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CNN Live Sunday

Poll Shows Americans May Have Doubts About Mission in Iraq

Aired August 24, 2003 - 10:31   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.


JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: A new opinion poll finds people in the United States are beginning to have doubts about the mission in Iraq. Sixty-nine percent told "Newsweek" they're concerned the U.S. will get bogged down for years inside Iraq. Another 29 percent said they're somewhat concerned. Twenty-eight percent said that they're either not too concerned or not concerned at all. More than a thousand people were questioned. Fifty-four percent of approve of President Bush's handling of Iraq, and that is down from 58 percent in late July.
The "Newsweek" poll says that for the first time more registered voters say they wouldn't like to see President Bush re-elected. This as the president continues his month long vacation in Texas. And that's where we find CNN's Suzanne Malveaux, covering that part of the story for us.

Any concern with the officials there about that latest poll number?

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, of course, they want all of the support of the American people. I mean that is something they've been trying to win over for some time here. But whether or not they've really been successful -- we had a small group of protesters that were figuratively right in the president's back yard in here in Crawford, Texas, yesterday. Many of them relatives of Iraqi soldiers, had a lot of questions really want to know what can make that situation on the ground better.

And it's a question that's being played out in the political talk shows this morning. We heard in from U.S. civil administrator Paul Bremer who says it is not a matter of adding additional troops but rather rotating foreign troops so that they can replace and relieve some of those U.S. forces. And we also heard from Senator Joe Biden of the Foreign Relations Committee and he was arguing that the administration needs to give up some of its power, its political and economic power, in order to attract more countries to get those troops involved.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOSEPH BIDEN (D), DELAWARE: I mean this administration is acting like Iraq is some prize that we won. That somehow we should covet this and take full responsibility for it. That is a serious mistake.

PAUL BREMER, IRAQI CIVILIAN ADMINISTRATOR: This is already a very international operation. Let me just give you three facts. First of all, we have the troops of 30 nations on the ground today, side by side, with our men and women here serving to bring security to Iraq. Secondly, we have 45 countries have now pledged to give economic assistance to the reconstruction of Iraq, 45 countries. And I have working with me here in the coalition authority, the citizens of 25 countries, 24 countries beyond the United States. So this is already a very international operation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: So some of the things that Bremer and other officials are talking about to improve the situation on the ground, they say that they need better intelligence to try to preempt and prevent some of those terrorist strikes we have seen as of late. Also they want to encourage the Iraqi people to get more involved. And of course they want to try to reconfigure the U.S. troops on the ground to make it a more flexible and light troop, something that can move a lot faster in dealing, responding with those terrorist attacks.

VAUSE: Suzanne, there's some speculation that the resolution before the U.N. to get more international cooperation in Iraq could actually be a nonstarter because the White House or Washington just isn't prepared to give up responsibility. Is that the case? Are they willing to concede in any way to the U.N., to these international forces?

MALVEAUX: Well, you know, it's a very good question, and that is really going to play out in the next couple weeks when we see what language is going to be at that U.N. Security Council resolution. But you're bringing up a very good point. There are European allies, people who have actually expressed a great deal of doubt already, whether or not it's going to satisfy the countries like France, Germany and Russia. Whether or not they would be able to contribute troops by looking at that resolution and saying yes, well, we feel satisfied there is a greater role for us to play in this country.

The administration is working on that language and of course, that is really the tough challenge before them, whether or not they can satisfy, give political countries to those -- political cover rather, to those countries who would like to get involved.

VAUSE: OK. Suzanne Malveaux reporting for us from Crawford, Texas, just near the president's ranch, thank you.

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




Iraq>


Aired August 24, 2003 - 10:31   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: A new opinion poll finds people in the United States are beginning to have doubts about the mission in Iraq. Sixty-nine percent told "Newsweek" they're concerned the U.S. will get bogged down for years inside Iraq. Another 29 percent said they're somewhat concerned. Twenty-eight percent said that they're either not too concerned or not concerned at all. More than a thousand people were questioned. Fifty-four percent of approve of President Bush's handling of Iraq, and that is down from 58 percent in late July.
The "Newsweek" poll says that for the first time more registered voters say they wouldn't like to see President Bush re-elected. This as the president continues his month long vacation in Texas. And that's where we find CNN's Suzanne Malveaux, covering that part of the story for us.

Any concern with the officials there about that latest poll number?

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, of course, they want all of the support of the American people. I mean that is something they've been trying to win over for some time here. But whether or not they've really been successful -- we had a small group of protesters that were figuratively right in the president's back yard in here in Crawford, Texas, yesterday. Many of them relatives of Iraqi soldiers, had a lot of questions really want to know what can make that situation on the ground better.

And it's a question that's being played out in the political talk shows this morning. We heard in from U.S. civil administrator Paul Bremer who says it is not a matter of adding additional troops but rather rotating foreign troops so that they can replace and relieve some of those U.S. forces. And we also heard from Senator Joe Biden of the Foreign Relations Committee and he was arguing that the administration needs to give up some of its power, its political and economic power, in order to attract more countries to get those troops involved.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOSEPH BIDEN (D), DELAWARE: I mean this administration is acting like Iraq is some prize that we won. That somehow we should covet this and take full responsibility for it. That is a serious mistake.

PAUL BREMER, IRAQI CIVILIAN ADMINISTRATOR: This is already a very international operation. Let me just give you three facts. First of all, we have the troops of 30 nations on the ground today, side by side, with our men and women here serving to bring security to Iraq. Secondly, we have 45 countries have now pledged to give economic assistance to the reconstruction of Iraq, 45 countries. And I have working with me here in the coalition authority, the citizens of 25 countries, 24 countries beyond the United States. So this is already a very international operation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: So some of the things that Bremer and other officials are talking about to improve the situation on the ground, they say that they need better intelligence to try to preempt and prevent some of those terrorist strikes we have seen as of late. Also they want to encourage the Iraqi people to get more involved. And of course they want to try to reconfigure the U.S. troops on the ground to make it a more flexible and light troop, something that can move a lot faster in dealing, responding with those terrorist attacks.

VAUSE: Suzanne, there's some speculation that the resolution before the U.N. to get more international cooperation in Iraq could actually be a nonstarter because the White House or Washington just isn't prepared to give up responsibility. Is that the case? Are they willing to concede in any way to the U.N., to these international forces?

MALVEAUX: Well, you know, it's a very good question, and that is really going to play out in the next couple weeks when we see what language is going to be at that U.N. Security Council resolution. But you're bringing up a very good point. There are European allies, people who have actually expressed a great deal of doubt already, whether or not it's going to satisfy the countries like France, Germany and Russia. Whether or not they would be able to contribute troops by looking at that resolution and saying yes, well, we feel satisfied there is a greater role for us to play in this country.

The administration is working on that language and of course, that is really the tough challenge before them, whether or not they can satisfy, give political countries to those -- political cover rather, to those countries who would like to get involved.

VAUSE: OK. Suzanne Malveaux reporting for us from Crawford, Texas, just near the president's ranch, thank you.

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




Iraq>