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American Morning

U.S. Soldier Killed in Attack on Convoy

Aired October 09, 2003 - 08:03   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: Let's get to the issue of Iraq right now. On a day when the Bush administration hoped to tout progress in post-war Iraq, a U.S. soldier killed in an attack on a convoy. At least eight Iraqi police officers are dead after a suspected suicide bomber plowed past a police checkpoint.
It all comes six months to the day since Baghdad fell and the statute of Saddam Hussein came down in a central part of the Iraqi capital city.

To the White House and John King for more this morning -- John, good morning there.

JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Bill.

And it certainly complicates today's developments, the president's challenge. He will take the lead today in what the administration concedes is a public relations offensive designed to rebuild support for the administration's Iraq policy. Mr. Bush about to leave the White House. He will go to New Hampshire.

In a speech there, he will note that it is six months since Saddam Hussein fell from power and the president will make the case that, yes, there are still dangers for U.S. troops; yes, there is still some chaos on the streets; but he will make the case that away from that, schools are being rebuilt, hospitals are being rebuilt, the Iraqi culture is being rebuilt.

The president himself taking the lead today. But this is a full barreled strategy by the White House. Condoleezza Rice, the national security adviser, was out yesterday. What is interesting about this is the administration finds itself not only defending its post-war strategy, but even still, six months after the war began, going back and defending the decision to go to war itself. No weapons of mass destruction have been found yet, but Condoleezza Rice says new evidence the administration has leaves her, anyway, with no doubt the president made the right decision to go to war and topple Saddam Hussein.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: Right up until the end, Saddam Hussein continued to torture and oppress his people. Right up until the end, Saddam Hussein lied to the Security Council. And let there be no mistake, right up to the end, Saddam Hussein continued to harbor ambitions to threaten the world with weapons of mass destruction and to hide his illegal weapons activities. (END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: No secret why the administration is mounting this offensive. Half of the American people now say that it was not worth going to war in Iraq. Congress is raising tough questions about the reconstruction money the president wants. The United Nations Security Council won't give the administration the resolution it wants to endorse its post-war policy. So the president himself, Bill, taking the lead today. The vice president gives a speech tomorrow. Mr. Bush then will take the unusual step of sitting down with regional television outlets on Monday, all part of a new public relations offensive, the president hoping to really support for that Iraq policy.

HEMMER: John, on another topic, there were headlines this week that are pointing to the possibility of this rift between the secretary of defense, Donald Rumsfeld, and the White House, and how the White House wants to now reorganize the mission in Iraq.

What are they saying where you are as to whether or not things are clearly understood between the Pentagon and the White House?

KING: Well, they're trying to make this go away now, Bill. But it has been a soap opera atmosphere, to be candid, the last few days. Condoleezza Rice put out the new policy, in which she is taking a more active, aggressive role in coordinating the Iraq reconstruction effort. Secretary Rumsfeld at first said he didn't know about it, then he said it was no big deal. Yesterday he said it was a media creation, or at least a media exaggeration.

There is no question this White House is asserting more control over day to day policy in Iraq. They say that's not necessarily meant as a slight to Secretary Rumsfeld, that they still want his voice in the debate. But they certainly are making clear they want other voices, as well -- Bill.

HEMMER: King, John King from the front lawn.

John, thanks 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 October 9, 2003 - 08:03   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Let's get to the issue of Iraq right now. On a day when the Bush administration hoped to tout progress in post-war Iraq, a U.S. soldier killed in an attack on a convoy. At least eight Iraqi police officers are dead after a suspected suicide bomber plowed past a police checkpoint.
It all comes six months to the day since Baghdad fell and the statute of Saddam Hussein came down in a central part of the Iraqi capital city.

To the White House and John King for more this morning -- John, good morning there.

JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Bill.

And it certainly complicates today's developments, the president's challenge. He will take the lead today in what the administration concedes is a public relations offensive designed to rebuild support for the administration's Iraq policy. Mr. Bush about to leave the White House. He will go to New Hampshire.

In a speech there, he will note that it is six months since Saddam Hussein fell from power and the president will make the case that, yes, there are still dangers for U.S. troops; yes, there is still some chaos on the streets; but he will make the case that away from that, schools are being rebuilt, hospitals are being rebuilt, the Iraqi culture is being rebuilt.

The president himself taking the lead today. But this is a full barreled strategy by the White House. Condoleezza Rice, the national security adviser, was out yesterday. What is interesting about this is the administration finds itself not only defending its post-war strategy, but even still, six months after the war began, going back and defending the decision to go to war itself. No weapons of mass destruction have been found yet, but Condoleezza Rice says new evidence the administration has leaves her, anyway, with no doubt the president made the right decision to go to war and topple Saddam Hussein.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: Right up until the end, Saddam Hussein continued to torture and oppress his people. Right up until the end, Saddam Hussein lied to the Security Council. And let there be no mistake, right up to the end, Saddam Hussein continued to harbor ambitions to threaten the world with weapons of mass destruction and to hide his illegal weapons activities. (END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: No secret why the administration is mounting this offensive. Half of the American people now say that it was not worth going to war in Iraq. Congress is raising tough questions about the reconstruction money the president wants. The United Nations Security Council won't give the administration the resolution it wants to endorse its post-war policy. So the president himself, Bill, taking the lead today. The vice president gives a speech tomorrow. Mr. Bush then will take the unusual step of sitting down with regional television outlets on Monday, all part of a new public relations offensive, the president hoping to really support for that Iraq policy.

HEMMER: John, on another topic, there were headlines this week that are pointing to the possibility of this rift between the secretary of defense, Donald Rumsfeld, and the White House, and how the White House wants to now reorganize the mission in Iraq.

What are they saying where you are as to whether or not things are clearly understood between the Pentagon and the White House?

KING: Well, they're trying to make this go away now, Bill. But it has been a soap opera atmosphere, to be candid, the last few days. Condoleezza Rice put out the new policy, in which she is taking a more active, aggressive role in coordinating the Iraq reconstruction effort. Secretary Rumsfeld at first said he didn't know about it, then he said it was no big deal. Yesterday he said it was a media creation, or at least a media exaggeration.

There is no question this White House is asserting more control over day to day policy in Iraq. They say that's not necessarily meant as a slight to Secretary Rumsfeld, that they still want his voice in the debate. But they certainly are making clear they want other voices, as well -- Bill.

HEMMER: King, John King from the front lawn.

John, thanks 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