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CNN Sunday Morning

Bush Departs for Azores Summit

Aired March 16, 2003 - 07:29   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.


ARTHEL NEVILLE, CNN ANCHOR: First up this hour, we're going to get the latest on the president's options on Iraq. CNN White House correspondent Dana Bash can fill us in with those details.
Dana, good morning.

DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Arthel.

Well, as you said, the president departed within the last hour. He left from Andrews Air Force Base on his way to the Azores for a summit with his chief U.N. allies, the British prime minister, Tony Blair, and Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, in hopes of what they are hoping will be some kind of solution or resolution for dealing with Saddam Hussein. It also might be a diplomatic finale for dealing with Saddam Hussein.

Now what they are going to do is try to figure out what their next move is. Will they try to get another vote at the United Nations even though a lot of lobbying, time and effort has been spent and hasn't really proven to have much success as far as we're told? Or will they just -- even though they don't feel like they have the votes, will they put the vote up anyway so that all of the nations there can show their cards, as President Bush said, or will they just decide not to have a vote at the United Nations and instead try to plot their next move with potentially a smaller coalition?

These are all things that these allies will be talking about. They will be meeting just for a few hours in this one-day summit. But regardless of what happens, President Bush made clear, Arthel, this weekend that it will be time very shortly for other nations around the world to decide whether they'll be onboard with the U.S. He also made clear that military action could be imminent -- Arthel.

NEVILLE: OK. Dana Bash, thank you very much for that report this morning.

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 March 16, 2003 - 07:29   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ARTHEL NEVILLE, CNN ANCHOR: First up this hour, we're going to get the latest on the president's options on Iraq. CNN White House correspondent Dana Bash can fill us in with those details.
Dana, good morning.

DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Arthel.

Well, as you said, the president departed within the last hour. He left from Andrews Air Force Base on his way to the Azores for a summit with his chief U.N. allies, the British prime minister, Tony Blair, and Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, in hopes of what they are hoping will be some kind of solution or resolution for dealing with Saddam Hussein. It also might be a diplomatic finale for dealing with Saddam Hussein.

Now what they are going to do is try to figure out what their next move is. Will they try to get another vote at the United Nations even though a lot of lobbying, time and effort has been spent and hasn't really proven to have much success as far as we're told? Or will they just -- even though they don't feel like they have the votes, will they put the vote up anyway so that all of the nations there can show their cards, as President Bush said, or will they just decide not to have a vote at the United Nations and instead try to plot their next move with potentially a smaller coalition?

These are all things that these allies will be talking about. They will be meeting just for a few hours in this one-day summit. But regardless of what happens, President Bush made clear, Arthel, this weekend that it will be time very shortly for other nations around the world to decide whether they'll be onboard with the U.S. He also made clear that military action could be imminent -- Arthel.

NEVILLE: OK. Dana Bash, thank you very much for that report this morning.

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