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American Morning
Bush Warns Syria: Don't Harbor Saddam Aides
Aired April 14, 2003 - 09:35 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: Syria denies U.S. charges that it has chemical weapons and Damascus is also brushing aside allegations it cooperated with Saddam Hussein's regime.
For more on the Bush administration's tough talk about Syria, let's go straight to the White House, where our Dana Bash is standing by.
Good morning, Dana.
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.
Well, as one administration official diplomatically put to it me this morning, they believe that Syria is being -- quote -- "unhelpful" in their war with Iraq and Defense Secretary Rumsfeld yesterday talked about Syria sending bus loads of people down to Iraq to help fight against the Americans.
But the top concern here at the White House is the question of whether or not Syria is harboring top Saddam Hussein officials.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: The Syrian government needs to cooperate with the United States and our coalition partners and not harbor any -- any Ba'athists, any military officials, any people who -- who need to be held to account for their tenure during what we are learning more and more about. It was one of the most horrendous governments ever.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: Now the president also said yesterday when he returned from Camp David, that he believed that it's possible that Syria has some chemical weapons. The -- he said -- of course, stopped short of suggesting that that would require military action by the United States against Syria, saying that each situation requires a different response because, of course, this war that the United States is in with Iraq was primarily because the U.S. believed that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction.
But there is no question that the administration is trying to use the action in Iraq to send a message to Syria that if they do have weapons of mass destruction and if they are harboring terrorists, as one administration official said, they obviously believe that Syria is doing, that they need to stop it. The official said to me that they believe that Syria is a bad influence in the region - Paula.
ZAHN: Thanks, Dana. Dana Bash reporting from 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 April 14, 2003 - 09:35 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Syria denies U.S. charges that it has chemical weapons and Damascus is also brushing aside allegations it cooperated with Saddam Hussein's regime.
For more on the Bush administration's tough talk about Syria, let's go straight to the White House, where our Dana Bash is standing by.
Good morning, Dana.
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.
Well, as one administration official diplomatically put to it me this morning, they believe that Syria is being -- quote -- "unhelpful" in their war with Iraq and Defense Secretary Rumsfeld yesterday talked about Syria sending bus loads of people down to Iraq to help fight against the Americans.
But the top concern here at the White House is the question of whether or not Syria is harboring top Saddam Hussein officials.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: The Syrian government needs to cooperate with the United States and our coalition partners and not harbor any -- any Ba'athists, any military officials, any people who -- who need to be held to account for their tenure during what we are learning more and more about. It was one of the most horrendous governments ever.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: Now the president also said yesterday when he returned from Camp David, that he believed that it's possible that Syria has some chemical weapons. The -- he said -- of course, stopped short of suggesting that that would require military action by the United States against Syria, saying that each situation requires a different response because, of course, this war that the United States is in with Iraq was primarily because the U.S. believed that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction.
But there is no question that the administration is trying to use the action in Iraq to send a message to Syria that if they do have weapons of mass destruction and if they are harboring terrorists, as one administration official said, they obviously believe that Syria is doing, that they need to stop it. The official said to me that they believe that Syria is a bad influence in the region - Paula.
ZAHN: Thanks, Dana. Dana Bash reporting from 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
