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Tony Blair Announces He'll Step Down; Bush Speaks About Wars in Iraq, Afghanistan

Aired May 10, 2007 - 12:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: Today I announce my decision to stand down from the leadership of the Labor Party.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's the end of an era, and the beginning of a long good-bye. Tony Blair announces his intention to bow out as British prime minister after a decade in power.

I'm Becky Anderson, in parliament, in the U.K.

JIM CLANCY, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Facing pressure from his own party, the U.S. president hears Republicans vent their frustrations over the war in Iraq.

HALA GORANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: And a showdown in Iraq's parliament. Lawmakers pressed for time before a planned summer break see discussions grind to a halt.

It is 8:00 p.m. in Baghdad, 5:00 p.m. in London.

Hello and welcome to our report broadcast around the globe.

I'm Hala Gorani.

CLANCY: I'm Jim Clancy.

From Dublin do Dubai, Manila to Mexico City, wherever you are watching, this is YOUR WORLD TODAY.

Britain's prime minister, Tony Blair, put it this way: "Sometimes, the only way you conquer the pull of power is to set it down."

GORANI: After 10 years at 10 Downing Street, he says June 27th is the day he will resign.

CLANCY: Now, this was a long-awaited speech, and in it, Mr. Blair talked about Iraq and his unwavering support of the U.S. Both which caused him political capital at home.

GORANI: He summed up his decision by saying, "Hand on heart, I did what I thought was right.

CLANCY: Well, let's go now live to Becky Anderson, standing by there in London for more -- Becky.

ANDERSON: That's right. Thanks very much, indeed.

"I did what I thought was right." Prime Minister Tony Blair defending his record as the country's leader for the past 10 years as he announced his intention to step down from power.

Now, he chose to bow out in front of an audience of the Labor Party faithful who had celebrated with him back in 1997. It was a speech loaded with emotion.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLAIR: I've come back here, to Sedgefield, to my constituency, where my political journey began and where it's fitting that it should end.

Today, I announce my decision to stand down from the leadership of the Labor Party. The party will now select a new leader. On the 27th of June, I will tender my resignation from the Office of Prime Minister to the queen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, he said it had been an honor to run the country, and thanked the British people for the times that he had succeeded and offered his apologies for the times that he had fallen short.

Before I move on, I just want to let you know that we are expecting to hear from President Bush, who is currently at the Pentagon, discussing Iraq with his generals. We'll come to that as soon as we can.

So, I said, he did apologize over the mistakes effectively that he had made. A veiled thought, perhaps, of a not direct reference to the tight relationship he has fostered with President Bush and the decision to go to war in Iraq.

Now, in many people's eyes, the Blair years have been defined by the fact that in the end, it just didn't check out. And that was the claim, that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction which were ready to fire in 45 minutes.

Now, Paula Newton has more on that claim and a subsequent war that cast a shadow over Tony Blair's time in office.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Just weeks after the invasion in 2003, British Prime Minister Tony Blair marched into Iraq for what looked like a victory tour, convinced he had been proved right, and the protests were behind him. You could almost read it on his face. He was home free.

BLAIR: When people look back on this time and look back on this conflict, I honestly believe they will see this as one of the defining moments of our century.

NEWTON: Maybe it was. But not in the way he thought. As the applause faded, the blame mounted, and so did the burden of failure in Iraq.

Rewind now to the debate over going to war in early 2003. The largest political protest Britain has ever seen.

The message to Tony Blair...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, I don't trust him.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He's not listening to the people who voted for him.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He obviously has not got the support of his people. Look at this today.

NEWTON: But the more they protested, the more Blair dug in with almost evangelical zeal, as me made the case for war.

BLAIR: There are certain situations in which you've simply got to say to people that this is what I believe. And this is what I think is right.

That there is a threat from Saddam Hussein, and the weapons of mass destruction that he has acquired, is not in doubt at all.

JOHN RENTOUL, TONY BLAIR BIOGRAPHER: He stated that in its most extreme terms, and its embarrassing to look back at the emphatic statements he made at the time. But, I mean, he tends also to characterize foreign policy in terms of the battle between good and evil.

NEWTON: But the line between good and evil blurred by the minute, as evidence mounted that would prove Blair wrong about Saddam's weapons. The most damaging, from one of Britain's weapons inspectors, David Kelly.

He claimed that a government dossier on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction was "sexed up" to support the cause for war. Traumatized by the exposure, Kelly committed suicide.

RENTOUL: Tony Blair was prevented in a sense by the suicide of Dr. Kelly from putting the record straight, because he had to observe the proprieties. I mean, Dr. Kelly could no longer be presented as a simple enemy.

NEWTON: And the case for war continued to unravel almost as quickly as the security situation in Iraq.

RENTOUL: On Iraq, he took a gamble in a sense, because he thought that Saddam was a bad man, he was up to no good, and that he would be vindicated. The fact that, you know, he wasn't, is not going to change his mind about the basic decision.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: All right. We're going to come out of this report now to take you straight to the Pentagon, where President Bush is there with the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Robert Gates, the secretary of defense.

Let's listen.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I really enjoy coming to the Defense Department to sit at the same table with these distinguished Americans.

(INTERRUPTED BY LIVE EVEN)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRES. OF THE UNITED STATES: Good morning. I've just completed a meeting with Secretary Gates and General Pace and the members of the Joint Chiefs.

I appreciate your hospitality. I really enjoy coming to the Defense Department to sit at the same table with these distinguished Americans. These folks are good strategic thinkers, they're smart, they're capable, and we're lucky they wear the uniform.

I spent time discussing with them the needs of our military personnel as they carry out vital missions. Joint Chiefs shared with me the latest developments and updated me on the troop rotations as they implement our new Baghdad security plan.

They report that the three additional Iraqi brigades promised by the government are in place and are conducting operations in the Baghdad area. Three additional American brigades, totalling about 12,000 troops, have taken up positions and are also conducting operations.

The chiefs told me that the fourth American brigade of reinforcements has just entered Baghdad and its surrounding towns and that the commanders expect the fifth American brigade to be in place by the middle of June.

So, it's going to be another month before all the additional troops that General Petraeus has requested are on the ground and carrying out their missions in Iraq.

American reinforcements in Baghdad, along with the Iraqi security forces, are now living and working with the Iraqi people in neighborhood posts called joint security stations. These stations are a place from which American and Iraqi forces act against terrorists and insurgents and death squads, and they patrol streets to build trust and increase local cooperation.

In other words, there's active engagement by Iraqi forces and coalition forces in neighborhoods throughout Baghdad and the area. And what happens with increased presence, there's increased confidence, and with increased confidence becomes increased information, information that forces can use to go after extremists to bring down sectarian violence that plagued the capital city of that country.

The level of sectarian violence is an important indicator of whether or not the strategy that we have implemented is working. Since our operation began the number of sectarian murders has dropped substantially.

As we have surged our forces, Al Qaida is responding with their own surge. Al Qaida is ratcheting up its campaign of high- profile attacks, including deadly suicide bombings carried out by foreign terrorists.

America responded, along with coalition forces, to help this young democracy, and a brutal enemy has responded as well. These attacks are part of a calculated campaign to reignite sectarian violence in Baghdad and to convince the people here in America that the effort can't succeed.

We're also seeing high levels of violence because our forces are entering areas where terrorists and militia once had sanctuary. As they continue to do so, our commanders have made clear that our troops will face more fighting and increased risks in the weeks and months ahead.

As we help Iraqis bring security to their own country, we're also working with Iraqi leaders to secure greater international support for their young democracy.

And last week Secretary Rice attended an international meeting on Iraq in Egypt. And she briefed me, and she briefed Secretary Gates.

There he is, right there.

(LAUGHTER)

The meeting included representatives from Iraq's neighbors, as well as Egypt and Bahrain and G-8 countries and the Arab League and the Organization of the Islamic Conference and the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council.

It was a robust international meeting where Iraqi leaders expressed their determination to meet a series of benchmarks they have set for political progress.

In other words, they have not only told me that they're going to meet benchmarks, they've not only told Secretary Gates that they intend to meet benchmarks, but they've also told the international community they intend to do so.

These benchmarks include adoption of a national oil law and preparations for provincial elections and progress on a new de- Baathification policy and a review of the Iraqi constitution. The nations assembled in Egypt pledged to support Iraq in these efforts.

In other words, the Iraqis said, "We need help," and these nations pledged support. It was a very positive development.

They're going to help Iraq secure its borders. They have said they will help stem the flow of terrorists into their country. They agreed to support the international compact established by Iraq and the United Nations so that Iraq can reform and rebuild its economy.

For Iraqi leaders to succeed in all these efforts, their people must have security. That's why I made the decision I made. That's why we sent additional troops into Baghdad.

What we need to give General Petraeus is plenty of time to work. This debate raging in Washington about how long we're going to be there -- we haven't even got all our troops there.

I still find it interesting that General Petraeus was given a unanimous confirmation vote by the United States Senate after he made clear his plan and before the plan has been fully implemented, some in Washington are saying, "You need to leave."

My attitude is, General Petraeus's plan ought to be given a chance to work. And we need to give the troops under his command the resources they need to prevail.

I met with congressional leaders to discuss the way forward last week. I fully understand Republicans and Democrats, you know, have disagreements. We should be able to agree that the consequences of failure in Iraq would be disastrous for our country. And they would be disastrous for our country.

We should be able to agree that we have a responsibility to provide our men and women on the front lines with the resources and flexibility they need to do the job we've asked them to do.

I believe that leaders of goodwill can deliver to our troops. And we've got to deliver it soon.

Time's running out, because the longer we wait the more strain we're going to put on the military.

All Americans know the goodness and character of the U.S. armed forces. They are risking their lives each day to fight our enemies and to keep our people safe. Their families are making tremendous sacrifices on behalf of our country.

It's important for the people who wear the uniform and their families to know that, as the commander in chief, I'm proud of the sacrifices they have made and the American people honors their service to our country.

Now, I'll be glad to answer a couple of questions. QUESTION: With some Republicans saying they need to see measurable progress by September, are you willing to re-evaluate troop levels then, based on what General Petraeus says?

And, also, are you willing to accept any consequences for benchmarks in the war funding bill?

BUSH: You know, I meet with a lot of people on the subject of Iraq. And I should; there's a lot of opinions on both sides of the aisle about this issue.

My message to the members of Congress is, "Whatever your beliefs may be, let's make sure our troops get funded. And let's make sure politicians don't tell our commanders how to conduct operations. Let's don't hamstring our people in the field," that's my message.

Their message to me has been, you know, "Don't you think the Iraqi government ought to do more?"

They recognize what I recognize, and the gentlemen up here particularly recognize: that without political progress, it's going to be hard to achieve a military victory in Iraq. In other words, the military can provide security so a political process can go forward.

The two questions you asked, one was about General Petraeus' report to the -- back -- around September about what's taken place in Baghdad. My attitude toward Congress is why don't you wait and see what he says? Fund the troops and let him come back and report to the American people.

General Petraeus picked this date. He believes that there will be enough progress one way or the other to be able to report to the American people, to give an objective assessment about what he sees regarding the Baghdad security plan.

It's at that point in time that I'm confident that the secretary and the Joint Chiefs will take a look at what David Petraeus says and make recommendations about troop levels based upon the conditions on the ground, which stands in stark contrast to members of Congress who say, "We're going to determine troop levels based upon politics or the latest opinion poll or how we can get our members elected."

And the second part of your question was about benchmarks. Look, we talk about this recent effort by Congress to fund our troops. The idea that the House of Representatives put forward is one that we will fund our troops by piecemeal.

Secretary Gates was very strong about why that's a bad idea. And the American people must understand that if you fund our troops every two months, you're put in a position where we have to delay certain procurement or that military contracts must be delayed. There's a lot of uncertainty in funding when it comes to two-month cycles.

So we reject that idea. It won't work.

I find it odd that the Congress is -- I find it ironic that the Congress is ready to fully fund unrelated domestic spending items and only one-half of the money requested for our troops.

They provide 100 percent of the money for the special interest projects that don't have anything to do with fighting the war on terror, and 50 percent of the money to go to those who wear our uniform.

They got it wrong. They ought to provide 100 percent of the money for people who wear the uniform, and leave these special pork projects out of the bill.

So I'll veto the bill if it's this haphazard, piecemeal funding. And I made that clear.

One message I have heard from people from both parties is that the idea of benchmarks makes sense. And I agree. It makes sense to have benchmarks as a part of our discussion on how to go forward. And so I've empowered Josh Bolten to find common ground on benchmarks. And he will continue to have dialogue with both Republicans and Democrats.

You know, this bill -- you know, I believe we can get a good supplemental, and I hope it's as quick as possible. The first blush is the bad supplemental coming out of the House.

Nevertheless, there is -- the Senate will have a say, and then there will be a conference committee. And hopefully, we can move a good bill forward as quickly as possible.

These gentlemen will tell that you the longer we wait, the more it hurts our military and the families.

QUESTION: Mr. President, with Prime Minister Tony Blair stepping down, are you concerned that British policy on Iraq could change significantly?

BUSH: First of all, I'll miss Tony Blair. He is a political figure who is capable of thinking over the horizon. He's a long-term thinker.

I have found him to be a man who's kept his word, which sometimes is rare in the political circles I run in. When Tony Blair tells you something, as we say in Texas, you can take it to the bank.

We've got a relationship such that we can have really good discussions.

And so I'm going to miss him. I -- he's a remarkable person. And I consider him a good friend.

I obviously look forward to meeting with his successor. I believe that the relationship between Great Britain and America is a vital relationship. It's a relationship that has stood the test of time. And when America and Great Britain work together, we can accomplish important objectives. We share common values. We share a great history.

And so I look forward to working with the -- Gordon Brown, who I presume is going to be the -- maybe I shouldn't say. I shouldn't predict who's going to be in, but the punditry suggests it'll be him.

I have had a meeting with him, and found him to be an open and engaging person.

It's amazing how people make all kinds of characterizations about people in the political process. And I found him to be an easy-to- talk-to, good thinker.

QUESTION: What do you think he'll do on Iraq?

BUSH: I think -- look, you've got to believe he understands the consequences of failure.

The interesting thing about the Iraq debate, by the way, is I don't hear a lot of discussions about what happens if we fail. I hear a lot of discussions about, "Maybe we can make good political progress based upon this issue," or, "Let's just make sure that we constantly achieve -- make political hay based upon Iraq." I hear a lot of that.

But there needs to be a serious discussion about what happens if we create a vacuum into which radical movements flow. If you're worried about Iran, then it's really important that people understand the consequences of us leaving before the job is done.

I am deeply concerned about what would happen in the Middle East should America's credibility be diminished as a result of us not keeping our word, as a result of us abandoning millions of people who are anxious to live in a stable, secure, free society.

I worry about the signal it would send to Al Qaida. As I told you earlier, and as David Petraeus said -- let me put it in his words -- Al Qaida is public enemy number one in Iraq.

Al Qaida also should be viewed as public enemy number one in America. And why do I say that? Well, Al Qaida attacked us once and killed thousands of citizens on our soil. I believe they want to attack us again. I believe failure in Iraq would only emboldened Al Qaida further.

I know that vacuums in the Middle East are likely to be filled by radicals and extremists who, at the very minimum, would share a common enemy, the United States and some of our strongest allies.

And so it's vital we succeed. You know, the debate in Washington is, "How fast can we withdraw?" amongst some. The debate ought to be, "What do we need to do to make sure that we not only don't fail, but succeed?"

And so I believe Gordon Brown understands the consequences of failure. But I'm looking forward to working with him. I'm looking forward to working with the new president of France. I'm looking forward to working with a lot of people in Europe to not only achieve success in Iraq, but also to achieve success in Afghanistan, another theater in the war on terror.

Let's see here -- Roger? Yes, Rog.

QUESTION: Good afternoon.

BUSH: Call him Rog.

QUESTION: You just mentioned the new leader of France, and I was going to ask you about him. Have you talked to him? Are you recruiting him as part of the coalition? Any messages for him?

And you sent Mr. Cheney to the Mideast to visit with the other neighbors. What specifically are the requests you are making of them?

BUSH: Sure.

First of all, presidents don't recruit. The people elect a leader with whom I will work. And I had a -- I did talk to President- elect Sarkozy. I think it was at about 8:03 Paris time. He wanted 8:00 and I called him shortly thereafter, and I'm so grateful he took my phone call.

I had met with him before when he came over here and found him to be a very engaging, energetic, smart, capable person. We will have our differences and we will have our agreements, and I'm looking forward to working with him.

Vice President Cheney is in the Middle East. His first message to the Iraqis was that they have got to speed up their clock; that I agree with General Petraeus' assessment that there are two clocks: one ticking here in Washington and one ticking there. And they must understand that we are very serious when it comes to them passing a law that enables this country to more likely reconcile.

And then he'll be traveling to talk to other friends in the area. And one of the questions that many ask is, "Do we understand the Iranian issue well? Do we understand the consequences of Iran having a nuclear weapon?" which it looks like they want to try to achieve -- to get.

And the answer is absolutely. And they'll find a stalwart friend in dealing with extremism in that vital part of the world. And that the vice president will lay out our strategy of convincing others to join us in -- on this Iranian issue.

He will point out to them that we have worked hard to convince not only the E.U.-3 to join with the United States in sending a clear message, but also now Russia and China. And we do have a diplomatic front. And we've got to work -- continue to work together. We've got to work to keep it together, to send a focused, concerted message.

He will also remind people that success in Iraq will be important for dealing with Iran, that if we were to listen to some of the voices in Congress and withdraw before the job was done, it would embolden Iran. In other words, there are strategic consequences to what is being said here in Washington, D.C., about the Iraqi issue. And so he's got -- it's a vital trip. And I really appreciate him going. And it looked like he had a good stop yesterday. I haven't talked to him, but it looks like he's -- it looks like he had a good day yesterday. And I'm looking forward -- he'll check in.

QUESTION: Mr. President, in your meeting with some moderate Republicans this week, in particular Representative LaHood, who afterwards said "The way forward after September if the report is not good is going to be difficult" -- those were his words -- are you perhaps facing an ultimatum on the war this fall from Congress?

BUSH: You know, first of all, I appreciate the members coming down to the White House. We had a good exchange. It gave me a chance to share with them my feelings about the Iraqi issue. I spent time talking with them about what it meant to fail and what it means when we succeed.

They expressed their opinions. They're obviously were concerned about the Iraq war, but so are a lot of other people.

And I remind -- I reminded them that last fall, late fall, I had been one of these people that get endlessly polled in the surveys and the pollsters, calling people all the time, it looks like.

And if they'd asked my opinion, I'd have said I disapprove of what was going on in Iraq. They could have put me down as part of the disapproval process.

And therefore, had put a plan in place that would more likely cause me to approve of what's going on in Iraq. That's why I made the decision I made.

I explained to them why I made the decision I made. And I said, "Look, David Petraeus has got a plan, and members of Congress -- some members of Congress won't let him implement the plan."

That doesn't make any sense on the one hand for us to send him out with a unanimous confirmation by the Senate and then to deny him the troops and/or the funds necessary to get the job done.

And I reminded them that we ought to give David Petraeus a chance. I did explain to them that General Petraeus has said he's going to come back and report to the secretary and the Joint Chiefs and the White House and the Congress about whether or not the strategy that he thinks could work is working. And at that point in time, we will respond accordingly.

As I told people, that decisions about the posture in Iraq need to be based upon conditions on the ground. And no better person to report about the conditions on the ground than somebody who is there, and that would be General Petraeus.

And at that point in time, upon the recommendation of the secretary and the Joint Chiefs and General Petraeus, we will respond to what he says.

And -- so I said, "Why don't we wait and see what happens? Let's give this plan a chance to work. Let's stop playing politics."

You know, it's one thing to have a good, honest debate about the way forward in Iraq. It's another thing to put our troops right in the middle of that debate.

These troops deserve the money necessary to do the job. And our commanders need the flexibility necessary to do the job.

And I believe this cause is necessary and it's noble. That's why I put those young men and women out there in the first place.

It's necessary for the peace and security of our country. It's noble to have such amazing citizens volunteer to go into harm's way. And our Congress needs to support them.

It's one thing to have a political debate or a debate about strategy. It's another thing to make sure the money gets sent to them on a timely basis.

I repeat: This idea of funding our troops every two months is not adequate. And I, frankly, don't think it's right. They need to give these troops what the military has asked for them.

And we can debate Iraq, and should. But there should be no debate about making sure that money gets there on a timely basis so our kids can do the job we've asked them to do.

I want to thank you all for your time.

CLANCY: All right, we've been listening there as the U.S. president lays out his thoughts on a couple of fronts. He was there at the Pentagon, that was live.

As the president said, he is willing to sit down and talk with Democrats and the Congress and Republicans for that matter, as well, in order to reach some kind of an agreement on the benchmarks for progress in Iraq.

GORANI: But again, he reiterated his position that he would veto any bill that sets deadlines for troop withdrawals, or only partially funds or withholds funds or sets deadlines for funding the military effort in Iraq.

CLANCY: One of the interesting things that we saw again and again, the president was stressing how this is all about the troops, this is -- you heard there at the end, where he says, don't catch the troops in a cross fire here of politics. But he kept talking about General Petraeus' plan, what the White House is really doing there, distancing itself from that, because some of the negative reaction that the president is getting.

GORANI: And Jim, really quickly, George Bush saying he's looking forward to working with Gordon Brown, the current U.K. finance minister, if he succeeds to Tony Blair, and he is expected to succeed to him.

OK, quick break here on YOUR WORLD TODAY, we'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GORANI: Welcome back to CNN International and all of our viewers joining us from more than 200 countries and territories around the globe, including this hour (ph) of the United States.

We continue to follow our top story, which is Tony Blair announcing the date he intends on stepping down.

CLANCY: That's right. The war in Iraq came to tarnish the leadership of Tony Blair. Critics have said the British prime minister blindly followed the U.S. president into battle.

GORANI: And also questioned his steadfast support of Mr. Bush, of course, over the years.

CLANCY: Let's bring in now Becky Anderson, once again, live from London for more on all of this. Hello again, Becky.

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. We're live here outside the Houses of Parliament. It's been an extraordinary day, an historic day. The end of an era, and the beginning as we say, of quite a long good-bye. Tony Blair announcing his intention to stand down as the Labor leader, which effectedly means he will no longer be prime minister in about six or seven weeks time, once there's been a leadership contest here.

The presumed successor, well that is the Finance Minister Gordon Brown, here in the U.K. In fact, President Bush just asked the very question about how his relationship with the U.K. might be defined going forward, on the back of the Blair resignation as it were, and he has (ph) prematurely suggested that he looks to work well with Gordon Brown. Now, as I say, there has to be a leadership contest before that happens, but he is the presumed successor.

But let's talk about that special relationship, then, between the U.S. and Britain under President Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair and where it might go from here.

Joining me now is our Chief International Correspondent Christiane Amanpour. It's an interesting point this, isn't it, because there has been a very, very specific and special relationship between Blair and Bush. Will things change going forward?

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I don't think the bedrock policy of Britain's Atlantic relationship is going to change. It's been the same ever since, you know, I can remember -- before I was born, it's been a strong British-U.S. alliance. In my memory, Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher, and throughout, Tony Blair, Bill Clinton, Tony Blair, George Bush. This is the bedrock policy of American foreign policy, one to which the queen herself referred in her visit to Washington just now.

So, I don't think you are going to see any daylight between the United States and Europe, but -- and Britain, but what you might see is a different style. Tony Blair, it has been said, has paid an unbelievable price for his close friendship with the person of President George Bush and the policy, particularly of Iraq. This has been something that will really negatively impact on his legacy. The people here didn't like it. The people have said no to that close alliance over this particular policy. But for sure, this alliance is going to continue.

Now, what people here have said is, of course we're Altanticists, we Brits, we stand with the United States and vice versa, but we need to get a little bit back for it. The view here is that Blair did not get enough back from President Bush and from the Americans to justify the, some would say, slavish devotion to the current policy.

ANDERSON: Let's just hear, Christiane, what Tony Blair said earlier on, when he made his speech in front of his constituents in the -- in the constituency of Sedgefield in the north of England, chose to make this announcement there in front -- those he celebrated a very special victory with them back in 1997. This is what he said about Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: And then came the utterly unanticipated and dramatic September 11, 2001, and the death of 3,000 or more on the streets of New York. And I decided we should stand shoulder to shoulder with our oldest ally, and I did so out of belief. And so Afghanistan, and then Iraq, the latter, bitterly controversial.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: The latter, highly controversial is what Tony Blair said there. And then he went on to talk about, he described as the blow back from Iraq.

AMANPOUR: The blow back, he said, was very intense, in terms of the terrorism. He called it more fierce, more unrelenting, more costly than they could ever have imagined. But he did also go on to say that, in my view, we must see it through. That if we give up, if we give up, the terrorists will not give up. And therefore, he believes that this policy has to continue.

The question is, how, will there be a timeline, already, they've made some timelines for some withdrawals, and we'll see how the next Labor leader does, you know, take this forward. It's very unpopular here in Britain.

ANDERSON: Did we hear an apology for the war in Iraq from Prime Minister Blair today?

AMANPOUR: Well, I think you heard an apology, you heard him say very clearly that I offer you, the British people, my thanks for all the times we've been able to succeed, and I offer you apologies for the times that I have fallen short, and, clearly, he's really meaning that big, I think he's meaning that, the big Iraq issue that has been, you know, at the cost of his premiership, at the cost of the affection of the people, of the cost of his credibility. This is a really deep wound, and perhaps some of the things domestically that he promised and he wasn't able to fully deliver. He delivered the economy, the living standards, some changes in the public service, the health sector, the education sector, it wasn't all that he had wished, and he said that, you know, perhaps ten years is too much, not just for myself but for the people, as well.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sixty years, it's been, since effectively, a prime minister here has decided when he'll go. He's chosen his moment, hasn't he, to go. He may not be on an up with the general public here in the UK, but he's certainly chosen the moment to go and chosen it sort of in style.

AMANPOUR: Sort of. I think it's a little bittersweet. He might say, chose it, but he was pretty much pushed. With all the challenges he's had from within his own party, not from the country at large in terms of elections. He's won three elections, it's a record for a labor prime minister. He's made Britain modern and cool, to much of the rest of the world to come here in droves to invest, to bring capital investment here. But, he was pushed it's been a long, slow push, but he was pushed. A leader whose won a popular mandate three times. He didn't have to step down. But he lost popularity and confidence within his own party.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We will leave it there. Our Chief Special Correspondent Christiane Amanpour. Tony Blair has announced that he will be going to see the Queen of Buckingham Palace on the 27th of June where he will tender his resignation. A historic day, perhaps not unexpected, but a historic day here around the houses of parliament in London. And indeed around the rest of the country.

Back now to Atlanta.

DON LEMON, CNN HOST: All right, Becky, thank you very much.

Hello, everyone, I'm Don Lemon at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta. More of YOUR WORLD TODAY just a few minutes. But first, a check of stories making headlines here in the United States.

A tense start to the school day in Colorado. Students reporting to Boulder High School found themselves locked out and police scouring the campus. The alert was triggered around dawn. Authorities say a cafeteria worker spotted two young men wearing camouflage. One was wearing a ski mask. They ran away from the school when the worker yelled to them, and police say no weapons were spotted, but they took no chances. Clearing the school room by room. Stay with CNN for the latest on this. We're expecting a news conference to start shortly.

A new development in the battle against wildfires in the southeast. Authorities say two teenagers have been arrested on arson charges in connection with some of those blazes in Georgia. Now, this morning, an investigator told us one of the juveniles confessed. More than 100,000 acres have been scorched in southeast Georgia. There have been mandatory evacuations.

Meantime, they are praying for rain in the sunshine state. Florida's governor says he hopes a storm churning in the Atlantic will help douse raging wild fires. Right now, more than 200 fires are burning across the state. Some 80,000 acres up in flames, and in Los Angeles, fire fighters say they are getting the upper hand on a blaze in the city's famed Griffith Park. The fire has burned more than 800 acres, at last reports, it was about 75 percent contained. Firefighters hope to have it fully contained soon. Let's check in the weather center CNN's Reynolds Wolf has the day's out look for us.

(WEATHER REPORT)

LEMON: All right, we'll check it in with you in the CNN "Newsroom" at 1:00 p.m. eastern. Thank you.

He's a Republican, he's for abortion rights. Rudy Giuliani makes his position clear and lets the chips fall where they may. Ahead in the "Newsroom," it is a smart strategy or is it political suicide? And by the way, exactly where do all the other candidates stand on this hotter than hot button issue?

Plus, want your daughters, your granddaughters or nieces to be protected from cervical cancer? We'll have medical news on why it's important to act sooner rather than later when it comes to getting the vaccine against HPV.

Those stories and breaking news ahead at 1:00 p.m. eastern right here in the CNN "Newsroom.".

A no holds barred discussion about the war in Iraq. President Bush gets a blunt message from members of his own party. Moderate Republican House members expressing frustration in a private meeting with the president. A source says lawmakers warn they face political trouble at home unless there's progress in Iraq. Another source says the president was told his administration has lost credibility on the war.

Long wars in Iraq and Afghanistan taking a toll on U.S. forces. The army's vice chief of staff, General Richard Cody, says he worries about troops stretched too thin.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEN. RICHARD CODY, VICE CHIEF OF STAFF, U.S. ARMY: This is the first time we've taken an all volunteer army and an all volunteer force, marines, airforce, navy, to a protracted war, six years.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a long war.

CODY: It's a long war. And we started this war with about army that was too small. Marine corps that was too small. And the successive deployments are taking a toll on our families and on our soldiers. The remarkable thing through all of this is that we still have great young men and women signing up to basically tell America, in your time of need, send me, I'll defend you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: General Richard Cody. Another grilling for Alberto Gonzales. The attorney general back before Congress answering questions about the firings of federal prosecutors. A ninth prosecutor has come forward, saying he too, was pressured to resign when Washington didn't like the way he was handling politically sensitive cases. The House Judiciary Committee wants to know what role the White House had in the firings, and if political affiliation was considered in picking prosecutors. Gonzales testified three weeks ago. He repeatedly said he didn't remember relevant conversations and events.

A former Alabama trooper surrendered today to face charges in a civil rights era killing. The 1965 shooting death of Jimmy Lee Jackson, was a catalyst for the Selma to Montgomery voting rights march. Jackson was killed during a civil rights protest. Forty-two years later, a grand jury in Marion County Alabama has issued an indictment. An attorney for former state trooper James Fowler calls it an attempt to rewrite history. He says Fowler fired in self- defense after Jackson grabbed his gun.

CNN "Newsroom" comes your way at the top of the hour. Meantime, YOUR WORLD TODAY continues after a quick break. I'm Don Lemon.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CLANCY: Hello, everyone. Welcome back. You're watching YOUR WORLD TODAY right here on CNN international.

GORANI: Going out this hour to 200 countries across the globe, including the U.S.

Your very welcome.

CLANCY: Now, there's tremendous pressure on the Iraqi government to make some progress toward self-sufficiency.

GORANI: Well, the U.S. Vice President, Dick Cheney's, arrival in Baghdad underscored that message. In parliament, the strain became evident, as the session erupted into confrontation along sectarian lines.

Hugh Riminton in Baghdad joins us to explain what caused the furor.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HUGH RIMINTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Today, truth came to the Iraqi parliament. An independent lawmaker furious as the parliamentary speaker laughed during a report on the death of thousands of people in Diyala province. Why are you laughing, Mr. Speaker, she says? I want to know why you're laughing. The parliament descends into uproar.

The speaker, though, seems amused. "Leave it to the women," he says. And then he hits back at the parliamentarians. "Three quarters of you sitting here or responsible for displacement and killings," he shouts. Don't pretend to be nationalists here. In the chaos, he abruptly shuts down the chamber.

(on camera): This is a parliament that sits behind blast walls and razor wire. But the real problem here, according to some lawmakers, is the system of democracy that was installed in Iraq. Politicians are not elected directly. They are selected off party lists, and that leaves them far keener to serve their own factional bosses than they are to serve the people.

SHATHA AL-MUSAWI, IRAQI MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT: We accepted the idea that Our people are dying every day in hundreds, in thousands. We accepted this, and we lived with this. This is what I can't accept.

RIMINTON (voice-over): She says responsibility rests at the top.

AL-MUSAWI: If the prime minister doesn't have the ability to change this, he has to come to the parliament, admit his failure and quit.

RIMINTON: On Wednesday, the visiting U.S. vice president said he'd be impressed by the commitment of Iraq's political leaders to work together. Thursday, he was in Tikrit, hometown and former stronghold of Saddam Hussein, to thank the troops there.

DICK CHENEY, VICE PRES. OF THE U.S.: The job now is to persevere in every area of operations.

RIMINTON: As we spoke, an Iraqi appeal to the U.S. not to draw down troops.

AL-MUSAWI: My people are dying for you. They are dying for you. They are -- al Qaeda came here to fight America, not to fight Iraqis. You've caused a chaos here, sir. We have a chaos here. And now you want to do -- withdraw? No. You have to prepare -- to repair what is happening here before you withdraw.

RIMINTON: The burden of that work falling heaviest on these shoulders.

Hugh Riminton, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CLANCY: All right, we're going to take a short break here on YOUR WORLD TODAY. Coming up, though, Beverly Hills Becks.

Former England Captain David Beckham moves to L.A. and buys a mansion in keeping with his new status as a $250 million man.

Stay with us.

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CLANCY: Hello, welcome back. Even if you can't bend it like Beckham, as they say, you can buy it like Beckham, it seems.

GORANI: There's only one catch. You have to have $22 million to spare.

CLANCY: Twenty-two million? Well, that's what the former England Captain David Beckham and his wife, Victoria, paid for their new Beverly Hills mansion.

GORANI: Well, he can afford it. Beckham's new $250 million contract with the Los Angeles Galaxy team starts in August.

CLANCY: And Becks and Posh will have equally famous neighbors, Hala. Guess who's living next door?

GORANI: Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. Who else?

CLANCY: Yes.

GORANI: TomKat's mansion, even more expensive. Apparently it cost $33 million. It's just a free kick away.

CLANCY: And there we are. Quite a nice neighborhood there in the Hills of Hollywood.

GORANI: If you've got it, spend it. That's it for this hour.

CLANCY: I'm Jim Clancy.

GORANI: I'm Hala Gorani. Stay with CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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