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Bush Warns Iraq, Dangles Carrot for North Korea
Aired January 14, 2003 - 14:30 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 is warning both Iraq and North Korea. The president says time is running out for Saddam Hussein, and there's no evidence the Iraqi leader is disarming. And Mr. Bush warns against North Korea against blackmail, saying Pyongyang will not be rewarded for bad behavior.
Dana Bash live at the White House now.
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra. Well, earlier this afternoon, the president meeting in the Oval Office with the Polish president, was asked by a reporter about the topic of Iraq and it elicited a very frustrated response from the president.
He was talking about the fact that -- the fact that Saddam Hussein is his issue. It's -- the onus on him to give up its weapons of mass destruction, not the inspectors. It's not up to the inspectors to find it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The world came together, and we have given him one last chance to disarm. So far, I haven't seen any evidence that he is disarming. Time is running out on Saddam Hussein. He must disarm. I'm sick and tired of games and deception.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: Now, this comes -- over the past couple of days we have heard statements from -- today from Kofi Annan, the chief of the U.N., and the chief weapons inspector at the U.N., Hans Blix urging patience, urging more time for the inspectors to do their job in Iraq, perhaps even until March.
Certainly -- saying certainly that they need a couple more months. The White House here has got a delicate diplomatic dance that they're engaged in because they want to put the pressure on both Saddam Hussein and the weapons inspectors, but they also want to make sure that the world is on board, that they continue building what the president calls the "coalition of the willing" to disarm Saddam Hussein.
So it's a difficult thing, and especially at a time where the U.S. is moving tens of thousands of troops into the Persian Gulf. Time certainly is of the essence. But again, the president saying that there is no timetable -- specifically -- at the same time saying time is running out -- Kyra. PHILLIPS: And what about time running out for North Korea? What does the president have to say?
BASH: Well, the president on North Korea dangled a carrot for North Korea today, saying that if North Korea does dismantle its nuclear program, that perhaps there's something in it for them, that perhaps the United States would revive what the president called -- what was in the works before North Korea said that they were going to restart its nuclear program, what he called a bold initiative, and that is an initiative to provide energy assistance and food assistance to North Korea, and he says they will, perhaps, talk about reviving that plan if North Korea first stops its nuclear program.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: I've actually convinced this issue will be solved in a peaceful way. I want to remind the American people that prior to North Korea making the decision it made, that I had instructed our secretary of state to approach North Korea about a bold initiative, an initiative which would talk about energy and food because we care deeply about the suffering of the North Korean people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: Earlier today, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said that any future agreement with North Korea must be verifiable, so that North Korea couldn't, he said, just flip on a switch and turn on its nuclear program after there would be an agreement in the future, much like trying to avoid what happened in the past -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Live from the White House, Dana Bash. 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 January 14, 2003 - 14:30 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 warning both Iraq and North Korea. The president says time is running out for Saddam Hussein, and there's no evidence the Iraqi leader is disarming. And Mr. Bush warns against North Korea against blackmail, saying Pyongyang will not be rewarded for bad behavior.
Dana Bash live at the White House now.
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra. Well, earlier this afternoon, the president meeting in the Oval Office with the Polish president, was asked by a reporter about the topic of Iraq and it elicited a very frustrated response from the president.
He was talking about the fact that -- the fact that Saddam Hussein is his issue. It's -- the onus on him to give up its weapons of mass destruction, not the inspectors. It's not up to the inspectors to find it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The world came together, and we have given him one last chance to disarm. So far, I haven't seen any evidence that he is disarming. Time is running out on Saddam Hussein. He must disarm. I'm sick and tired of games and deception.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: Now, this comes -- over the past couple of days we have heard statements from -- today from Kofi Annan, the chief of the U.N., and the chief weapons inspector at the U.N., Hans Blix urging patience, urging more time for the inspectors to do their job in Iraq, perhaps even until March.
Certainly -- saying certainly that they need a couple more months. The White House here has got a delicate diplomatic dance that they're engaged in because they want to put the pressure on both Saddam Hussein and the weapons inspectors, but they also want to make sure that the world is on board, that they continue building what the president calls the "coalition of the willing" to disarm Saddam Hussein.
So it's a difficult thing, and especially at a time where the U.S. is moving tens of thousands of troops into the Persian Gulf. Time certainly is of the essence. But again, the president saying that there is no timetable -- specifically -- at the same time saying time is running out -- Kyra. PHILLIPS: And what about time running out for North Korea? What does the president have to say?
BASH: Well, the president on North Korea dangled a carrot for North Korea today, saying that if North Korea does dismantle its nuclear program, that perhaps there's something in it for them, that perhaps the United States would revive what the president called -- what was in the works before North Korea said that they were going to restart its nuclear program, what he called a bold initiative, and that is an initiative to provide energy assistance and food assistance to North Korea, and he says they will, perhaps, talk about reviving that plan if North Korea first stops its nuclear program.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: I've actually convinced this issue will be solved in a peaceful way. I want to remind the American people that prior to North Korea making the decision it made, that I had instructed our secretary of state to approach North Korea about a bold initiative, an initiative which would talk about energy and food because we care deeply about the suffering of the North Korean people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: Earlier today, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said that any future agreement with North Korea must be verifiable, so that North Korea couldn't, he said, just flip on a switch and turn on its nuclear program after there would be an agreement in the future, much like trying to avoid what happened in the past -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Live from the White House, Dana Bash. 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
