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CNN Live At Daybreak
Wake-Up Call: Administration Defending Iraq Invasion
Aired June 09, 2003 - 06:34 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: The Bush administration is on the defensive. U.S. troops have yet to find any banned weapons in Iraq, and that's presenting something of a problem for the White House. The Sunday talk shows were filled with Bush people.
We've got a "Wake-Up Call" in to our White House correspondent, Dana Bash, to talk more about that.
Good morning -- Dana.
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
Well, youre absolutely right. President Bush's two top national security officials did make the rounds on the airwaves yesterday, trying to beat back reports that intelligence leading up to and saying that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction wasn't all it was cracked up to be; of course, weapons of mass destruction in Iraq was the primary stated reason for the war in Iraq.
Both Secretary of State Colin Powell and National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice called suggestions of cooked intelligence nonsense and even revisionist history. Their argument was that the CIA had said Iraq had weapons of mass destruction even before Mr. Bush was in the White House. They say that the U.N. made it clear they believed that Iraq had these elicit weapons. And they say that two mobile weapons vans had been found, and that is proof. They pleaded for patience, and they said that more weapons will be found; that they are sure of that.
But there are Democrats and some Republicans who are calling for an investigation into what kind of intelligence the administration really did have. A lot of Democrats saying that the U.S.' credibility abroad is at stake here -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Dana, something else I want to ask you about. There is a rumor running around Washington that two Supreme Court justices may announce their retirement at the end of the month. Already the juggling for a new justice has begun. Tell us about it.
BASH: Carol, it's more than a rumor. It's really almost become sport in this town to speculate about what will happen at the Supreme Court. It is tradition for justices who want to retire to announce that they will be stepping down at the end of the session. That comes at the end of this month, and there is speculation that perhaps the chief justice, Rehnquist, and Sandra Day O'Connor, either one of those two or both, might say that they are stepping down. And although the White House has no official comment, the Supreme Court has no official comment, liberal and conservative groups are already trying to strategize, already running TV ads, already preparing for what will be an incredibly bitter fight, particularly over the social issues, particularly over abortion.
Back to you -- Carol.
COSTELLO: We can only imagine. Dana Bash live from Washington and the White House this morning, many thanks.
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 9, 2003 - 06:34 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The Bush administration is on the defensive. U.S. troops have yet to find any banned weapons in Iraq, and that's presenting something of a problem for the White House. The Sunday talk shows were filled with Bush people.
We've got a "Wake-Up Call" in to our White House correspondent, Dana Bash, to talk more about that.
Good morning -- Dana.
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
Well, youre absolutely right. President Bush's two top national security officials did make the rounds on the airwaves yesterday, trying to beat back reports that intelligence leading up to and saying that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction wasn't all it was cracked up to be; of course, weapons of mass destruction in Iraq was the primary stated reason for the war in Iraq.
Both Secretary of State Colin Powell and National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice called suggestions of cooked intelligence nonsense and even revisionist history. Their argument was that the CIA had said Iraq had weapons of mass destruction even before Mr. Bush was in the White House. They say that the U.N. made it clear they believed that Iraq had these elicit weapons. And they say that two mobile weapons vans had been found, and that is proof. They pleaded for patience, and they said that more weapons will be found; that they are sure of that.
But there are Democrats and some Republicans who are calling for an investigation into what kind of intelligence the administration really did have. A lot of Democrats saying that the U.S.' credibility abroad is at stake here -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Dana, something else I want to ask you about. There is a rumor running around Washington that two Supreme Court justices may announce their retirement at the end of the month. Already the juggling for a new justice has begun. Tell us about it.
BASH: Carol, it's more than a rumor. It's really almost become sport in this town to speculate about what will happen at the Supreme Court. It is tradition for justices who want to retire to announce that they will be stepping down at the end of the session. That comes at the end of this month, and there is speculation that perhaps the chief justice, Rehnquist, and Sandra Day O'Connor, either one of those two or both, might say that they are stepping down. And although the White House has no official comment, the Supreme Court has no official comment, liberal and conservative groups are already trying to strategize, already running TV ads, already preparing for what will be an incredibly bitter fight, particularly over the social issues, particularly over abortion.
Back to you -- Carol.
COSTELLO: We can only imagine. Dana Bash live from Washington and the White House this morning, many thanks.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
