Return to Transcripts main page
American Morning
Iraqi Parliament Responds to Resolution
Aired November 12, 2002 - 08:33 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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: With some of the new development this morning out of Iraq, how is the Bush administration responding? Let's turn to Frank Buckley, who joins us from the White House. He has a live report for us this morning.
Good morning, Frank.
FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.
No official reaction from the White House, but the Bush administration's position on this is pretty clear. It believes that the Iraqi parliament does not have the final say on whether or not Iraq will participate in the U.N. weapons inspectors' inspections. It is all up to Saddam Hussein.
Condoleezza Rice, the national security adviser, has called this emergency meeting a ploy and ludicrous. Yesterday, she told a group of reporters that they don't have a right to accept or reject the resolution. They are obliged to accept.
Also yesterday, President Bush was keeping up the pressure during Veterans Day events. The president said the U.N. Security Council Resolution passed on Friday shows that the U.S. and the U.N. share a determination that the Iraqi regime must not produce or possess chemical, biological or nuclear weapons.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Iraq pledged to disarm more than a decade ago. It's been a decade of systematic deception, unmet obligations, unpunished violations. Those games are now over. Saddam Hussein will fully disarm and prove that he has done so, or America will lead a coalition to disarm him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BUCKLEY: And again, with regard to the Iraqi parliament position, the U.S. is still waiting for the official response from Iraq. That is due Friday. The U.S. believes that will come from Saddam Hussein -- Paula.
ZAHN: So if you could, bring us up to date on what we just heard what Condoleezza Rice had to say, but the latest reaction to what some are saying the charade that's going on in the Iraqi parliament.
BUCKLEY: Well, the U.S. has said that it will not tolerate any sort of games, as they've put it. It's very clear on this, Paula. It doesn't believe that the Iraqi parliament is in any way speaking for Iraq. Over the weekend, Condoleezza Rice being very clear about that, calling it ludicrous and a ploy, and simply waiting for Saddam Hussein to make this final determination. That will come on Friday. The next deadline after that is December 8th. That's when Iraq will have the actual inventory of chemical or biological weapons that it must produce.
The U.S. has intelligence, it says, on where some of those sites are, and what Iraq should have, if in fact, at that point, Iraq doesn't produce what the U.S. believes is an actual inventory, that will be considered a material breach. At that point, the U.S. believes it has the right to go to the U.N. Security Council, report that, engage in a debate, and then take military action if necessary.
ZAHN: Thanks, Frank.
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 November 12, 2002 - 08:33 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: With some of the new development this morning out of Iraq, how is the Bush administration responding? Let's turn to Frank Buckley, who joins us from the White House. He has a live report for us this morning.
Good morning, Frank.
FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.
No official reaction from the White House, but the Bush administration's position on this is pretty clear. It believes that the Iraqi parliament does not have the final say on whether or not Iraq will participate in the U.N. weapons inspectors' inspections. It is all up to Saddam Hussein.
Condoleezza Rice, the national security adviser, has called this emergency meeting a ploy and ludicrous. Yesterday, she told a group of reporters that they don't have a right to accept or reject the resolution. They are obliged to accept.
Also yesterday, President Bush was keeping up the pressure during Veterans Day events. The president said the U.N. Security Council Resolution passed on Friday shows that the U.S. and the U.N. share a determination that the Iraqi regime must not produce or possess chemical, biological or nuclear weapons.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Iraq pledged to disarm more than a decade ago. It's been a decade of systematic deception, unmet obligations, unpunished violations. Those games are now over. Saddam Hussein will fully disarm and prove that he has done so, or America will lead a coalition to disarm him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BUCKLEY: And again, with regard to the Iraqi parliament position, the U.S. is still waiting for the official response from Iraq. That is due Friday. The U.S. believes that will come from Saddam Hussein -- Paula.
ZAHN: So if you could, bring us up to date on what we just heard what Condoleezza Rice had to say, but the latest reaction to what some are saying the charade that's going on in the Iraqi parliament.
BUCKLEY: Well, the U.S. has said that it will not tolerate any sort of games, as they've put it. It's very clear on this, Paula. It doesn't believe that the Iraqi parliament is in any way speaking for Iraq. Over the weekend, Condoleezza Rice being very clear about that, calling it ludicrous and a ploy, and simply waiting for Saddam Hussein to make this final determination. That will come on Friday. The next deadline after that is December 8th. That's when Iraq will have the actual inventory of chemical or biological weapons that it must produce.
The U.S. has intelligence, it says, on where some of those sites are, and what Iraq should have, if in fact, at that point, Iraq doesn't produce what the U.S. believes is an actual inventory, that will be considered a material breach. At that point, the U.S. believes it has the right to go to the U.N. Security Council, report that, engage in a debate, and then take military action if necessary.
ZAHN: Thanks, Frank.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
