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CNN Live At Daybreak
Bush Will Continue Support Tour Today
Aired September 20, 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.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush will continue his support tour today. He'll try to get Russia to support a tough new Security Council resolution against Iraq. So Mr. Bush will host Russia's foreign minister at the White House and he may call President Vladimir Putin.
CNN's John King has the latest on the administration's push to remove Saddam Hussein.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The subject? Iraq. The purpose? Make sure there is zero ambiguity.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If the United Nations Security Council won't deal with the problem, the United States and some of our friends will.
KING: To reinforce the point, the White House asked Congress to give the president a broad mandate to use military force against Iraq. A draft administration resolution calls for regime change in Baghdad and urges Congress to authorize the president to use all means he determines to be appropriate, including force, to achieve three objectives: forcing Iraqi compliance with United Nations resolutions, defending the national security interests of the United States and restoring peace and security in the Middle East region.
BUSH: If you want to keep the peace, you've got to have the authorization to use force.
KING: The exact language is subject to negotiation and some in Congress believe the White House draft gives Mr. Bush too much latitude. But law makers who met with the president Thursday predict he will get most of what he wants.
REP. NORMAN DICKS (D), WASHINGTON: It is becoming more and more obvious that Saddam Hussein not only possesses, but has the intent to use weapons of mass destruction against U.S. interests abroad and possibly the United States.
KING: Claims by Iraq's foreign minister that his country has no weapons of mass destruction and has cooperated with the United Nations were met with scorn.
BUSH: It's the same old song and dance that we've heard for 11 long years and the United Nations Security Council must show backbone, must step up and hold this regime to account. KING: But Russia is among those still skeptical of Mr. Bush's call for a tough new Security Council resolution. Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov says a new round of inspections could easily verify whether Iraq has major weapons programs.
(on camera): But the White House says inspectors should return only after the Security Council makes clear any interface by Iraq would justify military strikes. The president will press his case directly with Russia's foreign minister at a meeting here at the White House on Friday and administration officials say there's also time blocked out in the morning for a telephone call to the Russian president, Vladimir Putin.
John King, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: If there is a U.S. attack on Iraq, ground troops will be needed. That's what Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told the Senate Armed Services Committee. He also says it is possible Iraq would use chemical or biological weapons against U.S. forces. And Rumsfeld had this to say about Iraq's offer to allow weapons inspectors back in.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: Iraq has demonstrated great skill at playing the international community. When it's the right moment to lean forward, they do. When it's the right moment to lean back, they do. It's a dance. They go on for months and, indeed, they've gone on for years, jerking the U.N. around. When they find that things are not going their way, they throw out a proposal like this. The issue is not inspections, the issue is disarmament.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Jamie McIntyre has an exclusive interview with Secretary Rumsfeld and you can see that tomorrow at noon Eastern here on CNN.
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 20, 2002 - 05:02 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush will continue his support tour today. He'll try to get Russia to support a tough new Security Council resolution against Iraq. So Mr. Bush will host Russia's foreign minister at the White House and he may call President Vladimir Putin.
CNN's John King has the latest on the administration's push to remove Saddam Hussein.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The subject? Iraq. The purpose? Make sure there is zero ambiguity.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If the United Nations Security Council won't deal with the problem, the United States and some of our friends will.
KING: To reinforce the point, the White House asked Congress to give the president a broad mandate to use military force against Iraq. A draft administration resolution calls for regime change in Baghdad and urges Congress to authorize the president to use all means he determines to be appropriate, including force, to achieve three objectives: forcing Iraqi compliance with United Nations resolutions, defending the national security interests of the United States and restoring peace and security in the Middle East region.
BUSH: If you want to keep the peace, you've got to have the authorization to use force.
KING: The exact language is subject to negotiation and some in Congress believe the White House draft gives Mr. Bush too much latitude. But law makers who met with the president Thursday predict he will get most of what he wants.
REP. NORMAN DICKS (D), WASHINGTON: It is becoming more and more obvious that Saddam Hussein not only possesses, but has the intent to use weapons of mass destruction against U.S. interests abroad and possibly the United States.
KING: Claims by Iraq's foreign minister that his country has no weapons of mass destruction and has cooperated with the United Nations were met with scorn.
BUSH: It's the same old song and dance that we've heard for 11 long years and the United Nations Security Council must show backbone, must step up and hold this regime to account. KING: But Russia is among those still skeptical of Mr. Bush's call for a tough new Security Council resolution. Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov says a new round of inspections could easily verify whether Iraq has major weapons programs.
(on camera): But the White House says inspectors should return only after the Security Council makes clear any interface by Iraq would justify military strikes. The president will press his case directly with Russia's foreign minister at a meeting here at the White House on Friday and administration officials say there's also time blocked out in the morning for a telephone call to the Russian president, Vladimir Putin.
John King, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: If there is a U.S. attack on Iraq, ground troops will be needed. That's what Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told the Senate Armed Services Committee. He also says it is possible Iraq would use chemical or biological weapons against U.S. forces. And Rumsfeld had this to say about Iraq's offer to allow weapons inspectors back in.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: Iraq has demonstrated great skill at playing the international community. When it's the right moment to lean forward, they do. When it's the right moment to lean back, they do. It's a dance. They go on for months and, indeed, they've gone on for years, jerking the U.N. around. When they find that things are not going their way, they throw out a proposal like this. The issue is not inspections, the issue is disarmament.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Jamie McIntyre has an exclusive interview with Secretary Rumsfeld and you can see that tomorrow at noon Eastern here on CNN.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
