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CNN Saturday Morning News

Bush to Seek Support for War Against Terrorism at U.N.

Aired November 10, 2001 - 08:51   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: Now to New York, where in the next hour President Bush is expected to go before the United Nations seeking support for the campaign against terrorism.

CNN's senior U.N. correspondent Richard Roth joins us with more on the speech and why some in the Arab world are already upset with the president -- what's going on there, Richard?

RICHARD ROTH, CNN SENIOR U.N. CORRESPONDENT: Well, right now, Marty, we can take a look. The leaders of the world are arriving at the general assembly session. The president of Mexico, Vicente Fox, just passing through security now, live pictures provided by United Nations Television.

What's different about this session is that many of the world leaders, especially their aides and their ministers, others in the delegation, have had to pass through metal detectors which have been installed for this session.

Just a week ago, a videotaped message from Osama bin Laden threatened the United Nations and, in fact, accused the U.N. of being part of the criminality campaign in the bombing by the U.S. against Afghanistan and they also blasted Secretary-General Kofi Annan as a criminal.

Passing through the metal detectors was Yasser Arafat a short time ago. He is not going to get a meeting with President Bush, though he'd like one. He hasn't had one since President Bush took office and that remains a thorn in the side of the coalition in the fight against Afghanistan.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROTH (voice-over): Inside a security cocoon, the speeches have started at the United Nations General Assembly. Iran kicked off a warm-up session called "A Dialogue Among Civilizations."

PRESIDENT MOHAMMED KHATAMI, IRAN: Devastating wars have always erupted when some party has refused to listen to what others have had to say.

ROTH: But many U.N. nations, especially Arab countries, are upset that President Bush is still not willing to meet and personally listen to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, even at the U.N. global gathering.

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: You cannot help us with al Qaeda and hug Hezbollah. That's not acceptable. Or Hamas. And so the president continues to make that clear to Mr. Arafat and there are no plans to meet with Mr. Arafat in New York.

SAEB ERAKAT, CHIEF PALESTINIAN NEGOTIATOR: We cannot accept these statements. These statements are unacceptable and I think, I don't think anybody's doing for peace more than President Arafat is doing.

ROTH: The U.S. is used to being criticized by one side or another in the Middle East. But there is another war on, the war on terrorism, which raises the stakes. Progress on the Middle East might ease Muslim concerns over air assaults in Afghanistan.

BUSH: There's no doubt in my mind, no doubt in my mind. We will bring al Qaeda to justice, peace or no peace in the Middle East.

RICHARD MURPHY, COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS: The president has been saying that the campaign on al Qaeda will succeed whether or not there is peace in the Middle East, as if there were a clear and high wall between the Middle East and Afghanistan.

ROTH: The Europeans want to climb that wall. British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who heard strong Arab views on a tour of the region, offered new ideas on the Middle East to the Bush administration this week, to a lukewarm response. The Mideast is the one topic the coalition agrees to disagree about for now.

TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: So be under no doubt either that irrespective of the action in Afghanistan, it is in everybody's interests that we make progress in the Middle East and we will strain every sinew we possibly can to do so.

ROTH: The U.S. says it knows the war must be fought on several fronts, including diplomatic. President Bush met with Saudi Foreign Minister Saud el-Faisal Friday. Earlier, the minister told the "New York Times" Mr. Bush could not be an honest broker in the Middle East until he meets with Chairman Arafat.

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: Well, I was with the foreign minister last evening. We had a good conversation. He and I stay in close touch on this. And I can tell you, the Middle East can produce frustrations in one way or another every day.

ROTH: At last year's assembly, President Clinton shook hands with President Castro of Cuba. Chairman Arafat may earn a similar impromptu encounter, but to keep a war coalition going, President Bush may eventually have to offer more.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROTH: And Bush is going to be asking the United Nations General Assembly, that will be led by Secretary-General Kofi Annan, for more action besides rhetoric. The time for sympathy and condolences is over. Now is the time for action.

Kofi Annan, in his opening remarks to the session, is going to say the General Assembly shouldn't just focus on terrorism. Let's not forget AIDS, he says, biodiversity, poverty, issues like that. Secretary of State Powell is likely to greet Yasser Arafat privately, but right not President Bush will not be having a meeting. The General Assembly session will begin in about 10 to 15 minutes.

On Sunday, Secretary-General Annan will lead the delegations down to the World Trade Center site for what will be a memorial service for the victims of September 11 -- Martin.

SAVIDGE: Richard, I was curious, what is the reaction on the part of the U.N. and its members as a result of the statements by Mr. Bin Laden?

ROTH: Well, they have not had that much public reaction. I don't think they want to give that more publicity or more attention. There's concern, but they believe if the fight against terrorism works well they hope they won't have to deal with him and the al Qaeda network. So there has not been much public talk about it here. The U.N. secretary-general's staff did not want to talk much about it other than to say the secretary-general read the remarks and that the U.N. is not opposed to Muslims or Islam in any form.

SAVIDGE: Richard Roth, all right, thank you very much, joining us live from the United Nations.

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