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CNN Live At Daybreak
White House Pressures United Nations
Aired February 26, 2003 - 07:03 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.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: More now on our top story. Saddam Hussein denies Iraq has missiles that violate U.N. rules. The denial comes as President Bush applies more pressure, challenging the United Nations to honor its word and disarm Baghdad.
Chris Burns joins us now from the White House with more.
Good morning -- Chris.
CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.
Well, along with trying to build support for that U.N. resolution, President Bush meets today here at the White House with one of his members of the coalition of the willing. That's the president of Azerbaijan. They'll be meeting today.
President Bush also makes a speech to the American Enterprise Institute this evening. Expected to touch to very heavily on Iraq.
President Bush saying that no matter what Saddam says, that the world won't be fooled again.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Obviously, we'd like to have a positive vote. That's why we've submitted a Security Council resolution, along with Great Britain and Spain. But as I've said all along, it would be helpful and useful, but I don't believe we need a second resolution. Saddam Hussein hasn't disarmed. He may play like he's going to disarm, but he hasn't disarmed. And for the sake of peace and the security of the American people, he must disarm.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNS: On another note, the president's first job this morning is to meet with the Latino Coalition. The president trying to drum up support for his troubled nomination of Miguel Estrada, the federal appeals court judge nominee -- Paula.
ZAHN: Chris, I wanted to ask you about something else that's getting a lot of ink this morning, and that is the story that Representative Fitzgerald from Illinois has said that last month, the president sat down and talked with him, and said that he would order Saddam's assassination if there was a clear shot. Later in the day, Ari Fleischer came out yesterday and said the president doesnt recall he said that or didn't say that. The staff doesn't recall the president saying that. What happened, do we know?
BURNS: Well, not very clear. I guess only a fly on the wall would be able to tell us that. But Ari Fleisher also said that there is an executive order in place against assassinating any foreign leaders. That remains in place, he says, even for Saddam Hussein.
But, he also said that if war did break out, the U.S. would be striking against Iraqi command and control, and that, of course, could include Saddam Hussein. So, in the event of war perhaps all bets are off -- Paula.
ZAHN: Chris Burns, thanks so much. Good luck in the snowstorm.
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 26, 2003 - 07:03 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: More now on our top story. Saddam Hussein denies Iraq has missiles that violate U.N. rules. The denial comes as President Bush applies more pressure, challenging the United Nations to honor its word and disarm Baghdad.
Chris Burns joins us now from the White House with more.
Good morning -- Chris.
CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.
Well, along with trying to build support for that U.N. resolution, President Bush meets today here at the White House with one of his members of the coalition of the willing. That's the president of Azerbaijan. They'll be meeting today.
President Bush also makes a speech to the American Enterprise Institute this evening. Expected to touch to very heavily on Iraq.
President Bush saying that no matter what Saddam says, that the world won't be fooled again.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Obviously, we'd like to have a positive vote. That's why we've submitted a Security Council resolution, along with Great Britain and Spain. But as I've said all along, it would be helpful and useful, but I don't believe we need a second resolution. Saddam Hussein hasn't disarmed. He may play like he's going to disarm, but he hasn't disarmed. And for the sake of peace and the security of the American people, he must disarm.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNS: On another note, the president's first job this morning is to meet with the Latino Coalition. The president trying to drum up support for his troubled nomination of Miguel Estrada, the federal appeals court judge nominee -- Paula.
ZAHN: Chris, I wanted to ask you about something else that's getting a lot of ink this morning, and that is the story that Representative Fitzgerald from Illinois has said that last month, the president sat down and talked with him, and said that he would order Saddam's assassination if there was a clear shot. Later in the day, Ari Fleischer came out yesterday and said the president doesnt recall he said that or didn't say that. The staff doesn't recall the president saying that. What happened, do we know?
BURNS: Well, not very clear. I guess only a fly on the wall would be able to tell us that. But Ari Fleisher also said that there is an executive order in place against assassinating any foreign leaders. That remains in place, he says, even for Saddam Hussein.
But, he also said that if war did break out, the U.S. would be striking against Iraqi command and control, and that, of course, could include Saddam Hussein. So, in the event of war perhaps all bets are off -- Paula.
ZAHN: Chris Burns, thanks so much. Good luck in the snowstorm.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
