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American Morning
President Bush Warns Saddam Hussein
Aired January 22, 2003 - 08:04 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: Now back to our to story this morning, and that is Iraq. President Bush warning Saddam Hussein stop playing hide and seek with U.N. inspectors or the U.S. will lead a coalition of the willing to disarm Baghdad. That as a substantial U.S. military buildup continues in the region.
And John King joins us now from the White House with more -- good morning, John.
JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Paula.
The president's use of that term, a coalition of the willing, could become more important over the next several weeks as the problem faces consistent and persistent opposition in the United Nations Security Council to moving quickly, as the Bush administration appears intent on doing, toward military confrontation.
The president making the case yesterday that what he sees in Iraq -- he called it a bad old movie and says he's not interested in watching it again. The president believes Saddam Hussein is not cooperating with the inspectors and that it's time for the United Nations Security Council to begin discussing those "serious consequences" in the resolution that sent the inspectors into Iraq in the first place.
But stiff opposition among key allies. France has veto power on the U.N. Security Council. Germany has recently assumed the chairmanship of the Council. The president of France meeting with the chancellor of Germany today in Paris. Both saying that they think only the Security Council, not the United States, can make a decision as to whether we should move from inspections to military confrontation.
The French president, Jacques Chirac, if you could sum up his message to President Bush today, it would be slow down.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRES. JACQUES CHIRAC, FRANCE: As far as we are concerned, war always means failure. And therefore everything must be done to avoid war.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: The administration, though, trying to convince other skeptical members of the Security Council. The deputy secretary of state, Richard Armitage, is in Moscow trying to convince the Russian to back the Bush administration's tough approach. Secretary Armitage taking that trip just a day after he delivered a major speech here in Washington, saying Saddam Hussein is back again in a pattern of lies and deceit. Secretary Armitage's speech in Washington part of a full court press by the administration, you might say, to make its case to the Security Council, to the world and to the American people at a time when most polls show rising concerns about the president's apparent posture toward heading into military confrontation -- Paula.
ZAHN: So, John, realistically, what does the administration really hope for between now and the time of Hans Blix's report on Monday?
KING: Well, the administration hopes, just as it did in the whole debate to get the inspectors into Iraq, that over time and with persistence it can change some minds. Remember, when the president first gave his speech to the United Nations, there were weeks of haggling about the language of the resolution. Many thought the president would never get a satisfactory resolution. In the end, the administration did manage to work the diplomacy. They are saying now, again, they will continue that persistent effort. But they also say, the president has said from day one there is a backup plan, and that is to lead a coalition outside of the blessing of the United Nations, and the president is working on that front just in case France and others don't change their minds.
ZAHN: John King reporting from the White House this morning.
Thanks so much.
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 January 22, 2003 - 08:04 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Now back to our to story this morning, and that is Iraq. President Bush warning Saddam Hussein stop playing hide and seek with U.N. inspectors or the U.S. will lead a coalition of the willing to disarm Baghdad. That as a substantial U.S. military buildup continues in the region.
And John King joins us now from the White House with more -- good morning, John.
JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Paula.
The president's use of that term, a coalition of the willing, could become more important over the next several weeks as the problem faces consistent and persistent opposition in the United Nations Security Council to moving quickly, as the Bush administration appears intent on doing, toward military confrontation.
The president making the case yesterday that what he sees in Iraq -- he called it a bad old movie and says he's not interested in watching it again. The president believes Saddam Hussein is not cooperating with the inspectors and that it's time for the United Nations Security Council to begin discussing those "serious consequences" in the resolution that sent the inspectors into Iraq in the first place.
But stiff opposition among key allies. France has veto power on the U.N. Security Council. Germany has recently assumed the chairmanship of the Council. The president of France meeting with the chancellor of Germany today in Paris. Both saying that they think only the Security Council, not the United States, can make a decision as to whether we should move from inspections to military confrontation.
The French president, Jacques Chirac, if you could sum up his message to President Bush today, it would be slow down.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRES. JACQUES CHIRAC, FRANCE: As far as we are concerned, war always means failure. And therefore everything must be done to avoid war.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: The administration, though, trying to convince other skeptical members of the Security Council. The deputy secretary of state, Richard Armitage, is in Moscow trying to convince the Russian to back the Bush administration's tough approach. Secretary Armitage taking that trip just a day after he delivered a major speech here in Washington, saying Saddam Hussein is back again in a pattern of lies and deceit. Secretary Armitage's speech in Washington part of a full court press by the administration, you might say, to make its case to the Security Council, to the world and to the American people at a time when most polls show rising concerns about the president's apparent posture toward heading into military confrontation -- Paula.
ZAHN: So, John, realistically, what does the administration really hope for between now and the time of Hans Blix's report on Monday?
KING: Well, the administration hopes, just as it did in the whole debate to get the inspectors into Iraq, that over time and with persistence it can change some minds. Remember, when the president first gave his speech to the United Nations, there were weeks of haggling about the language of the resolution. Many thought the president would never get a satisfactory resolution. In the end, the administration did manage to work the diplomacy. They are saying now, again, they will continue that persistent effort. But they also say, the president has said from day one there is a backup plan, and that is to lead a coalition outside of the blessing of the United Nations, and the president is working on that front just in case France and others don't change their minds.
ZAHN: John King reporting from the White House this morning.
Thanks so much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
