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American Morning

President Bush Leaves For Major Trip to Asia

Aired February 15, 2002 - 07:33   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.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Time to talk politics right now. President Bush leaves this weekend for a major trip to Asia with stops in Japan, China and South Korea. Now, some nations in the region are still disturbed that the president included North Korea as part of his "axis of evil." National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice says the description is justified.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR: I don't want too much into what we are seeing, but let's just say that the North Koreans have been known to go around with glossy brochures about their ballistic missiles. They are stocking a lot of the world right now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZAHN: For his view and joining us now is Richard Butler, our ambassador-in-residence -- good morning.

RICHARD BUTLER, FORMER U.N. CHIEF WEAPONS INSPECTOR: Good morning, Paula.

ZAHN: So is that a preview of the message to come from the president, when he makes this trip?

BUTLER: Yes, it is, Paula. He is going to three countries, to Japan, China and North Korea, all of them -- sorry, South Korea -- all of them have a particular relationship to and concern about North Korea's missile program, North Korea being one of the countries that he included in the axis of evil. So this visit comes very much after the axis of evil speech.

Now, Japan, that's a country in range of North Korea's missiles, and it has tested them flying over Japanese territory. They are concerned about it, but quite frankly, I think the main subject there will be the pallor state of the Japanese economy.

ZAHN: One would think that that would be what the president will be spending most of his time discussing.

BUTLER: Yes, I think so. Well, yes, he will. He will also want to explain to the Japanese his concerns about North Korea, but I think a safe bet would be most of their time will be spent on this really dreadful problem of the state of the Japanese economy, but not so in Beijing and Saul, in China and South Korea. There will be very much a focus on North Korea, the missile issue, just what did he mean by including North Korea in the axis of evil. Is the United States going to go off and attack North Korea, for example? That will be very much on the agenda.

ZAHN: Well, we have seen that further defined, as we have moved out further from his national address to the nation in the State of the Union speech several weeks ago.

BUTLER: That's right.

ZAHN: What is it the president is expected to offer any of these countries? Or what do they want from this trip?

BUTLER: Well, let's start with China. One of the other parts of the State of the Union speech that was really quite fascinating was that he defined a new bunch of heavyweight countries that the U.S. will cooperate with. And these were China, Russia, of course, our new friend, and India. Now, China was absolutely thrilled to have been moved up to team A in the way that it was in that speech. I know, for example, China has signaled that it will now not veto a resolution in the Security Council seeking to get really tough with Iraq. That's one of the paybacks that we have got out of that.

Also, in Beijing in this visit, the president will certainly ask the Chinese to wind down their exports of weapons-related technologies. And I think we can now expect the Chinese to be more cooperative on that, bringing us out of the period, where we had a bit of a downturn with China, you know, after the spy plane incident and so on. So I think you will get a good hearing in Beijing.

In South Korea in Saul, it will be tougher, because they are well advanced in the policy of trying to get back together with North Korea, and they have been pretty shaken by the identification of North Korea as part of this axis of evil, even though they know that North Korea's missile policies are wrong. And as Condoleezza Rice said, they're selling this stuff around the world, and we need to stop that.

ZAHN: It's interesting that on the eve of the president's trip now, you have got Secretary of State Powell in the news for an appearance he made on MTV last night, where he essentially advocated the use of condoms in order to prevent the spread of AIDS, which certainly sets him apart from President Bush's views on sex education and really ticking off a bunch of conservatives.

BUTLER: Isn't Colin Powell playing a fascinating role in this administration? Let's face it. He went out there and walked back and got a better understanding of the axis of evil concept. I mean, he has done an extraordinary job, since that speech and all of the alarm bells that it set ringing. And that put him, in some ways, at loggerheads with the mainstream within the White House. But they must accept, I am sure, that he is doing a great job for them.

Now, here on the condoms issue. The extreme right in the Republican Party talks about abstinence. I mean, it's like spitting into a hurricane. I mean, people do involve themselves in sexual activity. That brings problems of HIV transmission, and to some extent, unwanted pregnancies. Colin Powell was asked about this, where it really counts, that show goes to some 360 million young people around the world, and he said the sensible thing, especially with respect to HIV. This will put him, you know, in conflict with that mainstream Republican view. But there he is doing it again. Quite frankly, I think he is saving them from their own folly. God bless him.

ZAHN: Well, it's interesting to note that Ari Fleischer said very quickly after that they -- quote -- "the president continues to believe that abstinence and absence education is the most effective way to prevent AIDS or to prevent unwanted pregnancy," suggesting...

BUTLER: Well, God bless him, as I said.

ZAHN: ... perhaps that Secretary of State Powell was off message.

BUTLER: Well, yes, but as I said, you know, spitting into a hurricane. Colin Powel is right on this one. If you look at the global HIV picture, he is absolutely right on it. The Republicans...

ZAHN: There are a lot of people that would dispute that, Richard, but at least you have helped us understand the seriousness of the debate this morning.

BUTLER: Well, let's have a debate about it. OK.

ZAHN: We should have you come back and debate this, because of course, you helped set up a global AIDS program long ago...

BUTLER: I did.

ZAHN: ... in another part of your career. So we will bring you back to talk about this, because this certainly will continue to create some firefights.

BUTLER: Yes. OK.

ZAHN: Thanks, Richard -- have a good weekend.

BUTLER: You too.

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