Kelly Wallace: Bush pursuing congressional action on Iraq
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CNN's Kelly Wallace
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The White House on Thursday asked Congress for broad authority to take action against Iraq if Saddam Hussein's government refuses to comply with U.N. resolutions requiring disarmament.
CNN White House Correspondent Kelly Wallace filed the following report:
WALLACE: A senior administration official told us that the president will seek Congress' authority to use all necessary and appropriate force to deal with Saddam Hussein. In particular, to do three things: No. 1, to force Iraq's compliance with U.N. resolutions; No. 2, to defend the national security interests of the United States; and No. 3, to restore peace and security in the region.
We heard the president speaking to reporters earlier Thursday. He said in order to keep the peace, he needs the authorization to use force, and this president is hoping Congress works on a very fast timetable.
He would like votes in weeks, by early October, hoping to send a message to the United Nations, and that seemed to be the main point on President Bush's mind when he went before reporters, following a meeting with Secretary of State Colin Powell in the Oval Office.
This administration is also trying to get a tough new U.N. Security Council resolution, which would spell out the consequences Iraq would face if it did not disarm. The president [is] saying very sternly that the credibility of the U.N. is at stake and that the U.S. and its allies would act independently of the United Nations if the world body failed to take action.
This administration continues to face a big challenge from countries such as Russia with veto power on the U.N. Security Council. [The Russians are] saying now that because Saddam Hussein will allow weapons inspectors back inside Iraq without conditions, there is no need for a new U.N. Security Council resolution.
To show the divide between Russia and the United States even more, Russia's military chief said Thursday that he believes international inspectors can "easily establish" whether or not Iraq has weapons of mass destruction.
So the Russians very much want to have the inspectors get back inside the country -- do that first, before pursuing a new U.N. resolution.
