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CNN Live At Daybreak
WMD Burden of Proof: The Fall Guy
Aired July 14, 2003 - 06:06 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: Now to the fallout over claims about Iraq's nuclear ambitions made by President Bush in his State of the Union address. CIA Director George Tenet has taken the blame for allowing the allegation to be included in the text of the speech, and he says that the claim was based on British intelligence.
In a statement Tenet said: "Agency officials in the end concurred that the text of the speech was factually correct -- i.e., that the British government report said that Iraq had sought uranium from Africa."
The CIA director now says the fact that the British stood behind the allegation wasn't enough evidence to put the controversial line in Mr. Bush's speech. The White House says the matter should be considered closed, but tell that to Democrats.
Here is CNN national correspondent Bob Franken.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Now that the CIA director volunteered to take the heat, that should be that, right?
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), PRESEDENTIAL CANDIDATE: No, the case is not closed. I don't believe that George Tenet saying something about responsibility ends the question of ultimate responsibility, nor does it answer the question or questions about what really happened.
FRANKEN: The presidential campaign is under way, and the Democrats, after all, are not running against the CIA director.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is not a problem of George Tenet. It's a problem of George Bush.
FRANKEN: Tenet was originally appointed by President Clinton, and some Republicans point to other intelligence controversies and want him out.
SEN. RICHARD SHELBY (R), ALABAMA: There have been more failures of intelligence on the watch of George Tenet than anybody in recent history as the director of the CIA.
FRANKEN: But here, he was taking the fall for President Bush.
DONALD RUMSFELD, DEFENSE SECRETARY: George Tenet is a wonderful public servant, and the Central Intelligence Agency and the intelligence community does a good job.
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR: George Tenet is a fine director of Central Intelligence. He has fought the war on terrorism well.
FRANKEN: What about Condoleezza Rice, then? Her staff negotiated the language in the president's speech with the CIA, where the British became the source.
SEN. CARL LEVIN (D), MICHIGAN: She doesn't yet acknowledge what is so obvious, it seems to me, that you cannot make a statement which you believe is untrue by saying somebody else has learned that something has happened, creating an impression that it is true -- a false impression.
FRANKEN (on camera): This is a town that thrives in finger pointing, but the point is much larger than politics, a question of what went into the decisions that led to the still precarious situation in Iraq, and who is really responsible for them.
Bob Franken, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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 July 14, 2003 - 06:06 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Now to the fallout over claims about Iraq's nuclear ambitions made by President Bush in his State of the Union address. CIA Director George Tenet has taken the blame for allowing the allegation to be included in the text of the speech, and he says that the claim was based on British intelligence.
In a statement Tenet said: "Agency officials in the end concurred that the text of the speech was factually correct -- i.e., that the British government report said that Iraq had sought uranium from Africa."
The CIA director now says the fact that the British stood behind the allegation wasn't enough evidence to put the controversial line in Mr. Bush's speech. The White House says the matter should be considered closed, but tell that to Democrats.
Here is CNN national correspondent Bob Franken.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Now that the CIA director volunteered to take the heat, that should be that, right?
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), PRESEDENTIAL CANDIDATE: No, the case is not closed. I don't believe that George Tenet saying something about responsibility ends the question of ultimate responsibility, nor does it answer the question or questions about what really happened.
FRANKEN: The presidential campaign is under way, and the Democrats, after all, are not running against the CIA director.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is not a problem of George Tenet. It's a problem of George Bush.
FRANKEN: Tenet was originally appointed by President Clinton, and some Republicans point to other intelligence controversies and want him out.
SEN. RICHARD SHELBY (R), ALABAMA: There have been more failures of intelligence on the watch of George Tenet than anybody in recent history as the director of the CIA.
FRANKEN: But here, he was taking the fall for President Bush.
DONALD RUMSFELD, DEFENSE SECRETARY: George Tenet is a wonderful public servant, and the Central Intelligence Agency and the intelligence community does a good job.
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR: George Tenet is a fine director of Central Intelligence. He has fought the war on terrorism well.
FRANKEN: What about Condoleezza Rice, then? Her staff negotiated the language in the president's speech with the CIA, where the British became the source.
SEN. CARL LEVIN (D), MICHIGAN: She doesn't yet acknowledge what is so obvious, it seems to me, that you cannot make a statement which you believe is untrue by saying somebody else has learned that something has happened, creating an impression that it is true -- a false impression.
FRANKEN (on camera): This is a town that thrives in finger pointing, but the point is much larger than politics, a question of what went into the decisions that led to the still precarious situation in Iraq, and who is really responsible for them.
Bob Franken, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
