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CNN Live At Daybreak

Presidential Address: Asking for Help

Aired September 08, 2003 - 06:02   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.


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush is asking for help, both globally and at home, for the war on terror. In a televised address last night, the president put a new price tag on U.S. assistance, and he also requested money and troops from other nations.
Here is CNN's senior White House correspondent John King.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: The president spoke from the White House four days before the second anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, and at a time of growing anxiety about the rising death toll and the rising price tag of the U.S. military mission in Iraq.

The only new announcement in the president's speech was the administration's estimated price tag for the next year in Iraq: $87 billion. Now, that was higher than many had predicted, but Mr. Bush said the money is necessary to pay for operations in Iraq and for other operations in the global war on terrorism.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Iraq is now the central front. Enemies of freedom are making a desperate stand there, and there, they must be defeated. This will take time and require sacrifice. Yet, we will do what is necessary. We will spend what is necessary to achieve this essential victory in the war on terror, to promote freedom and to make our own nation more secure.

KING: There are roughly 130,000 U.S. troops in Iraq now, and Mr. Bush offered no timetable for bringing them home. One point he did make: the president saying it was critical that those launching attacks against those U.S. troops and against other targets in Iraq recently not succeed.

BUSH: They want us to leave Iraq before our work is done. They want to shake the will of the civilized world. In the past, the terrorists have cited the examples of Beirut and Somalia, claiming that if you inflict harm on Americans, we will run from a challenge. In this, they are mistaken.

KING: There was no information in the president's speech about the search for Saddam Hussein, or about the as-yet unsuccessful search for any weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

The president did, however, play to his international audience as well saying he needs help -- both international troops Mr. Bush said were necessary, as well as international contributions to the Iraqi reconstruction effort. The president acknowledged that many around the world disagreed with his decision to go to war in the first place, but he said he needs their help now.

John King, CNN, the White House.

(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 September 8, 2003 - 06:02   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush is asking for help, both globally and at home, for the war on terror. In a televised address last night, the president put a new price tag on U.S. assistance, and he also requested money and troops from other nations.
Here is CNN's senior White House correspondent John King.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: The president spoke from the White House four days before the second anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, and at a time of growing anxiety about the rising death toll and the rising price tag of the U.S. military mission in Iraq.

The only new announcement in the president's speech was the administration's estimated price tag for the next year in Iraq: $87 billion. Now, that was higher than many had predicted, but Mr. Bush said the money is necessary to pay for operations in Iraq and for other operations in the global war on terrorism.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Iraq is now the central front. Enemies of freedom are making a desperate stand there, and there, they must be defeated. This will take time and require sacrifice. Yet, we will do what is necessary. We will spend what is necessary to achieve this essential victory in the war on terror, to promote freedom and to make our own nation more secure.

KING: There are roughly 130,000 U.S. troops in Iraq now, and Mr. Bush offered no timetable for bringing them home. One point he did make: the president saying it was critical that those launching attacks against those U.S. troops and against other targets in Iraq recently not succeed.

BUSH: They want us to leave Iraq before our work is done. They want to shake the will of the civilized world. In the past, the terrorists have cited the examples of Beirut and Somalia, claiming that if you inflict harm on Americans, we will run from a challenge. In this, they are mistaken.

KING: There was no information in the president's speech about the search for Saddam Hussein, or about the as-yet unsuccessful search for any weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

The president did, however, play to his international audience as well saying he needs help -- both international troops Mr. Bush said were necessary, as well as international contributions to the Iraqi reconstruction effort. The president acknowledged that many around the world disagreed with his decision to go to war in the first place, but he said he needs their help now.

John King, CNN, the White House.

(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.