Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Sunday Morning

Bush Seeks Support for Possible Military Action Against Iraq

Aired September 08, 2002 - 09:02   ET

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

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush seeking support for possible action against Iraq, and he takes the issue to the U.N. later this week. That will be a much anticipated, much discussed speech, to say the least. To bolster the case, the administration warns that Iraq is trying to make nuclear weapons. Joining us now with the latest is CNN White House correspondent Kelly Wallace. The evidence appears to be some aluminum tubing, of all things -- Kelly.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Right, Miles. U.S. officials putting out some of this information why this administration believes Saddam Hussein is such an urgent and imminent threat. Sources are telling CNN that over the past 14 months, the Iraqi leader has tried to acquire materials that could be used to develop an atomic bomb, in particular, as you mentioned, Miles, sources say he's been trying to get his hands on these aluminum tubes which U.S. officials believe could be used for only one thing, and that is to process uranium to develop an atomic bomb.

Now, sources also say that Saddam Hussein has been meeting regularly over the last several months with his nuclear scientists, and Iraqi defectors also telling U.S. officials that a top priority for the Iraqi leader is to develop nuclear weapons.

Now, the president, President Bush, and British Prime Minister Tony Blair, they were meeting yesterday at the presidential retreat at Camp David. The U.S. president saying the international community should really have ample evidence to prove that Saddam Hussein wants and is trying to develop weapons of mass destruction. Then he and the British leader talked to reporters, they basically had the same message. Their message is that Saddam Hussein poses not only a threat to the United States and Britain but to the entire international community.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Americans must understand that when a tyrant like Saddam Hussein possesses weapons of mass destruction, it not only threatens the neighborhood in which he lives, it not only threatens the region, it can threaten the United States of America or Great Britain, for that matter. The battlefield has changed. We are in a new kind of war, and we've got to recognize that.

TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: This is a challenge not simply for America or for Britain but the whole of the international community, and the threat that the weapons of mass destruction held by Saddam Hussein's regime pose is a very real threat.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: The British prime minister speaking there, following his meeting, several hours, the two leaders meeting at the presidential retreat.

As part of this effort to bolster the case, top U.S. officials appearing on the Sunday interview programs -- the vice president, the secretary of state, the defense secretary and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice appearing on CNN's own "LATE EDITION."

You also have President Bush meeting tomorrow with the Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien. The Canadians have expressed some criticism and skepticism about any military action. And then you have the president's speech to the United Nations on Thursday. The message from the president is expected to be that the United Nations must deal with Saddam's weapons of mass destruction. If it doesn't, the U.S. could be forced to act alone -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Kelly, everybody but the White House chef appearing on the programs today. Obviously, the full corps press is under way. Should we imply that things are getting toward the imminent stage here? We do have an election that is kind of impending here, and that obviously factors into all decision-making.

WALLACE: Well, exactly. U.S. officials say this is part of their strategy, really. You had members of Congress coming back this past week. The president met with congressional leaders, and as you know, he called on Congress, both houses of Congress to pass a congressional resolution backing possible military action in Iraq before lawmakers recess for the November elections. The president says he wants this now, that he doesn't want to wait until next year to get this approval.

Some members of Congress, though, Miles, are saying that they want to hold hearings over the next several weeks, so they don't know if they'll be able to get such a resolution in place before they leave.

As for whether there's any action imminent, U.S. officials again say they are making the case to the American people, the Congress, the international community, and again, they stress, Miles, the president has not made a decision about what course of action to take -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: All right. Interesting. Thank you very much, Kelly Wallace on the North Lawn of the White House and her familiar perch.

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