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CNN Live Sunday
Bush Administration Officials Speak Out on Disarmament Deadline
Aired March 09, 2003 - 15:02 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: Bush administration officials speak out today on a deadline for disarmament in the Iraqi crisis, with Secretary of State Colin Powell telling CNN he's encouraged that he might be picking up the votes in the U.N. Security Council he needs. CNN White House correspondent Dana Bash joins us with more. Hi, Dana.
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka, well, that's right. Colin Powell said that he is making the rounds on the phone, talking to some of his counterparts in the key countries at the United Nations, some of the countries that the United States and the United Kingdom and Spain will need to pass the resolution next week at the U.N., giving Saddam Hussein a March 17 deadline to disarm or else. It implicitly says that he will be used -- force will be used against him to disarm him.
The secretary said that he is encouraged by his conversations, that there are perhaps nine or 10 countries that could perhaps vote with the United States and the United Kingdom. However, he also made clear that he believes that France will use its veto power on that resolution, which, of course, means the resolution will die.
Now, on the question of whether or not the March 17 deadline is set in stone, some countries, like Chile, that's one of the key swing countries, have said that perhaps Saddam Hussein needs a little bit more time. Colin Powell has said that March 17 is a date that they're sticking to, and that Saddam Hussein has already had enough time, 12 years, to disarm.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: We believe that we have given him more than enough time, that it's time for the council to make a decision this week that he has blown his last chance. We simply have not seen that strategic change of direction or intent that 1441 and all the previous resolutions called for.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: Now, even if for some reason France does not veto the resolution and things change, officials here at the White House are making clear that they don't believe that Saddam Hussein will disarm by March 17. They say that history shows that he hasn't complied fully the way the White House and other administrations have wanted him to. And they say that even if this March 17 deadline passes, in terms of the resolution, they don't believe that Saddam Hussein will comply, which means that war could be inevitable, according to Colin Powell.
WHITFIELD: And Dana, and what if the resolution does not pass? What if it does die?
BASH: Well, if it does die, White House officials have made it clear, even before this resolution was proposed last week, that the president feels that he has all the authority he needs to use military action against Iraq. That action -- that authority comes from, they believe, Resolution 1441, that passed unanimously in November and that called for total disarmament. And if not, Saddam Hussein would face serious consequences, that is code for military action.
There also is a congressional resolution giving the president the support that he feels that he needs. So the White House is making clear that what they're doing at the United Nations now is just trying to work through the biggest international coalition as possible, but if they don't get that, the president has said time and time again, he does have that coalition of the willing to go ahead along with the president to disarm Saddam Hussein, and that could be, officials made very clear today, very, very shortly.
WHITFIELD: OK. Dana, thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Deadline>
Aired March 9, 2003 - 15:02 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Bush administration officials speak out today on a deadline for disarmament in the Iraqi crisis, with Secretary of State Colin Powell telling CNN he's encouraged that he might be picking up the votes in the U.N. Security Council he needs. CNN White House correspondent Dana Bash joins us with more. Hi, Dana.
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka, well, that's right. Colin Powell said that he is making the rounds on the phone, talking to some of his counterparts in the key countries at the United Nations, some of the countries that the United States and the United Kingdom and Spain will need to pass the resolution next week at the U.N., giving Saddam Hussein a March 17 deadline to disarm or else. It implicitly says that he will be used -- force will be used against him to disarm him.
The secretary said that he is encouraged by his conversations, that there are perhaps nine or 10 countries that could perhaps vote with the United States and the United Kingdom. However, he also made clear that he believes that France will use its veto power on that resolution, which, of course, means the resolution will die.
Now, on the question of whether or not the March 17 deadline is set in stone, some countries, like Chile, that's one of the key swing countries, have said that perhaps Saddam Hussein needs a little bit more time. Colin Powell has said that March 17 is a date that they're sticking to, and that Saddam Hussein has already had enough time, 12 years, to disarm.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: We believe that we have given him more than enough time, that it's time for the council to make a decision this week that he has blown his last chance. We simply have not seen that strategic change of direction or intent that 1441 and all the previous resolutions called for.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: Now, even if for some reason France does not veto the resolution and things change, officials here at the White House are making clear that they don't believe that Saddam Hussein will disarm by March 17. They say that history shows that he hasn't complied fully the way the White House and other administrations have wanted him to. And they say that even if this March 17 deadline passes, in terms of the resolution, they don't believe that Saddam Hussein will comply, which means that war could be inevitable, according to Colin Powell.
WHITFIELD: And Dana, and what if the resolution does not pass? What if it does die?
BASH: Well, if it does die, White House officials have made it clear, even before this resolution was proposed last week, that the president feels that he has all the authority he needs to use military action against Iraq. That action -- that authority comes from, they believe, Resolution 1441, that passed unanimously in November and that called for total disarmament. And if not, Saddam Hussein would face serious consequences, that is code for military action.
There also is a congressional resolution giving the president the support that he feels that he needs. So the White House is making clear that what they're doing at the United Nations now is just trying to work through the biggest international coalition as possible, but if they don't get that, the president has said time and time again, he does have that coalition of the willing to go ahead along with the president to disarm Saddam Hussein, and that could be, officials made very clear today, very, very shortly.
WHITFIELD: OK. Dana, thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Deadline>
