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American Morning
CIA Cleared President's Speech
Aired July 11, 2003 - 08:29 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.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: We begin this morning with the question about those intelligence reports on Iraq before the State of the Union speech. This morning, National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice said the CIA cleared the president's speech. That seems to be a step back from what the White House said on Monday. That statement said that the faulty information about Iraq trying to buy uranium shouldn't have been used in the speech.
Well, Rice made her comments to reporters who are traveling with the president in Entebbe, Uganda.
CNN White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux joins us life from there -- hi, Suzanne.
Good morning to you.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
There have been a lot of developments in this story, particularly today, just within the last hour or so. We heard from National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, again, saying that the administration did not intend to mislead the American public in making its case for war. And we heard from President Bush just moments ago. He was asked directly about this, just how was it that this claim, that this line got in his State of the Union address and whether or not he regrets it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I gave a speech to the nation that was cleared by the intelligence services. And it was a speech that detailed to the American people the dangers posed by the Saddam Hussein regime. And my government took the appropriate response to those dangers. And as a result, the world is going to be more secure and more peaceful.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Now, Soledad, it's all about one sentence in the State of the Union address when the president claimed that Iraq was trying to acquire uranium from Africa. Now, it has come to light that at least one statement, one piece of intelligence that that was based on was faulty. That was the claim that, in fact, Iraq was trying to obtain uranium from Niger specifically.
But the administration is defending the State of the Union address, saying that it is broad enough that these statements are accurate and that it was signed off by the CIA. Condy Rice just earlier saying that if the CIA, the director of Central Intelligence, had said take this out of the speech, it would have been gone, we have a high standard for the president's speeches.
What is unclear and still somewhat controversial is the fact that the president, in his State of the Union address, made that statement but yet seven days later when Secretary of State Colin Powell went before the United Nations to make the case for war, he did not use that statement because State Department intelligence did not feel confident enough in using that piece of information.
Dr. Rice said there was no new intelligence between the time that the president delivered his State of the Union address and Secretary Powell's speech.
Again, the administration defending itself that the president did not intend to mislead the American people -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: All right, CNN's Suzanne Malveaux traveling with the president today.
And, clearly, Suzanne, no sign that any of this is going away any time soon.
Thank you for that.
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 July 11, 2003 - 08:29 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: We begin this morning with the question about those intelligence reports on Iraq before the State of the Union speech. This morning, National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice said the CIA cleared the president's speech. That seems to be a step back from what the White House said on Monday. That statement said that the faulty information about Iraq trying to buy uranium shouldn't have been used in the speech.
Well, Rice made her comments to reporters who are traveling with the president in Entebbe, Uganda.
CNN White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux joins us life from there -- hi, Suzanne.
Good morning to you.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
There have been a lot of developments in this story, particularly today, just within the last hour or so. We heard from National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, again, saying that the administration did not intend to mislead the American public in making its case for war. And we heard from President Bush just moments ago. He was asked directly about this, just how was it that this claim, that this line got in his State of the Union address and whether or not he regrets it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I gave a speech to the nation that was cleared by the intelligence services. And it was a speech that detailed to the American people the dangers posed by the Saddam Hussein regime. And my government took the appropriate response to those dangers. And as a result, the world is going to be more secure and more peaceful.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Now, Soledad, it's all about one sentence in the State of the Union address when the president claimed that Iraq was trying to acquire uranium from Africa. Now, it has come to light that at least one statement, one piece of intelligence that that was based on was faulty. That was the claim that, in fact, Iraq was trying to obtain uranium from Niger specifically.
But the administration is defending the State of the Union address, saying that it is broad enough that these statements are accurate and that it was signed off by the CIA. Condy Rice just earlier saying that if the CIA, the director of Central Intelligence, had said take this out of the speech, it would have been gone, we have a high standard for the president's speeches.
What is unclear and still somewhat controversial is the fact that the president, in his State of the Union address, made that statement but yet seven days later when Secretary of State Colin Powell went before the United Nations to make the case for war, he did not use that statement because State Department intelligence did not feel confident enough in using that piece of information.
Dr. Rice said there was no new intelligence between the time that the president delivered his State of the Union address and Secretary Powell's speech.
Again, the administration defending itself that the president did not intend to mislead the American people -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: All right, CNN's Suzanne Malveaux traveling with the president today.
And, clearly, Suzanne, no sign that any of this is going away any time soon.
Thank you for that.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
