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CNN Live At Daybreak

"Axis of Evil" Comment Makes America, World Wonder

Aired January 31, 2002 - 05:18   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: The international community and people here in the United States are trying to figure out if President Bush plans to expand the war on terrorism to Iraq, Iran and North Korea. You might recall Mr. Bush's "axis of evil" comment about the three countries.

Our National Security Correspondent David Ensor looks at that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: and all nations should know America will do what is necessary.

DAVID ENSOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): It was a war president sounding like he may widen the war to cover Iraq or Iran or North Korea, calling them an "axis of evil."

BUSH: I will not stand by as peril draws closer and closer. The United States of America will not permit the world's most dangerous regimes to threaten us with the world's most destructive weapons.

ENSOR: Certainly opponents of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein took heart from the speech and from talks at the State Department about more U.S. aid for them.

SHARIF ALI BIN AL HUSSEIN, IRAQI NATIONAL CONGRESS: We feel that things are going our way.

ENSOR: Conservative advocates of taking the war to Iraq also liked the President's approach in the speech.

CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER, "THE WASHINGTON POST": I think that between this State of the Union and next year's State of the Union, we will have a war in Iraq.

ENSOR: But asked whether the president really meant to suggest war with Iraq is likely, administration officials left it ambiguous.

DONALD RUMSFELD, DEFENSE SECRETARY: He didn't suggest anything. If there was anything about last night's speech, it was that it had near perfect clarity.

ENSOR: As for Iran and North Korea, some analysts were surprised the President put them in the same category as Iraq. After all, Iran has even helped, at least some, on Afghanistan, and for some time now North Korea has been offering talks and keeping its head down.

IVO DAALDER, BROOKINGS INSTITUTE: He's really closed down the road to diplomacy, to engagement, to a carrot as well as a stick approach, and it's now all sticks, no carrots. You do as I tell and otherwise we will make you.

ENSOR (on camera): While the president's language suggested to some that he's contemplating a war against Iraq, one senior administration official warned against reading too much into his words. The United States is not going to have a one size fits all policy, the official said, so don't assume the president plans to repeat Afghanistan all around the world.

David Ensor, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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