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CNN Live At Daybreak

Iran's Nuclear Plans?

Aired June 19, 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.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: More now, Daryn, on the president's strong statements about Iran and its nuclear ambitions.
John King on the Front Lawn from the White House today taking us through this story.

John -- good morning there.

JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Bill.

The tough talk from the president is designed to get out ahead of a new report from the world's nuclear watch dog agency. The International Atomic Energy Agency is making public a report today that suggests that Iran's energy program, nuclear program, which Iran says is simply for civilian energy purposes, is raising some alarming questions. The IAEA says Iran is enriching uranium, that Iran has some facilities that it did not disclose to the nuclear watch dog agency.

Now, the IAEA is saying it needs to ask more questions. It is not jumping to any conclusions.

Here at the White House, however, the president is already past the thinking point. He believes Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons. The president quite sternly yesterday saying the world must come together and prevent that from happening.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The international community must come together to make it very clear to Iran that we will not tolerate the construction of a nuclear weapon. Iran will be dangerous if they have a nuclear weapon. I brought this subject up in the G-8 and we had a good discussion on the subject, and there was an agreement that we all must work together to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Now, what will the United States do if Iran does not change course and stop its nuclear program? The White House won't say yet. It is hoping to resolve this through international diplomacy, and the White House says it believes its efforts are gaining steam. Russia is the country that supplies most of the equipment and technology to Iran for nuclear purposes. It is now working more closely with the United States. The president hoping that international pressure convinces Iran to allow international inspectors in, carte blanche access to its nuclear program. Iran so far saying it is not prepared to do that. This is a debate that will play out over the coming weeks -- Bill.

HEMMER: John, the same part of the world to the west in Iraq, Senator John Kerry, a strong statement yesterday about the weapons of mass destruction. I'll quote him for you here. "He misled every one of us," referring to the president. "I will not let him off the hook throughout this campaign with respect to America's credibility and credibility to me, because if he lied, he lied to me personally."

The response from the White House on this is what?

KING: Well, Bill, it is another piece of evidence that this issue, weapons of mass destruction, did the president hype the intelligence, is becoming more and more of a political issue this year and perhaps carrying over into next year. What the White House says is that it is still certain that in time there will be evidence, and in a few months from now Senator Kerry will be looking at that statement and saying, never mind. But it is quite clear this is becoming an increasing political debate here in Washington and, of course, for Tony Blair over in London.

HEMMER: John King from the White House.

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 19, 2003 - 07:03   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: More now, Daryn, on the president's strong statements about Iran and its nuclear ambitions.
John King on the Front Lawn from the White House today taking us through this story.

John -- good morning there.

JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Bill.

The tough talk from the president is designed to get out ahead of a new report from the world's nuclear watch dog agency. The International Atomic Energy Agency is making public a report today that suggests that Iran's energy program, nuclear program, which Iran says is simply for civilian energy purposes, is raising some alarming questions. The IAEA says Iran is enriching uranium, that Iran has some facilities that it did not disclose to the nuclear watch dog agency.

Now, the IAEA is saying it needs to ask more questions. It is not jumping to any conclusions.

Here at the White House, however, the president is already past the thinking point. He believes Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons. The president quite sternly yesterday saying the world must come together and prevent that from happening.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The international community must come together to make it very clear to Iran that we will not tolerate the construction of a nuclear weapon. Iran will be dangerous if they have a nuclear weapon. I brought this subject up in the G-8 and we had a good discussion on the subject, and there was an agreement that we all must work together to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Now, what will the United States do if Iran does not change course and stop its nuclear program? The White House won't say yet. It is hoping to resolve this through international diplomacy, and the White House says it believes its efforts are gaining steam. Russia is the country that supplies most of the equipment and technology to Iran for nuclear purposes. It is now working more closely with the United States. The president hoping that international pressure convinces Iran to allow international inspectors in, carte blanche access to its nuclear program. Iran so far saying it is not prepared to do that. This is a debate that will play out over the coming weeks -- Bill.

HEMMER: John, the same part of the world to the west in Iraq, Senator John Kerry, a strong statement yesterday about the weapons of mass destruction. I'll quote him for you here. "He misled every one of us," referring to the president. "I will not let him off the hook throughout this campaign with respect to America's credibility and credibility to me, because if he lied, he lied to me personally."

The response from the White House on this is what?

KING: Well, Bill, it is another piece of evidence that this issue, weapons of mass destruction, did the president hype the intelligence, is becoming more and more of a political issue this year and perhaps carrying over into next year. What the White House says is that it is still certain that in time there will be evidence, and in a few months from now Senator Kerry will be looking at that statement and saying, never mind. But it is quite clear this is becoming an increasing political debate here in Washington and, of course, for Tony Blair over in London.

HEMMER: John King from the White House.

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