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American Morning

New Resolution

Aired February 24, 2003 - 08:31   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: As soon as today, the U.S. and Britain may introduce a new resolution on Iraq to the U.N. Security Council. If it is ultimately passed, it could pave the way for war against Baghdad. The Bush administration spent much of the weekend trying to build support for the resolution.
Let's turn to Dana Bash, who's standing by at the White House, who's going to fill us in on exactly what transpired.

Good morning, Dana.

DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.

Well, that's right, the president at his ranch in Crawford, Texas hosted the president of Spain. He also worked the phones, calling the leaders from Chile and Mexico, all in an effort to really lobby hard on Iraq. And as you said, they probably will introduce the resolution at the U.N. perhaps as early as today, and earlier today in Brussels, the British Foreign Minister Jack Straw told some reporters there that he really confirmed what officials here at the White House had been saying about the timeframe for the U.S. and the British, in terms of what they plan to do on this resolution. He said that after they introduce the resolution at the U.N., they will give it two weeks for debate, and to lobby those key members of the Security Council.

What they need to do, the critical test here, of course, is to get nine votes, that's the majority of the security council and also to make sure that there is not a veto, one of the five permanent members don't veto that resolution.

The secretary of state, Colin Powell, is globetrotting. He is in China today. He is talking to them. They are one of the five members of the Security Council, the permanent members, and they have said, along with Russia and France, that inspections need more time. He told the Chinese that what needs to happen right now is a world to stay unified. He also used his reputation as a reluctant warrior to say he doesn't want war, but, perhaps, sometimes it's necessary.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COLIN POWELL, SECY. OF STATE: I've been a soldier. I've fought in wars. I've lost friends in wars. I've sent men and women to die in battle. So I hate war. And anything that could be done to avoid a war should be done.

But when a war cannot be avoided, then fight it, and fight it well. Now, what does that make me? You pick. But that is my personal philosophy. Avoid war, but if you have to fight it, do it well, get it over with.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: Meanwhile, here at the White House, later today, we will have a briefing from some senior administration officials about what their plans are for a post-Saddam Hussein Iraq. They will talk about humanitarian assistance, food, aid, medicine and other things they say they will use to help the Iraqi people. It's all an effort to show that the U.S. is not a war-mongering nation, as other countries around the world like to see it, that they are going to say that they are trying to help the Iraqi people -- Paula.

ZAHN: Dana Bash, thanks for the preview. Appreciate it.

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 February 24, 2003 - 08:31   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: As soon as today, the U.S. and Britain may introduce a new resolution on Iraq to the U.N. Security Council. If it is ultimately passed, it could pave the way for war against Baghdad. The Bush administration spent much of the weekend trying to build support for the resolution.
Let's turn to Dana Bash, who's standing by at the White House, who's going to fill us in on exactly what transpired.

Good morning, Dana.

DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.

Well, that's right, the president at his ranch in Crawford, Texas hosted the president of Spain. He also worked the phones, calling the leaders from Chile and Mexico, all in an effort to really lobby hard on Iraq. And as you said, they probably will introduce the resolution at the U.N. perhaps as early as today, and earlier today in Brussels, the British Foreign Minister Jack Straw told some reporters there that he really confirmed what officials here at the White House had been saying about the timeframe for the U.S. and the British, in terms of what they plan to do on this resolution. He said that after they introduce the resolution at the U.N., they will give it two weeks for debate, and to lobby those key members of the Security Council.

What they need to do, the critical test here, of course, is to get nine votes, that's the majority of the security council and also to make sure that there is not a veto, one of the five permanent members don't veto that resolution.

The secretary of state, Colin Powell, is globetrotting. He is in China today. He is talking to them. They are one of the five members of the Security Council, the permanent members, and they have said, along with Russia and France, that inspections need more time. He told the Chinese that what needs to happen right now is a world to stay unified. He also used his reputation as a reluctant warrior to say he doesn't want war, but, perhaps, sometimes it's necessary.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COLIN POWELL, SECY. OF STATE: I've been a soldier. I've fought in wars. I've lost friends in wars. I've sent men and women to die in battle. So I hate war. And anything that could be done to avoid a war should be done.

But when a war cannot be avoided, then fight it, and fight it well. Now, what does that make me? You pick. But that is my personal philosophy. Avoid war, but if you have to fight it, do it well, get it over with.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: Meanwhile, here at the White House, later today, we will have a briefing from some senior administration officials about what their plans are for a post-Saddam Hussein Iraq. They will talk about humanitarian assistance, food, aid, medicine and other things they say they will use to help the Iraqi people. It's all an effort to show that the U.S. is not a war-mongering nation, as other countries around the world like to see it, that they are going to say that they are trying to help the Iraqi people -- Paula.

ZAHN: Dana Bash, thanks for the preview. Appreciate it.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com