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CNN Sunday Morning

Administration Officials Echo Bush's Message on Iraq

Aired September 08, 2002 - 11:01   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Top Bush administration officials are taking to the television talk shows today echoing the president's case for an attack against Iraq. We get the latest on that and more from CNN's Kelly Wallace at the White House.
Hi there, Kelly.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka. Well, the Bush administration has faced pressure from U.S. lawmakers and U.S. allies to reveal the intelligence information it has to prove that Saddam Hussein is an imminent threat and someone who must be dealt with. Well, some of that information starting to come out.

U.S. officials telling CNN that this administration has seen over the past 14 months Saddam Hussein trying to obtain materials to develop an atomic bomb, in particular, U.S. officials say he's trying to get his hands on these aluminum tubes, which they believe could only be used for one thing, to process uranium, to go ahead and build a bomb. U.S. officials say this is just another brick in the wall; another example of how they believe Saddam Hussein is trying to get his hands on nuclear weapons. That is why this administration believes he must be dealt with. That message coming from Vice President Cheney on one of the talk shows earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: What we've seen recently that has raised our level of concern to the current state of unrest, if you will, if I can put it in those terms, is that he is now trying, through his illicit procurement network, to acquire the equipment he needs to be able to enrich uranium.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: The vice president going on to say that most of those shipments or those shipments have been blocked or intercepted, but still a big concern.

Now, you see President Bush there yesterday with British Prime Minister Tony Blair. The two men plotting strategy, how to deal with the Iraqi leader. Also, in advance of President Bush's speech Thursday to the United Nations' General Assembly, U.S. officials very tight lipped, not revealing exactly what the president will say. They say, though, one thing -- message he will put out is that this administration is very concerned about Saddam Hussein, that he is a threat not just to the United States and Britain, but to the entire international community.

Secretary of State Colin Powell, one of the officials said to be pushing for this administration to press one final time for weapons inspectors to get back inside Iraq. The secretary speaking to reporters earlier this morning saying the president has not made up any decisions and is not settled on any decision that military action will ultimately be necessary.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: No decision has been made about a conflict, but I can assure you that as you see the information come out in the days and weeks ahead, there is a solid case that he has weapons of mass destruction and he continues to try to improve his capability and his stockpiles.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: And the president will continue making the case tomorrow. He heads to Detroit and there he will be meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien. The Canadians just another U.S. ally expressing great concern and skepticism about any possible military action in Iraq -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Kelly, when Prime Minister Blair addressed reporters that there was a new report that underscores his support and the need to go after Saddam Hussein, is there, indeed, a new report?

WALLACE: A lot of confusion about this, Fredricka. No, there is not any new report. At least the understanding of what British Prime Minister Tony Blair happened to be referring to, a "New York times" article over the past few days in which the International Atomic Energy Agency had new satellite photographs showing there might be some buildup at possible nuclear facilities. Well, a spokesman for the agency says that these are not new photos, that the agency has been looking and doing satellite photography of Iraq over the past two years and it has no new evidence to show that there is any new development when it comes to the nuclear weapons program.

So U.S. officials say they believe that's what the prime minister was referring to and they say when the president commented, he didn't comment specifically on this. But the president was commenting on how -- when weapons inspectors first got inside Iraq back in 1991, before they got inside the country the thinking was that Saddam Hussein was about three to five years away from having a nuclear weapon. Well, after the inspectors got inside the country, U.S. officials said they discovered that he was probably six months away from having a nuclear weapon. So that was what they say the president was referring to. A little confusion there. The bottom line, no new report according to U.S. officials -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, a lot of confusion, but you've straightened it out for us. Thanks a lot. Kelly Wallace from the White House.

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