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CNN Sunday Morning
Preparations for War With Iraq Move Ahead
Aired February 16, 2003 - 10:02 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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: We begin this hour in Washington where preparations for a possible war with Iraq are moving ahead despite last week's United Nations Security Council report. For the latest we check in now with CNN White House correspondent, Dana Bash.
Dana, good morning.
DANA BASH, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Fred. Good morning. Well, this morning we see some French officials out at various media outlets saying they still believe the inspections process should continue and it needs more time. So in response to that we also have some Bush administration officials who are outside this morning on the talk shows, specifically National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice who is really pushing back and saying that this a key moment for the U.N. Security Council and that those countries like France that call for a continued weapons inspections are really just playing into the hands of Saddam Hussein and that that -- they are letting him split the Security Council, which she said would be very, very bad.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: We are in a diplomatic window here, but a diplomatic window that frankly, cannot last very much longer because the uncertainty is unfair to states in the region. The uncertainty is unfair to the Iraqi people. Frankly, the uncertainty, which the Iraqis are using to split the Council, to buy more time is unfair to the reputation of the United Nations Security Council. This will have to come to an end pretty soon.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: Now, Dr. Rice said what you're seeing the French do really releases the pressure on the Iraqis and it makes it very difficult to maintain and to make sure that Iraq is disarming. That's according to Dr. Rice. And she also said that she pointed out the fact that she believes that the U.N. Security Council hasn't been able to -- quote -- "get it together" throughout the past decade and for not only the resolutions that they have passed on Iraq in trying to force Iraq to disarm, but also eluded to the fact that they didn't deal in terms of Kosovo. And that is something that, of course, the U.S. did go ahead with with the help of NATO.
But clearly, the administration is helping keep up the pressure on the United Nations, because the polls show and they know -- they understand that it is really imperative for them to try as hard as they can to work through the United Nations because that's the what the people want, that's what the world want and that's the most important thing to do for the life longevity of that body -- Fred.
WHITFIELD: All right, Dana Bash from 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 - 10:02 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: We begin this hour in Washington where preparations for a possible war with Iraq are moving ahead despite last week's United Nations Security Council report. For the latest we check in now with CNN White House correspondent, Dana Bash.
Dana, good morning.
DANA BASH, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Fred. Good morning. Well, this morning we see some French officials out at various media outlets saying they still believe the inspections process should continue and it needs more time. So in response to that we also have some Bush administration officials who are outside this morning on the talk shows, specifically National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice who is really pushing back and saying that this a key moment for the U.N. Security Council and that those countries like France that call for a continued weapons inspections are really just playing into the hands of Saddam Hussein and that that -- they are letting him split the Security Council, which she said would be very, very bad.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: We are in a diplomatic window here, but a diplomatic window that frankly, cannot last very much longer because the uncertainty is unfair to states in the region. The uncertainty is unfair to the Iraqi people. Frankly, the uncertainty, which the Iraqis are using to split the Council, to buy more time is unfair to the reputation of the United Nations Security Council. This will have to come to an end pretty soon.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: Now, Dr. Rice said what you're seeing the French do really releases the pressure on the Iraqis and it makes it very difficult to maintain and to make sure that Iraq is disarming. That's according to Dr. Rice. And she also said that she pointed out the fact that she believes that the U.N. Security Council hasn't been able to -- quote -- "get it together" throughout the past decade and for not only the resolutions that they have passed on Iraq in trying to force Iraq to disarm, but also eluded to the fact that they didn't deal in terms of Kosovo. And that is something that, of course, the U.S. did go ahead with with the help of NATO.
But clearly, the administration is helping keep up the pressure on the United Nations, because the polls show and they know -- they understand that it is really imperative for them to try as hard as they can to work through the United Nations because that's the what the people want, that's what the world want and that's the most important thing to do for the life longevity of that body -- Fred.
WHITFIELD: All right, Dana Bash from 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
