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Bush Campaigns in New Jersey, Pushes for U.N. Resolution

Aired September 23, 2002 - 14:02   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.


KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush hit the campaign trail today, headlining an event in New Jersey to raise funds for Republican Senate hopeful Doug Forrester, but he also used the event to campaign for a U.N. crackdown on Iraq.
CNN Senior White House Correspondent John King joins us now with more -- hi, John.

JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, Kyra. A live picture there of President Bush just arriving back at the White House from that campaign stop in New Jersey. Mr. Bush heading now into the Oval Office. A big week for him as he lobbies support, both on the home front and the international stage for his tough posture towards Saddam Hussein and Iraq. The president is confident he will reach a compromise with Congress on the language of a resolution authorizing him to use military force if necessary against Iraq.

The big question is the Security Council. As you noted at the top of the show, U.S. and British diplomats hope to have ready by tomorrow, Wednesday at the latest, a new draft resolution for the U.N. Security Council that would put Iraq on notice that if inspectors go back in, and they are turned away, that Iraq could immediately face military strikes.

That resolution also demands Iraqi compliance with a number of other commitments to the United Nations.

While up in New Jersey just a few hours ago, Mr. Bush saying that this is the time for the United Nations to prove itself, to rise to the challenge of Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I want to see strong resolutions coming out of that U.N. A resolution which says the old ways of deceit are gone. A resolution which will hold this man to account. A resolution which will allow freedom-loving countries to disarm Saddam Hussein before he threatens his neighborhood, before he threatens freedom, before he threatens America, and before he threatens civilization...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Now, the administration believing its steep diplomatic keel, if you will, at the United Nations, perhaps helped over the weekend. By Hussein's comments that he would not accept any new U.N. resolutions, the White House believes that helps it make a stronger case at the U.N. that Saddam Hussein is once again, in the view of this White House, playing with the United Nations, and the only way to force compliance, or to test, at least, to see if Iraq will comply, is to pass a tough new resolution -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. John King at the White House -- thank you.

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 September 23, 2002 - 14:02   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 hit the campaign trail today, headlining an event in New Jersey to raise funds for Republican Senate hopeful Doug Forrester, but he also used the event to campaign for a U.N. crackdown on Iraq.
CNN Senior White House Correspondent John King joins us now with more -- hi, John.

JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, Kyra. A live picture there of President Bush just arriving back at the White House from that campaign stop in New Jersey. Mr. Bush heading now into the Oval Office. A big week for him as he lobbies support, both on the home front and the international stage for his tough posture towards Saddam Hussein and Iraq. The president is confident he will reach a compromise with Congress on the language of a resolution authorizing him to use military force if necessary against Iraq.

The big question is the Security Council. As you noted at the top of the show, U.S. and British diplomats hope to have ready by tomorrow, Wednesday at the latest, a new draft resolution for the U.N. Security Council that would put Iraq on notice that if inspectors go back in, and they are turned away, that Iraq could immediately face military strikes.

That resolution also demands Iraqi compliance with a number of other commitments to the United Nations.

While up in New Jersey just a few hours ago, Mr. Bush saying that this is the time for the United Nations to prove itself, to rise to the challenge of Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I want to see strong resolutions coming out of that U.N. A resolution which says the old ways of deceit are gone. A resolution which will hold this man to account. A resolution which will allow freedom-loving countries to disarm Saddam Hussein before he threatens his neighborhood, before he threatens freedom, before he threatens America, and before he threatens civilization...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Now, the administration believing its steep diplomatic keel, if you will, at the United Nations, perhaps helped over the weekend. By Hussein's comments that he would not accept any new U.N. resolutions, the White House believes that helps it make a stronger case at the U.N. that Saddam Hussein is once again, in the view of this White House, playing with the United Nations, and the only way to force compliance, or to test, at least, to see if Iraq will comply, is to pass a tough new resolution -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. John King at the White House -- thank you.

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