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Bush, Blair Meet With Other War Supporters
Aired February 21, 2003 - 13:23 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.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Shoring up the coalition of the willing: leaders who back military action against Iraq are meeting today in Italy and central Texas. British Prime Minister Tony Blair traveled to meet -- or travelled to Rome, rather, to meet with his Italian counterpart, Silvio Berlusconi, and at the Bush ranch near Crawford, Texas, the president meets today and tomorrow with another ally, the Spanish prime minister.
CNN's John King live in Crawford now -- hi, John.
JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, Kyra. Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar due at the Crawford ranch tonight. White House officials saying a night of casual conversation tonight, cocktails and dinner at the Bush ranch, more formal discussions in the morning. Both leaders also will meet with reporters tomorrow.
Spain, of course, a critical ally in any event, but all the more critical now because it holds a seat on the United Nations Security Council. President Bush looking for firm support, not only on the council but in the public deliberations, and the public diplomacy as the United States and Great Britain try to sell the Security Council on a tough new resolution on Iraq.
We are told that resolution will be introduced early next week. We are also told to look for one possible new wrinkle out of these talks here in Crawford. There has been all this discussion of the United States and Great Britain sponsoring this resolution. We are told by senior administration officials that in the conversations with the prime minister of Spain, Mr. Bush will talk about the possibility that perhaps Spain will join the United States and Great Britain in taking a leading role as an author of that resolution as well.
That could be critical. The United States seeking nine votes, hoping that Spain can exert its influence on Mexico and other countries in trying to get those nine votes.
Other diplomatic efforts as well: President Bush from the ranch today called the U.N. secretary-general, Kofi Annan, to discuss the role of the Security Council in the Iraq debate. Also reaching out to the amir and the foreign minister of Kuwait. Kuwait, of course, a critical staging ground for the escalating U.S. military deployment already in the region, and some sign of progress on the big question we have been discussing in recent days, whether Turkey will grant permission for thousands of U.S. troops to use Turkish military bases for a possible staging ground for an invasion into northern Iraq. Those talks have been hung up. The White House in recent days insisting it needed an answer.
The White House now saying that talks are continuing. A much more polite tone moments ago from the White House press secretary, Ari Fleischer. In the past two days, he has said the White House needed an answer and needed it now. Today, he was saying Turkey is a close friend and a good democracy, and that the White House is hopeful, perhaps, something can be worked out. So, the president in an urgent phase of diplomacy right now, Kyra, heading into next week's critical week at the Security Council.
PHILLIPS: All right. Our John King live from Crawford, Texas. Thanks, John.
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 21, 2003 - 13:23 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Shoring up the coalition of the willing: leaders who back military action against Iraq are meeting today in Italy and central Texas. British Prime Minister Tony Blair traveled to meet -- or travelled to Rome, rather, to meet with his Italian counterpart, Silvio Berlusconi, and at the Bush ranch near Crawford, Texas, the president meets today and tomorrow with another ally, the Spanish prime minister.
CNN's John King live in Crawford now -- hi, John.
JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, Kyra. Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar due at the Crawford ranch tonight. White House officials saying a night of casual conversation tonight, cocktails and dinner at the Bush ranch, more formal discussions in the morning. Both leaders also will meet with reporters tomorrow.
Spain, of course, a critical ally in any event, but all the more critical now because it holds a seat on the United Nations Security Council. President Bush looking for firm support, not only on the council but in the public deliberations, and the public diplomacy as the United States and Great Britain try to sell the Security Council on a tough new resolution on Iraq.
We are told that resolution will be introduced early next week. We are also told to look for one possible new wrinkle out of these talks here in Crawford. There has been all this discussion of the United States and Great Britain sponsoring this resolution. We are told by senior administration officials that in the conversations with the prime minister of Spain, Mr. Bush will talk about the possibility that perhaps Spain will join the United States and Great Britain in taking a leading role as an author of that resolution as well.
That could be critical. The United States seeking nine votes, hoping that Spain can exert its influence on Mexico and other countries in trying to get those nine votes.
Other diplomatic efforts as well: President Bush from the ranch today called the U.N. secretary-general, Kofi Annan, to discuss the role of the Security Council in the Iraq debate. Also reaching out to the amir and the foreign minister of Kuwait. Kuwait, of course, a critical staging ground for the escalating U.S. military deployment already in the region, and some sign of progress on the big question we have been discussing in recent days, whether Turkey will grant permission for thousands of U.S. troops to use Turkish military bases for a possible staging ground for an invasion into northern Iraq. Those talks have been hung up. The White House in recent days insisting it needed an answer.
The White House now saying that talks are continuing. A much more polite tone moments ago from the White House press secretary, Ari Fleischer. In the past two days, he has said the White House needed an answer and needed it now. Today, he was saying Turkey is a close friend and a good democracy, and that the White House is hopeful, perhaps, something can be worked out. So, the president in an urgent phase of diplomacy right now, Kyra, heading into next week's critical week at the Security Council.
PHILLIPS: All right. Our John King live from Crawford, Texas. Thanks, John.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
