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American Morning

Interview With Senator Pat Roberts

Aired February 06, 2004 - 08:06   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: In the meantime, though, let's move to Iraq. President Bush today will name a commission to investigate intelligence failures. The president defending his decision to go to war again yesterday.
Also yesterday, CIA Director George Tenet brushing aside criticism that the information the White House used to make the decision was filtered in any way. Here's George Tenet.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE TENET, CIA DIRECTOR: I can tell you with certainty that the president of the United States gets his intelligence from one person and one community, me. And he has told me firmly and directly that he's wanted it straight and he's wanted it honest, and he's never wanted the facts shaded. And that's what we do every day.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: George Tenet from yesterday.

The Senate Intelligence Committee is also investigating what went wrong with the pre-war findings about Iraq. Pat Roberts of Kansas, the committee's chairman, is with us live to talk about it from Capitol Hill.

Senator, good morning to you. Thanks for your time here.

SEN. PAT ROBERTS (R-KS), INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN: Hello, Bill.

HEMMER: I just want to give you one word of caution. We are waiting for the police to brief us in Sarasota. I may have to interrupt you.

ROBERTS: I understand, Bill.

HEMMER: So, thank you very much.

ROBERTS: I sure do understand that. That's tragic news down there.

HEMMER: Indeed it is. Thank you.

George Tenet yesterday said in so many ways, emphatically, I'm quoting now: "The CIA never declared Saddam Hussein an eminent threat." In response to that, one of your own Democratic colleagues, Diane Feinstein of California, said, but the impression was created. Is she wrong, Senator, in her judgment?

ROBERTS: Well, I'm not going to try to interpret what Senator Feinstein has indicated. But basically, what we did yesterday is to issue the first working draft of a 315-page report that gets into the credibility and the timeliness of the pre-war intelligence. It's a very thorough. It's probably the most thorough what, I guess, inquiry -- I guess you could call it -- and investigation of the intelligence community in about 10 years.

Now, Director Tenet will come before the committee again. He's asked to come before the committee. He's always a good witness. And so, he'll be there early March, and we hope to make this report public by the end of March.

HEMMER: And when it is public, there will be a lot to consider and a lot to chew on there in Washington. Almost immediately after George Tenet talked yesterday, Senator, David Kay defending himself, almost going on the attack against the CIA director. Listen to what part of what he had to say yesterday. Here's David Kay.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID KAY, FMR. CHIEF U.S. WEAPONS INSPECTOR IN IRAQ: What we did, and I think what anyone would have done in that situation, is say, look, if there were large stockpiles, they had to be produced by people, they had to be produced in facilities, and they would have left some indelible signs. Where are those people? Where are those facilities? Where are the documents, the importation and the other records of such large production? Those have not been found.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: Senator, how would you answer those questions that David Kay poses?

ROBERTS: Well, basically we've had Dr. Kay before the Intelligence Committee and the Armed Services Committee in a public hearing, and what Dr. Kay indicated that the large stockpiles have not been found. I really think this is a world intelligence community, what, maybe challenge? I don't want to say failure. But it was like sort of a runaway train, where everybody assumed something was going to happen, and then that was not the case.

But let's not be too hasty. I have talked to Dr. Duelfer, who is in charge of the Iraq Survey Group now. I don't know whether it's 85 percent done or 70 percent done or whatever. They have 17,000 boxes of documents to exploit. It's not over until it's over. I don't know if that is probable that we will find any WMD, but it certainly is possible.

HEMMER: Senator, and you've heard this from Democrats many times, many of them say that the White House influenced the information, shaped the argument for war. They point that finger specifically the vice president, Dick Cheney, and the number of trips he made to Langley and the CIA. Based on your report and the interviews that you've done, can you either support that claim or knock that down, based on your own findings?

ROBERTS: Well, I don't know about either one, about knocking it down or supporting it. But we've interviewed over 200 witnesses, mostly analysts. But it's, oh, from the Department of Energy, from the State Department, from the Defense Intelligence Agency, obviously from the CIA. We have found no analysts that has indicated that their product, their, what, analytical product was either intimidated or coerced or manipulated.

And, in addition, in asking the people about the visit of the vice president to Langley, thank goodness he went. They basically like to talk to policy people. So, to date, we have seen no manipulation on the part of the executive.

Now, if that changes, why, you know, we'll certainly look into it. But to date, with over 200, that has not been the case.

HEMMER: Senator, we do expect the commission to be named, to be made public today. Senator McCain's name is on that list, according to reports.

ROBERTS: You bet.

HEMMER: The White House has said from the outset it will be independent, it will be bipartisan. How can that assure the American people that indeed that will be the case?

ROBERTS: Well, I don't know anybody more independent than John McCain. He's a straight shooter. We have visited at length about this personally. I'm on the Armed Services Committee and also on the Intelligence Committee. I think they're going to pick people other than people who sit on that, although John does sit on the Armed Services Committee. I think he's an outstanding pick. I think he'll certainly tell it like it is.

And I think other people that the president will name will certainly ensure the credibility of the commission. They are trying to get people who have experience, who are wise in the intelligence field, and certainly do have a reputation for being independent.

HEMMER: Senator, thank you. Pat Roberts from Kansas, a Republican congressman there, in Washington. Thank you for your time there.

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 February 6, 2004 - 08:06   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: In the meantime, though, let's move to Iraq. President Bush today will name a commission to investigate intelligence failures. The president defending his decision to go to war again yesterday.
Also yesterday, CIA Director George Tenet brushing aside criticism that the information the White House used to make the decision was filtered in any way. Here's George Tenet.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE TENET, CIA DIRECTOR: I can tell you with certainty that the president of the United States gets his intelligence from one person and one community, me. And he has told me firmly and directly that he's wanted it straight and he's wanted it honest, and he's never wanted the facts shaded. And that's what we do every day.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: George Tenet from yesterday.

The Senate Intelligence Committee is also investigating what went wrong with the pre-war findings about Iraq. Pat Roberts of Kansas, the committee's chairman, is with us live to talk about it from Capitol Hill.

Senator, good morning to you. Thanks for your time here.

SEN. PAT ROBERTS (R-KS), INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN: Hello, Bill.

HEMMER: I just want to give you one word of caution. We are waiting for the police to brief us in Sarasota. I may have to interrupt you.

ROBERTS: I understand, Bill.

HEMMER: So, thank you very much.

ROBERTS: I sure do understand that. That's tragic news down there.

HEMMER: Indeed it is. Thank you.

George Tenet yesterday said in so many ways, emphatically, I'm quoting now: "The CIA never declared Saddam Hussein an eminent threat." In response to that, one of your own Democratic colleagues, Diane Feinstein of California, said, but the impression was created. Is she wrong, Senator, in her judgment?

ROBERTS: Well, I'm not going to try to interpret what Senator Feinstein has indicated. But basically, what we did yesterday is to issue the first working draft of a 315-page report that gets into the credibility and the timeliness of the pre-war intelligence. It's a very thorough. It's probably the most thorough what, I guess, inquiry -- I guess you could call it -- and investigation of the intelligence community in about 10 years.

Now, Director Tenet will come before the committee again. He's asked to come before the committee. He's always a good witness. And so, he'll be there early March, and we hope to make this report public by the end of March.

HEMMER: And when it is public, there will be a lot to consider and a lot to chew on there in Washington. Almost immediately after George Tenet talked yesterday, Senator, David Kay defending himself, almost going on the attack against the CIA director. Listen to what part of what he had to say yesterday. Here's David Kay.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID KAY, FMR. CHIEF U.S. WEAPONS INSPECTOR IN IRAQ: What we did, and I think what anyone would have done in that situation, is say, look, if there were large stockpiles, they had to be produced by people, they had to be produced in facilities, and they would have left some indelible signs. Where are those people? Where are those facilities? Where are the documents, the importation and the other records of such large production? Those have not been found.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: Senator, how would you answer those questions that David Kay poses?

ROBERTS: Well, basically we've had Dr. Kay before the Intelligence Committee and the Armed Services Committee in a public hearing, and what Dr. Kay indicated that the large stockpiles have not been found. I really think this is a world intelligence community, what, maybe challenge? I don't want to say failure. But it was like sort of a runaway train, where everybody assumed something was going to happen, and then that was not the case.

But let's not be too hasty. I have talked to Dr. Duelfer, who is in charge of the Iraq Survey Group now. I don't know whether it's 85 percent done or 70 percent done or whatever. They have 17,000 boxes of documents to exploit. It's not over until it's over. I don't know if that is probable that we will find any WMD, but it certainly is possible.

HEMMER: Senator, and you've heard this from Democrats many times, many of them say that the White House influenced the information, shaped the argument for war. They point that finger specifically the vice president, Dick Cheney, and the number of trips he made to Langley and the CIA. Based on your report and the interviews that you've done, can you either support that claim or knock that down, based on your own findings?

ROBERTS: Well, I don't know about either one, about knocking it down or supporting it. But we've interviewed over 200 witnesses, mostly analysts. But it's, oh, from the Department of Energy, from the State Department, from the Defense Intelligence Agency, obviously from the CIA. We have found no analysts that has indicated that their product, their, what, analytical product was either intimidated or coerced or manipulated.

And, in addition, in asking the people about the visit of the vice president to Langley, thank goodness he went. They basically like to talk to policy people. So, to date, we have seen no manipulation on the part of the executive.

Now, if that changes, why, you know, we'll certainly look into it. But to date, with over 200, that has not been the case.

HEMMER: Senator, we do expect the commission to be named, to be made public today. Senator McCain's name is on that list, according to reports.

ROBERTS: You bet.

HEMMER: The White House has said from the outset it will be independent, it will be bipartisan. How can that assure the American people that indeed that will be the case?

ROBERTS: Well, I don't know anybody more independent than John McCain. He's a straight shooter. We have visited at length about this personally. I'm on the Armed Services Committee and also on the Intelligence Committee. I think they're going to pick people other than people who sit on that, although John does sit on the Armed Services Committee. I think he's an outstanding pick. I think he'll certainly tell it like it is.

And I think other people that the president will name will certainly ensure the credibility of the commission. They are trying to get people who have experience, who are wise in the intelligence field, and certainly do have a reputation for being independent.

HEMMER: Senator, thank you. Pat Roberts from Kansas, a Republican congressman there, in Washington. Thank you for your time there.

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