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President Warns Dangers Could be Ahead
Aired April 09, 2003 - 12:24 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.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: I want to go to the White House. Right now, our correspondent there Chris Burns is standing by. Chris, you heard Ahmad Chalabi, the leader of the Iraqi opposition in exile now in Nasiriyah, in southern Iraq, expresses gratitude for the U.S. and Britain for liberating Iraq, but at the same time deep irritation that this civilian group of experts, supposedly on the scene here in Kuwait to come over and take over day-to-day charge of various essential activities, that they're not moving as quickly as he had hoped. I assume there's an appreciation for that at the White House?
CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, absolutely, Wolf.
There is definitely more of a sense of urgency for some kind of an authority to get on the ground. We have been watching this morning this meltdown that's been going on in Baghdad, the absolute disparition of the Baghdad government, the Baghdad regime, and that has to be replaced, that power vacuum has to be replaced somehow. Vice President Dick Cheney mentioning will there will be a meeting in Nasiriyah, where you saw Ahmad Chalabi speaking from. There will be a meeting there of Iraqi opposition groups. It would be a surprise if Mr. Chalabi were not there, because he's very much the choice of the people at the Pentagon, as well as Vice President Dick Cheney.
Mr. Cheney also talked a bit about the sense of vindication that is being felt here at the White House. The vice president saying that as we see this progression on the ground, that the wisdom of that war plan that they had is much more apparent now by the day, just look back about a week-and-a-half ago, when even some people in the media were talking perhaps even about get getting bogged down, about maybe even quagmire, and now at this point, things are moving in fast- forward, giving that sense of vindication to those war planners here.
However, the vice president saying that there is -- there could very well be hard fighting ahead, especially in northern Iraq. He also said, however, though that this apparent -- this moving ahead on the ground does so send a message to all potentially violent groups, even outside of Iraq, that the United States will pursue and defeat them.
So, very important and more words along that line in -- here at the White House by Ari Fleischer, the White House spokesman saying that the -- that freedom's taste is unquenchable. When he was asked to elaborate on that, does he mean that goes beyond the borders of Iraq, could it go to Iran, perhaps, or North Korea, could it go to Syria? And he would only respond by repeating what President Bush said a few days ago, that freedom is God's gift to humanity. So, very interesting. I asked him, well, could today -- he called today a very historic day. Could this be perhaps the Berlin Wall fall of the Middle East? Could it lead to perhaps more democracy in the region, as had been envisioned by the Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz school. He said that the historians will decide on that account.
The next step, as you say, is what is very important, is trying to build some kind of an authority. When will that be in place? When will the interim Iraqi authority be in place, the exiles, the Iraqis living inside Iraq. No timeline on that. That's something they will have to decide very soon.
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 April 9, 2003 - 12:24 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: I want to go to the White House. Right now, our correspondent there Chris Burns is standing by. Chris, you heard Ahmad Chalabi, the leader of the Iraqi opposition in exile now in Nasiriyah, in southern Iraq, expresses gratitude for the U.S. and Britain for liberating Iraq, but at the same time deep irritation that this civilian group of experts, supposedly on the scene here in Kuwait to come over and take over day-to-day charge of various essential activities, that they're not moving as quickly as he had hoped. I assume there's an appreciation for that at the White House?
CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, absolutely, Wolf.
There is definitely more of a sense of urgency for some kind of an authority to get on the ground. We have been watching this morning this meltdown that's been going on in Baghdad, the absolute disparition of the Baghdad government, the Baghdad regime, and that has to be replaced, that power vacuum has to be replaced somehow. Vice President Dick Cheney mentioning will there will be a meeting in Nasiriyah, where you saw Ahmad Chalabi speaking from. There will be a meeting there of Iraqi opposition groups. It would be a surprise if Mr. Chalabi were not there, because he's very much the choice of the people at the Pentagon, as well as Vice President Dick Cheney.
Mr. Cheney also talked a bit about the sense of vindication that is being felt here at the White House. The vice president saying that as we see this progression on the ground, that the wisdom of that war plan that they had is much more apparent now by the day, just look back about a week-and-a-half ago, when even some people in the media were talking perhaps even about get getting bogged down, about maybe even quagmire, and now at this point, things are moving in fast- forward, giving that sense of vindication to those war planners here.
However, the vice president saying that there is -- there could very well be hard fighting ahead, especially in northern Iraq. He also said, however, though that this apparent -- this moving ahead on the ground does so send a message to all potentially violent groups, even outside of Iraq, that the United States will pursue and defeat them.
So, very important and more words along that line in -- here at the White House by Ari Fleischer, the White House spokesman saying that the -- that freedom's taste is unquenchable. When he was asked to elaborate on that, does he mean that goes beyond the borders of Iraq, could it go to Iran, perhaps, or North Korea, could it go to Syria? And he would only respond by repeating what President Bush said a few days ago, that freedom is God's gift to humanity. So, very interesting. I asked him, well, could today -- he called today a very historic day. Could this be perhaps the Berlin Wall fall of the Middle East? Could it lead to perhaps more democracy in the region, as had been envisioned by the Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz school. He said that the historians will decide on that account.
The next step, as you say, is what is very important, is trying to build some kind of an authority. When will that be in place? When will the interim Iraqi authority be in place, the exiles, the Iraqis living inside Iraq. No timeline on that. That's something they will have to decide very soon.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
