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CNN Live At Daybreak
Bush Publicly Endorses Exile for Saddam Hussein
Aired January 31, 2003 - 06:04 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's closest ally in the growing dilemma over Iraq is British Prime Minister Tony Blair. And this morning, Blair is waking up in Washington, D.C. The prime minister arrived in the States last night. He and President Bush are expected to discuss actions against Iraq if it fails to comply with that U.N. disarmament resolution. President Bush hosts those talks today at Camp David in Maryland.
And next Wednesday, Secretary of State Colin Powell is expected to present evidence of Iraq's efforts to stall and deceive inspectors in an appearance before the U.N. Security Council. And on February 14, chief weapons inspector Hans Blix is due to report back to the Security Council.
Now before today's big meeting, President Bush is talking up the idea that Saddam Hussein could avoid war if he just goes into exile.
Our John King is at the White House with that and more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The president is continuing his consultations with top allies and making clear his patience with Saddam Hussein and with the United Nations Security Council is running short. The president confers Friday at Camp David with his closest ally, the British Prime Minister Tony Blair. This, the day after consultations here at the White House with another strong ally, the Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. It was at that meeting that Mr. Bush made clear his patience for a diplomatic standoff was running thin and he also said intriguingly that there was one way for Saddam Hussein to end the standoff.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And hopefully the pressure of the free world will convince Mr. Saddam Hussein to relinquish power. And should he choose to leave the country along with a lot of the other henchmen who have tortured the Iranian -- Iraqi people, we would welcome that of course.
KING: No one at the White House believes Saddam Hussein will step aside voluntarily. And so the focus is on war planning and on making the case to the United Nations Security Council that it must conclude that Saddam is not keeping his word to immediately disarm and to cooperate with the U.N. weapons inspectors.
Mr. Blair stopped in Spain on his way to the United States and echoed Mr. Bush in saying the credibility of the United Nations is now at stake. TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: This is an important moment for us all. It is a test of the seriousness with which we are treating this issue of weapons of mass destruction. It is a test also of the United Nations and the international community and how we resolve it through the United Nations, which is what we want to see.
KING: The White House is openly dismissive of a new invitation from Baghdad for the top two United Nations weapons inspectors to return to Iraq for another meeting before they next brief the Security Council two weeks from now. One top White House official said it sounded like -- quote -- more talk, no action from Iraq," and went on to say "there is nothing to negotiate."
John King, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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 31, 2003 - 06:04 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's closest ally in the growing dilemma over Iraq is British Prime Minister Tony Blair. And this morning, Blair is waking up in Washington, D.C. The prime minister arrived in the States last night. He and President Bush are expected to discuss actions against Iraq if it fails to comply with that U.N. disarmament resolution. President Bush hosts those talks today at Camp David in Maryland.
And next Wednesday, Secretary of State Colin Powell is expected to present evidence of Iraq's efforts to stall and deceive inspectors in an appearance before the U.N. Security Council. And on February 14, chief weapons inspector Hans Blix is due to report back to the Security Council.
Now before today's big meeting, President Bush is talking up the idea that Saddam Hussein could avoid war if he just goes into exile.
Our John King is at the White House with that and more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The president is continuing his consultations with top allies and making clear his patience with Saddam Hussein and with the United Nations Security Council is running short. The president confers Friday at Camp David with his closest ally, the British Prime Minister Tony Blair. This, the day after consultations here at the White House with another strong ally, the Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. It was at that meeting that Mr. Bush made clear his patience for a diplomatic standoff was running thin and he also said intriguingly that there was one way for Saddam Hussein to end the standoff.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And hopefully the pressure of the free world will convince Mr. Saddam Hussein to relinquish power. And should he choose to leave the country along with a lot of the other henchmen who have tortured the Iranian -- Iraqi people, we would welcome that of course.
KING: No one at the White House believes Saddam Hussein will step aside voluntarily. And so the focus is on war planning and on making the case to the United Nations Security Council that it must conclude that Saddam is not keeping his word to immediately disarm and to cooperate with the U.N. weapons inspectors.
Mr. Blair stopped in Spain on his way to the United States and echoed Mr. Bush in saying the credibility of the United Nations is now at stake. TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: This is an important moment for us all. It is a test of the seriousness with which we are treating this issue of weapons of mass destruction. It is a test also of the United Nations and the international community and how we resolve it through the United Nations, which is what we want to see.
KING: The White House is openly dismissive of a new invitation from Baghdad for the top two United Nations weapons inspectors to return to Iraq for another meeting before they next brief the Security Council two weeks from now. One top White House official said it sounded like -- quote -- more talk, no action from Iraq," and went on to say "there is nothing to negotiate."
John King, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
