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CNN Live At Daybreak

Bono About to Take Off on Tour of Africa

Aired May 17, 2002 - 09:23   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: They are traveling with the band. One of the most famous rock stars in the world is about to take off on a tour of Africa, and leaving with him, a most unlikely pair of roadies, Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neil, and none other than our own Daryn Kagan. Here's Daryn with a preview of their trip.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DARYN KAGAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is U2 in yet another sold out conference. Lead singer Bono is about to take on another gig, and his partner on that stage couldn't be more different.

PAUL O'NEIL, US TREASURY SECRETARY: Funded by the EVRB (ph), and I think ...

KAGAN: US Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neil and Bono are about to take off for Africa together. It's a part of the world that has fascinated Bono since the 1980s.

BONO: It was a really, kind of, life changing experience being there and seeing that kind of death and destruction, wanton death and destruction. And having people offer you their children, you know, to save them from starvation.

KAGAN: From there, Bono found his cause. Between sold-out concert tours, he meets with world leaders and he educates himself on difficult issues, like hunger, AIDS and Third World debt. There's nothing that this rock star likes to talk about or debate more.

But you know what the critics say about forgiving world debt. I'm sure you've heard this over and over again. You just can't forgive debt. Because what's the message that that sends when you go and loan money again.

BONO: We've abolished debtor's prisons for people 100 years ago. But we still put countries in these debtors' prisons. And as it happens, there is a very stringent and rigorous process to avail of their cancellation. But it's a tricky story to sell on your station, on any station. And that's - it's not visual (INAUDIBLE) - sorry I lost you there. And people have short attention spans. So, we really need a picture of a pop star and a pope together. That usually, you know, gets people's attention.

KAGAN: If not the Pope, how about the US Treasury Secretary. Paul O'Neil was skeptical when he first met Bono last year. Thought he was just another flaky celebrity. Their first meeting changed his mind.

O'NEIL: This is a person who knows what he is talking about. He's been there, he understands the problems. He's educated himself about economics. And so I'm looking very much forward to working with him.

KAGAN: And now the road trip, the rock star and the Treasury Secretary take off on Sunday - a four nation tour of Africa, Ghana, South Africa, Uganda, and Ethiopia. O'Neil's challenge to Bono, take me to places where aid worked and people are turning their lives around.

O'NEIL: If we don't demand results, we aren't doing our jobs on behalf of compassionate taxpayers who want to help alleviate poverty. Nor are we serving the poor who struggle for an opportunity to improve their own lives. Compassion requires that we be hard-minded.

KAGAN: Tough talk from a hard-core Republican, an interesting travel companion for the rock star with the bleeding heart.

BONO: I'm not here to assess people's political lives, I'm here to ask them, are they ready to help in what I think is the most important crisis of our time.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: And so, as I said, the challenge is to go to places where change is already taking place. Paula, one of the examples, Uganda, the third stop on the trip. This is a place where Bono and his people point out has had debt relief, and the money, they say, that would have gone to loan payments, instead going to build schools, hire teachers and improve primary school education. It will be a fascinating trip; we leave on Sunday.

ZAHN: Yeah, I know you're going to look a some pretty weighty matters. But all I'm hearing is the ring of the Bono, Paul, Daryn show.

KAGAN: In that order?

ZAHN: No - well I could move your name up, Daryn, Bono, Paul show or we can put Paul's name first.

KAGAN: They can have the front seat on the plane; that will be just fine.

ZAHN: Well, it should be fascinating.

KAGAN: Yeah, and I'll be ...

ZAHN: The visual - visually the specter of it is really quite interesting. KAGAN: As far as we can tell, we're the only network going with a live capability. So, if you want to see the trip, I'll be there with a videophone on satellite. I'll be bringing reports to you throughout the network. And I'll be doing a daily travel diary on cnn.com.

ZAHN: We will be calling upon you daily ...

KAGAN: OK ...

ZAHN: ... when you're able to get to us. Thanks Daryn,

KAGAN: It's going to be good stuff.

ZAHN: Look forward to that, very much.

KAGAN: OK, and see you in about a minute with more news.

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