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CNN Live Today
President Bush, Lawmakers Met This Morning
Aired September 26, 2002 - 11:02 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.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush presses ahead with the case against Iraq. Mr. Bush spoke out just a short time ago -- you saw it live here on CNN -- about the need to remove Saddam Hussein from power. His remarks followed a meeting with lawmakers from both parties.
Our White House correspondent, Suzanne Malveaux, joins us with details.
Suzanne -- the tone we heard from the president seemed much more conciliatory than what we had heard in days past toward the Democrats, and those in the Senate in particular.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, it certainly was. You see this White House really extending an olive branch to those Democrats and Republicans, after the flurry over the last 24 hours of whether or not this whole issue has become really politicized.
What I found really interesting in his remarks, however, when he mentioned the U.N. Security Council resolution requiring Iraq to disarm, he said, disarm or that it would be enforced, but did not talk about regime change. That is really a point that is being debated within the administration of whether or not that type of language, that tough language, will include the requirement for a regime change, which is U.S. policy, but certainly what Britain and many of the other permanent members of the U.N. Security Council really do not agree on that point. Very interesting that he actually talked about disarmament, making that point known, but not talking so much about removing Saddam Hussein.
Now, as you know, there is a tough congressional resolution, the language being worked out over the last couple of weeks. They really hope to push that through in the next week or so.
The president again having a rather conciliatory tone from Democrats as well as Republicans. This, after the big flap, Senator Daschle calling for an apology from the president, saying this whole thing has become politicized. Let's take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We are engaged in a deliberate and civil and thorough discussion. We are moving toward a strong resolution, and all of us, and many others in Congress, are united in our determination to confront an urgent threat to America. And by passing this resolution, we'll send a clear message to the world, and to the Iraqi regime, the demands of the U.N. Security Council must be followed. The Iraqi dictator must be disarmed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: So, really, it is a full-court press now to try to get that congressional resolution passed. The White House believes it will be a lot more successful in getting that done rather quickly, than this U.N. Security Council resolution that it has been working behind the scenes with the permanent members, working on that language they hope that will be acceptable to U.S. allies. But at the same time, realizing that U.S. allies do not want regime change; that is not what they are calling for. But rather it seems to be that the unified message is that of disarmament -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Suzanne, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice came out yesterday. She did an interview with Jim Lehrer. And it was kind of in response to the push of, "give us more information." And she talked a little bit about what she believed is the link between al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein and Iraq. Let's listen to that byte, and then I want to talk to you about it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: We clearly know that, there were in the past, and have been contacts between senior Iraqi officials and members of al Qaeda going back for actually quite a long time. We know, too, that several of the detainees, in particular some high-ranking detainees, have said that Iraq provided some training to al Qaeda in chemical weapons development.
So, yes, there are contacts between Iraq and al Qaeda. We know that Saddam Hussein has a long history with terrorism in general, and there are some al Qaeda personnel who found refuge in Baghdad.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: Suzanne, in the past when the Bush administration has been pushed to give more information, to give more facts, more detail, that they pretty much have said, well, we can't do that in the interest of national security. Do you think, though, this is going to be the beginning of a trend, where they let a little bit trickle out, little by little?
MALVEAUX: Well, first of all, I have to clarify something. My colleague, David Ensor, is saying that this information coming from the national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice, is nothing new. It is something that was revealed some two months ago through information that was provided by an al Qaeda detainee, so that this is not necessarily new intelligence.
But one thing that the White House has been doing is that they have been giving members of Congress, as well as us, information that was classified at one point, that has become declassified. So, they are able to give more nuggets of information, making the case, building a stronger case, in their view, against Saddam Hussein and the link to al Qaeda.
One thing the White House has said pretty consistently is that there are members of al Qaeda that are in Iraq, but that is northern Iraq that is under the control of the Kurds, not Saddam Hussein. So, they have been making the argument that, yes, there is this link, but it's really difficult to say just what is new intelligence and new information, and what has been put out there before.
One thing that the White House has done in terms of strategy is they have allowed British Prime Minister Tony Blair to, at certain occasions, take the front there with his dossier that he had just released last week; that, giving more detailed information. The White House says that allows them really to preserve the sources, protect the intelligence sources here, and at the same time, have someone else, our strongest ally, make the case against Saddam Hussein.
KAGAN: Good clarification. Suzanne Malveaux at the White House -- thanks so much.
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 26, 2002 - 11:02 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush presses ahead with the case against Iraq. Mr. Bush spoke out just a short time ago -- you saw it live here on CNN -- about the need to remove Saddam Hussein from power. His remarks followed a meeting with lawmakers from both parties.
Our White House correspondent, Suzanne Malveaux, joins us with details.
Suzanne -- the tone we heard from the president seemed much more conciliatory than what we had heard in days past toward the Democrats, and those in the Senate in particular.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, it certainly was. You see this White House really extending an olive branch to those Democrats and Republicans, after the flurry over the last 24 hours of whether or not this whole issue has become really politicized.
What I found really interesting in his remarks, however, when he mentioned the U.N. Security Council resolution requiring Iraq to disarm, he said, disarm or that it would be enforced, but did not talk about regime change. That is really a point that is being debated within the administration of whether or not that type of language, that tough language, will include the requirement for a regime change, which is U.S. policy, but certainly what Britain and many of the other permanent members of the U.N. Security Council really do not agree on that point. Very interesting that he actually talked about disarmament, making that point known, but not talking so much about removing Saddam Hussein.
Now, as you know, there is a tough congressional resolution, the language being worked out over the last couple of weeks. They really hope to push that through in the next week or so.
The president again having a rather conciliatory tone from Democrats as well as Republicans. This, after the big flap, Senator Daschle calling for an apology from the president, saying this whole thing has become politicized. Let's take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We are engaged in a deliberate and civil and thorough discussion. We are moving toward a strong resolution, and all of us, and many others in Congress, are united in our determination to confront an urgent threat to America. And by passing this resolution, we'll send a clear message to the world, and to the Iraqi regime, the demands of the U.N. Security Council must be followed. The Iraqi dictator must be disarmed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: So, really, it is a full-court press now to try to get that congressional resolution passed. The White House believes it will be a lot more successful in getting that done rather quickly, than this U.N. Security Council resolution that it has been working behind the scenes with the permanent members, working on that language they hope that will be acceptable to U.S. allies. But at the same time, realizing that U.S. allies do not want regime change; that is not what they are calling for. But rather it seems to be that the unified message is that of disarmament -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Suzanne, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice came out yesterday. She did an interview with Jim Lehrer. And it was kind of in response to the push of, "give us more information." And she talked a little bit about what she believed is the link between al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein and Iraq. Let's listen to that byte, and then I want to talk to you about it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: We clearly know that, there were in the past, and have been contacts between senior Iraqi officials and members of al Qaeda going back for actually quite a long time. We know, too, that several of the detainees, in particular some high-ranking detainees, have said that Iraq provided some training to al Qaeda in chemical weapons development.
So, yes, there are contacts between Iraq and al Qaeda. We know that Saddam Hussein has a long history with terrorism in general, and there are some al Qaeda personnel who found refuge in Baghdad.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: Suzanne, in the past when the Bush administration has been pushed to give more information, to give more facts, more detail, that they pretty much have said, well, we can't do that in the interest of national security. Do you think, though, this is going to be the beginning of a trend, where they let a little bit trickle out, little by little?
MALVEAUX: Well, first of all, I have to clarify something. My colleague, David Ensor, is saying that this information coming from the national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice, is nothing new. It is something that was revealed some two months ago through information that was provided by an al Qaeda detainee, so that this is not necessarily new intelligence.
But one thing that the White House has been doing is that they have been giving members of Congress, as well as us, information that was classified at one point, that has become declassified. So, they are able to give more nuggets of information, making the case, building a stronger case, in their view, against Saddam Hussein and the link to al Qaeda.
One thing the White House has said pretty consistently is that there are members of al Qaeda that are in Iraq, but that is northern Iraq that is under the control of the Kurds, not Saddam Hussein. So, they have been making the argument that, yes, there is this link, but it's really difficult to say just what is new intelligence and new information, and what has been put out there before.
One thing that the White House has done in terms of strategy is they have allowed British Prime Minister Tony Blair to, at certain occasions, take the front there with his dossier that he had just released last week; that, giving more detailed information. The White House says that allows them really to preserve the sources, protect the intelligence sources here, and at the same time, have someone else, our strongest ally, make the case against Saddam Hussein.
KAGAN: Good clarification. Suzanne Malveaux at the White House -- thanks so much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
