*EPF505 02/21/2003
Transcript: U.S. to Offer Resolution on Iraq at U.N. Week of Feb. 23-28
(Senior Bush administration official tells press) (610)

The Bush administration "next week" will offer at the United Nations Security Council an additional resolution on Iraq -- beyond Resolution 1441 that was approved unanimously by the council in November, a senior administration official told reporters February 20.

The action will be taken, the official said, because President Bush believes in the Security Council and the important role it must play in enforcing U.N. resolutions.

"(T)he objective is to have it pass, which means nine votes and no veto," the senior administration official said.

Following is the transcript of the official's remarks to reporters on Air Force One as they accompanied President Bush to a speech in Georgia and on to his ranch in Texas.

(begin transcript)

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office off the Press Secretary
February 20, 2003

PRESS GAGGLE WITH SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL

Aboard Air Force One En Route Kennesaw, Georgia
9:04 A.M. EST

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: For background, the tabling of the resolution will take place next week.

Q: Does that mean you're going to hear from Blix before the end of the week next week?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Not necessarily, no. The tabling of the resolution will take place next week.

Q: But the tabling is not dependent on hearing from Blix again?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Correct.

Q: That will be a U.S.-British resolution? That hasn't changed?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: We'll keep you posed on precisely who it will be.

Q: But those two for sure?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: We'll keep you posted on exactly who it will be.

Q: Just to make it perfectly clear, this is the resolution declaring Iraq in material breach?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: It will be the second resolution or the eighteenth resolution. I'm not going to --

Q: If you say the second, it makes it easier for us.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: I will refrain from getting into the exact wordage of it at this point.

Q: We can say the tabling of the second resolution will take place next week?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Correct.

Q: Will it set a deadline for Iraq?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: I'm not going to discuss the specifics of it at this point.

Q: Are talks going on with France, to see what their position will be, whether you can avoid a French veto?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Certainly, we've been talking to France all along, and we've talked to all nations on the Security Council. The purpose of bringing it to the Security Council is because, one, the President believes in the Security Council and the important role it must play in enforcing U.N. resolutions and, two, the objective is to have it pass, which means nine votes and no veto.

Q: Will the resolution be tabled if you determine that you don't have nine votes and no veto?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: The resolution will be tabled next week.

Q: So at some point, you're just going to put it in?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: The resolution will be tabled next week.

Q: What do you mean by "tabled"?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: "Tabled" is the official U.N. diplo-babble jargon for offered or proposed or introduced.

Q: It must be hard for you as a former congressional aide to use that word, because you know it means killed on the Hill.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Former -- many different jobs. As a senior administration official, I'd hate for any identification to exist on a transcript. Had many different careers, many different paths.

Q: Of course.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Okay.

Q: Thank you.

(end transcript)

(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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