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CNN Live Saturday

Bush Makes Case for Regime Change in Iraq

Aired September 07, 2002 - 12:14   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush is making an international case for regime change in Iraq, and he's getting some help from Tony Blair. Mr. Bush meets with the British prime minister later today at Camp David, and our Suzanne Malveaux is live from the White House with more from there. Boy, Suzanne, you really are getting around this morning.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's right. It has been a very busy morning, Fredricka. Just yesterday, the president left the White House. He is spending the weekend at Camp David. Later today, he's going to be meeting with British Prime Minister Tony Blair specifically to discuss Iraq what some White House aides are calling a critical meeting. The two leaders share the resolve in the overthrow of Saddam Hussein. As you know, Britain is the only country aside from Israel that has expressed any type of support for regime change, including the possibility of using military action.

Both the president as well as Prime Minister Tony Blair have been working the phones, really talking to the same people, critical allies to make their case for regime change. The president just yesterday making calls to French President Jacques Chirac, China's Jiang Zemin and Russian President Vladimir Putin. He told them that we have been told that he said that he values their opinions, that he will continue to consult, that he emphasized that Saddam Hussein is a threat to the world. But at the same time, saying that the administration has not yet decided just how to deal with that threat.

Now, whether or not the president changed any minds or swayed any opinions, the White House aides saying that that was not really the purpose, these are just beginning talks, but initial reaction shows that really he did not sway any opinions.

Spokesperson for Russian President Vladimir Putin saying -- and I'm quoting: "Expressed serious doubts regarding the grounds for the use of force in relation to Iraq in terms of both international law and global politics." Also a spokeswoman for French President Jacques Chirac telling reporters -- and I'm quoting here: "It is up to the Security Council to take appropriate measures. They should be debated at that time."

Now, White House aides are telling us that the president is also putting the finishing touches on a speech that he will make before the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday. There are a lot of hands involved in that, including not only his chief speechwriter, but also his national security adviser. We're told Secretary of State Colin Powell as well as Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld both have a hand in this speech.

He will go before this international body and he will say, yes, Saddam Hussein is a threat to the world. He has broken all U.N. agreements. He will also basically give Saddam Hussein an ultimatum, saying that he must comply, that he must allow unfettered access for weapons inspectors to go back into Iraq, or face the consequences. What those consequences are it is not yet clear. We're told that the language is going to be broad enough in a possible U.N. Security Council resolution that would allow our allies like France, like Germany, perhaps Russia to even sign onboard -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Now, Suzanne, is it believed that the Bush administration merely wants to state its case and not that it surely believes it may change the minds of, say, China or France or Russia?

MALVEAUX: It is just the beginning stages. The White House really pressing that they have to make this case, that they are saying that the very credibility of the United Nations is on the line, that this is really going to be the defining moment for the president. But as you are aware, of course, there is a lot of back-door diplomacy that's also going on, talks on lower levels, people trying to sway opinions in both directions. They are hoping that because of the broad language, this might allow more countries to sign onto this. But as you know, those countries -- China, Russia, France -- those countries being permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, they each have veto power for any type of resolution that comes across that they don't approve of. So it's really going to be a tricky balancing situation.

WHITFIELD: All right, Suzanne Malveaux from the White House, thank you.

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