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American Morning
Timetable to War?
Aired March 12, 2003 - 07:19 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: We heard yesterday the White House is now insisting that it will push for a resolution vote at the U.N. sometime this week, but already Wednesday, nothing on the schedule today. That only leaves Thursday and Friday of this week.
They were also insisting late last night that they will accept possibly an extension of this deadline by days, not weeks or months, but only days.
The Front Lawn of the White House this morning, Dana Bash can sort through all of this for us today.
Dana -- what are you hearing? Good morning.
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.
Well, despite the fact that the president is expected to continue his telephone diplomacy today, continuing to call members of the U.N. Security Council trying to round up votes for another resolution, the mood here at the White House is not quite as optimistic as it has been. And you can kind of see that by the tone of some of their public statements. It has been kind of a shift starting to sort of blame members of the Security Council, and the Security Council in general, if there is some kind of military action because of the lack of unity at the Security Council. The sense -- excuse me -- here is that Saddam Hussein has gotten the sense that he can play the Security Council and split the council.
And let's take a look at the White House talking points from today. It says -- quote: "A vote against the 18th resolution is a vote for continuing the threat to peace and security posed by the Iraqi regime, and for the continued oppression of the Iraqi people."
There you have it making clear that kind of any country that is planning to vote against going ahead with this resolution is clearly not -- does not have the interest of the Iraqi people at heart.
And National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice speaking on National Public Radio in an interview made clear that the White House is pretty much fed up and time is running out.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR: It's really time for the Security Council to stand up and decide that it's going to defend the resolution that it passed in November. So, yes, we are working with people and examining the issues, but our view is that enough is enough. It's time to bring this to a close.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
BASH: But, Bill, win or lose, the White House still maintains they do want a vote at the Security Council this week. They still want, as the president said, all of the members of the Security Council to show their cards -- Bill.
HEMMER: Dana Bash, the Front Lawn of the White House, we will talk many times this morning with you there for the position from Washington.
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 12, 2003 - 07:19 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: We heard yesterday the White House is now insisting that it will push for a resolution vote at the U.N. sometime this week, but already Wednesday, nothing on the schedule today. That only leaves Thursday and Friday of this week.
They were also insisting late last night that they will accept possibly an extension of this deadline by days, not weeks or months, but only days.
The Front Lawn of the White House this morning, Dana Bash can sort through all of this for us today.
Dana -- what are you hearing? Good morning.
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.
Well, despite the fact that the president is expected to continue his telephone diplomacy today, continuing to call members of the U.N. Security Council trying to round up votes for another resolution, the mood here at the White House is not quite as optimistic as it has been. And you can kind of see that by the tone of some of their public statements. It has been kind of a shift starting to sort of blame members of the Security Council, and the Security Council in general, if there is some kind of military action because of the lack of unity at the Security Council. The sense -- excuse me -- here is that Saddam Hussein has gotten the sense that he can play the Security Council and split the council.
And let's take a look at the White House talking points from today. It says -- quote: "A vote against the 18th resolution is a vote for continuing the threat to peace and security posed by the Iraqi regime, and for the continued oppression of the Iraqi people."
There you have it making clear that kind of any country that is planning to vote against going ahead with this resolution is clearly not -- does not have the interest of the Iraqi people at heart.
And National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice speaking on National Public Radio in an interview made clear that the White House is pretty much fed up and time is running out.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR: It's really time for the Security Council to stand up and decide that it's going to defend the resolution that it passed in November. So, yes, we are working with people and examining the issues, but our view is that enough is enough. It's time to bring this to a close.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
BASH: But, Bill, win or lose, the White House still maintains they do want a vote at the Security Council this week. They still want, as the president said, all of the members of the Security Council to show their cards -- Bill.
HEMMER: Dana Bash, the Front Lawn of the White House, we will talk many times this morning with you there for the position from Washington.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
