Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Live Sunday
Syrian Cooperation in Hunt for Iraqi Leadership Remains Bush's Top Concern
Aired April 20, 2003 - 18:32 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.
SOPHIA CHOI, CNN ANCHOR: Although it was a holiday, there was a lot of President Bush's plate today, one of his top concerns Syrian cooperation with the U.S. hunt for missing Iraqi officials.
CNN White House correspondent Dana Bash joins me now with more and, Dana, it sounds like there's a different tone coming from Syrian president today.
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: You know, Sophia, it was just last week that we heard from the president some pretty harsh rhetoric, some pretty harsh language with regard to Syria. He said last week that he believed that Syria was harboring some senior members of Saddam Hussein's regime. He also said that Syria had chemical weapons.
Then, that was followed by the White House last week in a very coordinated way calling Syria a terrorist state, a rogue state. Today, as you mentioned, the president did tone down that rhetoric considerably and suggested that his strong statements last week at least at this point seem to be paying off.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: They're getting the message that they should not harbor Ba'ath Party officials, high ranking Iraqi officials. A lot of other countries have also sent that message.
As you know, Secretary Powell will be going to visit with the Syrians and it seems like they're beginning to get the message, and when we think there is somebody there or know somebody is there we, of course, will pass on the name and fully expect the Syrian government to hand the person over.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: Now, what are some of the positive signs? First of all, Syria says that they have tightened visa requirements to enter the country and made efforts at closing the border. And, there you see Congressman Darrell Issa of California. He met with the Syrian president Bashar al-Assad for about two and a half hours earlier today.
The congressman told Wolf Blitzer on CNN's "LATE EDITION" that he got the impression from the Syrian president that they were giving assurances to the United States that they would try to help as much as they can, both in making sure that Iraqi leaders are not given safe passage through Syria, but also that they would try to help and expel any senior members of Saddam Hussein's regime that they find.
So, here at the White House at least you heard from the president himself at this point they are toning down the rhetoric considerably with Syria -- Sophia.
CHOI: Well, Dana, another country high on the president's mind these days, North Korea, talks are set for the coming week with that communist nation. What are we hearing in advance?
BASH: Well, at this point we do believe that those talks are going to go on in Beijing next week. There was some question of whether or not they would go on because of some comments coming from North Korea late last week that could have thrown all this off.
However, we are told by senior officials in the administration that they do think it will go on and President Bush himself did talk about the concept of these talks earlier today when he talked to reporters in Texas.
He was in Fort Hood. He said that he believes that by using North Korea's neighbors, like Japan and South Korea and China, they can successfully pressure North Korea to stop its nuclear program, to halt its nuclear program.
The chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee earlier today said that he believes that North Korea is the top most -- the country that makes the U.S. most scared in terms of the security, so the White House is hoping that these talks if they do go on this week will help to start at least -- to start conversations with North Korea which haven't gone on for about six months.
CHOI: All right, Dana Bash at the White House thanks so 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
Bush's Top Concern>
Aired April 20, 2003 - 18:32 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOPHIA CHOI, CNN ANCHOR: Although it was a holiday, there was a lot of President Bush's plate today, one of his top concerns Syrian cooperation with the U.S. hunt for missing Iraqi officials.
CNN White House correspondent Dana Bash joins me now with more and, Dana, it sounds like there's a different tone coming from Syrian president today.
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: You know, Sophia, it was just last week that we heard from the president some pretty harsh rhetoric, some pretty harsh language with regard to Syria. He said last week that he believed that Syria was harboring some senior members of Saddam Hussein's regime. He also said that Syria had chemical weapons.
Then, that was followed by the White House last week in a very coordinated way calling Syria a terrorist state, a rogue state. Today, as you mentioned, the president did tone down that rhetoric considerably and suggested that his strong statements last week at least at this point seem to be paying off.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: They're getting the message that they should not harbor Ba'ath Party officials, high ranking Iraqi officials. A lot of other countries have also sent that message.
As you know, Secretary Powell will be going to visit with the Syrians and it seems like they're beginning to get the message, and when we think there is somebody there or know somebody is there we, of course, will pass on the name and fully expect the Syrian government to hand the person over.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: Now, what are some of the positive signs? First of all, Syria says that they have tightened visa requirements to enter the country and made efforts at closing the border. And, there you see Congressman Darrell Issa of California. He met with the Syrian president Bashar al-Assad for about two and a half hours earlier today.
The congressman told Wolf Blitzer on CNN's "LATE EDITION" that he got the impression from the Syrian president that they were giving assurances to the United States that they would try to help as much as they can, both in making sure that Iraqi leaders are not given safe passage through Syria, but also that they would try to help and expel any senior members of Saddam Hussein's regime that they find.
So, here at the White House at least you heard from the president himself at this point they are toning down the rhetoric considerably with Syria -- Sophia.
CHOI: Well, Dana, another country high on the president's mind these days, North Korea, talks are set for the coming week with that communist nation. What are we hearing in advance?
BASH: Well, at this point we do believe that those talks are going to go on in Beijing next week. There was some question of whether or not they would go on because of some comments coming from North Korea late last week that could have thrown all this off.
However, we are told by senior officials in the administration that they do think it will go on and President Bush himself did talk about the concept of these talks earlier today when he talked to reporters in Texas.
He was in Fort Hood. He said that he believes that by using North Korea's neighbors, like Japan and South Korea and China, they can successfully pressure North Korea to stop its nuclear program, to halt its nuclear program.
The chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee earlier today said that he believes that North Korea is the top most -- the country that makes the U.S. most scared in terms of the security, so the White House is hoping that these talks if they do go on this week will help to start at least -- to start conversations with North Korea which haven't gone on for about six months.
CHOI: All right, Dana Bash at the White House thanks so 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
Bush's Top Concern>
