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CNN Live Today

Bush Holds Media Availability

Aired March 20, 2002 - 14:40   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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Once again, awaiting that videotape from that event in Alexandria, Virginia, where President Bush apparently did have some comments. We will listen to that. There with his wife today, Laura Bush.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, the tribunals are just an option for us. And we'll be using the tribunals if in the course of bringing somebody to justice it would jeopardize or compromise national security interests. So they are a tool, they are an option. As you know, we are discussing rules about how to make them function will.

The Defense Department asked a lot of opinions from respected scholars and the world is now beginning to see what we meant by a fair system that will enable us to bring people to justice and at the same time protect national security interests. I have no plans right now to use anybody. There is nobody in mind yet, but the option is available.

QUESTION: Are many of those people otherwise going to be sent back to their home countries? And have you decided which ones would be...

BUSH: Well, we are still in the process of giving as much information from the detainees as possible. Remember, these are the ones in Guantanamo Bay are killers. They are -- they don't share the same values we share. They would like nothing more than to come after America or our friends and allies and so therefore it's in our national interest to make sure we know enough about them before we decide what do with them. And so there is an on going process to get as much information as we can from the prisoners or detainees. Some talk, some don't talk. And...

QUESTION: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) a follow-up if I could.

BUSH: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) only be three questions today. It looks like...

QUESTION: Did you say...

BUSH: Yes, I did say they are killers.

(UNINTELLIGIBLE)

BUSH: I told you, if any evidence that is required to convict them jeopardizes the national security interests of the country, we will use the tribunal.

(UNINTELLIGIBLE)

BUSH: Yes, of course I am. I am frustrated by the violence of the Middle East, and so are the people that live in the Middle East. I know there are people who do not want us to achieve any kind of peaceful settlement of a long standing dispute and they are willing to use terrorist means to disrupt any progress that's being made.

And that frustrates me. It frustrates mothers and dads who happen to be Palestinian and Israeli because they want to raise their children in a secure environment. Nevertheless, we will continue to work the issue and work it hard. Zinni is over there. He is making some progress. He is saying to both parties, stay the course, work hard to get into Tenet. Hopefully we can achieve what we all want it achieve, which is eventually a settlement.

But first and foremost we need to come up with a security agreement. We made some progress. I want to thank Zinni for his job that he is doing there and I'm looking forward to being briefed by the vice president tomorrow morning when he gets back -- he is back this afternoon, but he will come in for breakfast first thing in the morning prior to me leaving for Mexico.

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE)

BUSH: What he said was, was there are certain conditions under which he would meet with Mr. Arafat. And that is, getting into the Tenet agreement and meeting the conditions. And we have also said that we expect there to be a hundred percent effort by Chairman Arafat. We expect him to be reigning in those people with whom he's got influence. Clearly he is not going to have influence with every single suicide bomber. I understand that.

But we expect him to be diligent and firm and consistent in his efforts to reign in those who would likely disrupt any progress towards peace and reign in those who would harm our friends, the Israelis. As I have said in the past, I didn't think he has done a very good job of doing that up to now. I believe he can do a better job. That's exactly the message the vice president is delivering in his statement.

HEMMER: President Bush a few moments ago at an elementary school there in Alexandria, Virginia. Clearly not cloaking his comments in what he feels right now toward the Middle East. Several times he mentioned the word "frustrated," given the violence there.

"Some do not want peace," he says. Dick Cheney headed back, his last stop in Turkey, breakfast tomorrow morning. And clearly another message from the president to Yasser Arafat. One-hundred percent effort is what the president says he expects and anticipates about the Palestinian leader. And this comes a sort time ago.

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