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CNN Sunday Morning
Bush Tries to Enlist U.N. Support for Campaign to Disarm Iraq
Aired March 09, 2003 - 08:00 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.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: At the White House today, President Bush is trying to enlist new Security Council support for the campaign to disarm Saddam Hussein. White House correspondent Dana Bash joins us now with the very latest on that. Good morning to you, Dana.
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Heidi. Well the president is here at the White House this weekend; a rare time when he is here. He usually spends the weekend at Camp David or at his ranch in Texas. But he is here.
He attended a very -- an institution. A media dinner called the Gridiron last night. Other than that, no public appearances. But top members of his national Security team met over the weekend yesterday in the situation room. Vice President Cheney and other members of his national Security team meeting. So war planning and discussions on Iraq is continuing over the weekend.
In addition to that, like you mentioned, diplomatic efforts are continuing. Later this morning on all five Sunday talk shows the president's two top national Security officials, Colin Powell, the secretary of state, and Condoleezza Rice, his national Security adviser, will be talking about the president's case for Iraq at this very critical time. Just a few days probably there is a vote at the United Nations to give Saddam Hussein a deadline to disarm or else perhaps use military action.
But even privately at the White House here, they admit that it is going to be an uphill battle to get the votes that they need to pass that resolution next week -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Dana, we are hearing, as we've been reporting a little bit this morning, and we're going to be talking more in depth about Iran and this particular plant there that officials are getting worried about, because they say it's much further along as far as nuclear capabilities than we thought or than the U.S. thought. Do you have any information about that from the Bush administration?
BASH: No reaction at this early hour from the Bush administration on that report. However, it does -- it probably, we are almost sure -- to see it raises the criticism of the White House because a lot of Democrats and even some Republicans on Capitol Hill and elsewhere have been questioning the administration for going ahead and potentially attacking Iraq at a time when other countries, other members of what the president calls the "axis of evil," are moving even more obviously towards having nuclear capability. Iran is one, and of course North Korea is another. So it also illustrates how full the plate is here at the White House. But in terms of North Korea and like you mentioned, Iran, the White House is maintaining a diplomatic stance toward those countries, but there's no question it will be somewhat alarming here at the White House and it will raise the criticism of others around Washington.
COLLINS: All right. Dana Bash coming to us live from the White House this morning. Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Iraq>
Aired March 9, 2003 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: At the White House today, President Bush is trying to enlist new Security Council support for the campaign to disarm Saddam Hussein. White House correspondent Dana Bash joins us now with the very latest on that. Good morning to you, Dana.
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Heidi. Well the president is here at the White House this weekend; a rare time when he is here. He usually spends the weekend at Camp David or at his ranch in Texas. But he is here.
He attended a very -- an institution. A media dinner called the Gridiron last night. Other than that, no public appearances. But top members of his national Security team met over the weekend yesterday in the situation room. Vice President Cheney and other members of his national Security team meeting. So war planning and discussions on Iraq is continuing over the weekend.
In addition to that, like you mentioned, diplomatic efforts are continuing. Later this morning on all five Sunday talk shows the president's two top national Security officials, Colin Powell, the secretary of state, and Condoleezza Rice, his national Security adviser, will be talking about the president's case for Iraq at this very critical time. Just a few days probably there is a vote at the United Nations to give Saddam Hussein a deadline to disarm or else perhaps use military action.
But even privately at the White House here, they admit that it is going to be an uphill battle to get the votes that they need to pass that resolution next week -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Dana, we are hearing, as we've been reporting a little bit this morning, and we're going to be talking more in depth about Iran and this particular plant there that officials are getting worried about, because they say it's much further along as far as nuclear capabilities than we thought or than the U.S. thought. Do you have any information about that from the Bush administration?
BASH: No reaction at this early hour from the Bush administration on that report. However, it does -- it probably, we are almost sure -- to see it raises the criticism of the White House because a lot of Democrats and even some Republicans on Capitol Hill and elsewhere have been questioning the administration for going ahead and potentially attacking Iraq at a time when other countries, other members of what the president calls the "axis of evil," are moving even more obviously towards having nuclear capability. Iran is one, and of course North Korea is another. So it also illustrates how full the plate is here at the White House. But in terms of North Korea and like you mentioned, Iran, the White House is maintaining a diplomatic stance toward those countries, but there's no question it will be somewhat alarming here at the White House and it will raise the criticism of others around Washington.
COLLINS: All right. Dana Bash coming to us live from the White House this morning. Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Iraq>
