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CNN Live Event/Special
Anti-War Celebrities Hold News Conference
Aired February 19, 2003 - 12:42 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.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: We want to go now to West Hollywood in California, Anjelica Houston and other stars opposed to war speaking out at a news conference. This is Janeane Garofalo right now, who's speaking, the actress, the comedian. She and others are unveiling some new ads, very different comments we're about to hear from what we just heard at the White House.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
JANEANE GAROFALO, ACTRESS: ... in Islam. It says that another goal is disarming Baghdad. And the best way to do that, of course, is weapons inspections, and it doesn't help when Dick Cheney calls them a farce, and Condoleezza Rice demands that Hans Blix gives a negative report to the Security Council. In addition to the fact that President Bush and his various members of his administration are trying to convince the allies that weapons inspections do not work.
If you pull up any information on the Internet about UNSCOM, you find that weapons inspections do indeed work very well even in the face of resistance from Saddam Hussein. I don't think 1441 is predicated on the fact that he's a forthcoming gentleman.
So the weapons inspections of UNSCOM were able to disarm Iraq, fundamentally disarm Iraq, and basically account for 90 percent of his weapons production. Bioweapons that may or may not be accounted for have a very finite shelf life. The weapons inspections able to do more than the Gulf War accomplished in the area of disarmament.
I guess -- oh, also, one last thing, excuse me, is that timetables are really kind of an artificial construct placed on the inspections, and it really seems that you are trying to motivate military action by imposing an arbitrary timetable.
Now, moving on from that, I am supposed to show you how to log on. Oh, there it is. Basically, on February 26th, if you go to moveon.org, you can participate in the virtual march by virtually just signing on to anything on the Internet, even a neo-Luddite like myself can figure that out. Just sign your name. There you go. So that's moveon.org on February 26th.
Thank you.
ANJELICA HOUSTON, ACTRESS: Thank you all for being here this morning.
I speak out as a proud American. I praise the struggle to maintain the openness and just spirit that has been the mark of a Democratic America. I speak out with the loud voice that my conscious demands of me. I do not believe that this administration has made a reasonable or logical case for a rush to war, a war with so many terrible risks to the whole world.
Write to your Congressman, share your opinions, ask questions. Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And now we will have the peace ad, and then Robert David Hall.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANNOUNCER: You can help prevent war in Iraq. March on Washington without leaving home. Use your computer, your phone, your fax.
MARTIN SHEEN, ACTOR: Don't invade Iraq. Inspections work. War won't. The virtual march on Washington will allow every American opposed to the war to stand up and be counted by calling, faxing and e-mailing the U.S. Senate and the White House.
ANNOUNCER: Please, help prevent a war. Log on to moveon.org today.
SHEEN: Join us online, and thank you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT DAVID HALL, ACTOR: Thank you. Thank you for being here. As Mike indicated yesterday, President Bush indicated yesterday President Bush said that he welcomed people's rights to say what they believe. I believe we can win without war. I love my country. I care deeply about the men and women who serve in our armed forces.
I'm from a Naval family. My grandfather, two of my uncles are buried at the Naval Academy. My father was a decorated Naval officer in World War II. I was brought up to respect my...
BLITZER: Robert David Hall, the actor, following several others, releasing a new ad campaign opposed to any possible U.S.-led war against Iraq. We heard from Martin Sheen, the war of "The West Wing," the TV drama, and others, including Mike Farrell, the former star of M.A.S.H. and Anjelica Houston, Janeane Garofalo, they've released this new commercial that they're going to be showing around the country, trying to generate opposition to any possible war with Iraq.
We're going to continue to monitor that news conference, get all sorts of views on this program.
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 19, 2003 - 12:42 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: We want to go now to West Hollywood in California, Anjelica Houston and other stars opposed to war speaking out at a news conference. This is Janeane Garofalo right now, who's speaking, the actress, the comedian. She and others are unveiling some new ads, very different comments we're about to hear from what we just heard at the White House.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
JANEANE GAROFALO, ACTRESS: ... in Islam. It says that another goal is disarming Baghdad. And the best way to do that, of course, is weapons inspections, and it doesn't help when Dick Cheney calls them a farce, and Condoleezza Rice demands that Hans Blix gives a negative report to the Security Council. In addition to the fact that President Bush and his various members of his administration are trying to convince the allies that weapons inspections do not work.
If you pull up any information on the Internet about UNSCOM, you find that weapons inspections do indeed work very well even in the face of resistance from Saddam Hussein. I don't think 1441 is predicated on the fact that he's a forthcoming gentleman.
So the weapons inspections of UNSCOM were able to disarm Iraq, fundamentally disarm Iraq, and basically account for 90 percent of his weapons production. Bioweapons that may or may not be accounted for have a very finite shelf life. The weapons inspections able to do more than the Gulf War accomplished in the area of disarmament.
I guess -- oh, also, one last thing, excuse me, is that timetables are really kind of an artificial construct placed on the inspections, and it really seems that you are trying to motivate military action by imposing an arbitrary timetable.
Now, moving on from that, I am supposed to show you how to log on. Oh, there it is. Basically, on February 26th, if you go to moveon.org, you can participate in the virtual march by virtually just signing on to anything on the Internet, even a neo-Luddite like myself can figure that out. Just sign your name. There you go. So that's moveon.org on February 26th.
Thank you.
ANJELICA HOUSTON, ACTRESS: Thank you all for being here this morning.
I speak out as a proud American. I praise the struggle to maintain the openness and just spirit that has been the mark of a Democratic America. I speak out with the loud voice that my conscious demands of me. I do not believe that this administration has made a reasonable or logical case for a rush to war, a war with so many terrible risks to the whole world.
Write to your Congressman, share your opinions, ask questions. Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And now we will have the peace ad, and then Robert David Hall.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANNOUNCER: You can help prevent war in Iraq. March on Washington without leaving home. Use your computer, your phone, your fax.
MARTIN SHEEN, ACTOR: Don't invade Iraq. Inspections work. War won't. The virtual march on Washington will allow every American opposed to the war to stand up and be counted by calling, faxing and e-mailing the U.S. Senate and the White House.
ANNOUNCER: Please, help prevent a war. Log on to moveon.org today.
SHEEN: Join us online, and thank you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT DAVID HALL, ACTOR: Thank you. Thank you for being here. As Mike indicated yesterday, President Bush indicated yesterday President Bush said that he welcomed people's rights to say what they believe. I believe we can win without war. I love my country. I care deeply about the men and women who serve in our armed forces.
I'm from a Naval family. My grandfather, two of my uncles are buried at the Naval Academy. My father was a decorated Naval officer in World War II. I was brought up to respect my...
BLITZER: Robert David Hall, the actor, following several others, releasing a new ad campaign opposed to any possible U.S.-led war against Iraq. We heard from Martin Sheen, the war of "The West Wing," the TV drama, and others, including Mike Farrell, the former star of M.A.S.H. and Anjelica Houston, Janeane Garofalo, they've released this new commercial that they're going to be showing around the country, trying to generate opposition to any possible war with Iraq.
We're going to continue to monitor that news conference, get all sorts of views on this program.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
