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White House Spokesman: U.S. Prepared to Disarm Hussein by Force

Aired February 16, 2003 - 08:00   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.


MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: The massive anti-war protests around the world have not gone unnoticed by the White House. A spokesmen says the president wants peace, but he is prepared to disarm Saddam Hussein by force if necessary. White House correspondent Dana Bash has more on that. Good morning, Dana.
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Miles. Well, these protests certainly can't help the case of the administration as they end yet another -- begin, I should say, yet another very critical week in terms of trying to figure out whether or not they will get support for military action if they do seek that at the U.N. Now, in terms of what the official reaction here is to the protest, as you said, the White House is saying that the president does want peace and that it's really up to Saddam Hussein whether or not there is a peaceful solution to this.

The official reaction, according to a spokeswoman, is that the president views force as a last resort. He still hopes for a peaceful resolution, and that it is up to Saddam Hussein. The president is a strong advocate for freedom. And democracy and one of the democratic values that we hold dear is the right of people to peacefully assemble and express their views. So they're saying that this is certainly the right of everybody around the world to protest.

One thing that they do remind us is that sometimes when there is a pro-war movement, you don't necessarily see them marching. However this all will play, no doubt, into the week ahead at the United Nations. Administration sources do tell us that they are planning to introduce another resolution, perhaps mid-week. And at this point, what they hope to do is have the resolution say that Iraq is in material breach of resolutions requiring it to disarm, and perhaps it would set a deadline for Saddam Hussein to comply.

The U.S. is planning this resolution with Great Britain. And unclear, really, Miles, whether or not this will get support. Today the French foreign minister told a French newspaper that he doesn't think that a second resolution is necessary at all because he thinks that the inspections should continue. And you heard a lot of that last week at the United Nations.

So what's going to happen next is a big question mark. That's certainly what administration officials here are working on with British officials to try to figure out what exactly the language could be for any resolution that they could get to pass. And then, of course, if thing do stall at U.N., the big question is whether or not the U.S. will go ahead with the United Nations -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Dana, I want to go back to that point you made about the administration saying the pro-war people are not out in the streets. It takes me back to the Nixon White House and the so-called silent majority. When you look at the poll numbers though, the majority out there really would like the U.S. to act in concert with the rest of the world vis-a-vis the United Nations. How closely is the White House watching those kind of numbers?

BASH: Well, when you ask them, they will say that they don't watch the polls. And the line here has been that the president -- if the president feels strongly about something, that even if there is zero percent support, if he feels that it is necessary to have some kind of military action in the interest of the United States that he will do it. However, clearly, the polls are showing that, like you said, that most Americans do think that this should go through the United Nations, and that is why you are seeing the administration continue to push forward through the United Nations.

You saw Secretary Powell make his impassioned speech last week, and now they are talking about a second resolution. So this all is trying to kind of do what the will of the Americans is, which is to work with the world community.

O'BRIEN: Dana Bash at the White House, staying inside away from the snow. Smart move, Dana.

BASH: Thanks.

O'BRIEN: We appreciate that. We'll check in with you in just a little bit.

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




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Aired February 16, 2003 - 08:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: The massive anti-war protests around the world have not gone unnoticed by the White House. A spokesmen says the president wants peace, but he is prepared to disarm Saddam Hussein by force if necessary. White House correspondent Dana Bash has more on that. Good morning, Dana.
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Miles. Well, these protests certainly can't help the case of the administration as they end yet another -- begin, I should say, yet another very critical week in terms of trying to figure out whether or not they will get support for military action if they do seek that at the U.N. Now, in terms of what the official reaction here is to the protest, as you said, the White House is saying that the president does want peace and that it's really up to Saddam Hussein whether or not there is a peaceful solution to this.

The official reaction, according to a spokeswoman, is that the president views force as a last resort. He still hopes for a peaceful resolution, and that it is up to Saddam Hussein. The president is a strong advocate for freedom. And democracy and one of the democratic values that we hold dear is the right of people to peacefully assemble and express their views. So they're saying that this is certainly the right of everybody around the world to protest.

One thing that they do remind us is that sometimes when there is a pro-war movement, you don't necessarily see them marching. However this all will play, no doubt, into the week ahead at the United Nations. Administration sources do tell us that they are planning to introduce another resolution, perhaps mid-week. And at this point, what they hope to do is have the resolution say that Iraq is in material breach of resolutions requiring it to disarm, and perhaps it would set a deadline for Saddam Hussein to comply.

The U.S. is planning this resolution with Great Britain. And unclear, really, Miles, whether or not this will get support. Today the French foreign minister told a French newspaper that he doesn't think that a second resolution is necessary at all because he thinks that the inspections should continue. And you heard a lot of that last week at the United Nations.

So what's going to happen next is a big question mark. That's certainly what administration officials here are working on with British officials to try to figure out what exactly the language could be for any resolution that they could get to pass. And then, of course, if thing do stall at U.N., the big question is whether or not the U.S. will go ahead with the United Nations -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Dana, I want to go back to that point you made about the administration saying the pro-war people are not out in the streets. It takes me back to the Nixon White House and the so-called silent majority. When you look at the poll numbers though, the majority out there really would like the U.S. to act in concert with the rest of the world vis-a-vis the United Nations. How closely is the White House watching those kind of numbers?

BASH: Well, when you ask them, they will say that they don't watch the polls. And the line here has been that the president -- if the president feels strongly about something, that even if there is zero percent support, if he feels that it is necessary to have some kind of military action in the interest of the United States that he will do it. However, clearly, the polls are showing that, like you said, that most Americans do think that this should go through the United Nations, and that is why you are seeing the administration continue to push forward through the United Nations.

You saw Secretary Powell make his impassioned speech last week, and now they are talking about a second resolution. So this all is trying to kind of do what the will of the Americans is, which is to work with the world community.

O'BRIEN: Dana Bash at the White House, staying inside away from the snow. Smart move, Dana.

BASH: Thanks.

O'BRIEN: We appreciate that. We'll check in with you in just a little bit.

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




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