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CNN Sunday Morning
Bush Says He Hopes for Peaceful Resolution in Iraq
Aired February 16, 2003 - 09:00 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.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: The president responded to the worldwide protests for peace. A White House statement said, "The president views force as a last resort. He still hopes for a peaceful resolution and that it is up to Saddam Hussein."
CNN's Dana Bash has more for us from the White House.
Hello, Dana.
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Miles.
Well, those protests certainly are not helping the Bush Administration make that case that military action might be the only resort in dealing with Saddam Hussein if the U.N. doesn't go along with them.
The official reaction here to this protest is that the president thinks that the right to protest is a fundamental freedom and right of Americans and of free people around the world.
And the president, through a spokeswoman, said that he does want a peaceful resolution to the standoff with Iraq. And that he says that the president views military action as a last resort.
But Miles, polls in America do show that there actually is a majority that supports military action against Saddam Hussein. However, that majority, that vast majority, does want the president to work through the United Nations, to work through an international coalition in order to attack Saddam Hussein if that is necessary.
And the administration is certainly mindful of that, mindful of the fact that most Americans do want the Bush Administration to go through the United Nations, which is why they continue to press on.
And we are told, as you mentioned, that the administration is likely to, about midweek this coming week, introduce a second resolution with the Brits to say that Saddam Hussein is in -- perhaps to say Saddam Hussein is in material breach of past resolutions and that perhaps they will try to set a deadline for Saddam Hussein to comply with the past resolutions. And to comply with disarmament, which is, of course, what this is all about.
Now, the administration also might try to set up some specific tests, to say that Iraq must do some specific things to show that they are interested in complying. For instance, they might say that Iraq needs to prove that they are going to destroy the missiles that the inspectors found recently. That is something that the administration hopes will help sway other countries.
But you also, at this time, have some key nations, like France, President Jacques Chirac saying, again, to a U.S. magazine, that inspections do need more time and his foreign minister said to a French magazine that perhaps a second resolution isn't necessary. And France, of course, has veto power.
So how this is going to play out, that's the big question that is going to be what administration officials, British officials, are going to be working for behind the scenes at the U.N. to find out if there is some kind of resolution that could pass and that could avoid being vetoed there -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: CNN's Dana Bash at the White House. Thank you very much.
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 16, 2003 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: The president responded to the worldwide protests for peace. A White House statement said, "The president views force as a last resort. He still hopes for a peaceful resolution and that it is up to Saddam Hussein."
CNN's Dana Bash has more for us from the White House.
Hello, Dana.
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Miles.
Well, those protests certainly are not helping the Bush Administration make that case that military action might be the only resort in dealing with Saddam Hussein if the U.N. doesn't go along with them.
The official reaction here to this protest is that the president thinks that the right to protest is a fundamental freedom and right of Americans and of free people around the world.
And the president, through a spokeswoman, said that he does want a peaceful resolution to the standoff with Iraq. And that he says that the president views military action as a last resort.
But Miles, polls in America do show that there actually is a majority that supports military action against Saddam Hussein. However, that majority, that vast majority, does want the president to work through the United Nations, to work through an international coalition in order to attack Saddam Hussein if that is necessary.
And the administration is certainly mindful of that, mindful of the fact that most Americans do want the Bush Administration to go through the United Nations, which is why they continue to press on.
And we are told, as you mentioned, that the administration is likely to, about midweek this coming week, introduce a second resolution with the Brits to say that Saddam Hussein is in -- perhaps to say Saddam Hussein is in material breach of past resolutions and that perhaps they will try to set a deadline for Saddam Hussein to comply with the past resolutions. And to comply with disarmament, which is, of course, what this is all about.
Now, the administration also might try to set up some specific tests, to say that Iraq must do some specific things to show that they are interested in complying. For instance, they might say that Iraq needs to prove that they are going to destroy the missiles that the inspectors found recently. That is something that the administration hopes will help sway other countries.
But you also, at this time, have some key nations, like France, President Jacques Chirac saying, again, to a U.S. magazine, that inspections do need more time and his foreign minister said to a French magazine that perhaps a second resolution isn't necessary. And France, of course, has veto power.
So how this is going to play out, that's the big question that is going to be what administration officials, British officials, are going to be working for behind the scenes at the U.N. to find out if there is some kind of resolution that could pass and that could avoid being vetoed there -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: CNN's Dana Bash at the White House. Thank you very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
