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Bush to Speak to World About Iraq
Aired October 07, 2002 - 14:08 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 spent part of the weekend in Maine, polishing the major address on Iraq that he'll make tonight. Speaking to the American people from Cincinnati, Ohio, Mr. Bush will lay out his case against Iraq and its president, Saddam Hussein.
Our White House correspondent, Kelly Wallace is following all of this.
Why Cincinnati -- Kelly.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That is a very good question, Kyra. Number one, the White House would say it is in the middle of the nation's heartland, so that the president can talk directly to the American people from there. But also, White House officials very sensitive to criticism coming from Democrats that this administration is using Iraq for political gain. The administration says that is absolutely not the case, but White House officials chose a location that doesn't have any major political race going on before the November elections so that this president would not be accused of playing politics with the issue of Iraq.
Now I can tell you we're learning a little bit more, Kyra, about exactly what the president will say in his speech tonight. Aides say he will make the case that military action is his last option. He will indicate he would hope to avoid a military confrontation with the Iraqi leader, but that he believes Saddam Hussein must be disarmed now. And he will say inaction is not a possibility.
Now, the president was expected to spend time today rehearsing what will be a 25-minute speech. Aides say the president won't be offering any new evidence of Saddam Hussein's chemical, biological and nuclear weapons programs, but that the president will try to put forward in a very comprehensive way all the arguments for why he believes Saddam Hussein must be dealt with now.
And we're also likely to hear something else from this president. We have heard him over the past several days talking about how he believes Saddam Hussein is using rape and murder and torture against his own people. We know the State Department is compiling evidence of possible war crimes committed by the Iraqi leader and those around him, and it appears the administration is really stepping up efforts to get a message out to some of the Iraqi leader's closest aides. The administration hoping that those aides ultimately would take steps to remove Saddam Hussein from power.
Take a look at what Ari Fleischer said to reporters earlier today. He said, "The message to Iraqi commanders is think before you act. You do not have to obey the orders Saddam Hussein gives you. The United States takes very seriously the criminal nature of these acts, particularly acts that would involve the use of chemical and biological weapons."
There is also a strategy to all of this, the president hoping his tough talk will lead to strong bipartisan victories in the House and in the Senate on that military resolution authorizing the use of force, if necessary, to deal with Iraq. And then, of course, the president directing his remarks also to an international audience, hoping skeptical U.S. allies will get the message that this president believes Saddam Hussein must be dealt with and dealt with now -- Kyra.
Kelly Wallace, at the White House. Thanks -- Kelly.
You can watch President Bush's speech in a special edition of "CONNIE CHUNG TONIGHT" at 8:00 Eastern, 5:00 Pacific right here on CNN.
Leaders of both parties predict Congress will give overwhelming approval for Bush to act against Saddam Hussein. The House could vote on a war powers resolution as soon as midweek.
Congressional correspondent Jonathan Karl on the Hill now.
Looks like Tom Daschle has changed his tune a bit -- Jon.
JONATHAN KARL, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Tom Daschle, who has been somebody who has been critical of the president's approach to the war resolution, said over the weekend that he is inclined and he probably will be vote with the vast majority of the Congress to give the president the authority to wage war against Iraq.
The debate is going on right now on the floor of the Senate now, the momentum clearly going in the president's direction. But not all Democrats -- and there you see one of the top Republicans here in the Senate, the Armed Services ranking Republican, John Warner, the co- sponsor of the resolution, making the case for it -- but there are some very significant voices in the Senate that are opposed to giving the president this authority. One of those is the senior senator from Massachusetts, Ted Kennedy, who made an impassioned speech this morning against giving the president the authority.
Here's what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. EDWARD KENNEDY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: We can deal with Iraq without resorting to this extreme. It is impossible to justify any such double standard under international law. Might does not make right. America cannot write its own rules for the modern world. To attempt to do so would be unilateralism run amok.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KARL: This debate will go on all week, or is expected to go on all week, on the floor of the Senate, with a vote perhaps by the end of the week, or maybe even not until next week.
Over on the House side, where a vote is expect the this week, there has been a little bit of drama surrounding the House's number two Republican, Dick Armey, somebody who has been very critical of the idea of going to war with Iraq, and somebody who had been lobbied personally by Vice President Dick Cheney, who dropped by his office -- dropped by Dick Armey's office -- last week to try to convince him to support the president. Today, he came out and Dick Armey announced that yes, he'll vote to give the president the authority to wage war on Iraq.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. DICK ARMEY (R), TEXAS: In these extraordinary times, an extraordinary shift in national security is necessary. No American wants to go to war, but the president's proven leadership has shown that the conflict may be our only option to defend freedom.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KARL: We're obviously waiting to hear from the president tonight. But we'll also be hearing from two prominent Democrats who would like to be president. Two potential presidential candidates are expected to address the issue of Iraq today. One will be John Edwards, senator of North Carolina, expected to speak at about 2:00 this afternoon. He's supporting the president, but his speech will be quite critical on the way the president has handled foreign policy.
The second will be Joe Lieberman, another supporter of the Iraq resolution, He is speaking tonight right after the president's speech. He'll be addressing the question of what happens in Iraq after a war.
PHILLIPS: Jon, meanwhile, another note that just came across the wires not long ago, the Supreme Court refusing to hear a specific challenge by new Jersey Republicans. We've been talking about this for a number of weeks now.
KARL: This is incredible. This may be the last chapter, but maybe not. The Supreme Court put out a one-sentence statement saying they are denying the appeal of Republicans. If you remember what this is all about is the Democrats, after Bob Torricelli dropped out of the race, wanted to ]replace him with Frank Lautenberg. But the deadline for changing the ballot had already passed. The New Jersey Supreme Court allowed the Democrats to change they ballot anyway, and the U.S. Supreme court has rejected Republican appeals of that decision.
But it's not exactly over yet, Kyra, because the Republicans have found two voters who are going to court in New Jersey also to protest this decision. And they are presenting their case to U.S. Federal District Court in New Jersey.
So it's not over yet, but a significant blow to Republican efforts, and making it look more likely that the new Democratic candidate, Frank Lautenberg, will be on the ballot.
PHILLIPS: Jonathan Karl, 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 October 7, 2002 - 14:08 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 spent part of the weekend in Maine, polishing the major address on Iraq that he'll make tonight. Speaking to the American people from Cincinnati, Ohio, Mr. Bush will lay out his case against Iraq and its president, Saddam Hussein.
Our White House correspondent, Kelly Wallace is following all of this.
Why Cincinnati -- Kelly.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That is a very good question, Kyra. Number one, the White House would say it is in the middle of the nation's heartland, so that the president can talk directly to the American people from there. But also, White House officials very sensitive to criticism coming from Democrats that this administration is using Iraq for political gain. The administration says that is absolutely not the case, but White House officials chose a location that doesn't have any major political race going on before the November elections so that this president would not be accused of playing politics with the issue of Iraq.
Now I can tell you we're learning a little bit more, Kyra, about exactly what the president will say in his speech tonight. Aides say he will make the case that military action is his last option. He will indicate he would hope to avoid a military confrontation with the Iraqi leader, but that he believes Saddam Hussein must be disarmed now. And he will say inaction is not a possibility.
Now, the president was expected to spend time today rehearsing what will be a 25-minute speech. Aides say the president won't be offering any new evidence of Saddam Hussein's chemical, biological and nuclear weapons programs, but that the president will try to put forward in a very comprehensive way all the arguments for why he believes Saddam Hussein must be dealt with now.
And we're also likely to hear something else from this president. We have heard him over the past several days talking about how he believes Saddam Hussein is using rape and murder and torture against his own people. We know the State Department is compiling evidence of possible war crimes committed by the Iraqi leader and those around him, and it appears the administration is really stepping up efforts to get a message out to some of the Iraqi leader's closest aides. The administration hoping that those aides ultimately would take steps to remove Saddam Hussein from power.
Take a look at what Ari Fleischer said to reporters earlier today. He said, "The message to Iraqi commanders is think before you act. You do not have to obey the orders Saddam Hussein gives you. The United States takes very seriously the criminal nature of these acts, particularly acts that would involve the use of chemical and biological weapons."
There is also a strategy to all of this, the president hoping his tough talk will lead to strong bipartisan victories in the House and in the Senate on that military resolution authorizing the use of force, if necessary, to deal with Iraq. And then, of course, the president directing his remarks also to an international audience, hoping skeptical U.S. allies will get the message that this president believes Saddam Hussein must be dealt with and dealt with now -- Kyra.
Kelly Wallace, at the White House. Thanks -- Kelly.
You can watch President Bush's speech in a special edition of "CONNIE CHUNG TONIGHT" at 8:00 Eastern, 5:00 Pacific right here on CNN.
Leaders of both parties predict Congress will give overwhelming approval for Bush to act against Saddam Hussein. The House could vote on a war powers resolution as soon as midweek.
Congressional correspondent Jonathan Karl on the Hill now.
Looks like Tom Daschle has changed his tune a bit -- Jon.
JONATHAN KARL, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Tom Daschle, who has been somebody who has been critical of the president's approach to the war resolution, said over the weekend that he is inclined and he probably will be vote with the vast majority of the Congress to give the president the authority to wage war against Iraq.
The debate is going on right now on the floor of the Senate now, the momentum clearly going in the president's direction. But not all Democrats -- and there you see one of the top Republicans here in the Senate, the Armed Services ranking Republican, John Warner, the co- sponsor of the resolution, making the case for it -- but there are some very significant voices in the Senate that are opposed to giving the president this authority. One of those is the senior senator from Massachusetts, Ted Kennedy, who made an impassioned speech this morning against giving the president the authority.
Here's what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. EDWARD KENNEDY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: We can deal with Iraq without resorting to this extreme. It is impossible to justify any such double standard under international law. Might does not make right. America cannot write its own rules for the modern world. To attempt to do so would be unilateralism run amok.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KARL: This debate will go on all week, or is expected to go on all week, on the floor of the Senate, with a vote perhaps by the end of the week, or maybe even not until next week.
Over on the House side, where a vote is expect the this week, there has been a little bit of drama surrounding the House's number two Republican, Dick Armey, somebody who has been very critical of the idea of going to war with Iraq, and somebody who had been lobbied personally by Vice President Dick Cheney, who dropped by his office -- dropped by Dick Armey's office -- last week to try to convince him to support the president. Today, he came out and Dick Armey announced that yes, he'll vote to give the president the authority to wage war on Iraq.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. DICK ARMEY (R), TEXAS: In these extraordinary times, an extraordinary shift in national security is necessary. No American wants to go to war, but the president's proven leadership has shown that the conflict may be our only option to defend freedom.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KARL: We're obviously waiting to hear from the president tonight. But we'll also be hearing from two prominent Democrats who would like to be president. Two potential presidential candidates are expected to address the issue of Iraq today. One will be John Edwards, senator of North Carolina, expected to speak at about 2:00 this afternoon. He's supporting the president, but his speech will be quite critical on the way the president has handled foreign policy.
The second will be Joe Lieberman, another supporter of the Iraq resolution, He is speaking tonight right after the president's speech. He'll be addressing the question of what happens in Iraq after a war.
PHILLIPS: Jon, meanwhile, another note that just came across the wires not long ago, the Supreme Court refusing to hear a specific challenge by new Jersey Republicans. We've been talking about this for a number of weeks now.
KARL: This is incredible. This may be the last chapter, but maybe not. The Supreme Court put out a one-sentence statement saying they are denying the appeal of Republicans. If you remember what this is all about is the Democrats, after Bob Torricelli dropped out of the race, wanted to ]replace him with Frank Lautenberg. But the deadline for changing the ballot had already passed. The New Jersey Supreme Court allowed the Democrats to change they ballot anyway, and the U.S. Supreme court has rejected Republican appeals of that decision.
But it's not exactly over yet, Kyra, because the Republicans have found two voters who are going to court in New Jersey also to protest this decision. And they are presenting their case to U.S. Federal District Court in New Jersey.
So it's not over yet, but a significant blow to Republican efforts, and making it look more likely that the new Democratic candidate, Frank Lautenberg, will be on the ballot.
PHILLIPS: Jonathan Karl, 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
