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CNN Live At Daybreak
Wake-Up Call: Weapons Hunt in Iraq
Aired June 03, 2003 - 06:07 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: Let's place a "Wake-Up Call" right now, shall we, to our State Department producer, Elise Labott. She's live on the line from D.C.
Good morning -- Elise.
ELISE LABOTT, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT PRODUCER: Good morning, Carol.
COSTELLO: Let's talk about Colin Powell and what he's saying about this, because many of us remember that image of him sitting before the Security Council and going over intelligence proving that Iraq did have weapons of mass destruction.
LABOTT: Well, Carol, the Bush administration is really under fire for the simple reason they haven't found the bulk of those weapons of mass destruction they claim were in Iraq and which the U.S. used for justification for going to war. And now, the intelligence that the administration based its case on is being questioned, and Secretary Powell used a lot of that intelligence in that presentation he made to the international community.
Senator John Warner, chairman of the Armed Services Committee, has asked the CIA to provide a detailed assessment of the intelligence that was used to make the assessment of Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction program. And the agency is expected to comply with Senator Warner's request.
But it's not just Congress calling for an explanation. U.S. allies around the world, not only those who were opposed to the war to begin with, but those who supported the U.S., in fact, are wondering if the Bush administration didn't deceive the country and the international community by stretching the truth about what the U.S. knew for sure.
So, Secretary Powell, certainly his credibility is tested here with the intelligence that he used, and General Dayton and his task force are really under the gun -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Yes, and talking about that intelligence, I mean, what if the intelligence was completely wrong? That brings up new concerns about the CIA, doesn't it?
LABOTT: Well, Carol, Secretary Powell is sticking by the information of the intelligence he presented in his report. We do know that Secretary Powell spent a great deal of time preparing for that presentation with CIA analysts, with CIA Director George Tenet. In fact, Tenet was right next to Powell in the Security Council when he made the presentation.
And yesterday on his plane to Sharm el-Sheik, Egypt, to join President Bush for today's Arab summit, Secretary Powell told reporters the information, the intelligence he used had multiple sources, and that he didn't use any intelligence which he didn't feel totally comfortable with.
And Secretary Powell and other officials pointing to those vans found in Iraq believed to be mobile facilities for making biological weapons is proof that Iraq's WMD program exists and proof of other WMD in the country. But it may take some time, Carol, and administration officials are saying that over time the intelligence will show -- prove itself to be true -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Elise Labott, thanks for waking up early with DAYBREAK.
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 June 3, 2003 - 06:07 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Let's place a "Wake-Up Call" right now, shall we, to our State Department producer, Elise Labott. She's live on the line from D.C.
Good morning -- Elise.
ELISE LABOTT, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT PRODUCER: Good morning, Carol.
COSTELLO: Let's talk about Colin Powell and what he's saying about this, because many of us remember that image of him sitting before the Security Council and going over intelligence proving that Iraq did have weapons of mass destruction.
LABOTT: Well, Carol, the Bush administration is really under fire for the simple reason they haven't found the bulk of those weapons of mass destruction they claim were in Iraq and which the U.S. used for justification for going to war. And now, the intelligence that the administration based its case on is being questioned, and Secretary Powell used a lot of that intelligence in that presentation he made to the international community.
Senator John Warner, chairman of the Armed Services Committee, has asked the CIA to provide a detailed assessment of the intelligence that was used to make the assessment of Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction program. And the agency is expected to comply with Senator Warner's request.
But it's not just Congress calling for an explanation. U.S. allies around the world, not only those who were opposed to the war to begin with, but those who supported the U.S., in fact, are wondering if the Bush administration didn't deceive the country and the international community by stretching the truth about what the U.S. knew for sure.
So, Secretary Powell, certainly his credibility is tested here with the intelligence that he used, and General Dayton and his task force are really under the gun -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Yes, and talking about that intelligence, I mean, what if the intelligence was completely wrong? That brings up new concerns about the CIA, doesn't it?
LABOTT: Well, Carol, Secretary Powell is sticking by the information of the intelligence he presented in his report. We do know that Secretary Powell spent a great deal of time preparing for that presentation with CIA analysts, with CIA Director George Tenet. In fact, Tenet was right next to Powell in the Security Council when he made the presentation.
And yesterday on his plane to Sharm el-Sheik, Egypt, to join President Bush for today's Arab summit, Secretary Powell told reporters the information, the intelligence he used had multiple sources, and that he didn't use any intelligence which he didn't feel totally comfortable with.
And Secretary Powell and other officials pointing to those vans found in Iraq believed to be mobile facilities for making biological weapons is proof that Iraq's WMD program exists and proof of other WMD in the country. But it may take some time, Carol, and administration officials are saying that over time the intelligence will show -- prove itself to be true -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Elise Labott, thanks for waking up early with DAYBREAK.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
