Hussein Didn’t Get ‘Message,’ Bush Believes

President Bush said today he does not believe that Saddam Hussein “has gotten the message” of the U.N. resolutions demanding the withdrawal of Iraqi forces from Kuwait.

Bush told a news conference in the Uruguayan capital a few hours after his arrival on the second day of his six-day Latin American swing that he agrees with Defense Secretary Dick Cheney, who said Monday that he does not think sanctions alone will work against Iraq.

Cheney made the comments in testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

And Bush said, “I don’t agree with them,” when asked about the testimony of two former chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff--Adm. William Crowe and Gen. David Jones--that the United States should give as much as a year or more for the economic sanctions imposed by the U.N. to work.

“I am convinced that Saddam Hussein has not gotten the message,” Bush told reporters. “I don’t think Saddam Hussein understands” the impact of the U.N. resolutions condemning his Aug. 2 invasion of Kuwait. “I hope he gets the message.”

“You know,” he added, “I’ve not been the one who’s convinced that sanctions alone will do the trick.”

Bush said he sent Cheney a note saying he had done “a superb job” in his testimony before congressional critics. He said he also congratulated Gen. Colin L. Powell, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who appeared with Cheney.

The President sidestepped questions on reports that the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council--the United States, Soviet Union, China, Britain and France--had agreed after approving the resolution sanctioning the use of force after Jan. 15 to offer not to attack Iraq in exchange for its withdrawal from Kuwait.

“I’m not in a negotiating mood,” Bush said, adding that when he meets with Iraqi Foreign Minister Tarik Aziz, “I want to make clear to him the best thing is to go through with the U.N. resolutions.”

“Let’s wait and see how these talks go,” Bush said.