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American Morning
White House May Push for U.N. Vote Next Week
Aired March 04, 2003 - 09:06 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: Sixty-thousand more U.S. troops ordered to the Persian Gulf region, and the White House may push for a U.N. vote as early next week on a resolution that would authorize military action against Iraq.
Let's check in with John King, who has more on how this timetable might play out.
Good morning, John.
JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Paula.
By this time next week, next Tuesday, we should know whether the security council will back President Bush in going to war with Iraq. Administration officials say the current plan still is to seek a vote on that resolution early next week, Monday or Tuesday. There is a possibility the United States and Great Britain would in the end say never mind and not seek a vote on the resolution if they are convinced they do not have the votes and will be defeated in the council. That is a decision made much later in the week, as the U.S. continues to try to lobby for votes, including a meeting here with secretary of state and Mexico's foreign minister, Mexico among the undecided swing votes on the Security Council.
U.S. officials say there is no question, though, that the White House position is that the inspections regime is a failure. You will hear the report from the chief inspector Hans Blix on Friday. The White House says it is not move at all by Iraq's decision in recent days destroy some of its Al-Samoud II missiles.
Ari Fleischer, the White House press secretary yesterday, calling that the mother of all distractions. He says Iraq still has not accounted for thousands of gallons of chemical and biological weapons, hundreds of munition shells capable of holding those weapons. The White House will make the case, this is a failure, and it is time to move toward military confrontation.
The big question, and, again, we'll know much more in a week, is whether the Security Council will go along or if President Bush has to form what he likes to call that coalition of the willing -- Paula.
ZAHN: John King. John reporting from the White House for us this morning.
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 March 4, 2003 - 09:06 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Sixty-thousand more U.S. troops ordered to the Persian Gulf region, and the White House may push for a U.N. vote as early next week on a resolution that would authorize military action against Iraq.
Let's check in with John King, who has more on how this timetable might play out.
Good morning, John.
JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Paula.
By this time next week, next Tuesday, we should know whether the security council will back President Bush in going to war with Iraq. Administration officials say the current plan still is to seek a vote on that resolution early next week, Monday or Tuesday. There is a possibility the United States and Great Britain would in the end say never mind and not seek a vote on the resolution if they are convinced they do not have the votes and will be defeated in the council. That is a decision made much later in the week, as the U.S. continues to try to lobby for votes, including a meeting here with secretary of state and Mexico's foreign minister, Mexico among the undecided swing votes on the Security Council.
U.S. officials say there is no question, though, that the White House position is that the inspections regime is a failure. You will hear the report from the chief inspector Hans Blix on Friday. The White House says it is not move at all by Iraq's decision in recent days destroy some of its Al-Samoud II missiles.
Ari Fleischer, the White House press secretary yesterday, calling that the mother of all distractions. He says Iraq still has not accounted for thousands of gallons of chemical and biological weapons, hundreds of munition shells capable of holding those weapons. The White House will make the case, this is a failure, and it is time to move toward military confrontation.
The big question, and, again, we'll know much more in a week, is whether the Security Council will go along or if President Bush has to form what he likes to call that coalition of the willing -- Paula.
ZAHN: John King. John reporting from the White House for us this morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
