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CNN Saturday Morning News
Plans for Post-Saddam Iraq Considered
Aired October 12, 2002 - 08:17 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.
THOMAS ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: The Bush administration is looking beyond military action to what a post-war Iraq might look like.
Joining us now, CNN White House correspondent Kelly Wallace -- and, Kelly, I know this is a difficult task for them to take on and also there's no crystal ball for this one.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No crystal ball, Thomas, and a difficult task, indeed. And two reasons we are hearing the administration talk more and more about a post-Saddam Hussein Iraq. Number one, aides say this shows the president's resolve to deal with the Iraqi leader. But number two, it also comes as the administration has faced criticism that it is not spending enough time thinking about what would happen in Iraq if Saddam Hussein happened to be removed from power.
Now, one idea being considered by this administration is some sort of short-term military rule if Saddam Hussein happens to be overthrown. This would then pave the way for possibly a civilian government and then national and local elections.
This idea was first reported in Friday's "New York Times," an American military occupation modeled after the U.S. military occupation of Japan at the end of WWII. Now, Secretary of State Colin Powell was asked about the idea yesterday in an interview with National Public Radio's "All Things Considered" and here's what he said. He said, "We are obviously doing contingency planning and there are lots of different models from history that one could look at -- Japan, Germany -- but I wouldn't say that anything has been settled upon."
Now, the president, for his part yesterday, during an event promoting aid to Afghanistan, never mentioned Iraq. But he did say that American forces are liberators, not conquerors, words that really were designed, it appears, to kind of calm any concerns in the Arab world about this administration's plans for a post-Saddam Hussein Iraq.
Now, the president turns his attention from Iraq to the issue of reading. Last night, joining First Lady Laura Bush at Ogala (ph) to celebrate the second annual national book festival. This is something the first lady has put together to bring authors from around the country together, to celebrate reading, to celebrate books. There will be a day long event on the grounds of the Capitol today, and the first lady, in fact, will be joined by the wife of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Perhaps the two first ladies could discuss some diplomacy, because, of course, as we know, this administration has been working with the Russians and other countries to try and get a tough new U.N. resolution to deal with Iraq.
So lots of focus on reading and books today for the first lady -- Thomas, back to you.
ROBERTS: And, Kelly, that's really a passion for the first lady.
WALLACE: It is a passion. You know, she's a former librarian, a former school teacher. She's been talking about books, promoting reading for years, when she was first lady in the State of Texas. She's been doing this in her job as first lady and so this is something she did in Texas. She would have a statewide book festival, brought that to the national stage when she came to Washington.
ROBERTS: Our Kelly Wallace live for us this morning in Washington.
Kelly, great to see you.
Thanks 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 October 12, 2002 - 08:17 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THOMAS ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: The Bush administration is looking beyond military action to what a post-war Iraq might look like.
Joining us now, CNN White House correspondent Kelly Wallace -- and, Kelly, I know this is a difficult task for them to take on and also there's no crystal ball for this one.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No crystal ball, Thomas, and a difficult task, indeed. And two reasons we are hearing the administration talk more and more about a post-Saddam Hussein Iraq. Number one, aides say this shows the president's resolve to deal with the Iraqi leader. But number two, it also comes as the administration has faced criticism that it is not spending enough time thinking about what would happen in Iraq if Saddam Hussein happened to be removed from power.
Now, one idea being considered by this administration is some sort of short-term military rule if Saddam Hussein happens to be overthrown. This would then pave the way for possibly a civilian government and then national and local elections.
This idea was first reported in Friday's "New York Times," an American military occupation modeled after the U.S. military occupation of Japan at the end of WWII. Now, Secretary of State Colin Powell was asked about the idea yesterday in an interview with National Public Radio's "All Things Considered" and here's what he said. He said, "We are obviously doing contingency planning and there are lots of different models from history that one could look at -- Japan, Germany -- but I wouldn't say that anything has been settled upon."
Now, the president, for his part yesterday, during an event promoting aid to Afghanistan, never mentioned Iraq. But he did say that American forces are liberators, not conquerors, words that really were designed, it appears, to kind of calm any concerns in the Arab world about this administration's plans for a post-Saddam Hussein Iraq.
Now, the president turns his attention from Iraq to the issue of reading. Last night, joining First Lady Laura Bush at Ogala (ph) to celebrate the second annual national book festival. This is something the first lady has put together to bring authors from around the country together, to celebrate reading, to celebrate books. There will be a day long event on the grounds of the Capitol today, and the first lady, in fact, will be joined by the wife of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Perhaps the two first ladies could discuss some diplomacy, because, of course, as we know, this administration has been working with the Russians and other countries to try and get a tough new U.N. resolution to deal with Iraq.
So lots of focus on reading and books today for the first lady -- Thomas, back to you.
ROBERTS: And, Kelly, that's really a passion for the first lady.
WALLACE: It is a passion. You know, she's a former librarian, a former school teacher. She's been talking about books, promoting reading for years, when she was first lady in the State of Texas. She's been doing this in her job as first lady and so this is something she did in Texas. She would have a statewide book festival, brought that to the national stage when she came to Washington.
ROBERTS: Our Kelly Wallace live for us this morning in Washington.
Kelly, great to see you.
Thanks 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
