to the enforcement of the current U.N. Security Council's resolutions or the proposal of new ones. Security Council members may decide simply to put inspectors back in and wait to see what happens before they authorize military action, a two step process preferred by Russia and France, which does not address Mr. Bush's goal of regime change.

RICHARD HOLBROOKE, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: No matter what Iraq does, regime change would mean Saddam Hussein being removed from power. And that's a very different objective from the one most of the international community, with the exception of the British, are prepared to support.

(END VIDEOTAPE) CALLAWAY: Bush hosts a breakfast meeting with the top four congressional leaders this morning. The leaders from both political parties are expected to show up with a draft of a congressional resolution backing Mr. Bush on Iraq.

Meanwhile, Vice President Dick Cheney still putting some pressure on the U.N. to deal with Iraq. His comments came during a Republican fundraiser.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The United Nations clearly has a vital interest in seeing to it that Saddam Hussein does comply with those resolutions and the question of whether or not the U.N. is relevant, going to be relevant in the 21st century turns very much on whether or not it can, in fact, bring significant agreement and develop a consensus upon the way forward with respect to insisting upon the full and complete compliance with those U.N. Security Council resolutions.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CALLAWAY: And as you've heard, there has been an apparent turnaround among some leading Democrats in Congress on the timing of a vote on Iraq. Two weeks ago, Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle questioned the need for a congressional resolution before the November elections. Well, now Daschle says he would like to move up that vote, even as he requests more evidence about the threat from Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. THOMAS DASCHLE (D-SD), SENATE MAJORITY LEADER: Well, I think that there will be a vote well before the election and I think it's important that we work together to achieve it. The real question is what will the resolution say and in part that's, that will be, that will be a function of the administration's own strategy and goals.

TRENT LOTT (R-MI), MINORITY LEADER: If we don't move this legislation on through the Senate in a reasonable period of time, there will be a problem of getting it completed and out of conference before we leave and it is possible then that it would be next January or February before we could get it completed. And I believe that every day that passes that we're not doing the best possible job in protecting homeland security is another day that we've taken an unnecessary risk.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CALLAWAY: Both Republicans and Democrats say a resolution on Iraq will pass overwhelmingly. And Iraq's offer on inspectors may hope, Iraq may hope its invitation to weapons inspectors is an offer that the U.N. can't refuse.

But as CNN's Rula Amin reports, Iraqi officials are under no illusions that war can now be avoided.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RULA AMIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Iraq's decision was announced too late into the night for the local newspapers to print it. Iraqis didn't learn about it until later in the morning, mostly through word of mouth. And it was a big relief.

"We hoped this would be an opening, a chance to move forward," says this man. Iraq's deputy prime minister was congratulated as he met with law makers and delegates from different parts of the world here to voice support for Iraq in a stand-off with the U.S.

Delegates like the British M.P. George Galloway, a long time advocate for lifting the sanctions and who had repeatedly urged Iraq to accept the return of the inspectors, now urging the world to reciprocate that Iraq has acted.

GEORGE GALLOWAY, BRITISH PARLIAMENT MEMBER: And I think that the world atmosphere will now, should now quickly assure Iraq that if it complies in good faith and in good grace with the demands of the Security Council, that it will not be invaded. That's logic.

AMIN: The threat of war is still looming. The U.S. dismissed the Iraqi announcement that Baghdad will allow the inspectors back as a tactical step designed to heat up U.N. action. Iraq says the U.S. response to its compromise proves Iraq's suspicions that the U.S. is only using the weapons of mass destruction issue as a pretext to attack Baghdad.

TARIQ AZIZ, IRAQI DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER: The issue is not so and so. The issue is oil. America, which now feels it is the great power, cannot use force whenever it wants. It wants to control oil and it can only control the oil of Iraq by destroying Iraq.

AMIN: Despite the skepticism, Tariq Aziz says Iraq will deliver on its promise.

GALLOWAY: I think that Iraq, to use an English phrase, has now bitten the bullet and I don't think it's going to spit the bullet out and spoil the effect.

AMIN (on camera): Iraq's deputy prime minister says this was a courageous, balanced decision. Diplomats say this was a preemptive strike by Iraq aimed at U.S. efforts to get the United Nations Security Council to issue a new resolution regarding Iraq that would sanction the use of force against Baghdad.

(voice-over): The U.N.'s weapons inspectors say they are ready to come to Baghdad any time. Iraq says it's ready for the challenge to give the inspectors unfettered access.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CALLAWAY: U.N. weapons inspectors and Iraqi officials are expected to meet in Vienna next week to finalize the arrangements for the inspectors' return.

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