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CNN Saturday Morning News

Leaders Meet in Germany to Discuss Terrorism

Aired February 02, 2002 - 08:44   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.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Leaders from more than 40 nations, meanwhile, are in Germany gathered to analyze security needs.

CNN's Jamie McIntyre is at the Munich conference.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This conference is an informal gathering of top defense and security officials, as well as civilian experts and even some journalists, mostly from Europe and the United States, but also including government officials from many other nations, including Russia, China, India and Pakistan.

The talk this year is all about the global scourge of terrorism; in particular, President Bush's singling out of Iraq, Iran and North Korea as an axis of terror, one that must be watched and will be held accountable for harboring, financing, training, equipping agents of terror.

That message was underscored by the Pentagon's No. 2 man, Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, who was one of the first speakers this morning.

PAUL WOLFOWITZ, DEPUTY DEFENSE SECRETARY: What happened on September 11, as terrible as it was, is but a pale shadow of what will happen if terrorists use weapons of mass destruction.

Our approach has to aim at prevention and not merely punishment. We are at war. Self-defense requires prevention and sometimes preemption.

MCINTYRE (on camera): America's European allies are being careful not to publicly criticize President Bush, but many are concerned by what they see as a new U.S. unilateralism. They are worried that they will not be consulted, and that Europe, NATO in particular, may be relegated to the sidelines, as the U.S. engages in what it calls flexible coalitions to prosecute its war against terrorists, as it did in Afghanistan.

MCINTYRE (voice-over): The U.S. delegation here is headed by two prominent Senators, John McCain and Joe Lieberman. McCain ratcheted up the rhetoric against Iraq, pointing to Saddam Hussein's regime as the next to be toppled. MCINTYRE (on camera): The next front is apparent, he told delegates here, a terrorist resides in Baghdad and the day of reckoning is coming.

Jamie McIntyre, CNN, Munich.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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