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American Morning

Discussion with Senator Joseph Lieberman

Aired March 17, 2003 - 09:09   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: There is a report that the U.N. will advise weapons inspectors to leave Baghdad. Is there any chance left for diplomacy? Has the Bush administration played its cards correctly up until now?
Senator Joseph Lieberman plans to address the crisis later on the Senate floor today. He has a preview for us now.

Welcome back, Senator Lieberman. Glad to have you with us this morning.

SEN. JOSEPH LIEBERMAN (D), CONNECTICUT: Good morning, Paula. Good to be with you.

ZAHN: Based on what you heard out of Azores yesterday, is war inevitable?

LIEBERMAN: I find it hard to believe that we will not soon be in war, and of course the problem is all Saddam Hussein's. We've given him 12 years now to fulfill the promise we said he had 15 days to fulfill in 1991, which was to declare his weapons of mass destruction, and to destroy them. And he hasn't done it. The fact is, is that this is going to be a day or a week in which the dangerous deception and denials of Saddam Hussein will finally end. I wish it could end another way. We've given him every chance. But it doesn't look like he's going to take that opportunity.

ZAHN: You have been one of the few Democrats who has supported military action against Iraq from the beginning of the debate during this Bush administration. I wanted to read to you something that was in "The New York Times" editorial this morning, saying the United States, nearly isolated, is about to wage a war in the name of the world community that opposes it. Your response to that?

LIEBERMAN: Well, there is truth to that, and it is a shame, because this is a cause which is disarming Saddam and deposing him, which in the interest of the security of all of the people of the world, because he will eventually use those weapons of mass destruction directly or through terrorists against us and a lot of other people in the world.

And I must say, I could spend a lot of time this morning faulting the one-sided arrogant Bush administration foreign policy that has pushed away a lot of rest of the world. We could also fault some of our allies in the United Nations Security Council who haven't had the will to implement or enforce the resolution they voted for last November. But the fact is, this is a day of reckoning. And now we have to face the fact there are no alternatives left unless there is an 11th hour miracle to disarm Saddam and protect the world from his weapon of mass destruction, and this is the time, I think, for us to begin to pull together across party line and every other divider and mostly think of and support our men and women in uniform over there.

ZAHN: Although you did concede the point you think there is some blame to go around with some of the U.S. allies. And Vice President Dick Cheney made pointed comments about France yesterday, suggesting that in fact they have been a major obstacle to disarmament in Iraq. Do you share that view?

LIEBERMAN: I do. They voted, the French and others, voted for the U.N. resolution last fall. It was very clear that this was Saddam's last chance. It's also very clear that he still has weapons of mass destruction, that he has not cooperated with United Nations, and yet the French are unwilling to enforce that resolution. As I read the negotiations at the United Nations, the Brits at least, and I would guess we would have agreed would have gone with a further extension for inspections, a last, last, last chance for Saddam to, clean or (UNINTELLIGIBLE) his weapons of mass destruction so long as it include an immediate movement to military action if he didn't comply, and French said they would veto that. That pretty much closed the door on a diplomatic solution to this very serious crisis.

But remember, the United Nations Security Council has only approved two military actions as far as I can tell in all of United Nations history, the Korean War and the Gulf War. A lot of noble fights were waged in that period of time without Security Council approval, and it looks like we're going to have to do it again.

ZAHN: That may be true, but if the U.S. does do it again, what do you think the consequences are of going ahead without the second resolution, or what some are saying is 18th resolution authorizing war?

LIEBERMAN: Well, if we can get it, it's better, it's always better to go into battle with more allies. But if we can't, the credibility of the United States, the credibility of the United Nations is on the line. If you let Saddam wiggle his way out of this again, not only will we ultimately pay for it in blood, but other dictators and terrorists will assume there is no teeth in our bite; we just make threats and don't follow through. And I think this is point where we've got to focus on our military, be proud of it and support the American men and women in uniform.

There will be another day to criticize the Bush administration foreign policy, which I think has been ineffective here, and pushed away a lot of potential allies. For now, I think we got to close ranks and do what we have to do to protect our security and the security of the rest of the world from a very dangerous dictator who has very dangerous weapons today.

ZAHN: Senator Joseph Lieberman, always good to see you. And thanks for the effort coming in. I understand you had a flat tire on the way, and I'm glad you finally made it.

LIEBERMAN: It would take more than that to stop me from being with you this morning. Happy St. Patrick's Day.

ZAHN: To you and all of the folks in your state as well.

LIEBERMAN: Thank you.

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 17, 2003 - 09:09   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: There is a report that the U.N. will advise weapons inspectors to leave Baghdad. Is there any chance left for diplomacy? Has the Bush administration played its cards correctly up until now?
Senator Joseph Lieberman plans to address the crisis later on the Senate floor today. He has a preview for us now.

Welcome back, Senator Lieberman. Glad to have you with us this morning.

SEN. JOSEPH LIEBERMAN (D), CONNECTICUT: Good morning, Paula. Good to be with you.

ZAHN: Based on what you heard out of Azores yesterday, is war inevitable?

LIEBERMAN: I find it hard to believe that we will not soon be in war, and of course the problem is all Saddam Hussein's. We've given him 12 years now to fulfill the promise we said he had 15 days to fulfill in 1991, which was to declare his weapons of mass destruction, and to destroy them. And he hasn't done it. The fact is, is that this is going to be a day or a week in which the dangerous deception and denials of Saddam Hussein will finally end. I wish it could end another way. We've given him every chance. But it doesn't look like he's going to take that opportunity.

ZAHN: You have been one of the few Democrats who has supported military action against Iraq from the beginning of the debate during this Bush administration. I wanted to read to you something that was in "The New York Times" editorial this morning, saying the United States, nearly isolated, is about to wage a war in the name of the world community that opposes it. Your response to that?

LIEBERMAN: Well, there is truth to that, and it is a shame, because this is a cause which is disarming Saddam and deposing him, which in the interest of the security of all of the people of the world, because he will eventually use those weapons of mass destruction directly or through terrorists against us and a lot of other people in the world.

And I must say, I could spend a lot of time this morning faulting the one-sided arrogant Bush administration foreign policy that has pushed away a lot of rest of the world. We could also fault some of our allies in the United Nations Security Council who haven't had the will to implement or enforce the resolution they voted for last November. But the fact is, this is a day of reckoning. And now we have to face the fact there are no alternatives left unless there is an 11th hour miracle to disarm Saddam and protect the world from his weapon of mass destruction, and this is the time, I think, for us to begin to pull together across party line and every other divider and mostly think of and support our men and women in uniform over there.

ZAHN: Although you did concede the point you think there is some blame to go around with some of the U.S. allies. And Vice President Dick Cheney made pointed comments about France yesterday, suggesting that in fact they have been a major obstacle to disarmament in Iraq. Do you share that view?

LIEBERMAN: I do. They voted, the French and others, voted for the U.N. resolution last fall. It was very clear that this was Saddam's last chance. It's also very clear that he still has weapons of mass destruction, that he has not cooperated with United Nations, and yet the French are unwilling to enforce that resolution. As I read the negotiations at the United Nations, the Brits at least, and I would guess we would have agreed would have gone with a further extension for inspections, a last, last, last chance for Saddam to, clean or (UNINTELLIGIBLE) his weapons of mass destruction so long as it include an immediate movement to military action if he didn't comply, and French said they would veto that. That pretty much closed the door on a diplomatic solution to this very serious crisis.

But remember, the United Nations Security Council has only approved two military actions as far as I can tell in all of United Nations history, the Korean War and the Gulf War. A lot of noble fights were waged in that period of time without Security Council approval, and it looks like we're going to have to do it again.

ZAHN: That may be true, but if the U.S. does do it again, what do you think the consequences are of going ahead without the second resolution, or what some are saying is 18th resolution authorizing war?

LIEBERMAN: Well, if we can get it, it's better, it's always better to go into battle with more allies. But if we can't, the credibility of the United States, the credibility of the United Nations is on the line. If you let Saddam wiggle his way out of this again, not only will we ultimately pay for it in blood, but other dictators and terrorists will assume there is no teeth in our bite; we just make threats and don't follow through. And I think this is point where we've got to focus on our military, be proud of it and support the American men and women in uniform.

There will be another day to criticize the Bush administration foreign policy, which I think has been ineffective here, and pushed away a lot of potential allies. For now, I think we got to close ranks and do what we have to do to protect our security and the security of the rest of the world from a very dangerous dictator who has very dangerous weapons today.

ZAHN: Senator Joseph Lieberman, always good to see you. And thanks for the effort coming in. I understand you had a flat tire on the way, and I'm glad you finally made it.

LIEBERMAN: It would take more than that to stop me from being with you this morning. Happy St. Patrick's Day.

ZAHN: To you and all of the folks in your state as well.

LIEBERMAN: Thank you.

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