Blix to Meet White House Officials
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: As we turn our attention now to Iraq, we find that Secretary of State Colin Powell is getting set to meet with the chief U.N. weapons inspector today to discuss if and when weapons inspectors should be returning to the region. CNN White House Kelly Wallace checks in now, she's got more on this -- and Kelly, it appears the White House may be on the verge of scoring something of a victory here, correct?</s>KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, a little bit of a victory, Leon. The White House certainly pleased because it appears that Hans Blix, the head of that U.N. weapons inspection team, is indicating that inspectors won't go to Iraq until there are new instructions from the United Nations. This administration pleased about that, because it wants to get a tough new U.N. resolution in place, spelling out the consequences for Iraq if it doesn't comply with U.N. demands before any inspectors go back inside Iraq. Now, President Bush will not be at the meetings today, this afternoon, with Dr. Blix. He and the first lady left the White House just a short time ago. They are headed to Boston, the president doing some fund raising for the Republican gubernatorial candidate Mitt Romney, but the president's national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice, as well as Secretary Powell will be shuttling behind closed doors with Dr. Blix at the State Department this afternoon, and I am told there are really two goals for this meeting. Number one, to hear directly from Dr. Blix about his meetings with the Iraqi officials in Vienna earlier this week, and to hear about the so-called loose ends that he is describing, that still must be worked out with Iraq before inspectors return. And number two, the administration will convey privately what it has been conveying privately, that it believes there must be unconditional inspections, that Dr. Blix cannot take no for an answer from the Iraqis, that those inspectors should be able to go any place, any time they want, and that the U.S. will be backing them up there. Now, the U.S. is continuing to say the old way of doing business is not working, and so it continues a very difficult diplomatic battle, trying to get a new U.N. resolution. As we know, countries such as France and Russia continue to be very skeptical. In fact, the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, today saying the inspectors should go in now, and not wait for a new U.N. resolution -- Leon.</s>HARRIS: Thanks, Kelly. Kelly Wallace at the White House. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com