CNN’s Dana Bash reported the breaking news that Sen. John Warner (R-VA) will call on President Bush to begin redeploying U.S. troops stationed in Iraq. Transcript follows…

PHILLIPS: We’ve been talking throughout the day about this National

Intelligence Estimate, expressing a lack of confidence in the Iraqi

government. I’m just being told Senator John Warner, Republican, and

also Senator Carl Levin, Democrat, took a trip to Iraq. They’ve been

briefing reporters now.

Our Dana Bash joining us live from the Hill. Dana, did he talk

about the National Intelligence Estimate or just about his trip to

Iraq? Or did he combine the two?

BASH: He talked about both, Kyra, but we have a significant

development here when it comes to Senator John Warner, one of the most

influential Republicans, when it comes to Iraq. In this press

conference, which, as you see, is just going on, he just announced that

he is calling on the president to announce on September 15th, to start

bringing the troops home from Iraq, to initiate a troop deployment from

Iraq. This is a huge development when it comes to the political debate

over Iraq, because Senator Warner, as I said, is incredibly influential

and he did, as you say, just return from Iraq.

He just briefed senior officials at the White House about his trip

and apparently told them that he was going to make this announcement to

try to push the president to start to bring troops home. In fact, take

a listen to what Senator Warner said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN WARNER (R) VIRGINIA: I think no clearer form of that than

if the president were to announce on the 15th that, in consultation with

our senior military commanders, he’s decided to initiate the first step

in the withdrawal of our forces. I say to the president respectfully,

pick whatever number you wish. You do not want to lose the momentum,

but certainly in 160,000 plus, say 5,000 could begin to redeploy and be

home to their families and loved ones no later than Christmas of this

year.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: Now, Senator Warner says what his goal is, in making this

announcement, is essentially that it is time he said for the United

States not just to talk about the kind of pressure that they want to put

on the Iraqi government, the political process there, but to actually

show the Iraqis that the U.S. means it, to, quote, “get everyone’s

attention.” And he says the only way he’s determined that the U.S. can

really get the Iraqis’ attention is for the president, the

commander-in-chief, to announce, You know what, I’m going to start

bringing troops home.

Again, as you heard, he was very careful not to recommend or

prescribe the number of troops that would start coming home. And he

said that he would leave that up to the president. He was also careful

to say that he is not somebody who supports a hard-and-fast deadline or

a timeline for withdrawal.

But nevertheless, just for somebody of John Warner’s stature,

somebody who just returned from Iraq, getting briefings from the Iraqi

government, from U.S. military commanders on the ground, for him to come

back and say You know what, Mr. President, it’s time for you to say

troops need to start coming home — this is really significant when it

comes to the Iraq political debate. And it certainly will set off a

whole new round of discussion, when it comes to where the Republican

party is and where the president is, when it comes to Iraq, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: And we’ll definitely see if the president listens and if

he takes action. Dana Bash live from the Hill. Thanks.

BASH: Thank you.