Did Bush Send Hussein a Message by Bombing Iraq Friday?
Aired February 17, 2001 – 9:07 a.m. ET THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. MILES O’BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Due to events in Iraq, Mr. Bush’s weekend at his Texas ranch may include a little more than rest and relaxation. CNN White House correspondent Kelly Wallace will also be not doing much resting or relaxing while she spends her time in Crawford, Texas. Good morning, Kelly. KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Miles, good morning. That is exactly right. And President Bush and his aides repeatedly used the word “routine” Friday to describe those air strikes against Iraq. The White House saying it was a routine enforcement of the no-fly zones to protect U.S. and British pilots who had been facing increased risks from Iraqi air defense systems, according to Pentagon officials. So the Bush administration is saying there has been no change in its policy when it comes to Iraq, no escalation in that policy. Still, Mr. Bush did send
