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CNN Live Event/Special
Bush: There's No Doubt Saddam Had a Weapons Program
Aired July 03, 2003 - 19:25 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: Well, the search for Iraq's suspected weapons of mass destruction has, of course, been the subject of nationwide and worldwide debate for months. It's on cable television all the time.
Let's allow President Bush himself to weigh in right now.
Here is part of an exclusive interview the president did with CNN's Tumi Makgabo of the program "INSIDE AFRICA," which airs on CNN international. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TUMI MAKGABO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Can you give us a sense of how close the administration feels you are to finding those weapons of mass destruction and banned weapons?
BUSH: Sure. There's no doubt in my mind he had a weapons program. He used them. Remember, he was the guy that gassed his own people. Those are weapons of mass destruction he used on his own people. No doubt.
We found a biological lab, a very same lab that had been banned by the United Nations. It will be a matter of time.
Let me talk about Iraq. And I appreciate you bringing it up. If I think something needs to be done to enhance the security of the American people I'll do it. That's my most important job, is to protect the security of America.
Secondly, I believe in freedom for people, and I suffer when I hear the stories of what took place inside of Iraq, the mass graves that have been discovered, the torture chambers, the jails for children. And the Iraqi people are going to benefit, in my belief, from the actions of the United States and a lot of other nations because they'll be free.
Now, we've been there for about 90 days and, you know, the world starts to expect democracy to have occurred yesterday. It's going to take awhile for a free Democratic Iraq to evolve but it's going to happen. And history will show you what -- will show you or the skeptics that we were absolutely correct in our assessment of Mr. Saddam Hussein.
(END VIDEOTAPE) COOPER: There you have it. We're going to have more from our exclusive interview with President Bush during the 8 hour of "LIVE FROM THE HEADLINES" with Paula Zahn. You'll hear what the president those say about the situation in Liberia. Very timely.
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 July 3, 2003 - 19:25 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Well, the search for Iraq's suspected weapons of mass destruction has, of course, been the subject of nationwide and worldwide debate for months. It's on cable television all the time.
Let's allow President Bush himself to weigh in right now.
Here is part of an exclusive interview the president did with CNN's Tumi Makgabo of the program "INSIDE AFRICA," which airs on CNN international. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TUMI MAKGABO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Can you give us a sense of how close the administration feels you are to finding those weapons of mass destruction and banned weapons?
BUSH: Sure. There's no doubt in my mind he had a weapons program. He used them. Remember, he was the guy that gassed his own people. Those are weapons of mass destruction he used on his own people. No doubt.
We found a biological lab, a very same lab that had been banned by the United Nations. It will be a matter of time.
Let me talk about Iraq. And I appreciate you bringing it up. If I think something needs to be done to enhance the security of the American people I'll do it. That's my most important job, is to protect the security of America.
Secondly, I believe in freedom for people, and I suffer when I hear the stories of what took place inside of Iraq, the mass graves that have been discovered, the torture chambers, the jails for children. And the Iraqi people are going to benefit, in my belief, from the actions of the United States and a lot of other nations because they'll be free.
Now, we've been there for about 90 days and, you know, the world starts to expect democracy to have occurred yesterday. It's going to take awhile for a free Democratic Iraq to evolve but it's going to happen. And history will show you what -- will show you or the skeptics that we were absolutely correct in our assessment of Mr. Saddam Hussein.
(END VIDEOTAPE) COOPER: There you have it. We're going to have more from our exclusive interview with President Bush during the 8 hour of "LIVE FROM THE HEADLINES" with Paula Zahn. You'll hear what the president those say about the situation in Liberia. Very timely.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
