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Tony Blair Announcing Inquiry into Faulty Intelligence
Aired February 03, 2004 - 06:23 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: All right, let's get back to the search for reliable intelligence. We're talking about weapons of mass destruction now. British Prime Minister Tony Blair is again following President Bush's lead, this time by announcing an inquiry into the faulty intelligence used to justify war against Iraq. This has been going on all morning. These are members of parliament questioning Tony Blair about intelligence and weapons of mass destruction and why Britain went to war in Iraq.
Let's head live to Robin Oakley for more details from London.
What is he saying -- Robin.
ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, Tony Blair has had the rug pulled from under him by George Bush and by David Kay, the former weapons inspector. Basically, once George Bush said he was going to have an independent inquiry, Tony Blair has had to do the same.
Months ago, he used to say to us when we asked where were those weapons of mass destruction, he'd say you guys are going to have to eat your words. Then it moved into a new phase, wait for the Iraq Survey Group to report. Now he's effectively conceding that the issue on which he made the case for war against Saddam Hussein, weapons of mass destruction, because he never pushed the same way for regime change, that is under severe question and he's announced that there will be an inquiry into the quality of intelligence, into the use and interpretation of intelligence by the government.
What he's not prepared to concede is an inquiry into the government's case for going to war and whether that was right or wrong -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Robin, has President Bush's name come up in this inquiry -- in this question and answer session?
OAKLEY: We've not heard any references to President Bush directly. We've heard plenty of references to David Kay. The evidence that he gave in the United States is going to be placed before the British House of Commons before they have a debate on the Hutton inquiry tomorrow. That's the earlier inquiry which found Tony Blair and his government not guilty on the charge of misusing and distorting intelligence in making their case for war -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Robin Oakley reporting 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
Aired February 3, 2004 - 06:23 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: All right, let's get back to the search for reliable intelligence. We're talking about weapons of mass destruction now. British Prime Minister Tony Blair is again following President Bush's lead, this time by announcing an inquiry into the faulty intelligence used to justify war against Iraq. This has been going on all morning. These are members of parliament questioning Tony Blair about intelligence and weapons of mass destruction and why Britain went to war in Iraq.
Let's head live to Robin Oakley for more details from London.
What is he saying -- Robin.
ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, Tony Blair has had the rug pulled from under him by George Bush and by David Kay, the former weapons inspector. Basically, once George Bush said he was going to have an independent inquiry, Tony Blair has had to do the same.
Months ago, he used to say to us when we asked where were those weapons of mass destruction, he'd say you guys are going to have to eat your words. Then it moved into a new phase, wait for the Iraq Survey Group to report. Now he's effectively conceding that the issue on which he made the case for war against Saddam Hussein, weapons of mass destruction, because he never pushed the same way for regime change, that is under severe question and he's announced that there will be an inquiry into the quality of intelligence, into the use and interpretation of intelligence by the government.
What he's not prepared to concede is an inquiry into the government's case for going to war and whether that was right or wrong -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Robin, has President Bush's name come up in this inquiry -- in this question and answer session?
OAKLEY: We've not heard any references to President Bush directly. We've heard plenty of references to David Kay. The evidence that he gave in the United States is going to be placed before the British House of Commons before they have a debate on the Hutton inquiry tomorrow. That's the earlier inquiry which found Tony Blair and his government not guilty on the charge of misusing and distorting intelligence in making their case for war -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Robin Oakley reporting 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
