Malveaux: Bush pressuring Iraq

CNN White House Correspondent Suzanne Malveaux

CRAWFORD, Texas (CNN) -- The Bush administration has been laying the groundwork for toppling Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein because of his efforts to obtain weapons of mass destruction.

Six Iraqi opposition leaders discussed the situation in Iraq Saturday in a videoconference with Vice President Dick Cheney.

CNN White House Correspondent Suzanne Malveaux discussed the U.S. policy on Iraq Sunday with Anchor Kris Osborn.

MALVEAUX: The president this weekend is really putting the pressure on Saddam Hussein -- just [Saturday] saying that Iraq is an enemy until proven otherwise.

And between the harsh rhetoric that you're hearing from the Crawford ranch to those high level meetings with top Bush administration officials and those Iraqi opposition groups, you know that the administration's position has been that the days are numbered for Saddam Hussein.

It was just [Saturday] that those leaders from those six Iraqi opposition groups met with Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld as well as joint chiefs of staff as well as the vice president, Dick Cheney, via a video link to his home in Wyoming.

Now those leaders emerged saying that they were confident. They shared in the same principle -- the regime change -- as the Bush administration, the ousting of Saddam Hussein.

What is interesting, however, is that the words have become stronger from the administration calling for his ouster. Also opposition from members of Congress who have come forward -- even Republicans.

Earlier this week, House Majority Leader Dick Armey argued for containment and it was just this morning that Democratic leader Sen. Carl Levin joined in, calling for a wait and see approach.

Now the president has been saying that -- yes -- he is consulting with members of Congress as well as U.S. allies before the United States would take any type of action against Saddam Hussein, really trying to open up the dialog here.

We will be hearing from Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld as well as national security adviser Condoleezza Rice. Later in the week they will be coming here to the Crawford ranch specifically to talk about U.S. options in Iraq.