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President Bush Makes Case for War With Iraq

Aired September 13, 2002 - 14:12   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush is back in Washington after a morning spent courting UN and African leaders in New York. Mr. Bush is expecting a quick and tough resolution from the UN on Iraqi compliance on weapons inspections.
CNN's Kelly Wallace joins us live from the White House with more.

Kelly, now that president is back at the White House what's his strategy from here on out with regard to Saddam?

KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, his strategy, Kyra, is for the UN members to quickly work on this new UN Security Council resolution. Secretary of State Colin Powell already meeting with some members, the permanent members of the UN Security Council, who have veto power over any resolution. The goal: to get a resolution that calls for weapons inspectors to be back inside Iraq or Iraq would face consequences. And you heard the president today saying he wants such a resolution in days/weeks, not months or years. But he also said, Kyra, he is highly doubtful that Saddam Hussein will ultimately comply. He seems to be leaving the window open for some possible military action -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: What are you hearing about world leaders and what they are saying?

WALLACE: Aides are very pleased. With the initial reaction so far, they feel that the president's speech already getting high praise from a lot of world leaders, a lot of skeptics who said the president would go it alone. Now they see he has gone to the United Nations, still an uphill battle. Trying to convince some skeptics such as Russia, a country which has a veto power on the UN Security Council to support the president. So the consultations continuing, the president hosting Italian prime minister tomorrow, in fact at Camp David -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Meanwhile, back there in Washington, D.C., a lot of pressure on lawmakers, yes?

WALLACE: Yes. And the president sort of stepped up the pressure on members of Congress, you could say. The president saying he can't imagine any lawmakers might wait to act on any resolution until the United Nations acts. And the president sort of putting this out in the political world, saying lawmakers would have explaining to do. Here's what he said earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If I were running for office, I'm not sure how I would explain to the American people that, you know, vote for me and oh, by the way on a matter of national security, I think I will wait for somebody else to act.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: Now, you could say Democrats are bristling at that statement. In fact, a spokeswoman for Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle telling my colleague Dan Abash (ph) that the majority leader believed it is preferable, not essential for Congress to wait until the UN acts. Also, you have a Senate Democrat, the Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin talking about the Senate passing a resolution possibly next week supporting the president going through the United Nations but putting off any vote on military action.

So Democrats reacting, this president putting them -- in somewhat after difficult position. Some Democrats would like to wait until the UN does its work. The president making the case he thinks they have a duty to act now -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Kelly Wallace, at the White House. Thanks, Kelly.

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