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Prime Minister Tony Blair Expected to Follow President Bush's Lead

Aired February 03, 2004 - 05:07   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: Turning now to the search for reliable intelligence. British Prime Minister Tony Blair is expected to follow President Bush's lead and appoint a commission to investigate faulty intelligence used to make the case for war against Iraq.
Let's head live to London, to Robin Oakley.

Tony Blair was speaking earlier.

Is that still going on -- Robin.

ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Carol, he's still being grilled by the leaders of all the key parliamentary committees. But, of course, they cover a whole range of subjects. We've had, I think, the whole of the evidence that he's going to give on the question of the Iraqi war and the weapons of mass destruction.

Tony Blair's term was one of no regrets. He insisted that whatever the outcome of the inquiry, which he is now launching into the use and the evaluation of intelligence, whatever the outcome of that, he still believes it was absolutely right to go to war with Saddam Hussein whether or not weapons of mass destruction were found.

He's now basing his case on the breach of U.N. resolutions by Saddam Hussein and saying that that was sufficient case for war.

Tony Blair and the other parties in Britain are still arguing somewhat about the precise terms of reference for this inquiry because the liberal Democrats want it to look also at the question of whether or not it was right to go to war.

Now, Tony Blair is saying that that is essentially a political judgment. He's happy to be judged on what he said about that, but that is not a case for the inquiry. The inquiry, he says, is to look into the intelligence and its use by government and he says the key question for the world to face up to is whether he is right in saying that for the 21st century the essential factor for the world is the battle against worldwide terrorism. And he says that going to war with Saddam Hussein was essential to demonstrate that that question will be tackled with fervor -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Of course, Tony Blair started speaking earlier. And I did hear the name David Kay come through his lips.

Is there any indication that Britain used the same intelligence as the United States in order to make the case to go to war with Iraq?

OAKLEY: I think undoubtedly, Carol, there was a lot of swapping of intelligence, as there tends to be, between these two traditional allies. Certainly, Tony Blair did make a number of references to David Kay and he's asked for the evidence that David Kay has given in the United States to be placed before the House of Commons here in London before M.P.s have their key debate tomorrow on the Hutton Inquiry, which effectively cleared the British government of the misuse of intelligence in making its case for war.

And Tony Blair says that people should read the whole of David Kay's evidence and says that while he's admitted that the Iraq Survey Group is unlikely to find those weapons of mass destruction, he did confirm evidence of breach of U.N. resolutions by Saddam Hussein and that's now the issue on which Tony Blair is pitching his appeal and suggestion that he was right in taking the action he did -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right, we'll check back in with you.

Robin Oakley live from London 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




Bush's Lead>


Aired February 3, 2004 - 05:07   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Turning now to the search for reliable intelligence. British Prime Minister Tony Blair is expected to follow President Bush's lead and appoint a commission to investigate faulty intelligence used to make the case for war against Iraq.
Let's head live to London, to Robin Oakley.

Tony Blair was speaking earlier.

Is that still going on -- Robin.

ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Carol, he's still being grilled by the leaders of all the key parliamentary committees. But, of course, they cover a whole range of subjects. We've had, I think, the whole of the evidence that he's going to give on the question of the Iraqi war and the weapons of mass destruction.

Tony Blair's term was one of no regrets. He insisted that whatever the outcome of the inquiry, which he is now launching into the use and the evaluation of intelligence, whatever the outcome of that, he still believes it was absolutely right to go to war with Saddam Hussein whether or not weapons of mass destruction were found.

He's now basing his case on the breach of U.N. resolutions by Saddam Hussein and saying that that was sufficient case for war.

Tony Blair and the other parties in Britain are still arguing somewhat about the precise terms of reference for this inquiry because the liberal Democrats want it to look also at the question of whether or not it was right to go to war.

Now, Tony Blair is saying that that is essentially a political judgment. He's happy to be judged on what he said about that, but that is not a case for the inquiry. The inquiry, he says, is to look into the intelligence and its use by government and he says the key question for the world to face up to is whether he is right in saying that for the 21st century the essential factor for the world is the battle against worldwide terrorism. And he says that going to war with Saddam Hussein was essential to demonstrate that that question will be tackled with fervor -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Of course, Tony Blair started speaking earlier. And I did hear the name David Kay come through his lips.

Is there any indication that Britain used the same intelligence as the United States in order to make the case to go to war with Iraq?

OAKLEY: I think undoubtedly, Carol, there was a lot of swapping of intelligence, as there tends to be, between these two traditional allies. Certainly, Tony Blair did make a number of references to David Kay and he's asked for the evidence that David Kay has given in the United States to be placed before the House of Commons here in London before M.P.s have their key debate tomorrow on the Hutton Inquiry, which effectively cleared the British government of the misuse of intelligence in making its case for war.

And Tony Blair says that people should read the whole of David Kay's evidence and says that while he's admitted that the Iraq Survey Group is unlikely to find those weapons of mass destruction, he did confirm evidence of breach of U.N. resolutions by Saddam Hussein and that's now the issue on which Tony Blair is pitching his appeal and suggestion that he was right in taking the action he did -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right, we'll check back in with you.

Robin Oakley live from London 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




Bush's Lead>