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CNN Live At Daybreak
Debate Over U.S. Troops in Iraq
Aired August 25, 2003 - 05:08 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: A "Newsweek" poll shows 69 percent of Americans fear U.S. involvement in Iraq could last many years and not accomplish much. That adds more fuel to the fire of debate over U.S. troops in Iraq.
CNN White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux has more on that for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A small group of protesters gathered just miles away from the president's Crawford ranch Saturday.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're the ones who are going to have to get them out of Iraq.
MALVEAUX: Tuesday's bombing of the U.N. headquarters in Iraq has ignited contradictory calls for the administration to both pull U.S. soldiers out and to get more in.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: The problem is that they don't have enough resources. There's not enough of them.
MALVEAUX: Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has said there's no need for more U.S. troops inside Iraq, so law makers are pressuring the administration to make it more attractive for other countries, like France, India, Germany and Russia, to send in their military to relieve U.S. troops.
SEN. JOSEPH BIDEN (D-DW), FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE: 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.
MALVEAUX: But the U.S. civil administrator in Iraq, Paul Bremmer, says the U.S. is broadening its support.
L. PAUL BREMER, U.S./IRAQ RECONSTRUCTION ADMINISTRATOR: This is already a very international operation. 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.
MALVEAUX: But compared to U.S. and British forces, their military contribution is very small. Bremer says another 45 countries have pledged financial assistance. But the administration recognizes it needs more help. GEN. RICHARD MYERS, JOINT CHIEFS CHAIRMAN: We have two multinational divisions in there right now, one led by the U.K., one led by Poland. We need a third one in there and that would be of assistance.
MALVEAUX: The U.S. is in discussions with the United Nations to try to make that happen. But some U.N. members say they'd need a U.N. Security Council resolution which would give them more say in Iraq's political and economic future.
JAMES RUBIN, FORMER ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE: All we need to do is show some of the other countries in the U.N. and around the world a little respect.
MALVEAUX (on camera): The administration says its focus in Iraq is on improving intelligence, reconfiguring U.S. forces to become more mobile and flexible and to encourage the Iraqi people to become more involved in their country's reconstruction.
Suzanne Malveaux, CNN, in Crawford, Texas.
(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 August 25, 2003 - 05:08 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: A "Newsweek" poll shows 69 percent of Americans fear U.S. involvement in Iraq could last many years and not accomplish much. That adds more fuel to the fire of debate over U.S. troops in Iraq.
CNN White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux has more on that for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A small group of protesters gathered just miles away from the president's Crawford ranch Saturday.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're the ones who are going to have to get them out of Iraq.
MALVEAUX: Tuesday's bombing of the U.N. headquarters in Iraq has ignited contradictory calls for the administration to both pull U.S. soldiers out and to get more in.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: The problem is that they don't have enough resources. There's not enough of them.
MALVEAUX: Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has said there's no need for more U.S. troops inside Iraq, so law makers are pressuring the administration to make it more attractive for other countries, like France, India, Germany and Russia, to send in their military to relieve U.S. troops.
SEN. JOSEPH BIDEN (D-DW), FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE: 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.
MALVEAUX: But the U.S. civil administrator in Iraq, Paul Bremmer, says the U.S. is broadening its support.
L. PAUL BREMER, U.S./IRAQ RECONSTRUCTION ADMINISTRATOR: This is already a very international operation. 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.
MALVEAUX: But compared to U.S. and British forces, their military contribution is very small. Bremer says another 45 countries have pledged financial assistance. But the administration recognizes it needs more help. GEN. RICHARD MYERS, JOINT CHIEFS CHAIRMAN: We have two multinational divisions in there right now, one led by the U.K., one led by Poland. We need a third one in there and that would be of assistance.
MALVEAUX: The U.S. is in discussions with the United Nations to try to make that happen. But some U.N. members say they'd need a U.N. Security Council resolution which would give them more say in Iraq's political and economic future.
JAMES RUBIN, FORMER ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE: All we need to do is show some of the other countries in the U.N. and around the world a little respect.
MALVEAUX (on camera): The administration says its focus in Iraq is on improving intelligence, reconfiguring U.S. forces to become more mobile and flexible and to encourage the Iraqi people to become more involved in their country's reconstruction.
Suzanne Malveaux, CNN, in Crawford, Texas.
(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
