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CNN Live Saturday
Bush to Iraq: Disarm or Else
Aired October 12, 2002 - 13:47 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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Now that President Bush is armed with the war powers he sought from Congress, he is repeating his message to Iraq, "Disarm or else."
Our White House correspondent Kelly Wallace joins us now with the very latest -- there you are -- from the White House this time. Hey, Kelly.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka.
Well, the White House strategy is very clear -- it is to use the votes in the House and in the Senate as much as possible to try to put pressure on skeptical U.S. allies such as France, China and Russia to get these countries to support a tough new U.N. resolution. This administration has been very clear it wants a resolution which would call for Iraq to comply with U.N. disarmament demands or face consequences if it did not comply.
Now the president seemed to be trying to send a message to U.S. allies in his radio address today saying that he now has congressional backing to possibly wage war if necessary.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This week both the House and Senate passed strong bipartisan measures authorizing the use of force in Iraq if it becomes necessary. Our country and our Congress are now united in purpose. America is speaking with one voice.
Iraq must disarm and comply with all existing U.N. resolutions or it will be forced to comply.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALLACE: And U.S. officials say we should expect the president to continue to make the case about why he believes the U.N. must act and must try to disarm Saddam Hussein.
The president will be on the road quite a bit this upcoming week doing a lot of political travel. But now in his stump speeches he always talks about Iraq and says that if the U.N. will not act then the U.S. and a coalition of allies will. Now in other developments -- Iraq reportedly now indicating to the U.N. weapons inspection team that it will remove all obstacles and allow weapons inspectors back inside the country. This coming from an adviser to Iraqi Leader Saddam Hussein in a letter to Hans Blix, the head of the U.N. weapons inspection team.
Now CNN has not been able to confirm this letter and we don't have any White House reaction just yet. Iraq reportedly saying that it is going to comply with all agreements made between Iraqi officials and Hans Blix in Vienna not too long ago.
I can tell you White House officials have been very skeptical of any comment coming from Iraq. U.S. officials say the focus continues to be on getting this tough new U.N. resolution. And White House officials very heartened because Hans Blix has indicated previously that inspectors will not go back inside Iraq until there is a tough, new inspections regime in place. Fredricka?
WHITFIELD: Kelly, there have been some members of Congress and even some members of the Bush administration who have said that they were hoping if anything that perhaps a resolution honored by the Senate and Congress -- or Senate and House that perhaps it would instigate some kind of movement from Saddam Hussein or at least his cabinet members that perhaps they would agree or comply to U.N. inspections instead of seeing a war.
WALLACE: Exactly. It's very interesting, Fredricka -- a number of lawmakers did say that they voted for that congressional resolution not because they truly believe military action is the way to go but they believe this is the way to prevent a war -- that by putting the ultimate pressure on Saddam Hussein by Congress saying it would support military action if necessary.
That will put even more pressure on the U.N. to deal with Saddam Hussein and call for consequences if he does not disarm. The thinking is if you increase the pressure and keep that pressure on, according to U.S. officials, eventually the thinking is the Iraqi leader might be forced to comply.
Of course, there's another theory there as well and that is if Saddam Hussein does not comply then you could see some type of military action.
But certainly many lawmakers hoping the pressure will force the Iraqi leader to take steps to prevent any military action. Fredricka?
WHITFIELD: All right -- Kelly Wallace from the White House. 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
Aired October 12, 2002 - 13:47 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Now that President Bush is armed with the war powers he sought from Congress, he is repeating his message to Iraq, "Disarm or else."
Our White House correspondent Kelly Wallace joins us now with the very latest -- there you are -- from the White House this time. Hey, Kelly.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka.
Well, the White House strategy is very clear -- it is to use the votes in the House and in the Senate as much as possible to try to put pressure on skeptical U.S. allies such as France, China and Russia to get these countries to support a tough new U.N. resolution. This administration has been very clear it wants a resolution which would call for Iraq to comply with U.N. disarmament demands or face consequences if it did not comply.
Now the president seemed to be trying to send a message to U.S. allies in his radio address today saying that he now has congressional backing to possibly wage war if necessary.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This week both the House and Senate passed strong bipartisan measures authorizing the use of force in Iraq if it becomes necessary. Our country and our Congress are now united in purpose. America is speaking with one voice.
Iraq must disarm and comply with all existing U.N. resolutions or it will be forced to comply.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALLACE: And U.S. officials say we should expect the president to continue to make the case about why he believes the U.N. must act and must try to disarm Saddam Hussein.
The president will be on the road quite a bit this upcoming week doing a lot of political travel. But now in his stump speeches he always talks about Iraq and says that if the U.N. will not act then the U.S. and a coalition of allies will. Now in other developments -- Iraq reportedly now indicating to the U.N. weapons inspection team that it will remove all obstacles and allow weapons inspectors back inside the country. This coming from an adviser to Iraqi Leader Saddam Hussein in a letter to Hans Blix, the head of the U.N. weapons inspection team.
Now CNN has not been able to confirm this letter and we don't have any White House reaction just yet. Iraq reportedly saying that it is going to comply with all agreements made between Iraqi officials and Hans Blix in Vienna not too long ago.
I can tell you White House officials have been very skeptical of any comment coming from Iraq. U.S. officials say the focus continues to be on getting this tough new U.N. resolution. And White House officials very heartened because Hans Blix has indicated previously that inspectors will not go back inside Iraq until there is a tough, new inspections regime in place. Fredricka?
WHITFIELD: Kelly, there have been some members of Congress and even some members of the Bush administration who have said that they were hoping if anything that perhaps a resolution honored by the Senate and Congress -- or Senate and House that perhaps it would instigate some kind of movement from Saddam Hussein or at least his cabinet members that perhaps they would agree or comply to U.N. inspections instead of seeing a war.
WALLACE: Exactly. It's very interesting, Fredricka -- a number of lawmakers did say that they voted for that congressional resolution not because they truly believe military action is the way to go but they believe this is the way to prevent a war -- that by putting the ultimate pressure on Saddam Hussein by Congress saying it would support military action if necessary.
That will put even more pressure on the U.N. to deal with Saddam Hussein and call for consequences if he does not disarm. The thinking is if you increase the pressure and keep that pressure on, according to U.S. officials, eventually the thinking is the Iraqi leader might be forced to comply.
Of course, there's another theory there as well and that is if Saddam Hussein does not comply then you could see some type of military action.
But certainly many lawmakers hoping the pressure will force the Iraqi leader to take steps to prevent any military action. Fredricka?
WHITFIELD: All right -- Kelly Wallace from the White House. 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
