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CNN Live Sunday

Bush: U.N. Must Act Tomorrow

Aired March 16, 2003 - 19:01   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: In Portuguese territory in the Azores today, a last ditch effort of diplomacy by President Bush and his coalition of the willing. They came away with a call to the United Nations to act and act now. Here is CNN's Chris Burns.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On this island in the middle of the Atlantic, the leaders try to salvage what many see as a diplomatic shipwreck. President Bush with his closest allies in a coalition of the willing against Iraq issue an ultimatum, not to Saddam Hussein, but the U.N. Security Council to vote for their resolution that gives Saddam one last chance.

GEORGE 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.

BURNS: If not, the U.S. lead coalition says it is ready to disarm Saddam by force, perhaps in the coming days. The time is up. Twelve years since the first weapons scrapping resolution, and four and a half months since the latest one demanding immediate disarmament.

TONY BLAIR, PRIME MINISTER, GREAT BRITAIN: Without a credible ultimatum authorizing force in the event of noncompliance, then more discussion is just more delay.

BURNS: In their joint statements, the leaders also called for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. A call seen as political cover for Prime Ministers Blair and Jose Maria Aznar of Spain, with both facing massive opposition at home for backing President Bush. A few dozen protesters at the summit are reminders of the hundreds of thousands who have taken to the streets around the world; although the resolve of the U.S. led coalition appears unswayed.

BURNS (on camera): More ominous signs President Bush may be preparing for war; he's been traveling with his speechwriters. His spokesman asked if he will be addressing the nation in the coming week answers, that is an option.

Chris Burns, CNN, Terciera, the Azores.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, whatever decision President Bush makes in the coming days, the nerve center for it all will, of course, be the White House. And that is where CNN senior White House correspondent John King joins us live, from the executive mansion with reactions to today's summit. John, thanks for being with us. What happens now? We've heard President Bush is on his way back, making telephone calls. What is on the schedule for tomorrow?

JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Anderson, we should have a much clearer sense at this time tomorrow, how this summit turned out in terms of whether it breaks the impasse at the United Nations. As for tomorrow, no public events at all on the president's schedule. He will be behind the scenes as he was much of this past week working the telephones, trying to see if they can salvage a majority at the Security Council. Most White House officials are skeptical.

Prime Minister Blair on his way home, said he would try overnight to convince Jacques Chirac, the French president, to come around and accept the view of the United States, great Britain, and Spain. Here at the White House, they believe that the votes simply are not there. If they get a majority, they will put the resolution to a vote. If they do not have a majority, they will not seek a vote, and we are told as early as tomorrow night, right around this time tomorrow night, 8:00 or 9:00 tomorrow night from the White House you could have an ultimatum from the president to Saddam Hussein. White House officials say if that does not happen tomorrow, it will certainly happen before this week is out -- Anderson.

COOPER: And if there is an ultimatum to Saddam Hussein, would that be something in an address to the American people? How would that be done? Do we know?

KING: We are told it would be a presidential address from the White House, most likely the oval office in which Mr. Bush would tell the American people that diplomacy has run its course, that he is now prepared to send U.S. troops into action. But he will also say that he wants to avert a war and because of that, he will give Saddam Hussein a short period of time to leave the country.

Some officials here say three days. The British have asked for that period to be about a week long. So we don't know the exact time table yet, but the message from the president, we are told, if he delivers this ultimatum, will be that war is eminent, that Saddam Hussein must leave the country to avoid war, and that anyone inside Iraq, the weapons inspectors, diplomats from friendly nations, journalists, especially those for U.S. based media outlets, should get out of Iraq immediately.

COOPER: All right. John King live at the White House. Thanks, John.

The ball, of course, is now in the United Nations' court with the U.S. and its allies saying diplomacy has one more day, and that's it. CNN's Michael Okwu is watching developments at the U.N. joins us now. Michael?

MICHAEL OKWU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Anderson, we can tell you this much, that the phones are being worked at the U.S. mission, the British mission, and also of course, at the White House, as John King was reporting. In the meantime, chief weapons inspector Hans Blix has been at the United Nations all day. He has been rolling up his sleeve, putting on the finishing touches on his program of works, which has been required by past U.N. resolutions. Essentially would include a list of the key remaining disarmament tasks for the Iraqis to comply with.

We are told that Mr. Blix will in all likelihood include a section where he asks for several more months for the inspections process to work. Something, of course, you can imagine that the French, the Russians, and the Germans will seize on. They have been asking for a Security Council closed door consultation that might involve the ministerial level here, foreign ministers to come in to discuss this further. Mr. Blix making it very clear that he would need not just days, not weeks, but possibly months to continue his work -- Anderson.

COOPER: Which is interesting when we put it up against statements made by French president, Jacques Chirac, to Christiane Amanpour, that he would be willing to accept a 30 day -- you know, a deadline of 30 days from now if that was acceptable to U.N. weapons inspectors. Well, we are hearing, I suppose, from Hans Blix, though not directly, is that may not be enough time. Does Blix actually expect actions now to put off a war -- his actions now, his talk tomorrow?

OKWU: Well, that's a very interesting question, and it will be certainly interesting to see how that plays on early this week at the Security Council. We are speculating now, but one can imagine that this will just put the two factions on the Security Council that much more firmly entrenched in their positions. The U.S. and of course the U.K. and Spain have been saying that the inspections process has not just been going on for the past two plus months, that the inspectors have gone in since the last four years, that in fact the Iraqis have had 12 years to disarm, and they have not done this.

The French and the Russians and the Germans believe that the inspections process is working, maybe not necessarily on the timetable that every one on the Security Council would like, but clearly, they have been proactively more cooperative. In fact, a phrase that the chief weapons inspector himself has used. So as far as the French are concerned, as far as the Russians and the Germans are concerned, if Blix is coming forward, the chief weapons inspector, to say, look, I can probably finish my job with a few more months, their argument would be, why not give it to him? Anderson.

COOPER: All right, Michael Okwu, live at the U.N. 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 March 16, 2003 - 19:01   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: In Portuguese territory in the Azores today, a last ditch effort of diplomacy by President Bush and his coalition of the willing. They came away with a call to the United Nations to act and act now. Here is CNN's Chris Burns.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On this island in the middle of the Atlantic, the leaders try to salvage what many see as a diplomatic shipwreck. President Bush with his closest allies in a coalition of the willing against Iraq issue an ultimatum, not to Saddam Hussein, but the U.N. Security Council to vote for their resolution that gives Saddam one last chance.

GEORGE 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.

BURNS: If not, the U.S. lead coalition says it is ready to disarm Saddam by force, perhaps in the coming days. The time is up. Twelve years since the first weapons scrapping resolution, and four and a half months since the latest one demanding immediate disarmament.

TONY BLAIR, PRIME MINISTER, GREAT BRITAIN: Without a credible ultimatum authorizing force in the event of noncompliance, then more discussion is just more delay.

BURNS: In their joint statements, the leaders also called for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. A call seen as political cover for Prime Ministers Blair and Jose Maria Aznar of Spain, with both facing massive opposition at home for backing President Bush. A few dozen protesters at the summit are reminders of the hundreds of thousands who have taken to the streets around the world; although the resolve of the U.S. led coalition appears unswayed.

BURNS (on camera): More ominous signs President Bush may be preparing for war; he's been traveling with his speechwriters. His spokesman asked if he will be addressing the nation in the coming week answers, that is an option.

Chris Burns, CNN, Terciera, the Azores.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, whatever decision President Bush makes in the coming days, the nerve center for it all will, of course, be the White House. And that is where CNN senior White House correspondent John King joins us live, from the executive mansion with reactions to today's summit. John, thanks for being with us. What happens now? We've heard President Bush is on his way back, making telephone calls. What is on the schedule for tomorrow?

JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Anderson, we should have a much clearer sense at this time tomorrow, how this summit turned out in terms of whether it breaks the impasse at the United Nations. As for tomorrow, no public events at all on the president's schedule. He will be behind the scenes as he was much of this past week working the telephones, trying to see if they can salvage a majority at the Security Council. Most White House officials are skeptical.

Prime Minister Blair on his way home, said he would try overnight to convince Jacques Chirac, the French president, to come around and accept the view of the United States, great Britain, and Spain. Here at the White House, they believe that the votes simply are not there. If they get a majority, they will put the resolution to a vote. If they do not have a majority, they will not seek a vote, and we are told as early as tomorrow night, right around this time tomorrow night, 8:00 or 9:00 tomorrow night from the White House you could have an ultimatum from the president to Saddam Hussein. White House officials say if that does not happen tomorrow, it will certainly happen before this week is out -- Anderson.

COOPER: And if there is an ultimatum to Saddam Hussein, would that be something in an address to the American people? How would that be done? Do we know?

KING: We are told it would be a presidential address from the White House, most likely the oval office in which Mr. Bush would tell the American people that diplomacy has run its course, that he is now prepared to send U.S. troops into action. But he will also say that he wants to avert a war and because of that, he will give Saddam Hussein a short period of time to leave the country.

Some officials here say three days. The British have asked for that period to be about a week long. So we don't know the exact time table yet, but the message from the president, we are told, if he delivers this ultimatum, will be that war is eminent, that Saddam Hussein must leave the country to avoid war, and that anyone inside Iraq, the weapons inspectors, diplomats from friendly nations, journalists, especially those for U.S. based media outlets, should get out of Iraq immediately.

COOPER: All right. John King live at the White House. Thanks, John.

The ball, of course, is now in the United Nations' court with the U.S. and its allies saying diplomacy has one more day, and that's it. CNN's Michael Okwu is watching developments at the U.N. joins us now. Michael?

MICHAEL OKWU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Anderson, we can tell you this much, that the phones are being worked at the U.S. mission, the British mission, and also of course, at the White House, as John King was reporting. In the meantime, chief weapons inspector Hans Blix has been at the United Nations all day. He has been rolling up his sleeve, putting on the finishing touches on his program of works, which has been required by past U.N. resolutions. Essentially would include a list of the key remaining disarmament tasks for the Iraqis to comply with.

We are told that Mr. Blix will in all likelihood include a section where he asks for several more months for the inspections process to work. Something, of course, you can imagine that the French, the Russians, and the Germans will seize on. They have been asking for a Security Council closed door consultation that might involve the ministerial level here, foreign ministers to come in to discuss this further. Mr. Blix making it very clear that he would need not just days, not weeks, but possibly months to continue his work -- Anderson.

COOPER: Which is interesting when we put it up against statements made by French president, Jacques Chirac, to Christiane Amanpour, that he would be willing to accept a 30 day -- you know, a deadline of 30 days from now if that was acceptable to U.N. weapons inspectors. Well, we are hearing, I suppose, from Hans Blix, though not directly, is that may not be enough time. Does Blix actually expect actions now to put off a war -- his actions now, his talk tomorrow?

OKWU: Well, that's a very interesting question, and it will be certainly interesting to see how that plays on early this week at the Security Council. We are speculating now, but one can imagine that this will just put the two factions on the Security Council that much more firmly entrenched in their positions. The U.S. and of course the U.K. and Spain have been saying that the inspections process has not just been going on for the past two plus months, that the inspectors have gone in since the last four years, that in fact the Iraqis have had 12 years to disarm, and they have not done this.

The French and the Russians and the Germans believe that the inspections process is working, maybe not necessarily on the timetable that every one on the Security Council would like, but clearly, they have been proactively more cooperative. In fact, a phrase that the chief weapons inspector himself has used. So as far as the French are concerned, as far as the Russians and the Germans are concerned, if Blix is coming forward, the chief weapons inspector, to say, look, I can probably finish my job with a few more months, their argument would be, why not give it to him? Anderson.

COOPER: All right, Michael Okwu, live at the U.N. 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