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Blair to Receive Congressional Gold Medal
Aired July 17, 2003 - 14:03 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: Well, a show of unity despite growing questions about who knew what before the war. This hour, British Prime Minister Tony Blair goes to Capitol Hill. He'll speak. Lawmakers will give him a medal and, anticipating it all, our Congressional correspondent Jonathan Karl -- Jon.
JONATHAN KARL, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, he won't actually get the medal. He's been awarded the medal but it's still at the mint. That's the Congressional Gold Medal.
But Tony Blair arrived here a short while ago in the United States. He's expected her on Capitol Hill in about ten minutes. The first order of business will be a sit down, a meeting with the top congressional leaders in both parties and in both chambers, the Senate and the House, and he's going to get, despite the current controversy over British intelligence and prewar intelligence in Iraq, he's expected to get a rather rousing reception from lawmakers up here who like to compare him to Winston Churchill.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R), KENTUCKY: I think he's been great and I think he's going to get a very, very warm welcome this afternoon in the joint session of Congress. He's a very courageous prime minister who went against public opinion and I always admire leaders who have the courage to do that. So, he's going to get a very warm welcome here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KARL: But, perhaps, the timing is a bit unfortunate for Tony Blair. His visit comes one day after the CIA director, who you see there, yesterday was up here on Capitol Hill testifying before the Senate Intelligence Committee about this controversy over the one line, the now famous 16 words, in the president's State of the Union address attributed to British intelligence about Saddam Hussein's alleged efforts to get uranium from Africa.
The U.S. government, the CIA now distanced themselves from that line, said it shouldn't have been in the president's speech because it was unreliable but Tony Blair still standing by that, so this happens as Tony Blair is dealing with that.
In this meeting that he is going to have in a few minutes with congressional leaders one of the leaders, Nancy Pelosi, says that she has some very specific questions for Tony Blair about that intelligence regarding the alleged attempts by Iraq to buy uranium in Africa.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D), MINORITY LEADER: I will ask the prime minister if the United Kingdom has been asked to share the source and content of all Iraqi nuclear material acquisitions efforts in Africa that information was provided to the U.S. If not, why not?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KARL: Well, Tony Blair's government has said the reason why they have not shared that information and will not share it is because they got it from another country's intelligence service and part of the agreement was they would keep it within Great Britain they would not share it with other countries.
So, this controversy is not likely to go away but in the midst of it all, as I said Kyra, you can expect a rather rousing reception for Tony Blair because he is seen not only as a key figure with the war with Iraq but as America's closest ally Great Britain.
PHILLIPS: Jon Karl we'll check in with you again.
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 July 17, 2003 - 14:03 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, a show of unity despite growing questions about who knew what before the war. This hour, British Prime Minister Tony Blair goes to Capitol Hill. He'll speak. Lawmakers will give him a medal and, anticipating it all, our Congressional correspondent Jonathan Karl -- Jon.
JONATHAN KARL, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, he won't actually get the medal. He's been awarded the medal but it's still at the mint. That's the Congressional Gold Medal.
But Tony Blair arrived here a short while ago in the United States. He's expected her on Capitol Hill in about ten minutes. The first order of business will be a sit down, a meeting with the top congressional leaders in both parties and in both chambers, the Senate and the House, and he's going to get, despite the current controversy over British intelligence and prewar intelligence in Iraq, he's expected to get a rather rousing reception from lawmakers up here who like to compare him to Winston Churchill.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R), KENTUCKY: I think he's been great and I think he's going to get a very, very warm welcome this afternoon in the joint session of Congress. He's a very courageous prime minister who went against public opinion and I always admire leaders who have the courage to do that. So, he's going to get a very warm welcome here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KARL: But, perhaps, the timing is a bit unfortunate for Tony Blair. His visit comes one day after the CIA director, who you see there, yesterday was up here on Capitol Hill testifying before the Senate Intelligence Committee about this controversy over the one line, the now famous 16 words, in the president's State of the Union address attributed to British intelligence about Saddam Hussein's alleged efforts to get uranium from Africa.
The U.S. government, the CIA now distanced themselves from that line, said it shouldn't have been in the president's speech because it was unreliable but Tony Blair still standing by that, so this happens as Tony Blair is dealing with that.
In this meeting that he is going to have in a few minutes with congressional leaders one of the leaders, Nancy Pelosi, says that she has some very specific questions for Tony Blair about that intelligence regarding the alleged attempts by Iraq to buy uranium in Africa.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D), MINORITY LEADER: I will ask the prime minister if the United Kingdom has been asked to share the source and content of all Iraqi nuclear material acquisitions efforts in Africa that information was provided to the U.S. If not, why not?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KARL: Well, Tony Blair's government has said the reason why they have not shared that information and will not share it is because they got it from another country's intelligence service and part of the agreement was they would keep it within Great Britain they would not share it with other countries.
So, this controversy is not likely to go away but in the midst of it all, as I said Kyra, you can expect a rather rousing reception for Tony Blair because he is seen not only as a key figure with the war with Iraq but as America's closest ally Great Britain.
PHILLIPS: Jon Karl we'll check in with you again.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
