Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Saturday

Bush Monitors Developments in Iraq

Aired August 31, 2002 - 12:01   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: The drumbeat of war is echoing in Baghdad where Iraq's military is preparing for the threat of a U.S. attack. Baghdad's defensive build-up is said to be the largest since the Gulf War, but the White House stresses that the U.S. president is, quote: "keeping his options open."
Mr. Bush is at his ranch in Crawford, Texas, as is our CNN White House correspondent Kelly Wallace. Hi there, Kelly.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka. Well, the Iraqis are not only preparing militarily for a possible attack by the U.S.; they're also mounting a diplomatic offensive. In fact, we saw Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein meeting on this day with his vice president. His vice president recently returning from Lebanon and Syria, traveling around trying to build opposition to any military campaign to topple the Iraqi leader.

Now, White House officials are not worried about what the Iraqis are doing, but they are paying more attention to U.S. allies. More and more allies expressing concerns about any possible military attack. Also, the American people expressing some concerns. Take a look at a recent CNN "TIME" poll.

Support for sending ground troops into Iraq to topple Saddam Hussein, at 73 percent in December, now down to 51 percent.

What we have seen from this administration really trying to begin the PR campaign for pre-emptive action against Iraq. We saw Vice President Cheney in two speeches this week to war veterans talking very tough, saying the U.S., the world community cannot wait for the day when Saddam Hussein might obtain nuclear weapons. His words, though, very strong, very concerning to some allies, and a concern to some lawmakers in the Congress. One Republican senator saying it sounds like President Bush's mind is already made up.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CHARLES HAGEL (R-NE), FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE: I can hardly believe that the vice president of the United States would go out and make two very declaratory, defining war speeches on why we must invade Iraq, unilaterally if we must, without the knowledge and the approval of the president of the United States. Maybe that is the case. If that is the case, then we're probably in a lot more trouble than we know.

(END VIDEO CLIP) WALLACE: Now to that, aides continue to stress that President Bush has not made any decisions, that what the vice president was doing was reiterating the threats so people know what the debate is all about. The message is, the president will be consulting with Congress, consulting with allies before deciding what to do, and, Fredricka, look for the possibility of congressional hearings very soon after lawmakers return to Washington this coming week. Lawmakers say they want many more answers from the administration. The administration saying it will cooperate and participate fully -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Well, Kelly, before those congressional hearings, and unlike Cheney being very overt about his thoughts on Iraq, we have not heard from President Bush directly on the matter as of yet. Do we expect to hear from him anytime soon before those congressional hearings take place?

WALLACE: Not likely. The sense we are getting, Fredricka, from the aides we talk to is that the president should not make the case for any pre-emptive action against Iraq until he has really made up his mind about what to do. We see the president talking in very general terms about he and his aides cannot sit by and let countries develop and obtain weapons of mass destruction.

Also, we should look at the president's speech up at the United Nations on September 12 to the U.N. General Assembly. That is where the sense is we might hear a little bit more from the president about where his thinking is at the moment on how to deal with Iraq and how to get international support for any campaign -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, Kelly Wallace, thank you very much.

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