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CNN Live Event/Special
Bush Speaks in Milwaukee
Aired October 03, 2003 - 11:44 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: 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.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We have more work to do in Iraq.
A free Iraq, a peaceful Iraq will help change an area of the world that needs peace and freedom.
A peaceful Iraq and a free Iraq is part of our campaign to rid the world of terror.
And that's why the thugs in Iraq still resist us, because they can't stand the thought of free societies. They understand what freedom means. See, free nations are peaceful nations. Free nations don't attack each other. Free nations don't develop weapons of mass destruction.
There will be a free and peaceful Iraq. What's taking place in Iraq is the evolution of a society which will be democratic in nature, a society in which the people are better off.
I met with Bernie Kerik this morning in the Oval Office. He was a former police commissioner in New York City. He was charged with going to Baghdad to help the Iraqis develop a police force. When he got there, there was no police force. The place was in shambles, and in a very quick period of time -- remember, we've been there for about four months plus -- he helped develop a police force. Over 37,000 Iraqis now are patrolling the streets of Baghdad to make it a safer place.
The reason I bring this up is we work hard to bring the thugs and terrorists to justice in Baghdad. We'd rather fight them there than in our own streets.
But eventually Iraq will be safe and secure because the Iraqi people have made the decision to live a peaceful and free life. And it's happening. It's happening every day. We will stay the course. We will not be intimidated by thugs who are trying to create fear and the conditions for us to remove.
A free Iraq is essential to making sure that America and future generations of America are able to live in peace and freedom. HARRIS: President Bush remarks there in Milwaukee, seeming to go well in line with what we were hearing coming out of Washington. We heard Senator Levin and Senator John Warner there talking with Dr. David Kay, the man who was responsible for the search for any illicit weapons programs Saddam Hussein might have had, but we did hear from the senators after getting a briefing from Dr. Kay this morning, is that they believe that he has found significant evidence that Saddam Hussein, right up to the beginning of the war, was in violation of U.N. sanctions, and he believes he has confirmation of that. He also says that he received information from Iraqis who are now in custody that there is reason to expect greater cooperation with the search for weapons of mass destruction.
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 - 11:44 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: 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.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We have more work to do in Iraq.
A free Iraq, a peaceful Iraq will help change an area of the world that needs peace and freedom.
A peaceful Iraq and a free Iraq is part of our campaign to rid the world of terror.
And that's why the thugs in Iraq still resist us, because they can't stand the thought of free societies. They understand what freedom means. See, free nations are peaceful nations. Free nations don't attack each other. Free nations don't develop weapons of mass destruction.
There will be a free and peaceful Iraq. What's taking place in Iraq is the evolution of a society which will be democratic in nature, a society in which the people are better off.
I met with Bernie Kerik this morning in the Oval Office. He was a former police commissioner in New York City. He was charged with going to Baghdad to help the Iraqis develop a police force. When he got there, there was no police force. The place was in shambles, and in a very quick period of time -- remember, we've been there for about four months plus -- he helped develop a police force. Over 37,000 Iraqis now are patrolling the streets of Baghdad to make it a safer place.
The reason I bring this up is we work hard to bring the thugs and terrorists to justice in Baghdad. We'd rather fight them there than in our own streets.
But eventually Iraq will be safe and secure because the Iraqi people have made the decision to live a peaceful and free life. And it's happening. It's happening every day. We will stay the course. We will not be intimidated by thugs who are trying to create fear and the conditions for us to remove.
A free Iraq is essential to making sure that America and future generations of America are able to live in peace and freedom. HARRIS: President Bush remarks there in Milwaukee, seeming to go well in line with what we were hearing coming out of Washington. We heard Senator Levin and Senator John Warner there talking with Dr. David Kay, the man who was responsible for the search for any illicit weapons programs Saddam Hussein might have had, but we did hear from the senators after getting a briefing from Dr. Kay this morning, is that they believe that he has found significant evidence that Saddam Hussein, right up to the beginning of the war, was in violation of U.N. sanctions, and he believes he has confirmation of that. He also says that he received information from Iraqis who are now in custody that there is reason to expect greater cooperation with the search for weapons of mass destruction.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
