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CNN Saturday Morning News

Iraq has Seven Days to Respond to U.N.

Aired November 09, 2002 - 08:27   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.


RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN ANCHOR: CNN White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux joins us now live with additional reaction to the U.N. decision and the U.S. position -- good morning, Suzanne.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Renay.

Well, Iraq has seven days to respond to this U.N. resolution and 30 days to actually account for any weapons of mass destruction. The last eight weeks has really been a game of high stakes diplomacy. The Bush administration really paying off for President Bush and the administration. It was eight weeks ago that he went before the United Nations, saying that Saddam Hussein must be held to account, that he must disarm Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction. President Bush lobbying more than a dozen world leaders. Secretary of State Colin Powell making more than 150 phone calls.

The bottom line, the U.S. had to have a resolution that included three things -- that said Iraq was in material breach of previous U.N. resolutions, the requirements for Iraq to come into compliance and, third, the consequences if Saddam Hussein did not comply.

Well, the U.S. got exactly what it wanted, a unanimous vote, 15- 0, from the U.N. Security Council to take on Saddam Hussein.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The resolution approved today presents the Iraqi regime with a test, a final test. Iraq must now, without delay or negotiations, fully disarm, welcome full inspections and fundamentally change the approach it has taken for more than a decade.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Now, the Bush administration did compromise on two points, namely, it changed some language so that it would not have what some considered an automatic trigger authorizing military action. That was the fear of some of the U.N. Security Council members. Also, the United States decided that it would go back to the U.N. Security Council if, in fact, Iraq did not comply or gave the weapons inspectors a difficult time, but really only for consultations.

The U.S. still reserves the right, President Bush reiterating that just yesterday, to go and confront Saddam Hussein with a coalition, an international coalition outside of the United Nations, if the United Nations decides not to act -- Renay.

SAN MIGUEL: Suzanne Malveaux reporting from the White House.

Thank you for that.

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 November 9, 2002 - 08:27   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN ANCHOR: CNN White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux joins us now live with additional reaction to the U.N. decision and the U.S. position -- good morning, Suzanne.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Renay.

Well, Iraq has seven days to respond to this U.N. resolution and 30 days to actually account for any weapons of mass destruction. The last eight weeks has really been a game of high stakes diplomacy. The Bush administration really paying off for President Bush and the administration. It was eight weeks ago that he went before the United Nations, saying that Saddam Hussein must be held to account, that he must disarm Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction. President Bush lobbying more than a dozen world leaders. Secretary of State Colin Powell making more than 150 phone calls.

The bottom line, the U.S. had to have a resolution that included three things -- that said Iraq was in material breach of previous U.N. resolutions, the requirements for Iraq to come into compliance and, third, the consequences if Saddam Hussein did not comply.

Well, the U.S. got exactly what it wanted, a unanimous vote, 15- 0, from the U.N. Security Council to take on Saddam Hussein.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The resolution approved today presents the Iraqi regime with a test, a final test. Iraq must now, without delay or negotiations, fully disarm, welcome full inspections and fundamentally change the approach it has taken for more than a decade.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Now, the Bush administration did compromise on two points, namely, it changed some language so that it would not have what some considered an automatic trigger authorizing military action. That was the fear of some of the U.N. Security Council members. Also, the United States decided that it would go back to the U.N. Security Council if, in fact, Iraq did not comply or gave the weapons inspectors a difficult time, but really only for consultations.

The U.S. still reserves the right, President Bush reiterating that just yesterday, to go and confront Saddam Hussein with a coalition, an international coalition outside of the United Nations, if the United Nations decides not to act -- Renay.

SAN MIGUEL: Suzanne Malveaux reporting from the White House.

Thank you for that.

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