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President Bush Addresses U.N.: Speech Preview

Aired September 23, 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.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush will be in New York this morning, where he will deliver a major speech before the United Nations, and he may get one chilly reception. The president will talk to the same world leaders who opposed his invasion of Iraq.
Live to Washington, D.C. now and CNN's Bill Prasad.

And, Bill, you can bet the one thing the president will not say is, I'm sorry.

BILL PRASAD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You have that right. He is certainly not expected to apologize.

Last year, he clashed with them. This morning, he will be asking for their help. In about four hours, the president will be addressing the U.N. On the line could be the future of his presidency, as well as the future of Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PRASAD (voice-over): They shake hands in public, but in private there are bitter divisions between President Bush and many world leaders. Mr. Bush will push for a new U.N. Security Council resolution that would create a broader multinational force in Iraq.

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: We all have the same goal, and that is to get Iraq into the hands of the Iraqi people as soon as practical and possible.

PRASAD: Mr. Bush will ask for more international troops and tens of billions in reconstruction money, all parts of his plan to rebuild Iraq. But a French proposal would hasten Iraqi sovereignty -- something the White House says won't work.

PAUL BREMER, U.S. CIVILIAN ADMINISTRATOR: To do so would invite economic collapse, followed by political extremism and a return to terrorism.

PRASAD: It puts Mr. Bush on a collision course with opponents at the U.N. at a time when his approval rating is the lowest of his presidency. A CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup Poll says Americans are now split when asked to rate Mr. Bush's job performance: 50 percent approve, 47 percent disapprove.

Democratic leaders know Iraq could be the president's Achilles heel.

SEN. ROBERT BYRD (D), WEST VIRGINIA: We had the weapons to win the war, but we have not shown the wisdom to win the peace.

PRASAD: In Washington and in New York, the president faces off with critics, who may be saying privately, "I told you so."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

Even though the president will be asking for assistance, don't expect him to apologize for invading Iraq. Instead, Mr. Bush is expected to tell the U.N. that the world is a much safer place because Saddam Hussein is no longer in power.

Carol -- back to you.

COSTELLO: All right, Bill Prasad reporting live for us from Washington, D.C.

The president's speech, by the way will last about 20 minutes.

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 23, 2003 - 06:02   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush will be in New York this morning, where he will deliver a major speech before the United Nations, and he may get one chilly reception. The president will talk to the same world leaders who opposed his invasion of Iraq.
Live to Washington, D.C. now and CNN's Bill Prasad.

And, Bill, you can bet the one thing the president will not say is, I'm sorry.

BILL PRASAD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You have that right. He is certainly not expected to apologize.

Last year, he clashed with them. This morning, he will be asking for their help. In about four hours, the president will be addressing the U.N. On the line could be the future of his presidency, as well as the future of Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PRASAD (voice-over): They shake hands in public, but in private there are bitter divisions between President Bush and many world leaders. Mr. Bush will push for a new U.N. Security Council resolution that would create a broader multinational force in Iraq.

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: We all have the same goal, and that is to get Iraq into the hands of the Iraqi people as soon as practical and possible.

PRASAD: Mr. Bush will ask for more international troops and tens of billions in reconstruction money, all parts of his plan to rebuild Iraq. But a French proposal would hasten Iraqi sovereignty -- something the White House says won't work.

PAUL BREMER, U.S. CIVILIAN ADMINISTRATOR: To do so would invite economic collapse, followed by political extremism and a return to terrorism.

PRASAD: It puts Mr. Bush on a collision course with opponents at the U.N. at a time when his approval rating is the lowest of his presidency. A CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup Poll says Americans are now split when asked to rate Mr. Bush's job performance: 50 percent approve, 47 percent disapprove.

Democratic leaders know Iraq could be the president's Achilles heel.

SEN. ROBERT BYRD (D), WEST VIRGINIA: We had the weapons to win the war, but we have not shown the wisdom to win the peace.

PRASAD: In Washington and in New York, the president faces off with critics, who may be saying privately, "I told you so."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

Even though the president will be asking for assistance, don't expect him to apologize for invading Iraq. Instead, Mr. Bush is expected to tell the U.N. that the world is a much safer place because Saddam Hussein is no longer in power.

Carol -- back to you.

COSTELLO: All right, Bill Prasad reporting live for us from Washington, D.C.

The president's speech, by the way will last about 20 minutes.

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