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American Morning

Intelligence Questions Continue

Aired July 14, 2003 - 07:03   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: As the attacks against U.S. forces in Iraq continue, so does the political attacks for the White House for including questionable intelligence on Saddam Hussein's attempt to buy nuclear weapons material out of Africa that was in the State of the Union address back in January. The White House insisting this issue is over and overblown for now.
From the Front Lawn this morning Dana Bash has more now.

Dana -- good morning.

DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.

Well, the White House was clearly trying to take control of this story over the weekend. National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice was out making the rounds in damage control on the Sunday talk shows, and she was making the case that the controversy over one line, 16 words, is overblown.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR: It is unfortunate that this one sentence, those 16 words, remained in the State of the Union. But this in no way has any effect on the president's larger case about Iraqi efforts to reconstitute the nuclear program, and most importantly and the bigger picture of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction program.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: Now, the president cited British reports when he made this claim in his State of the Union address. White House officials were pointing out over the weekend that the British are still standing by the claim, even though U.S. intelligence officials would not stand behind it.

But the White House is hoping to close this case, make it a case closed, but the Democrats are certainly not letting it go. They are saying regardless of the fact that George Tenet, the CIA director, has claimed responsibility, it is the White House that still has key questions to answer -- Bill.

HEMMER: A number of key questions. Dana, thanks.

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 14, 2003 - 07:03   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: As the attacks against U.S. forces in Iraq continue, so does the political attacks for the White House for including questionable intelligence on Saddam Hussein's attempt to buy nuclear weapons material out of Africa that was in the State of the Union address back in January. The White House insisting this issue is over and overblown for now.
From the Front Lawn this morning Dana Bash has more now.

Dana -- good morning.

DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.

Well, the White House was clearly trying to take control of this story over the weekend. National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice was out making the rounds in damage control on the Sunday talk shows, and she was making the case that the controversy over one line, 16 words, is overblown.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR: It is unfortunate that this one sentence, those 16 words, remained in the State of the Union. But this in no way has any effect on the president's larger case about Iraqi efforts to reconstitute the nuclear program, and most importantly and the bigger picture of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction program.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: Now, the president cited British reports when he made this claim in his State of the Union address. White House officials were pointing out over the weekend that the British are still standing by the claim, even though U.S. intelligence officials would not stand behind it.

But the White House is hoping to close this case, make it a case closed, but the Democrats are certainly not letting it go. They are saying regardless of the fact that George Tenet, the CIA director, has claimed responsibility, it is the White House that still has key questions to answer -- Bill.

HEMMER: A number of key questions. Dana, thanks.

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