Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Live Saturday
Annan Speaks Out on Iraq Issue
Aired February 08, 2003 - 16:31 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 LIN, CNN ANCHOR: A warning today from the U.N. leader for President Bush. Do not go it alone against Iraq. U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan says the U.S. will be more successful if it sticks with its allies. But President Bush's patience is wearing thin. CNN's White House correspondent Dana Bash has more on that angle, and he certainly sounded very determined in his radio address today, Dana.
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: He certainly did. And I'll tell you about that in a minute. But I wanted to give you the official response from the White House on Kofi Annan's remarks. A White House spokesman says, quote, "our position with response to the goal of the U.N. in enforcing 1441 it quite clear."
Now, what is that position? He did refer to that in the radio address today, as you say, Carol. The president said that he thinks that Colin Powell's presentation at the United Nations, talking about the evidence that Iraq is not coming clean with its weapons inspections should be clear enough, should be enough for the U.N. to understand that Iraq, he believes, probably won't ever comply, and that they should stick by the resolution that they passed in November, 1441, which says that Iraq needs to disarm or suffer serious consequences.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The United States would welcome and support a new resolution making clear that the Security Council stands behind its previous demands. Yet resolutions mean little without resolve. And the United States, along with a growing coalition of nations, will take whatever action is necessary to defend ourselves and disarm the Iraqi regime.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: As part of an intensive diplomatic effort to get international support, President Bush, who was at Camp David this weekend, placed a phone call to the Italian prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi. Talked to him about helping him get support from some of the reluctant allies. Italy is like-minded in its ideas towards Iraq.
And the president will have another meeting with a like-minded leader on Monday. He will meet with the Australian prime minister here at the White House.
Now, one concern at the White House this weekend, Carol, is the fact that these meetings are going on in Baghdad with Hans Blix and Mohamed ElBaradei. They are meeting with Iraqi officials, and there is some sense that if Iraq gives or says that they're making some concessions to the U.N., that perhaps it will make the U.S.' attempts to get -- to convince reluctant allies that these weapons inspections are not working, it will make that job a lot tougher.
LIN: All right. Thank you very much, Dana Bash, with the very latest out of the White House. Thank you.
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 February 8, 2003 - 16:31 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: A warning today from the U.N. leader for President Bush. Do not go it alone against Iraq. U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan says the U.S. will be more successful if it sticks with its allies. But President Bush's patience is wearing thin. CNN's White House correspondent Dana Bash has more on that angle, and he certainly sounded very determined in his radio address today, Dana.
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: He certainly did. And I'll tell you about that in a minute. But I wanted to give you the official response from the White House on Kofi Annan's remarks. A White House spokesman says, quote, "our position with response to the goal of the U.N. in enforcing 1441 it quite clear."
Now, what is that position? He did refer to that in the radio address today, as you say, Carol. The president said that he thinks that Colin Powell's presentation at the United Nations, talking about the evidence that Iraq is not coming clean with its weapons inspections should be clear enough, should be enough for the U.N. to understand that Iraq, he believes, probably won't ever comply, and that they should stick by the resolution that they passed in November, 1441, which says that Iraq needs to disarm or suffer serious consequences.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The United States would welcome and support a new resolution making clear that the Security Council stands behind its previous demands. Yet resolutions mean little without resolve. And the United States, along with a growing coalition of nations, will take whatever action is necessary to defend ourselves and disarm the Iraqi regime.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: As part of an intensive diplomatic effort to get international support, President Bush, who was at Camp David this weekend, placed a phone call to the Italian prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi. Talked to him about helping him get support from some of the reluctant allies. Italy is like-minded in its ideas towards Iraq.
And the president will have another meeting with a like-minded leader on Monday. He will meet with the Australian prime minister here at the White House.
Now, one concern at the White House this weekend, Carol, is the fact that these meetings are going on in Baghdad with Hans Blix and Mohamed ElBaradei. They are meeting with Iraqi officials, and there is some sense that if Iraq gives or says that they're making some concessions to the U.N., that perhaps it will make the U.S.' attempts to get -- to convince reluctant allies that these weapons inspections are not working, it will make that job a lot tougher.
LIN: All right. Thank you very much, Dana Bash, with the very latest out of the White House. Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
