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CNN Sunday Morning

U.S. Officials Meet With Iraqi Opposition Leaders

Aired August 11, 2002 - 09:06   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: We turn now to war talks. Discussions about ousting Iraqi President Saddam Hussein moved up several notches this weekend when top U.S. officials conferred with Iraqi opposition leaders. That happened on Friday and then again yesterday. For more on that, we go to CNN White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux. She joins us from the president's ranch in Crawford, Texas. Good morning, Suzanne.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Anderson. The president really is stepping up the pressure on Saddam Hussein this weekend. He said that Iraq is "an enemy until proven otherwise." Now, between the sharp rhetoric here at the Crawford ranch and also these high level meetings between Bush administration officials and Iraqi opposition groups in Washington, the message has become clear from this administration that Saddam Hussein's days are numbered.

It was just yesterday that leaders from six different Iraqi groups met with Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, the joint chiefs of staff, General Myers, as well as via video link Vice President Dick Cheney at his home in Wyoming. They emerged from these meetings saying that they were confident, they shared the same goals as the Bush administration of regime change, the ousting of Saddam Hussein. One of them spoke to CNN earlier this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALI BIN AL-HUSSEIN, IRAQI NATIONAL CONGRESS: They made quite clear that no decision on the how and when had been taken, but they also made it clear that they would go all the way, and that there was no stopping this policy, that the intention was to bring about regime change in Iraq and establish a democracy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: The talks about the how and when will continue. We expect Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, as well as the National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice to come out here to the ranch later sometime in the week to discuss those issues, as well.

The president is focusing now on the economic forum that he's going to be holding on Tuesday in Waco. It's going to be involving more than 250 participants. We're told top Bush administration officials, economists, academics, small-business leaders, farmers, a whole bunch of people involved in this to talk about the Bush administration's economic agenda, how to improve the economy. I should note as well, that this has gotten some criticism, specifically from Democrats, who actually say that none of the lawmakers themselves, members of Congress, have been invited. Also, they say that just look at the list, at the invitation list, that a lot of participants are actually Bush campaign donors. The administration dismissing this, saying that they think that a lot of good work is going to come out of these talks. They're going to get a lot accomplished, and they are hoping that the American people will also gain confidence in the markets again -- Anderson.

COOPER: Any response from the White House to "The Washington Post" report that Iran gave up al Qaeda fighters to Saudi Arabia?

MALVEAUX: No response at this time. We're still working on that.

COOPER: All right. Thanks very much, Suzanne Malveaux. We'll check in with you later. Thanks.

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