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American Morning
Iraq Could Start Process of Destroying Missiles as Early as Tomorrow
Aired February 28, 2003 - 09:04 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: More now on what is going on in Iraq and its decision to go along with U.N. demands to destroy missiles. The process could get started as early as tomorrow. The foreign minister of France saying that this proves that the inspection process is working. The Arab League also welcoming this development, but British Prime Minister Tony Blair dismisses it.
Let's hear what they're saying at the Bush White House this morning from Suzanne Malveaux who joins us from there.
Good morning, Suzanne.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.
Well, President Bush is going to be talking about the threat of terror both at home and aboard and what the administration is doing about it. He is going to be addressing the new employees of the Homeland Security Department later this morning.
Tomorrow, officially, 22 agencies turn into one. Also tomorrow, very important benchmark for Iraq. That is when it's required to prove that it's going to dismantle some of its forbidden missiles. Quite frankly, it's something the administration is not taking seriously at all, these promises from Iraq that will at least try to comply.
Earlier this morning at the "USA Today" front-page article showing that Mr. Bush says in an interview: "My attitude about Saddam Hussein is that if he had any intention of disarming, he would have disarmed. We will disarm him now," he says.
Also this morning, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Spain's Prime Minister Jose Marie Asnar at a joint press conference out of Madrid basically supporting Mr. Bush.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: This is not a time for games. He knows perfectly well what he has to do. He has to say what has happened, for example, to the 8 1/2 thousand liters of anthrax, the 360 tons of chemical warfare agent.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: So the administration really not taking it very seriously, and of course the cosponsors of the U.N. Security Council resolution also not taking it very seriously. Administration officials are somewhat less confident they're going to get the votes they need out of the Security Council to pass that resolution. They're now looking at the possibility of not only France vetoing, but also perhaps Russia -- Paula.
ZAHN: Suzanne, I know there's a big internal debate going on at the White House about what the cost of war and reconstruction of Iraq might ultimately be. Members of Congress beating up the Bush administration pretty badly yesterday for not having more certain numbers. They actually, at one point, one member suggested, are you withholding information from us? How does the White House plan to deal with these charges?
MALVEAUX: Well, administration sources tell us that it could be anywhere from $60 to $95 billion. That is coming from the Pentagon. But the Office of Management and Budget is looking at the Persian Gulf War cost as a benchmark, perhaps $61 billion.
But administration sources break it down in this say. They say that two months of war perhaps would cost as much as $40 billion a year. Peacekeeping force in Iraq, $6 billion a year. Aid to allies, Turkey, Jordan, Israel, perhaps Egypt and others, tens of billions of dollars, and that of course not even to include all the money it would cost for humanitarian supplies.
ZAHN: Suzanne Malveaux, we have to leave it on a very white day there at the white house. You've been in nothing but snow for days there. Go get warm. Thank you.
MALVEAUX: Absolutely.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
as Tomorrow>
Aired February 28, 2003 - 09:04 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: More now on what is going on in Iraq and its decision to go along with U.N. demands to destroy missiles. The process could get started as early as tomorrow. The foreign minister of France saying that this proves that the inspection process is working. The Arab League also welcoming this development, but British Prime Minister Tony Blair dismisses it.
Let's hear what they're saying at the Bush White House this morning from Suzanne Malveaux who joins us from there.
Good morning, Suzanne.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.
Well, President Bush is going to be talking about the threat of terror both at home and aboard and what the administration is doing about it. He is going to be addressing the new employees of the Homeland Security Department later this morning.
Tomorrow, officially, 22 agencies turn into one. Also tomorrow, very important benchmark for Iraq. That is when it's required to prove that it's going to dismantle some of its forbidden missiles. Quite frankly, it's something the administration is not taking seriously at all, these promises from Iraq that will at least try to comply.
Earlier this morning at the "USA Today" front-page article showing that Mr. Bush says in an interview: "My attitude about Saddam Hussein is that if he had any intention of disarming, he would have disarmed. We will disarm him now," he says.
Also this morning, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Spain's Prime Minister Jose Marie Asnar at a joint press conference out of Madrid basically supporting Mr. Bush.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: This is not a time for games. He knows perfectly well what he has to do. He has to say what has happened, for example, to the 8 1/2 thousand liters of anthrax, the 360 tons of chemical warfare agent.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: So the administration really not taking it very seriously, and of course the cosponsors of the U.N. Security Council resolution also not taking it very seriously. Administration officials are somewhat less confident they're going to get the votes they need out of the Security Council to pass that resolution. They're now looking at the possibility of not only France vetoing, but also perhaps Russia -- Paula.
ZAHN: Suzanne, I know there's a big internal debate going on at the White House about what the cost of war and reconstruction of Iraq might ultimately be. Members of Congress beating up the Bush administration pretty badly yesterday for not having more certain numbers. They actually, at one point, one member suggested, are you withholding information from us? How does the White House plan to deal with these charges?
MALVEAUX: Well, administration sources tell us that it could be anywhere from $60 to $95 billion. That is coming from the Pentagon. But the Office of Management and Budget is looking at the Persian Gulf War cost as a benchmark, perhaps $61 billion.
But administration sources break it down in this say. They say that two months of war perhaps would cost as much as $40 billion a year. Peacekeeping force in Iraq, $6 billion a year. Aid to allies, Turkey, Jordan, Israel, perhaps Egypt and others, tens of billions of dollars, and that of course not even to include all the money it would cost for humanitarian supplies.
ZAHN: Suzanne Malveaux, we have to leave it on a very white day there at the white house. You've been in nothing but snow for days there. Go get warm. Thank you.
MALVEAUX: Absolutely.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
as Tomorrow>
