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CNN Live Sunday
Bush: Monday to Be 'Moment of Truth'
Aired March 16, 2003 - 16:04 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.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: We turn now to our special coverage of the Azores summit. President Bush, Prime Minister Tony Blair and Jose Maria Aznar emerge from high level huddle this afternoon. They are drawing a line in the sand for their policy opponents in the U.N. CNN's Chris Burns covered the event in the Azores and joins us live with details -- Chris.
CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Anderson. The Spanish prime minister, Jose Maria Aznar, just took off. He was the last of the tree leaders to leave from here after they had a dinner together, after they threw down the gauntlet, not necessarily to Saddam Hussein right away but to the U.N. Security Council where they lack those nine votes and no vetoes that they need to get their Security Council resolution passed. Now they're saying, that if they don't get it tomorrow, they're going to go ahead and disarm Saddam Hussein by force. A true showdown tomorrow with the U.N. Security Council. Here's President Bush.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Tomorrow is a moment of truth for the world. Many nations have voiced a commitment to peace and security and now they must demonstrate that commitment to peace and security in the only effective way, by supporting the immediate and unconditional disarmament of Saddam Hussein. The dictator of Iraq and his weapons of mass destruction are a threat to the security of free nations. He is a danger to his neighbors. He's a sponsor of terrorism, he's an obstacle to progress in the Middle East. For decades, he has been the cruel, cruel oppressor of the Iraq people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNS: Well, President Bush also offering to the Iraqi people the incentive of lifting sanctions if Saddam Hussein is replaced. How are they going to get those votes? That is the big question. President Bush saying they are going to be working the phones over the next 24 hours. Britain's prime minister, Tony Blair, very much under fire at home, as well as Jose Maria Aznar. Kind of surprising to some observers that they closed so closely to President Bush and they spoke so strongly about trying to get that resolution through, saying they don't want to wait anymore. Here is Tony Blair.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TONY BLAIR, PRIME MINISTER OF GREAT BRITAIN: Some say there should be no ultimatum, no authorization of force in any new U.N. resolution. Instead, more discussion in the event of noncompliance. But the truth is that without a credible ultimatum authorizing force in the event of noncompliance, then more discussion is just more delay.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNS: Now, the question is, will it really go to a vote? That's a good question, because they have not said clearly, during their press conference, if they will push it to a vote. If it goes down in flames, that's even more embarrassment, so they want to make sure that they do have the votes and if they don't, it appears they won't put it to a vote, but in the clear words of White House spokesman Shawn McCormick (ph) this evening, he's saying, the diplomatic process ends tomorrow -- Anderson.
COOPER: Well, Chris, at this summit, while the talk was of Iraq, while the subject was Iraq, the target of the message wasn't necessarily Saddam Hussein. It was really the other members of U.N. Security Council, right?
BURNS: That's absolutely right. Is that the showdown tomorrow is not with Saddam Hussein, it is with those Security Council members, especially the holdouts, those undecided six and countries like, France, Russia, and China, that have the veto power, who have threatened, at least Russia and France have threatened to veto such a resolution. But President Bush and Aznar and Blair pushing and saying, look, the you voted unanimously for 1441 in November, which did threaten serious consequences if there were material breach of those disarmament stipulations, and this is what they are trying to hold them too. Big question; however, of course, the criticism is, this is a war resolution, it doesn't leave room for a gradual disarmament, and that's where the debate stands right now. We will see how it plays out tomorrow.
COOPER: Well, Chris, I am not sure you can answer this question, and if you can't, fair enough. But what you are hearing behind the scenes from White House officials, if anything? Do they kind of feel that maybe France, some of these other nations who have been opposed to U.S. policy, vis-a-vis Iraq, might in the last minute when push comes to shove, switch sides and decide, all right, we'll back it?
BURNS: Well, we've heard two minds from White House officials in the last few days. One saying, well, look, the French have spoken very strongly in the past about certainly resolutions that they threatened to veto or threatened trying to oppose, and yet came around and voted for it anyway, like resolution 1441. But on the other hand, if you listen to the tone of voice and criticism that President Bush and others within the administrations have given against the French in the last few days, it doesn't offer a lot of hope. It doesn't seem like they are trying to massage the issue. It seems like they don't have much hope that the French will sign on at the last minute.
COOPER: Chris, while you were speaking, just so you know, we are showing a picture on the side -- or a second ago, of President Bush stepping into Air Force One, waving good-bye, the plane, I suppose, getting ready to take off, wheels up relatively soon. What happens now? I assume this flight back is going to be a working flight. I'm assuming people are going to be working the phones from this moment on until through tomorrow. Do you have any word on that?
BURNS: It is -- well, that's what President Bush has said during the press conference. We did try to nail that down with White House officials before his departure. They're being very sort of unclear exactly who he will be calling. He did call Berlusconi, the Italian prime minister yesterday, but no indication exactly who they'll be calling, but obviously the undecided six, the African countries, the Latin American countries, are very, very key in trying to get that through, and trying to push it to the French and the Russians and see if they actually - if they actually veto. One interesting sort of tidbit to give you an indication perhaps how close we are to President Bush giving an ultimate if he can't get that resolution through is, his speechwriters are traveling with him. He spent the weekend with him at Camp David. He is apparently preparing a speech. We asked Ari Fleischer, the White House spokesman, is he going to give a message in the next week to the American people, a big decision, a message to the American people, and Ari Fleischer said that is an option.
COOPER: All right, Chris Burns appreciate you joining us live from the Azores. Been a long day. And as President Bush said in his press conference, tomorrow is the moment of truth for the world. CNN's Wolf Blitzer has been covering today's historic developments from Washington. We are going to check in with him right now -- Wolf.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks very much, Anderson.
And I want to bring in our senior White House correspondent John King to pick up where Anderson Cooper and Chris Burns just left off. John, I am still confused a little bit. Assuming that the diplomacy doesn't work out over the next 24 hours, president goes on television and says it's over. Isn't there some sort of mechanism, some sort of specific steps the U.N. Security Council has to take to withdraw those U.N. inspectors?
JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That would be the president's message, Wolf. In any address that comes, the first address, the next address, if you will, the major speech from President Bush. We were told the White House sees this as a two step process, that as early as tomorrow night, we are told from the oval office, President Bush could tell the American people that he is giving Saddam Hussein one last ultimatum. We are told, it will be a window of perhaps 72 hours, not much more for Saddam Hussein to leave the country, or face military action. The president, in that speech, whether it's explicit or implicit, will make the case that it's time for the inspectors to get out. It is time for American journalists to get out of Baghdad. That military confrontation could be just days away. We also were told that the United States is prepared to help if necessary, get those inspectors out as well as diplomats from the friendly countries and the like. But that would be the point of any ultimatum to Saddam Hussein. It would be a direct message to the Iraqi leader that time is up. That he has just a few days more. And in those day, the United States would urge anyone who is not from Iraq to get out of Iraq. BLITZER: I have heard various estimates. Anywhere from 24 to 72 hours to even seven days. Some suggesting the British, for example, saying that they need a seven-day window after the diplomacy has failed before the war necessarily starts. Is there any indication what you are getting? What kind of time frame the president is looking at, assuming the second resolution doesn't get off the ground tomorrow and diplomacy comes to an end?
KING: That is a key question, because any ultimate from the president obviously would be tied to a deadline in a U.N. Resolution, if there is such a resolution. If there is no vote, we are told the president is of the mind to move this forward as quickly as possible because of those 225,000+ U.S. Forces in the region right now. Whether the ultimatum is three days to a week, we are told, that was still being debated. One of the reasons the president's speechwriters are with him is to work on the language. The president will have discussions with the National Security Council when he gets back here to Washington. He's on the way down. More telephone diplomacy, more meeting with senior advisers. The actual date of any ultimatum, Wolfe, will be settled in the next 24 hours. The president, again, could be addressing the American people and the world as early as tomorrow night. We are told that all depends on what happens in that key moment of truth, as the president called it at the United Nations security Council tomorrow.
BLITZER: And I assume there is nothing on the president's daytime schedule tomorrow to allow him to get on the phone and to deal with the diplomacy?
KING: No public events at all on the president's schedule. The entire focus now is on one final round of urgent telephone diplomacy to see if they can get the votes. You can be certain that sometime late tomorrow afternoon the president the talk again with Tony Blair, will talk again with Aznar of Spain. They will make the decision about whether to demand a vote. They will make that, of course, based on what they have been told in the ensuing hours after this dramatic summit in the Azores. And from there, the president will go forward. Aides tell us he wants to pivot quickly, is the way they put it, after this is resolved at the United Nations, one way or another. The president wants to lay out for the American people and the world, how he sees this proceeding. Some senior officials telling us, Wolfe, this could come as early as tomorrow night, all senior officials telling us at the White House, they expect it to happen at the middle of the week, at the very latest.
BLITZER: And what John is referring to an address to the nation by the president, coming perhaps as early as tomorrow night, both perhaps later in the week. Our senior White House correspondent John King joining us with that. Thanks, John, 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 March 16, 2003 - 16:04 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: We turn now to our special coverage of the Azores summit. President Bush, Prime Minister Tony Blair and Jose Maria Aznar emerge from high level huddle this afternoon. They are drawing a line in the sand for their policy opponents in the U.N. CNN's Chris Burns covered the event in the Azores and joins us live with details -- Chris.
CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Anderson. The Spanish prime minister, Jose Maria Aznar, just took off. He was the last of the tree leaders to leave from here after they had a dinner together, after they threw down the gauntlet, not necessarily to Saddam Hussein right away but to the U.N. Security Council where they lack those nine votes and no vetoes that they need to get their Security Council resolution passed. Now they're saying, that if they don't get it tomorrow, they're going to go ahead and disarm Saddam Hussein by force. A true showdown tomorrow with the U.N. Security Council. Here's President Bush.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Tomorrow is a moment of truth for the world. Many nations have voiced a commitment to peace and security and now they must demonstrate that commitment to peace and security in the only effective way, by supporting the immediate and unconditional disarmament of Saddam Hussein. The dictator of Iraq and his weapons of mass destruction are a threat to the security of free nations. He is a danger to his neighbors. He's a sponsor of terrorism, he's an obstacle to progress in the Middle East. For decades, he has been the cruel, cruel oppressor of the Iraq people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNS: Well, President Bush also offering to the Iraqi people the incentive of lifting sanctions if Saddam Hussein is replaced. How are they going to get those votes? That is the big question. President Bush saying they are going to be working the phones over the next 24 hours. Britain's prime minister, Tony Blair, very much under fire at home, as well as Jose Maria Aznar. Kind of surprising to some observers that they closed so closely to President Bush and they spoke so strongly about trying to get that resolution through, saying they don't want to wait anymore. Here is Tony Blair.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TONY BLAIR, PRIME MINISTER OF GREAT BRITAIN: Some say there should be no ultimatum, no authorization of force in any new U.N. resolution. Instead, more discussion in the event of noncompliance. But the truth is that without a credible ultimatum authorizing force in the event of noncompliance, then more discussion is just more delay.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNS: Now, the question is, will it really go to a vote? That's a good question, because they have not said clearly, during their press conference, if they will push it to a vote. If it goes down in flames, that's even more embarrassment, so they want to make sure that they do have the votes and if they don't, it appears they won't put it to a vote, but in the clear words of White House spokesman Shawn McCormick (ph) this evening, he's saying, the diplomatic process ends tomorrow -- Anderson.
COOPER: Well, Chris, at this summit, while the talk was of Iraq, while the subject was Iraq, the target of the message wasn't necessarily Saddam Hussein. It was really the other members of U.N. Security Council, right?
BURNS: That's absolutely right. Is that the showdown tomorrow is not with Saddam Hussein, it is with those Security Council members, especially the holdouts, those undecided six and countries like, France, Russia, and China, that have the veto power, who have threatened, at least Russia and France have threatened to veto such a resolution. But President Bush and Aznar and Blair pushing and saying, look, the you voted unanimously for 1441 in November, which did threaten serious consequences if there were material breach of those disarmament stipulations, and this is what they are trying to hold them too. Big question; however, of course, the criticism is, this is a war resolution, it doesn't leave room for a gradual disarmament, and that's where the debate stands right now. We will see how it plays out tomorrow.
COOPER: Well, Chris, I am not sure you can answer this question, and if you can't, fair enough. But what you are hearing behind the scenes from White House officials, if anything? Do they kind of feel that maybe France, some of these other nations who have been opposed to U.S. policy, vis-a-vis Iraq, might in the last minute when push comes to shove, switch sides and decide, all right, we'll back it?
BURNS: Well, we've heard two minds from White House officials in the last few days. One saying, well, look, the French have spoken very strongly in the past about certainly resolutions that they threatened to veto or threatened trying to oppose, and yet came around and voted for it anyway, like resolution 1441. But on the other hand, if you listen to the tone of voice and criticism that President Bush and others within the administrations have given against the French in the last few days, it doesn't offer a lot of hope. It doesn't seem like they are trying to massage the issue. It seems like they don't have much hope that the French will sign on at the last minute.
COOPER: Chris, while you were speaking, just so you know, we are showing a picture on the side -- or a second ago, of President Bush stepping into Air Force One, waving good-bye, the plane, I suppose, getting ready to take off, wheels up relatively soon. What happens now? I assume this flight back is going to be a working flight. I'm assuming people are going to be working the phones from this moment on until through tomorrow. Do you have any word on that?
BURNS: It is -- well, that's what President Bush has said during the press conference. We did try to nail that down with White House officials before his departure. They're being very sort of unclear exactly who he will be calling. He did call Berlusconi, the Italian prime minister yesterday, but no indication exactly who they'll be calling, but obviously the undecided six, the African countries, the Latin American countries, are very, very key in trying to get that through, and trying to push it to the French and the Russians and see if they actually - if they actually veto. One interesting sort of tidbit to give you an indication perhaps how close we are to President Bush giving an ultimate if he can't get that resolution through is, his speechwriters are traveling with him. He spent the weekend with him at Camp David. He is apparently preparing a speech. We asked Ari Fleischer, the White House spokesman, is he going to give a message in the next week to the American people, a big decision, a message to the American people, and Ari Fleischer said that is an option.
COOPER: All right, Chris Burns appreciate you joining us live from the Azores. Been a long day. And as President Bush said in his press conference, tomorrow is the moment of truth for the world. CNN's Wolf Blitzer has been covering today's historic developments from Washington. We are going to check in with him right now -- Wolf.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks very much, Anderson.
And I want to bring in our senior White House correspondent John King to pick up where Anderson Cooper and Chris Burns just left off. John, I am still confused a little bit. Assuming that the diplomacy doesn't work out over the next 24 hours, president goes on television and says it's over. Isn't there some sort of mechanism, some sort of specific steps the U.N. Security Council has to take to withdraw those U.N. inspectors?
JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That would be the president's message, Wolf. In any address that comes, the first address, the next address, if you will, the major speech from President Bush. We were told the White House sees this as a two step process, that as early as tomorrow night, we are told from the oval office, President Bush could tell the American people that he is giving Saddam Hussein one last ultimatum. We are told, it will be a window of perhaps 72 hours, not much more for Saddam Hussein to leave the country, or face military action. The president, in that speech, whether it's explicit or implicit, will make the case that it's time for the inspectors to get out. It is time for American journalists to get out of Baghdad. That military confrontation could be just days away. We also were told that the United States is prepared to help if necessary, get those inspectors out as well as diplomats from the friendly countries and the like. But that would be the point of any ultimatum to Saddam Hussein. It would be a direct message to the Iraqi leader that time is up. That he has just a few days more. And in those day, the United States would urge anyone who is not from Iraq to get out of Iraq. BLITZER: I have heard various estimates. Anywhere from 24 to 72 hours to even seven days. Some suggesting the British, for example, saying that they need a seven-day window after the diplomacy has failed before the war necessarily starts. Is there any indication what you are getting? What kind of time frame the president is looking at, assuming the second resolution doesn't get off the ground tomorrow and diplomacy comes to an end?
KING: That is a key question, because any ultimate from the president obviously would be tied to a deadline in a U.N. Resolution, if there is such a resolution. If there is no vote, we are told the president is of the mind to move this forward as quickly as possible because of those 225,000+ U.S. Forces in the region right now. Whether the ultimatum is three days to a week, we are told, that was still being debated. One of the reasons the president's speechwriters are with him is to work on the language. The president will have discussions with the National Security Council when he gets back here to Washington. He's on the way down. More telephone diplomacy, more meeting with senior advisers. The actual date of any ultimatum, Wolfe, will be settled in the next 24 hours. The president, again, could be addressing the American people and the world as early as tomorrow night. We are told that all depends on what happens in that key moment of truth, as the president called it at the United Nations security Council tomorrow.
BLITZER: And I assume there is nothing on the president's daytime schedule tomorrow to allow him to get on the phone and to deal with the diplomacy?
KING: No public events at all on the president's schedule. The entire focus now is on one final round of urgent telephone diplomacy to see if they can get the votes. You can be certain that sometime late tomorrow afternoon the president the talk again with Tony Blair, will talk again with Aznar of Spain. They will make the decision about whether to demand a vote. They will make that, of course, based on what they have been told in the ensuing hours after this dramatic summit in the Azores. And from there, the president will go forward. Aides tell us he wants to pivot quickly, is the way they put it, after this is resolved at the United Nations, one way or another. The president wants to lay out for the American people and the world, how he sees this proceeding. Some senior officials telling us, Wolfe, this could come as early as tomorrow night, all senior officials telling us at the White House, they expect it to happen at the middle of the week, at the very latest.
BLITZER: And what John is referring to an address to the nation by the president, coming perhaps as early as tomorrow night, both perhaps later in the week. Our senior White House correspondent John King joining us with that. Thanks, John, 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
