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CNN Live At Daybreak

Wake-Up Call: President Bush's Plan

Aired January 29, 2003 - 06:03   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: The president heads to Grand Rapids, Michigan today, taking his new message to the people.
Our senior White House correspondent, John King, joins us on the phone for this morning's "Wake-Up Call."

Good morning.

JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: Thanks for waking up early with us. I know you must be tired.

KING: Oh, my pleasure.

COSTELLO: So, is the sentiment on Capitol Hill that the president made a new and compelling case for war?

KING: Well, certainly that is what the White House hopes, and he hopes to convince not only Capitol Hill, but Main Street America, as well as some key allies around the world. The president's top message was simply that if you believe the inspections are working in Baghdad and around Iraq, you are wrong. The president says the United States has intelligence that shows every day of these inspections Saddam Hussein has been taking steps to hide things and conceal things and to spy on the inspectors and to frustrate them.

The biggest part is the president also tried to move up the timetable for making a decision about war. You'll remember some allies on the Security Council are saying, let's revisit this issue in March. The president says no, that he will send Colin Powell to the Security Council February 5. That's one week from now.

COSTELLO: And, John, on February 5, supposedly Colin Powell is going to reveal some new intelligence evidence against Saddam Hussein. Why didn't the president reveal that information in his speech last night?

KING: He touched on it last night, but the White House came to the conclusion that his State of the Union address was not the place to do that; that Secretary Powell should do it to the Security Council. But the president obviously had to discuss his entire international agenda, his entire domestic agenda. So, the president heated up, if you will, saying the United States has such intelligence. Secretary Powell will now present it to the Security Council, and his message, we are told, after that presentation will be, my government meant what it said when it adopted the new resolution that said disarm or face serious consequences. Didn't your government mean what it said?

So, the secretary, as the voice of the president, about to put the will, if you will, of the other members of the Security Council to the test.

COSTELLO: Understand. John King, we'll let you get into work. Thank you very much for waking up with us on DAYBREAK.

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 January 29, 2003 - 06:03   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The president heads to Grand Rapids, Michigan today, taking his new message to the people.
Our senior White House correspondent, John King, joins us on the phone for this morning's "Wake-Up Call."

Good morning.

JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: Thanks for waking up early with us. I know you must be tired.

KING: Oh, my pleasure.

COSTELLO: So, is the sentiment on Capitol Hill that the president made a new and compelling case for war?

KING: Well, certainly that is what the White House hopes, and he hopes to convince not only Capitol Hill, but Main Street America, as well as some key allies around the world. The president's top message was simply that if you believe the inspections are working in Baghdad and around Iraq, you are wrong. The president says the United States has intelligence that shows every day of these inspections Saddam Hussein has been taking steps to hide things and conceal things and to spy on the inspectors and to frustrate them.

The biggest part is the president also tried to move up the timetable for making a decision about war. You'll remember some allies on the Security Council are saying, let's revisit this issue in March. The president says no, that he will send Colin Powell to the Security Council February 5. That's one week from now.

COSTELLO: And, John, on February 5, supposedly Colin Powell is going to reveal some new intelligence evidence against Saddam Hussein. Why didn't the president reveal that information in his speech last night?

KING: He touched on it last night, but the White House came to the conclusion that his State of the Union address was not the place to do that; that Secretary Powell should do it to the Security Council. But the president obviously had to discuss his entire international agenda, his entire domestic agenda. So, the president heated up, if you will, saying the United States has such intelligence. Secretary Powell will now present it to the Security Council, and his message, we are told, after that presentation will be, my government meant what it said when it adopted the new resolution that said disarm or face serious consequences. Didn't your government mean what it said?

So, the secretary, as the voice of the president, about to put the will, if you will, of the other members of the Security Council to the test.

COSTELLO: Understand. John King, we'll let you get into work. Thank you very much for waking up with us on DAYBREAK.

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