Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Live Today
Controversy Over Iraq Intelligence
Aired July 17, 2003 - 10:18 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.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: The two architects of that war in Iraq will be meeting face to face today when British Prime Minister Tony Blair and President Bush meet today at the White House. Now, Mr. Blair's arrival comes amid the outcry over British-supplied intelligence that is coming under fire stateside here.
Our White House correspondent, Dana Bash, is at her post, and she has just left the so-called gaggle, the informal briefing there at the White House.
And, Dana, from what I'm hearing, the talk about Mr. Blair is not the talk of the day right now in the White House. What's going on there?
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Not quite yet, Leon. You're right. The talk of the day is the same talk we've been hearing over the past week or more, and that is a host of questions about the White House and getting those 16 words, that one line, into the president's State of the Union address that the White House now says was a mistake to be there.
Now, the first question is whether or not what Senator Dick Durbin, the Democrat from Illinois, has said coming out of his closed briefing with George Tenet, the CIA director, yesterday. He is saying that he is under the impression now that a White House official insisted that that one line get into the speech.
Now, Scott McClellan is responding today, saying that is -- quote -- "nonsense." He also hit Senator Durbin as part of their new strategy to attack back at these Democrats. He said, it's not surprising, coming from someone who was in the rather small minority in Congress that did not support the war in the first place.
But what Scott McClellan went on to say, he said time and time again is, if the CIA told us to take it out, we would have taken it out. Again, putting the responsibility on the CIA, and that is, of course, where George Tenet is continuing to put the responsibility.
The other issue, Leon, is that according to sources in the room yesterday, in the meeting with George Tenet, he said that although he had the speech, he didn't actually read the speech before President Bush delivered it. And the question is whether or not the White House thinks that was a good idea for George Tenet not to actually read the speech.
Scott McClellan said, made it clear the president is standing by George Tenet. He said the president appreciates Director Tenet for being forthright, and said the president is confident in the job that he is doing.
So, that is where the White House stands as far as George Tenet goes this morning.
HARRIS: All right, well, Dana, as President Bush continues to stand by George Tenet, we know he'll be sitting by Tony Blair later on this afternoon. And the talk that's going on outside at this meeting is that things may be a bit tense. Tony Blair getting lots of heat applied to his backside back in Britain over the U.S. coming out and saying that the only reason why those 16 words were in that speech was because of the British. What do you make of how this thing is going to be shaping up this afternoon between the two leaders?
BASH: Well, in private, the official line is that the two leaders don't plan to bring it up in private for sure. They are going to talk about the post-war effort in Iraq, and also staying the course in Afghanistan, the engagement in the Middle East and so forth. However, the two will come before the press in a joint press availability, as they call it here, and they will certainly be asked about that.
The question is: What was the British sourcing on that? Because the British are saying they stand by this claim that Iraq was trying to get uranium from Africa, because they have other sourcing. Now, they are not sharing that sourcing with the United States, they say. Sources are telling the reason is because they got it from another country, and they're just not able to do it.
But White House spokesman Scott McClelland was pressed on that question again today, and we are likely to hear leaders pressed on it later on as well -- Leon.
HARRIS: All right, we're going to be watching. This is going to be a very interesting day there in Washington.
BASH: Yes, it will.
HARRIS: Thanks, Dana. You're going to have a good one. Have fun. We'll see you in a bit.
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 17, 2003 - 10:18 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: The two architects of that war in Iraq will be meeting face to face today when British Prime Minister Tony Blair and President Bush meet today at the White House. Now, Mr. Blair's arrival comes amid the outcry over British-supplied intelligence that is coming under fire stateside here.
Our White House correspondent, Dana Bash, is at her post, and she has just left the so-called gaggle, the informal briefing there at the White House.
And, Dana, from what I'm hearing, the talk about Mr. Blair is not the talk of the day right now in the White House. What's going on there?
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Not quite yet, Leon. You're right. The talk of the day is the same talk we've been hearing over the past week or more, and that is a host of questions about the White House and getting those 16 words, that one line, into the president's State of the Union address that the White House now says was a mistake to be there.
Now, the first question is whether or not what Senator Dick Durbin, the Democrat from Illinois, has said coming out of his closed briefing with George Tenet, the CIA director, yesterday. He is saying that he is under the impression now that a White House official insisted that that one line get into the speech.
Now, Scott McClellan is responding today, saying that is -- quote -- "nonsense." He also hit Senator Durbin as part of their new strategy to attack back at these Democrats. He said, it's not surprising, coming from someone who was in the rather small minority in Congress that did not support the war in the first place.
But what Scott McClellan went on to say, he said time and time again is, if the CIA told us to take it out, we would have taken it out. Again, putting the responsibility on the CIA, and that is, of course, where George Tenet is continuing to put the responsibility.
The other issue, Leon, is that according to sources in the room yesterday, in the meeting with George Tenet, he said that although he had the speech, he didn't actually read the speech before President Bush delivered it. And the question is whether or not the White House thinks that was a good idea for George Tenet not to actually read the speech.
Scott McClellan said, made it clear the president is standing by George Tenet. He said the president appreciates Director Tenet for being forthright, and said the president is confident in the job that he is doing.
So, that is where the White House stands as far as George Tenet goes this morning.
HARRIS: All right, well, Dana, as President Bush continues to stand by George Tenet, we know he'll be sitting by Tony Blair later on this afternoon. And the talk that's going on outside at this meeting is that things may be a bit tense. Tony Blair getting lots of heat applied to his backside back in Britain over the U.S. coming out and saying that the only reason why those 16 words were in that speech was because of the British. What do you make of how this thing is going to be shaping up this afternoon between the two leaders?
BASH: Well, in private, the official line is that the two leaders don't plan to bring it up in private for sure. They are going to talk about the post-war effort in Iraq, and also staying the course in Afghanistan, the engagement in the Middle East and so forth. However, the two will come before the press in a joint press availability, as they call it here, and they will certainly be asked about that.
The question is: What was the British sourcing on that? Because the British are saying they stand by this claim that Iraq was trying to get uranium from Africa, because they have other sourcing. Now, they are not sharing that sourcing with the United States, they say. Sources are telling the reason is because they got it from another country, and they're just not able to do it.
But White House spokesman Scott McClelland was pressed on that question again today, and we are likely to hear leaders pressed on it later on as well -- Leon.
HARRIS: All right, we're going to be watching. This is going to be a very interesting day there in Washington.
BASH: Yes, it will.
HARRIS: Thanks, Dana. You're going to have a good one. Have fun. We'll see you in a bit.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
