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CNN Live Sunday

Administration Officials Hit Sunday Talk Shows

Aired June 08, 2003 - 16:00   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: Did Iraq possess weapons of mass destruction? And if so, why can't the U.S. find them? That issue drove Sunday talk today. Responding to pressure of providing proof, the Bush administration sent out its big guns to face the tough questions. CNN's Chris Plante reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS PLANTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Two months after the fall of Saddam Hussein, and still no stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction have been found in Iraq. Pressure is mounting on President Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair to show results or explain why. There have already been calls for a congressional investigation into what some are saying was an intelligence failure, or worse.

SEN. CARL LEVIN (D), MICHIGAN: If our intelligence is either manipulated or if it's shaded or if in some way it is exaggerated, it is very, very dangerous for us, particularly as we go down the road and look at other threats.

PLANTE: Senior Bush administration officials hit the Sunday talk shows to stand by their intelligence assessments.

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: I do not think the intelligence was wrong. I think that the intelligence agencies had a plethora of data, many multiple sources.

PLANTE: Before the war, Secretary of State Colin Powell cited mobile biological weapons laboratories in his presentation to the U.N. Labs, the U.S. says, that have been found.

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: One element that I presented at that time, these biological vans, all I could show was a cartoon drawing of these vans. And everybody said, are the vans really there? And voila, the vans showed up a few months later.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PLANTE: Recent polls in the United States do show that most Americans support the ouster of Saddam Hussein even if no weapons of mass destruction are found. But the consequences overseas could be serious and long-lasting -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Chris Plante from the Pentagon. Thank you 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 June 8, 2003 - 16:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Did Iraq possess weapons of mass destruction? And if so, why can't the U.S. find them? That issue drove Sunday talk today. Responding to pressure of providing proof, the Bush administration sent out its big guns to face the tough questions. CNN's Chris Plante reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS PLANTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Two months after the fall of Saddam Hussein, and still no stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction have been found in Iraq. Pressure is mounting on President Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair to show results or explain why. There have already been calls for a congressional investigation into what some are saying was an intelligence failure, or worse.

SEN. CARL LEVIN (D), MICHIGAN: If our intelligence is either manipulated or if it's shaded or if in some way it is exaggerated, it is very, very dangerous for us, particularly as we go down the road and look at other threats.

PLANTE: Senior Bush administration officials hit the Sunday talk shows to stand by their intelligence assessments.

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: I do not think the intelligence was wrong. I think that the intelligence agencies had a plethora of data, many multiple sources.

PLANTE: Before the war, Secretary of State Colin Powell cited mobile biological weapons laboratories in his presentation to the U.N. Labs, the U.S. says, that have been found.

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: One element that I presented at that time, these biological vans, all I could show was a cartoon drawing of these vans. And everybody said, are the vans really there? And voila, the vans showed up a few months later.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PLANTE: Recent polls in the United States do show that most Americans support the ouster of Saddam Hussein even if no weapons of mass destruction are found. But the consequences overseas could be serious and long-lasting -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Chris Plante from the Pentagon. Thank you 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