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CNN Live Event/Special
Members of Congress, David Kay Hold Press Conference
Aired October 03, 2003 - 11:39 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.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Right now, we're going to go to Washington. Right now, I understand Senator John Warner of Virginia is taking the microphones right now. He has just been briefed by arms inspector David Kay.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
SEN. JOHN WARNER (R), VIRGINIA: I have asked my colleague, Senator Levin, to join us this morning, because Senator Levin and I do, as best we can, before our committee to put aside any partisan differences, and I believe without a doubt we did that this morning and received what I characterize as very forthright, honest opinions and evaluations from this fine public servant.
Yesterday, before the Senate Intelligence Committee, where I am a member, and again today committee members on both sides of the aisle clearly indicate their respect and confidence in this extraordinary, well-qualified, hardworking public servant.
Today I felt we explored two areas that have not received the attention I believe they deserve to date.
Number one, Dr. Kay and his group have clearly found significant evidence to support that Saddam Hussein, right up to the beginning of this war, was in violation of the U.N. resolutions as it regards weapons of mass destruction.
Secondly, that he has received from individuals in custody -- Iraqi individuals -- information now of a nature that indicates greater degree of cooperation is forthcoming from the Iraqis. I think that's a very good and sound basis on which to say, when he returns in three months again to give the entire nation and the world his evaluation, hopefully that will have been proved further and provide additional valuable effort.
Senator Levin, do you have an observation before we...
SEN. CARL LEVIN (D), MICHIGAN: We've gone over with a fine tooth comb the findings of Dr. Kay that there are, to this point, no weapons of mass destruction found in Iraq. That despite the intelligence that was given to us prior to the war by the administration, by the intelligence community, that weapons of mass destruction were present in Iraq. That statement was made repeatedly with great certainty. and in light of that, we've gone over the statements of Dr. Kay in his public document that there have been no weapons of mass destruction found to date in Iraq. And what that reinforces is the need for the investigation to be completed into our intelligence is to how -- at least based on this interim report -- it could have been so far off and as to whether or not it was exaggerated or whether or not it was hyped, either by the intelligence community or by the users of that intelligence.
Dr. Kay's report has been extremely helpful. He's got approximately 1,200 people on the ground, we understand. According to the press reports, there are $600 million more that are being requested to continue and hopefully complete his work by June. And all of us hope, indeed, that that work would be completed in the next six to nine months, as Dr. Kay has said.
But we want to commend him and his crew on doing this work under some very difficult and at times very dangerous conditions in Iraq.
Thank you.
Dr. Kay?
DAVID KAY, HEAD, IRAQ SURVEY GROUP: Well, I have little of substance to add beyond what I shared with you yesterday.
I will just say that, as always, in appearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee, I appreciated the frankness of the exchange of views, the quality of the questions and the willingness to listen to what this team -- which I think is an extraordinary team -- is doing in the field.
I'll just reiterate what I said yesterday. This is an interim report. We've been at work only three months under extraordinarily difficult conditions to work in. We are closing no files, reaching no final conclusions. We have, as you know, you would have been probably the first to know, found no actual weapons at this point. Doesn't mean we won't find them. We are continuing to look.
HARRIS: We'll step away from these comments here, by Dr. David Kay, because President Bush, in Milwaukee, is also speaking about weapons of mass destruction right now.
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 October 3, 2003 - 11:39 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Right now, we're going to go to Washington. Right now, I understand Senator John Warner of Virginia is taking the microphones right now. He has just been briefed by arms inspector David Kay.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
SEN. JOHN WARNER (R), VIRGINIA: I have asked my colleague, Senator Levin, to join us this morning, because Senator Levin and I do, as best we can, before our committee to put aside any partisan differences, and I believe without a doubt we did that this morning and received what I characterize as very forthright, honest opinions and evaluations from this fine public servant.
Yesterday, before the Senate Intelligence Committee, where I am a member, and again today committee members on both sides of the aisle clearly indicate their respect and confidence in this extraordinary, well-qualified, hardworking public servant.
Today I felt we explored two areas that have not received the attention I believe they deserve to date.
Number one, Dr. Kay and his group have clearly found significant evidence to support that Saddam Hussein, right up to the beginning of this war, was in violation of the U.N. resolutions as it regards weapons of mass destruction.
Secondly, that he has received from individuals in custody -- Iraqi individuals -- information now of a nature that indicates greater degree of cooperation is forthcoming from the Iraqis. I think that's a very good and sound basis on which to say, when he returns in three months again to give the entire nation and the world his evaluation, hopefully that will have been proved further and provide additional valuable effort.
Senator Levin, do you have an observation before we...
SEN. CARL LEVIN (D), MICHIGAN: We've gone over with a fine tooth comb the findings of Dr. Kay that there are, to this point, no weapons of mass destruction found in Iraq. That despite the intelligence that was given to us prior to the war by the administration, by the intelligence community, that weapons of mass destruction were present in Iraq. That statement was made repeatedly with great certainty. and in light of that, we've gone over the statements of Dr. Kay in his public document that there have been no weapons of mass destruction found to date in Iraq. And what that reinforces is the need for the investigation to be completed into our intelligence is to how -- at least based on this interim report -- it could have been so far off and as to whether or not it was exaggerated or whether or not it was hyped, either by the intelligence community or by the users of that intelligence.
Dr. Kay's report has been extremely helpful. He's got approximately 1,200 people on the ground, we understand. According to the press reports, there are $600 million more that are being requested to continue and hopefully complete his work by June. And all of us hope, indeed, that that work would be completed in the next six to nine months, as Dr. Kay has said.
But we want to commend him and his crew on doing this work under some very difficult and at times very dangerous conditions in Iraq.
Thank you.
Dr. Kay?
DAVID KAY, HEAD, IRAQ SURVEY GROUP: Well, I have little of substance to add beyond what I shared with you yesterday.
I will just say that, as always, in appearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee, I appreciated the frankness of the exchange of views, the quality of the questions and the willingness to listen to what this team -- which I think is an extraordinary team -- is doing in the field.
I'll just reiterate what I said yesterday. This is an interim report. We've been at work only three months under extraordinarily difficult conditions to work in. We are closing no files, reaching no final conclusions. We have, as you know, you would have been probably the first to know, found no actual weapons at this point. Doesn't mean we won't find them. We are continuing to look.
HARRIS: We'll step away from these comments here, by Dr. David Kay, because President Bush, in Milwaukee, is also speaking about weapons of mass destruction right now.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
