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U.S. WARNS: Time is Short to Act on Iraq

* Bush meets with Canadian prime minister
* Cheney: Data shows U.S. may become target of attack
* Bush to address U.N. on Thursday

Monday, September 9, 2002
(2:25 PM ET)
By Scott Lindlaw
Associated Press Writer

President Bush walks across the South Lawn of the White House on Sept. 9 on his way to meet with Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien in Detroit to discuss Iraq and other issues.
Image Credit: Ron Edmonds -- AP.

"A country could have a capability which is of concern to us, but their intent to use or not use that capability is what determines the current level of threat. There are friendly nations around the world that have capabilities that, if they intended to use against us, would be threats."

WASHINGTON -- AP
President Bush pressed the U.S. case against Iraq's Saddam Hussein with Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien today, but won no commitments, Bush's spokesman said.

White House press secretary Ari Fleischer, talking to reporters after Bush and Chretien held private talks in Detroit following a public border-security appearance, said that Bush "didn't ask him for anything in the meeting."

Fleischer's description came as the Bush
administration continued its attempt to build a case for action against Iraq. Top administration officials had toured the Sunday news programs to argue the case.

Fleischer said today that Bush presented his case to Chretien by pointing out that Iraq remains in violation of U.N. resolutions. But Bush's spokesman said he could report no progress in swaying Chretien.

Fleischer did say that Bush asked Chretien to listen to his speech to the United Nations Thursday, but said, "The president didn't ask Canada to change their view."

On Sunday, national security adviser Condoleeza Rice told CNN's "Late Edition" the problem is that "there will always be some uncertainty about how quickly he (Saddam) can acquire nuclear weapons. But we don't want the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud."
(More: The Hartford Courant News Source)
2002 © The Associated Press.

Dan