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American Morning
Interview with Sen. McCain (R)
Aired October 01, 2002 - 09:01 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.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Back to the issue of Iraq. The Senate begins debating the wording of a resolution tomorrow. At issue, how much authority should the president have to go after Iraq militarily?
Senator John McCain joins us now from the Rotunda -- good to see you. Welcome, sir.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: Hi, Paula.
ZAHN: Hi. So, Senator McCain, one of your colleagues was on the air earlier this morning, Senator Hagel, and he says that he thinks it may very well be the case that at the beginning of the year, the U.S. might be engaged militarily in Iraq. Do you agree?
MCCAIN: Oh, I think that's a -- that's a very likely scenario. To some degree, it can't be totally predictable because it's up to Saddam Hussein. If he will allow intrusive weapons inspections, and come clean, then I think he can avoid that.
ZAHN: Does that appear as though it is going to happen?
MCCAIN: It is very unlikely, given his record over the last 11 years.
ZAHN: And what about the news coming out of Vienna, that even if you started an inspections process now, it could be a year before anybody has time to even analyze what they found?
MCCAIN: Paula, I think we know where there are at least some of these weapons stored and being developed. I think it would -- we have sufficient evidence, if we were allowed to go in, that we could uncover at least some of his capabilities, certainly not all.
ZAHN: You're saying right now, it will basically be left up to Saddam Hussein to basically make the decision himself, whether there is going to war against his country or not. What can he do...
MCCAIN: Paula, could I -- could I -- could I explain that?
ZAHN: Yes.
MCCAIN: At any time in the past 11 years since 1991, he could have said, OK, come on in, I'll get rid of all of this stuff, you can have intrusive inspections, in keeping with the cease-fire agreement and U.N. Security Council resolutions. So he's not interested in just survival because he could have insured his survival and us leaving him alone no matter how oppressive he might be, if he had done that. So, clearly, he has another agenda, and clearly he has not -- well, it was four years ago when he threw out the inspectors, and we passed a resolution here in the Congress overwhelmingly calling for a regime change.
ZAHN: I know there is so much up in the air at this moment, exactly what the resolution will read once you and your colleagues finish that debate this week. You also got the debate going on in the U.N. But based on what you know right now, what do you think is the likelihood that we'll even see inspections at all?
MCCAIN: I -- given his record over the last 11 years, the chances of meaningful inspections, I would guess, probably are about one in ten.
ZAHN: Meaningful inspections are different than just inspections period? Do you even see the inspection process getting started at all?
MCCAIN: Well, again, it's unlikely. He put the -- quote -- "presidential palaces," some of them are about the size of the state of New Hampshire off limits to our inspectors. He threw them out. I mean, he has a clear record -- he may find himself on the road to Damascus and everything might be fine, but one has to be skeptical given his past record.
ZAHN: Let's move on to the debate going on in Congress right now. Three of your colleagues are headed back from Iraq after being criticized in some circles for being anti--American. Some of our folks who wrote us e-mails today even accusing them of treason. I wanted to play something of what Congressmen Bonior and McDermott had to say to me yesterday about their trip, and what they were trying to accomplish. Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JIM MCDERMOTT (D), WASHINGTON: You're seeing from the White House and some members of Congress setting up a self-fulfilling prophesy. They start by saying it isn't going to work, they are not going to do it. They're liars. They are doing all -- they are setting it up not to work.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZAHN: We heard columnist George Will (ph) compare them basically -- or their actions to that Jane Fonda in Hanoi. How do you view them?
MCCAIN: Well, I believe that Miss Fonda, as terrible as what she said when she said to Hanoi was a troubled young actress. These are members of Congress. If these members of Congress want to go to the floor of the House and criticize the president of the United States until the cows come home, fine with me. But don't go overseas, don't go to Baghdad, and question the credibility of the president of the United States. That is not appropriate behavior, and I don't think it will be very well received by the majority of the American people. It's totally inappropriate. ZAHN: What kind of reaction are you getting from your own constituents about what they've done?
MCCAIN: Oh, they're very angry. Look, I've traveled overseas all during the Clinton administration and I have always been very careful never to be critical of my president, no matter what party he is, while I'm overseas. These people are in Baghdad, in the home of a person who is killed thousands and thousands of his own people and has carried out naked aggression time after time. It's -- frankly, I'm surprised and very, very disappointed, and so are my constituents.
ZAHN: In closing this morning, Senator Brownback was on a little bit earlier making his prediction that you will get a resolution out of the Senate that will pass, perhaps, I think he told me with 65 votes. What is the major sticking point right now?
MCCAIN: Well, the sticking point, as usual, is the language. We would like to have a vote on one resolution. In 1991, we had a vote on two, and that made it a bit more divisive. So, we are trying to get the language together. I predict a higher number than Senator Brownback did, once we get the language agreed upon.
ZAHN: How much higher?
MCCAIN: Seventy-five.
ZAHN: Seventy-five? All right. Well, we'll check the statistics out a little bit later this week. You have got a new book out, "Worth the Fighting For." Congratulations.
MCCAIN: Thank you very much.
ZAHN: We'd love to have you come back at another point and tell us what is in the new book.
MCCAIN: I'd love to do it. Thanks, Paula.
ZAHN: Senator McCain, appreciate your time.
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 October 1, 2002 - 09:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Back to the issue of Iraq. The Senate begins debating the wording of a resolution tomorrow. At issue, how much authority should the president have to go after Iraq militarily?
Senator John McCain joins us now from the Rotunda -- good to see you. Welcome, sir.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: Hi, Paula.
ZAHN: Hi. So, Senator McCain, one of your colleagues was on the air earlier this morning, Senator Hagel, and he says that he thinks it may very well be the case that at the beginning of the year, the U.S. might be engaged militarily in Iraq. Do you agree?
MCCAIN: Oh, I think that's a -- that's a very likely scenario. To some degree, it can't be totally predictable because it's up to Saddam Hussein. If he will allow intrusive weapons inspections, and come clean, then I think he can avoid that.
ZAHN: Does that appear as though it is going to happen?
MCCAIN: It is very unlikely, given his record over the last 11 years.
ZAHN: And what about the news coming out of Vienna, that even if you started an inspections process now, it could be a year before anybody has time to even analyze what they found?
MCCAIN: Paula, I think we know where there are at least some of these weapons stored and being developed. I think it would -- we have sufficient evidence, if we were allowed to go in, that we could uncover at least some of his capabilities, certainly not all.
ZAHN: You're saying right now, it will basically be left up to Saddam Hussein to basically make the decision himself, whether there is going to war against his country or not. What can he do...
MCCAIN: Paula, could I -- could I -- could I explain that?
ZAHN: Yes.
MCCAIN: At any time in the past 11 years since 1991, he could have said, OK, come on in, I'll get rid of all of this stuff, you can have intrusive inspections, in keeping with the cease-fire agreement and U.N. Security Council resolutions. So he's not interested in just survival because he could have insured his survival and us leaving him alone no matter how oppressive he might be, if he had done that. So, clearly, he has another agenda, and clearly he has not -- well, it was four years ago when he threw out the inspectors, and we passed a resolution here in the Congress overwhelmingly calling for a regime change.
ZAHN: I know there is so much up in the air at this moment, exactly what the resolution will read once you and your colleagues finish that debate this week. You also got the debate going on in the U.N. But based on what you know right now, what do you think is the likelihood that we'll even see inspections at all?
MCCAIN: I -- given his record over the last 11 years, the chances of meaningful inspections, I would guess, probably are about one in ten.
ZAHN: Meaningful inspections are different than just inspections period? Do you even see the inspection process getting started at all?
MCCAIN: Well, again, it's unlikely. He put the -- quote -- "presidential palaces," some of them are about the size of the state of New Hampshire off limits to our inspectors. He threw them out. I mean, he has a clear record -- he may find himself on the road to Damascus and everything might be fine, but one has to be skeptical given his past record.
ZAHN: Let's move on to the debate going on in Congress right now. Three of your colleagues are headed back from Iraq after being criticized in some circles for being anti--American. Some of our folks who wrote us e-mails today even accusing them of treason. I wanted to play something of what Congressmen Bonior and McDermott had to say to me yesterday about their trip, and what they were trying to accomplish. Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JIM MCDERMOTT (D), WASHINGTON: You're seeing from the White House and some members of Congress setting up a self-fulfilling prophesy. They start by saying it isn't going to work, they are not going to do it. They're liars. They are doing all -- they are setting it up not to work.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZAHN: We heard columnist George Will (ph) compare them basically -- or their actions to that Jane Fonda in Hanoi. How do you view them?
MCCAIN: Well, I believe that Miss Fonda, as terrible as what she said when she said to Hanoi was a troubled young actress. These are members of Congress. If these members of Congress want to go to the floor of the House and criticize the president of the United States until the cows come home, fine with me. But don't go overseas, don't go to Baghdad, and question the credibility of the president of the United States. That is not appropriate behavior, and I don't think it will be very well received by the majority of the American people. It's totally inappropriate. ZAHN: What kind of reaction are you getting from your own constituents about what they've done?
MCCAIN: Oh, they're very angry. Look, I've traveled overseas all during the Clinton administration and I have always been very careful never to be critical of my president, no matter what party he is, while I'm overseas. These people are in Baghdad, in the home of a person who is killed thousands and thousands of his own people and has carried out naked aggression time after time. It's -- frankly, I'm surprised and very, very disappointed, and so are my constituents.
ZAHN: In closing this morning, Senator Brownback was on a little bit earlier making his prediction that you will get a resolution out of the Senate that will pass, perhaps, I think he told me with 65 votes. What is the major sticking point right now?
MCCAIN: Well, the sticking point, as usual, is the language. We would like to have a vote on one resolution. In 1991, we had a vote on two, and that made it a bit more divisive. So, we are trying to get the language together. I predict a higher number than Senator Brownback did, once we get the language agreed upon.
ZAHN: How much higher?
MCCAIN: Seventy-five.
ZAHN: Seventy-five? All right. Well, we'll check the statistics out a little bit later this week. You have got a new book out, "Worth the Fighting For." Congratulations.
MCCAIN: Thank you very much.
ZAHN: We'd love to have you come back at another point and tell us what is in the new book.
MCCAIN: I'd love to do it. Thanks, Paula.
ZAHN: Senator McCain, appreciate your time.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
