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CNN Live At Daybreak

President Tries to Further Case That Iraq Has Not Complied

Aired March 07, 2003 - 05:09   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.


HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: We're about five hours away from the latest report to the Security Council by the senior U.N. weapons inspectors Hans Blix and Mohamed ElBaradei. Ahead of that report, President Bush tells the nation that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein has proven he has no intention of disarming. Behind-the-scenes, Colin Powell lobbies France and Germany, two countries still opposed to a new resolution against Iraq.
At the White House, the president steps to the podium in the East Room and tries to further his case that Iraq has not complied with U.N. Resolution 1441.

Senior White House Correspondent John King reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The president committed to a new vote at the United Nations, even if it appears he will not get the Security Council's support for war in Iraq.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You bet. It's time for people to show their cards, to let the world know where they stand when it comes to Saddam.

KING: No deadlines and no ultimatums to Saddam Hussein, not yet. But also no doubt a decision on war is close and that the goal of any military action would go beyond disarmament.

BUSH: And if we go to war, there will be a regime change. And replacing this cancer inside of Iraq will be a government that represents the rights of all the people.

KING: Mr. Bush held forth for 45 minutes, 18 questions in all, all but two on Iraq. Two flashes of emotion, bristling when asked about critics who say this is personal, that he is fixated on Saddam Hussein.

BUSH: My job is to protect America and that's exactly what I'm going to do. People can ascribe all kinds of intentions. I swore to protect and defend the constitution.

KING: Eyes welling with tears when asked about the role of faith in deciding whether to go to war.

BUSH: There are thousands of people who pray for me that I'll never see and be able to thank. But it's a humbling experience to think that people I will never have met have lifted me and my family up in prayer. And for that I'm grateful.

KING: The next key moment is at the Security Council. Secretary of State Powell is trying to lobby support for the new resolution and is open to adding one final deadline for Iraq to comply. Mr. Bush would not say how much more time he would accept and just made clear he will not let negotiations drag on.

BUSH: Well, we're days away from resolving this issue at the Security Council.

KING: The goal of this prime time event was to pressure the Council and to prepare the American people for war.

(on camera): And the president made clear he is prepared to send in the troops even if he loses next week's critical Security Council vote. As he put it, "when it comes to our security, we really don't need anybody's permission."

John King, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: And we will ask John about further diplomatic efforts when we give him a wake up call. That will be coming up in the next hour of DAYBREAK.

The Iraqi leader is holding meetings with top military commanders to map out a war strategy and he's talking tough. Saddam Hussein told his top ministers that the United States should not think an attack on Iraq will be easy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRES. SADDAM HUSSEIN, IRAQ: Iraq is not easy morsel. It is a harsh one that will harm the mouth of the one who likes to eat and it is too difficult to be swallowed. But our responsibility towards humanity makes us advise our enemy. But by god, if they dare to attack Iraq, they will see days during which they wish they don't attack us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Iraq's military commanders have confirmed to Saddam that they are ready for war should an invasion occur.

And we want to take you now to Iraq to see what's being said there about today's critical weapons report.

Our Rym Brahimi is in Baghdad -- good morning, Rym.

We want to know what exactly is going on there right now.

RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Heidi, let me just begin by showing you this newspaper headline from "El Iraq" newspaper saying that a U.S. attempt to attack Iraq would be foolish. Also saying that Iraq will fight, whether the U.S. goes it alone or whether it attacks Iraq under international cover.

Now, today, as you mentioned, is a crucial day. Today on the ground two inspectors -- two groups of inspectors have been out. At least two different sites being visited. But it's a very crucial day, as you know, because Hans Blix, the chief U.N. weapons inspector, is presenting an oral report to the United Nations Security Council. That report to cover inspection activities from the 1st of December to February 28th plus this past week. And what a crucial week it's been with the destruction by Iraq of the al-Samoud missiles. At least 34 of them to this date have been destroyed. There's also been a certain number of private interviews that have been carried out.

So all this will probably be added, as well, to Hans Blix's account to the U.N. Security Council. That said, diplomats here on the ground expect him to present a very mitigated report that might actually provide arguments to both camps, those in favor and those not in favor of continuing inspections -- Heidi.

COLLINS: Rym, I want to ask you about President Bush's news conference last night. Any chance to gauge the reaction of the Iraqi people on that?

BRAHIMI: Well, I spoke to a few people this morning, Heidi, and some of them had been able to listen to what he said roughly in the Internet through international radio stations. And what some people said was actually, this one person I spoke to said this is President Bush's war declaration. That's it. He's attacking. No going back. This was his declaration of war.

Somebody else said well, he's still trying to influence the U.N. Security Council to vote for a new resolution. But on the whole, not much hope that war can be averted among people here -- Heidi.

COLLINS: All right, Rym Brahimi live from Baghdad this morning.

Thank you very much.

stay with CNN for an exclusive live interview with chief U.N. nuclear inspector Mohamed ElBaradei. That will be on Lou Dobbs' "Moneyline" at 6:00 p.m. Eastern, 3:00 p.m. Pacific. And in a special edition of CNN's "Showdown Iraq," we'll have live coverage of the report to the Security Council by chief U.N. weapons inspector Hans Blix. That live event begins at 9:30 Eastern this morning, 6:30 on the West Coast.

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




Complied>


Aired March 7, 2003 - 05:09   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: We're about five hours away from the latest report to the Security Council by the senior U.N. weapons inspectors Hans Blix and Mohamed ElBaradei. Ahead of that report, President Bush tells the nation that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein has proven he has no intention of disarming. Behind-the-scenes, Colin Powell lobbies France and Germany, two countries still opposed to a new resolution against Iraq.
At the White House, the president steps to the podium in the East Room and tries to further his case that Iraq has not complied with U.N. Resolution 1441.

Senior White House Correspondent John King reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The president committed to a new vote at the United Nations, even if it appears he will not get the Security Council's support for war in Iraq.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You bet. It's time for people to show their cards, to let the world know where they stand when it comes to Saddam.

KING: No deadlines and no ultimatums to Saddam Hussein, not yet. But also no doubt a decision on war is close and that the goal of any military action would go beyond disarmament.

BUSH: And if we go to war, there will be a regime change. And replacing this cancer inside of Iraq will be a government that represents the rights of all the people.

KING: Mr. Bush held forth for 45 minutes, 18 questions in all, all but two on Iraq. Two flashes of emotion, bristling when asked about critics who say this is personal, that he is fixated on Saddam Hussein.

BUSH: My job is to protect America and that's exactly what I'm going to do. People can ascribe all kinds of intentions. I swore to protect and defend the constitution.

KING: Eyes welling with tears when asked about the role of faith in deciding whether to go to war.

BUSH: There are thousands of people who pray for me that I'll never see and be able to thank. But it's a humbling experience to think that people I will never have met have lifted me and my family up in prayer. And for that I'm grateful.

KING: The next key moment is at the Security Council. Secretary of State Powell is trying to lobby support for the new resolution and is open to adding one final deadline for Iraq to comply. Mr. Bush would not say how much more time he would accept and just made clear he will not let negotiations drag on.

BUSH: Well, we're days away from resolving this issue at the Security Council.

KING: The goal of this prime time event was to pressure the Council and to prepare the American people for war.

(on camera): And the president made clear he is prepared to send in the troops even if he loses next week's critical Security Council vote. As he put it, "when it comes to our security, we really don't need anybody's permission."

John King, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: And we will ask John about further diplomatic efforts when we give him a wake up call. That will be coming up in the next hour of DAYBREAK.

The Iraqi leader is holding meetings with top military commanders to map out a war strategy and he's talking tough. Saddam Hussein told his top ministers that the United States should not think an attack on Iraq will be easy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRES. SADDAM HUSSEIN, IRAQ: Iraq is not easy morsel. It is a harsh one that will harm the mouth of the one who likes to eat and it is too difficult to be swallowed. But our responsibility towards humanity makes us advise our enemy. But by god, if they dare to attack Iraq, they will see days during which they wish they don't attack us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Iraq's military commanders have confirmed to Saddam that they are ready for war should an invasion occur.

And we want to take you now to Iraq to see what's being said there about today's critical weapons report.

Our Rym Brahimi is in Baghdad -- good morning, Rym.

We want to know what exactly is going on there right now.

RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Heidi, let me just begin by showing you this newspaper headline from "El Iraq" newspaper saying that a U.S. attempt to attack Iraq would be foolish. Also saying that Iraq will fight, whether the U.S. goes it alone or whether it attacks Iraq under international cover.

Now, today, as you mentioned, is a crucial day. Today on the ground two inspectors -- two groups of inspectors have been out. At least two different sites being visited. But it's a very crucial day, as you know, because Hans Blix, the chief U.N. weapons inspector, is presenting an oral report to the United Nations Security Council. That report to cover inspection activities from the 1st of December to February 28th plus this past week. And what a crucial week it's been with the destruction by Iraq of the al-Samoud missiles. At least 34 of them to this date have been destroyed. There's also been a certain number of private interviews that have been carried out.

So all this will probably be added, as well, to Hans Blix's account to the U.N. Security Council. That said, diplomats here on the ground expect him to present a very mitigated report that might actually provide arguments to both camps, those in favor and those not in favor of continuing inspections -- Heidi.

COLLINS: Rym, I want to ask you about President Bush's news conference last night. Any chance to gauge the reaction of the Iraqi people on that?

BRAHIMI: Well, I spoke to a few people this morning, Heidi, and some of them had been able to listen to what he said roughly in the Internet through international radio stations. And what some people said was actually, this one person I spoke to said this is President Bush's war declaration. That's it. He's attacking. No going back. This was his declaration of war.

Somebody else said well, he's still trying to influence the U.N. Security Council to vote for a new resolution. But on the whole, not much hope that war can be averted among people here -- Heidi.

COLLINS: All right, Rym Brahimi live from Baghdad this morning.

Thank you very much.

stay with CNN for an exclusive live interview with chief U.N. nuclear inspector Mohamed ElBaradei. That will be on Lou Dobbs' "Moneyline" at 6:00 p.m. Eastern, 3:00 p.m. Pacific. And in a special edition of CNN's "Showdown Iraq," we'll have live coverage of the report to the Security Council by chief U.N. weapons inspector Hans Blix. That live event begins at 9:30 Eastern this morning, 6:30 on the West Coast.

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




Complied>