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Firing Up the Forces
Aired February 13, 2003 - 13:02 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: Now to Iraq and the diplomatic struggle over going to war. It could come to a head tomorrow when Hans Blix delivers his crucial weapons report to the U.N. Security Council. In a sign of what's at stake, the Bush administration will send its heavy-hitter, Secretary of State Colin Powell.
CNN's Richard Roth is at the U.N. to tell us what's ahead -- Richard.
RICHARD ROTH, CNN SR. U.N. CORRESPONDENT: Well, even before Hans Blix makes his presentation tomorrow to the Security Council, the council is meeting on Iraq and humanitarian needs. They're could be millions of refugees, or people affected by a potential war. Secretary-General Kofi Annan called the session that's going on right now to deal with contingency season planning for the humanitarian crises ahead.
One U.N. official has told us that the U.N. humanitarian program is already reducing the number of people who have been in Iraq. When they go on vacation, the U.N. asks them to stay out of the country for a while. They've reduced the staff by a few hundred over the last few weeks.
And meanwhile, the United States is offering potentially more money for humanitarian contingency planning by the secretary general's team. All throughout the Mideast, you see U.N. humanitarian officials planning, setting up shop in the eventual possibility of any war.
Hans Blix yesterday met with his college of commissioners to go over the final details of his report. Blix will be briefing the security council, along with Mohamed ElBaradei, the International Atomic Agency. It's an open session. One of the issues that might be in the report, Iraq's illegal testing of missiles longer than the prescribed 93-mile range. The missiles may not have the punch of the Scuds that fell in Israel in 1991, but they definitely don't bode well for cooperation and adhering to U.N. Security Council resolutions. The missile in question, the Al Samud missile, Al Samud II. U.S. and U.K. diplomats say it's a serious violation by Iraq. However, Iraq disagrees. Tariq Aziz, traveling in Rome, on the Al Samud missile.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TARIQ AZIZ, IRAQ DEP. PRIME MINISTER: Well, the question of missiles was discussed between our experts. There is no serious violation. The main problem is that the Iraqi missiles, who are a very short range, don't have a guidance system. And sometimes, when a missile doesn't have a guidance system, it goes 5, or 10 or 15 kilometers beyond, that is not a very dangerous thing, should not be exaggerated. We are still within the limits that have been decided by the United Nations.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROTH: There was a two-day special meeting of the panel to discuss the missile question this week here in New York. So some of the things to look for in the Blix report tomorrow, the missile question, VX and anthrax, whether Baghdad has accounted for any missing substances that the U.N. inspectors want to know the location of, also, Iraqi interviews with scientists, and the U-2 reconnaissance flights. Iraq still seems to be indicating it wants to know the destination and the whereabouts whenever that plane flies -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right, Richard Roth at the U.N., thank you.
President Bush continues to prepare the country for war. A short time ago, he was firing up sailors at a military base in Florida.
CNN's Suzanne Malveaux is standing by live to tell us about that.
Hi, Suzanne.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra.
This is home to some 15,000 sailors, 34 ships. The president receiving a very warm welcome, roaring applause, when he said they've proven that Jack is back, a reference to USS John F. Kennedy that had participated in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. Many of the soldiers who participated in that operation now back home. The president making the case here that if war is necessary, the country will be victorious. Also, very interesting, making references to September 11th, making the argument that Saddam Hussein has weapons of mass destruction, that he has the means to use them, links to terrorists including Al Qaeda, also invoking images now of September 11th.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We learned that oceans no longer protect us, that a threat that gathers on the other side of the Earth can strike our own cities, can kill our own people. That's what we learned. And I'm not going to forget that lesson.
You see, we saw what terrorists could do with four airplanes as weapons. We're not going to wait and see what they can do with even deadlier weapons.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Now, Kyra, back at the White House, war planning is intensifying. General Tommy Franks meeting with senior advisers from the CIA, as well as National Security adviser, as well as the Pentagon, all of them discussing war plans today. The administration saying the president has not made up his mind whether or not this country is going to go to war, but certainly, the language and the tone now, almost as if the United States has already won a victory.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: If force becomes necessary to disarm Iraq, and enforce the will of the United Nations, if force becomes necessary to secure our country and to keep the peace, America will act deliberately, America will act decisively, and America will act victoriously with the world's greatest military.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Well, Kyra, the White House not only involved in this campaign to win over the American people, but also, as you know, for allies abroad, senior officials expect it's going to be really a mixed report from U.N. Security -- the inspector, Hans Blix to report to the U.N. Security Council. What we're told that the United States, as well as Britain, are going to be drafting the second resolution that they hope to present early next week, saying, yes, Iraq is in material breach of the previous resolution, and that it's now time to enforce that resolution for Saddam Hussein to disarm -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right, our Suzanne Malveaux, thank you so much.
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 February 13, 2003 - 13:02 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Now to Iraq and the diplomatic struggle over going to war. It could come to a head tomorrow when Hans Blix delivers his crucial weapons report to the U.N. Security Council. In a sign of what's at stake, the Bush administration will send its heavy-hitter, Secretary of State Colin Powell.
CNN's Richard Roth is at the U.N. to tell us what's ahead -- Richard.
RICHARD ROTH, CNN SR. U.N. CORRESPONDENT: Well, even before Hans Blix makes his presentation tomorrow to the Security Council, the council is meeting on Iraq and humanitarian needs. They're could be millions of refugees, or people affected by a potential war. Secretary-General Kofi Annan called the session that's going on right now to deal with contingency season planning for the humanitarian crises ahead.
One U.N. official has told us that the U.N. humanitarian program is already reducing the number of people who have been in Iraq. When they go on vacation, the U.N. asks them to stay out of the country for a while. They've reduced the staff by a few hundred over the last few weeks.
And meanwhile, the United States is offering potentially more money for humanitarian contingency planning by the secretary general's team. All throughout the Mideast, you see U.N. humanitarian officials planning, setting up shop in the eventual possibility of any war.
Hans Blix yesterday met with his college of commissioners to go over the final details of his report. Blix will be briefing the security council, along with Mohamed ElBaradei, the International Atomic Agency. It's an open session. One of the issues that might be in the report, Iraq's illegal testing of missiles longer than the prescribed 93-mile range. The missiles may not have the punch of the Scuds that fell in Israel in 1991, but they definitely don't bode well for cooperation and adhering to U.N. Security Council resolutions. The missile in question, the Al Samud missile, Al Samud II. U.S. and U.K. diplomats say it's a serious violation by Iraq. However, Iraq disagrees. Tariq Aziz, traveling in Rome, on the Al Samud missile.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TARIQ AZIZ, IRAQ DEP. PRIME MINISTER: Well, the question of missiles was discussed between our experts. There is no serious violation. The main problem is that the Iraqi missiles, who are a very short range, don't have a guidance system. And sometimes, when a missile doesn't have a guidance system, it goes 5, or 10 or 15 kilometers beyond, that is not a very dangerous thing, should not be exaggerated. We are still within the limits that have been decided by the United Nations.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROTH: There was a two-day special meeting of the panel to discuss the missile question this week here in New York. So some of the things to look for in the Blix report tomorrow, the missile question, VX and anthrax, whether Baghdad has accounted for any missing substances that the U.N. inspectors want to know the location of, also, Iraqi interviews with scientists, and the U-2 reconnaissance flights. Iraq still seems to be indicating it wants to know the destination and the whereabouts whenever that plane flies -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right, Richard Roth at the U.N., thank you.
President Bush continues to prepare the country for war. A short time ago, he was firing up sailors at a military base in Florida.
CNN's Suzanne Malveaux is standing by live to tell us about that.
Hi, Suzanne.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra.
This is home to some 15,000 sailors, 34 ships. The president receiving a very warm welcome, roaring applause, when he said they've proven that Jack is back, a reference to USS John F. Kennedy that had participated in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. Many of the soldiers who participated in that operation now back home. The president making the case here that if war is necessary, the country will be victorious. Also, very interesting, making references to September 11th, making the argument that Saddam Hussein has weapons of mass destruction, that he has the means to use them, links to terrorists including Al Qaeda, also invoking images now of September 11th.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We learned that oceans no longer protect us, that a threat that gathers on the other side of the Earth can strike our own cities, can kill our own people. That's what we learned. And I'm not going to forget that lesson.
You see, we saw what terrorists could do with four airplanes as weapons. We're not going to wait and see what they can do with even deadlier weapons.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Now, Kyra, back at the White House, war planning is intensifying. General Tommy Franks meeting with senior advisers from the CIA, as well as National Security adviser, as well as the Pentagon, all of them discussing war plans today. The administration saying the president has not made up his mind whether or not this country is going to go to war, but certainly, the language and the tone now, almost as if the United States has already won a victory.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: If force becomes necessary to disarm Iraq, and enforce the will of the United Nations, if force becomes necessary to secure our country and to keep the peace, America will act deliberately, America will act decisively, and America will act victoriously with the world's greatest military.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Well, Kyra, the White House not only involved in this campaign to win over the American people, but also, as you know, for allies abroad, senior officials expect it's going to be really a mixed report from U.N. Security -- the inspector, Hans Blix to report to the U.N. Security Council. What we're told that the United States, as well as Britain, are going to be drafting the second resolution that they hope to present early next week, saying, yes, Iraq is in material breach of the previous resolution, and that it's now time to enforce that resolution for Saddam Hussein to disarm -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right, our Suzanne Malveaux, thank you so much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
