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CNN Sunday Morning
Bush to Go Before U.N. This Week
Aired September 21, 2003 - 08:16 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: President Bush goes to the United Nations this week. He's not only expected to call for help in postwar Iraq and Afghanistan, the president will try to heel the rift between the U.S. and those nations most vocal against the Iraqi war.
CNN's Dana Bash joins us now live from the White House. Hello to you, Dana.
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Heidi. And it was this time last year when the president went to the United Nations and he was just beginning to rally members there for war against Saddam Hussein. And now, of course, a year later, the U.S. and Great Britain have ousted Saddam Hussein over objections of key allies there. And the U.S. now needs the help of U.N. members in rebuilding Iraq, which has been more difficult than the U.S. had anticipated.
So Mr. Bush will use his speech to say that, regardless of past differences, he believes it is in the interest of all U.N. members to make sure Iraq is safe and secure. And the White House says that the president will issue what they're billing here as a call to action. And that will be for three main areas.
First, of course, to rebuild and engage in reconstruction in Iraq and also Afghanistan. Also, the president will talk about weapons of mass destruction and the need to stop the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction around the world. And third, he will talk about human rights violations, specifically the White House says he will focus on banning slavery and exploitation of women around the world.
Now, the White House is, of course, working on trying to get another U.N. resolution, working with member nations there. The White House does say that it needs more troops and more money and is hoping that a U.N. resolution will help encourage that from around the world. And the White House had hoped that perhaps there would be compromise on that before Mr. Bush does head to the U.N. this week, but that didn't happen.
And there you see a picture of three key players who did discuss this issue yesterday, the heads of Great Britain, France and Germany. They made it clear that, although they are getting a little bit closer to compromise, there are still differences on you how quickly to turn over the governing of Iraq to the Iraqi people. And of course how much control the U.S. is willing to give up to the U.N. in order to make that happen. The president will engage in high level diplomacy of his own. He will meet for the first time in a long time with President Chirac of France and also with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder New York this coming week -- Heidi.
COLLINS: There will be a lot to listen for, that's for sure. Thanks so much. Dana Bash at the White House 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 September 21, 2003 - 08:16 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush goes to the United Nations this week. He's not only expected to call for help in postwar Iraq and Afghanistan, the president will try to heel the rift between the U.S. and those nations most vocal against the Iraqi war.
CNN's Dana Bash joins us now live from the White House. Hello to you, Dana.
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Heidi. And it was this time last year when the president went to the United Nations and he was just beginning to rally members there for war against Saddam Hussein. And now, of course, a year later, the U.S. and Great Britain have ousted Saddam Hussein over objections of key allies there. And the U.S. now needs the help of U.N. members in rebuilding Iraq, which has been more difficult than the U.S. had anticipated.
So Mr. Bush will use his speech to say that, regardless of past differences, he believes it is in the interest of all U.N. members to make sure Iraq is safe and secure. And the White House says that the president will issue what they're billing here as a call to action. And that will be for three main areas.
First, of course, to rebuild and engage in reconstruction in Iraq and also Afghanistan. Also, the president will talk about weapons of mass destruction and the need to stop the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction around the world. And third, he will talk about human rights violations, specifically the White House says he will focus on banning slavery and exploitation of women around the world.
Now, the White House is, of course, working on trying to get another U.N. resolution, working with member nations there. The White House does say that it needs more troops and more money and is hoping that a U.N. resolution will help encourage that from around the world. And the White House had hoped that perhaps there would be compromise on that before Mr. Bush does head to the U.N. this week, but that didn't happen.
And there you see a picture of three key players who did discuss this issue yesterday, the heads of Great Britain, France and Germany. They made it clear that, although they are getting a little bit closer to compromise, there are still differences on you how quickly to turn over the governing of Iraq to the Iraqi people. And of course how much control the U.S. is willing to give up to the U.N. in order to make that happen. The president will engage in high level diplomacy of his own. He will meet for the first time in a long time with President Chirac of France and also with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder New York this coming week -- Heidi.
COLLINS: There will be a lot to listen for, that's for sure. Thanks so much. Dana Bash at the White House 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
