Bush Will Try to Bolster Argument for War
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's start with President Bush in front of the cameras. CNN is gearing up for live coverage tonight as Mr. Bush will try to bolster his argument for war with Iraq. This time, it will be a primetime news conference. While the White House says this is no announcement of war, there are growing signals that the president could be ready to pull the trigger in just days. Let's check in with our White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux, who is at the White House. Suzanne, good morning.</s>SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. Things are certainly moving very quickly now. There is going to be that press conference at 8:00 in the East Room. We are told it is not going to be a declaration of war, but rather a chance for the president to answer reporters' questions. He's going to give an open statement, talking about the status on the war, and also making a case against Saddam Hussein. All along officials said he would take his case to the American people if he decided that the country was going to war. We are told this is not going to be that speech. Administration officials still emphasizing that the president has yet to make that final determination. But in the meantime, Daryn, of course, diplomacy continues. Making the case, Secretary Powell tells members of Congress, outlining the case against Saddam Hussein. Later today, he's supposed to go to New York. He'll also talk with members of the U.N. Security Council, trying to convince those undecided to pass this resolution setting the stage for war. There is something that's being floated about by the British, talking about possibly extending more time for Saddam Hussein. And at the same time, the United States military is ready for action. That was the message from Pentagon officials yesterday when they met with the president in the Situation Room. And here's is a sense of the timetable. They are looking at tomorrow. That's when weapons inspector Hans Blix gives his report to the U.N. Security Council, the latest on inspections. In the following days, the weekend, the administration expected to look at that vote, perhaps even set a time when the U.N. Security Council will make that vote. Then perhaps as early as Monday or Tuesday, that vote will take place, and then we are told in the days to come, the president will make that final decision, whether or not the United States is going to go to war. Daryn, I have to tell you, there are a lot of scenarios on the table that could change all of this. If the administration feels it doesn't have those votes to pass that resolution, it could happen a lot faster. However, if British Prime Minister Tony Blair's resolution amended somewhat, could push that back a little bit, but not by much, we are talking maybe 72 hours to a week at best.</s>KAGAN: Suzanne Malveaux at the white house, thank you so much. We want to get more on what Suzanne mentioned there, potential of the British coming up with this compromise. We have two reports for you. Richard Roth at the United Nations and Matthew Chance in London. Richard, we want to start with you.</s>RICHARD ROTH, CNN SR. U.N. CORRESPONDENT: There have been a lot of rumbling in the last 24 hours about a British compromise offer in the last few weeks. We've had a Canadian compromise proposal. Certainly many U.N. diplomats would like to see some kind of new language that might get a unified Security Council in matter what happens with Iraq. Here in New York, the British ambassador Sir Jeremy Greenstock said any talk of a compromise, news to him.</s>SIR JEREMY GREENSTOCK, BRITISH AMB. TO U.N.: I haven't heard ministers talk about a compromise. We're going to the objective of this whole operation, which is complete disarmament of Iraq. Let's see what ministers say. They are coming tomorrow. No decisions are being taken. We're still talking with all other members of the Security Council. We'll take it day by day.</s>ROTH: I said it was news in the British ambassador; I didn't say he was stunned. Elsewhere, it seems Kofi Annan would welcome any type of compromise offer.</s>KOFI ANNAN, U.N. SECY.-GENERAL: The ministers are coming tomorrow. Some of them will be here today. And we'll all have a chance to discuss this calmly. The situation position are very hard now, but, of course, there are already several proposals on the table. You have the resolution. You have the Canadian idea. You have the French, German, Russian idea, and there may be others. And so until there's an actual vote, one cannot tell what would happen.</s>ROTH: The German ambassador, with an important seat on the Security Council, said he heard about the compromise proposal when he read it in the newspaper. Other than that, he didn't have any comment. A British diplomat we talked to said governments are always floating different ideas. We're still in that trial balloon testing stage with several days of diplomacy left to go -- Daryn.</s>KAGAN: So still a big question mark on whether the British will come up with that compromise proposal. One thing we know, Richard, though, what's going to take place tomorrow with Hans Blix and Mohammed ElBaradei before the U.N. Security Council.</s>ROTH: The Blix and ElBaradei show, again, hits the U.N. security council, perhaps for the last time. It will be an open session. Blix will update the Security Council on what he thinks and how he thinks Iraq is cooperating or not cooperating. He will praise the Al Samoud missile destruction, but he will probably say gaps remain in the biological and chemical weapons field.</s>KAGAN: Richard Roth at the U.N., thank you so much. Now to London to get more on this potential British compromise, and let's bring in Matthew Chance. Matthew, interested reaction from the British ambassador. It seemed like that was news to him. Perhaps that was a good acting job, be he didn't seem to know what the reporter was talking about, this proposal.</s>MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, those words from Sir Jeremy Greenstock are being reflected here at Downing Street. British government officials saying that there is still only one resolution, a draft resolution that's been tabled, and the British delegation very hopeful that that will be passed by the Security Council. Having that, though, British officials aren't ruling out the possibility of possible amendments. That amid all this media speculation here in Britain that there is a proposal being discussed by the British delegation in New York, a proposal that could give Iraq a little more time, in the words of one media report, to come into compliance with U.N. resolution 1441. It would also set a deadline for Saddam Hussein to come into compliance, otherwise that would trigger a military intervention, according to the reports we're having coming out Britain. Those media reports have been talking about this. A hope, perhaps, that Britain may be able to bring around some of the doubters on the Security Council. A second resolution, of course, very important for Tony Blair personally. He stakes an awful lot on this, and he knows very well that 75 percent of the British public, according to the most recent opinion poll, would back a war on Iraq, if there was a smoking gun found, according to Maury Powell (ph) poll, or if there was a mandate from the second mandate from the United Nations. That support dropping to 24 percent, though, without U.N. support.</s>KAGAN: Matthew Chance in London, thank you. Saddam Hussein is warning Americans to think long and hard about America's involvement in Vietnam before any Iraqi war. Our senior international correspondent Nic Robertson brings us the latest on that and the message that Saddam has. He is in Baghdad today. Nic, hello.</s>NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Daryn. Well, President Saddam Hussein appeared on Iraqi Television this afternoon with his council of ministers, that is a grouping of his top ministers. He said they have come to know that -- we assume here that he means the United States -- they have come to know that if they attack the Iraqi army, they cannot hit it and that would just be it. He says they need to know the determination of the people of Iraq to fight, and he also went on to say that the United States should consider the attacks that it has made on Vietnam in the past, and the progress that it has failed to make in Afghanistan. He said that on a broadcast the night before when he was talking with top military commanders, a broadcast there, where he was very much appealing to them and trying to bring up their morale. He also on that same broadcast talked about the Al Samoud II missiles, for the first time saying that the destruction of the Al Samoud II missiles would not bring down morale in the country. This is the first time we've heard him refer to the missiles. Iraqi officials say six today that six more of those missiles have been destroyed today, bringing the total to 34. We also understand from diplomatic sources here that U.N. staff are being drastically reduced in the country in the other U.N. humanitarian missions from 900 in the country in the central and southern regions, 900 some three months ago. They say that within about two or three days, there will only be about 45 core necessary U.N. staff left in the country. Also diplomatic sources saying that many Russian workers have left the country. We've seen pictures of them today at Baghdad's main international airport, getting ready to leave. There have been several hundred Russian workers who have been working in the oil field. They appear to be leaving. We also understand many Russian diplomats dependence left last week as well -- Daryn.</s>KAGAN: Nic Robertson in Baghdad. Nic, thank you thanks so much. 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