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CNN Live Sunday
Saddam Hussein Becomes Hot Topic for Bush Officials on Talk Shows
Aired February 17, 2002 - 17:05 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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: When it comes to the so-called axis of evil, North Korea may be the focus of discussion this week during President Bush's trip to Asia, but Iraq is never far from the center of the State Department's radar screen. In fact, Saddam Hussein was a hot topic on Sunday talk shows today. CNN's Bob Constantini joins us now from the Pentagon to explain on that. Hi there, Bob.
BOB CONSTANTINI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Fredricka.
On the Sunday talk shows, Bush administration officials continued to talk tough about the axis of evil, particularly Iraq. Now, Mr. Bush's label for Iraq, Iran and North Korea was made over two weeks ago. However, its reverberations continue to go around the world, no more so than with some key allies, including a few European officials who have expressed alarm that President Bush is unwilling to consult them. They worry the U.S. might unilaterally move to get Saddam Hussein out of power through military force.
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SEN. JOE BIDEN (D), DELAWARE: But I think it's predictable that until the president lays out in much more detail what he means and what he has in mind, that they are going to worry, like they did in the first half of this administration, the first eight months, that he was going to go off half cocked. And then we hit a real serious problem, and the president did exactly what they didn't expect. He sat down, he talked to them, he made the case to them, he put together a coalition. And so they are sort of back to square one again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CONSTANTINI: While administration officials stress no action is imminent, they emphasize allowing Iraq to go unchecked could lead to terrorists using weapons of mass destruction developed by Baghdad.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL WOLFOWITZ, DEPUTY DEFENSE SECRETARY: We now after September 11 have a graphic clear understanding of what commercial airliners can do. We can't wait until we have a graphic clear understanding of what biological weapons or nuclear weapons can do, before we do something about breaking that connection. (END VIDEO CLIP)
CONSTANTINI: Other administration officials continued that tough talk, but they tried to soothe some of the European allies' concern, saying that the president would not do anything without consulting them extensively, and consulting them about whatever action might be taken. Those actions could include a renewed sanction regime, some different sanction, plus a renewed call for weapon inspections in Iraq -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Bob, also there were some reports today of more bomb strikes in Afghanistan. Is there anything you can tell us about what is going on over there right now?
CONSTANTINI: Well, officials here releasing very few details. What we're told is that coalition forces -- and that could mean Afghan fighters, local Afghan fighters on the ground being helped by American forces -- encountered hostile enemy forces at a road block in eastern Afghanistan on Saturday night, and they were fired upon.
And we're told they called in U.S. airstrikes, using precision- guided bombs, and the location of this, by the way, is not being pinpointed by officials at this point, because it is an ongoing operation, as it's being described.
Another round of airstrikes was launched early Sunday morning on the same targets. The U.S. Central Command says one Afghan was killed, but no casualties were reported -- no American casualties reported. And we should emphasize that it is not being told to us whose side that Afghan who was killed was on -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: OK. Thanks very much, Bob Constantini from the Pentagon this evening.
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