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President Bush Addresses U.N., Will Outline Vision for Post-War Iraq

Aired September 23, 2003 - 06:31   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.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: We are less than four hours away from President Bush's United Nations address. In that address, he will insist the Iraq war was right. He's certainly not going to say he was sorry.
He will not agree also to a quick handover of power, but he will appeal for international help in rebuilding Iraq.

Later, President Bush will meet privately with French President Jacques Chirac and other world leaders.

In an interview that aired last night, Mr. Bush said despite differences on the war, it's time to pull together.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, my message is: that although some of you didn't agree with the actions we took, now let's work together to rebuild Iraq, rebuild Afghanistan, fight AIDS and hunger, deal with slavery like sex slavery, and deal with proliferation. Let's work together on big issues.

I will make it clear that I made the right decision and the others that joined us made the right decision. The world is a better place without Saddam Hussein.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: As I said, one thing we are sure of, the president will not say I'm sorry for going to war with Iraq.

So, what will his strategy be?

Live to Washington and White House correspondent Dana Bash. Actually, she's on the phone from D.C.

Good morning -- Dana.

DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: Hey, I'm going to throw some quick questions at you. How long will the president talk?

BASH: The White House says about 20 minutes will be his speech.

COSTELLO: Twenty minutes. We know he's going to ask for help and money. What, if anything, can he say that will appease France?

BASH: That's a very good question. You know, what a senior official I talked to last night told me was that the speech will be sort of talking in broad terms, much of what you just heard the president say himself, with no apologies for going to war without a final U.N. approval. But, you know, he will say he was right. But the important thing is that everybody sitting there listening to him must come together, put aside the differences of the past and work towards the future. That will sort of be the broad stroke of his speech at the U.N.

But almost more importantly, perhaps, will be his private meetings, and he will have some meetings with some world leaders, like French President Jacques Chirac, who did not agree with him on this war, whom he needs right now to get a new U.N. resolution passed.

COSTELLO: So, what would be the best case scenario for the president today?

BASH: The best case scenario for the White House is for the president to get a warm reception certainly, when he gives his speech, his major address this morning. But it also will be to have some successful private meetings with Jacques Chirac and others and to move forward on this new U.N. resolution, because that is quite important for the Bush administration in getting the kind of troops and money that the White House does think that they need in Iraq in order to stabilize the country. And a lot of countries say that they need that U.N. resolution in order to tell their folks back home that it's appropriate to send troops and money.

COSTELLO: All right, Dana Bash live by phone from Washington, D.C. this morning.

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




Post-War Iraq>


Aired September 23, 2003 - 06:31   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: We are less than four hours away from President Bush's United Nations address. In that address, he will insist the Iraq war was right. He's certainly not going to say he was sorry.
He will not agree also to a quick handover of power, but he will appeal for international help in rebuilding Iraq.

Later, President Bush will meet privately with French President Jacques Chirac and other world leaders.

In an interview that aired last night, Mr. Bush said despite differences on the war, it's time to pull together.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, my message is: that although some of you didn't agree with the actions we took, now let's work together to rebuild Iraq, rebuild Afghanistan, fight AIDS and hunger, deal with slavery like sex slavery, and deal with proliferation. Let's work together on big issues.

I will make it clear that I made the right decision and the others that joined us made the right decision. The world is a better place without Saddam Hussein.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: As I said, one thing we are sure of, the president will not say I'm sorry for going to war with Iraq.

So, what will his strategy be?

Live to Washington and White House correspondent Dana Bash. Actually, she's on the phone from D.C.

Good morning -- Dana.

DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: Hey, I'm going to throw some quick questions at you. How long will the president talk?

BASH: The White House says about 20 minutes will be his speech.

COSTELLO: Twenty minutes. We know he's going to ask for help and money. What, if anything, can he say that will appease France?

BASH: That's a very good question. You know, what a senior official I talked to last night told me was that the speech will be sort of talking in broad terms, much of what you just heard the president say himself, with no apologies for going to war without a final U.N. approval. But, you know, he will say he was right. But the important thing is that everybody sitting there listening to him must come together, put aside the differences of the past and work towards the future. That will sort of be the broad stroke of his speech at the U.N.

But almost more importantly, perhaps, will be his private meetings, and he will have some meetings with some world leaders, like French President Jacques Chirac, who did not agree with him on this war, whom he needs right now to get a new U.N. resolution passed.

COSTELLO: So, what would be the best case scenario for the president today?

BASH: The best case scenario for the White House is for the president to get a warm reception certainly, when he gives his speech, his major address this morning. But it also will be to have some successful private meetings with Jacques Chirac and others and to move forward on this new U.N. resolution, because that is quite important for the Bush administration in getting the kind of troops and money that the White House does think that they need in Iraq in order to stabilize the country. And a lot of countries say that they need that U.N. resolution in order to tell their folks back home that it's appropriate to send troops and money.

COSTELLO: All right, Dana Bash live by phone from Washington, D.C. this morning.

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




Post-War Iraq>