Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

DATE= 03/06/03

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=BUSH / NEWS CONFERENCE (L)

NUMBER=2-300397

BYLINE=SCOTT STEARNS

DATELINE=WHITE HOUSE

CONTENT=

INTRO: President Bush will hold a news conference Thursday evening (EDS: 8 PM EST) to answer questions about possible military action in Iraq. V-O-A's Scott Stearns reports, the White House says Mr. Bush will not use the event to declare war.

TEXT: White House Spokesman Ari Fleischer says President Bush will open the news conference with a statement discussing recent progress in the war on terrorism, including the arrest of senior al-Qaida member Khalid Shaikh Mohammed.

Mr. Bush will also discuss what he says is the need to disarm Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.

The president's news conference comes a day before a report from the chief U-N weapons inspector, Hans Blix. That is expected to set the stage for a vote next week on a U-S resolution vowing to enforce earlier warnings of "serious consequences," if Iraq fails to disarm.

France and Russia are threatening to veto the U-S measure, saying they will not allow passage of a resolution authorizing the use of force. France, Russia, Germany, and China are backing a counter-proposal to extend weapons inspections in Iraq to resolve the dispute peacefully.

Mr. Fleischer says President Bush remains confident in the ultimate success of the U-S, British, and Spanish resolution saying that Iraq is missing its "final opportunity" to disarm.

Britain is working on a possible amendment to the resolution, which would set a timeline for Iraq to disarm. Mr. Fleischer says the Bush administration is open to changes, and the resolution is not "written in stone." He says there are continuing discussions with allies.

President Bush says he would welcome another resolution backing-up U-N demands, but it is not mandatory for a U-S decision on the use of force against Iraq.

With more than 200-thousand troops in the region and more on the way, the president says he is ready to use force if the Security Council fails to act.

Mr. Fleischer says Thursday's news conference will not be a declaration of war, and that the president will speak again to the American people, if he decides to use force in Iraq. (SIGNED)

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