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CNN Live Today
First NATO Summit Behind Former Iron Curtain
Aired November 19, 2002 - 11:10 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.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: The summit this time around is historic for being the first NATO gathering behind the former Iron Curtain. President Bush is on his way there right now as a matter of fact. And this is going to be his second meeting with NATO ministers, and our Chris Burns joins us now from Prague with a preview.
Hello, Chris.
CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Leon.
Well, irony on top of irony here in Prague. But first, let me tell you about what they found today, an explosive device, bottle shaped on a train track today, and that has a lot of people jittery about other possible attempts to try to disrupt this summit that happens later on this week. President Bush arrived later this evening. The security forces number some 12,000 police, some 2,000 troops. They're backed by helicopters, bomb-sniffing dogs. We saw some sharpshooters today. There's also U.S. F-16s that are patrolling the skies over the Czech Republic, trying to ensure the security for not only President Bush, but some 40 or so other heads of state to attend this summit. It's also -- it's being held in the Congress hall, where the Communist Party congress used to meet, where the Brezhnevs and so forth used to meet. We did a tour of that yesterday, pretty amazing place, and that is where the meeting will take place.
They're going to invite -- 19 NATO countries are going to invite seven of the former Soviet bloc countries into the fold. This is a very, very big event, but also being overshadowed by the question of Iraq. What kind of support can President Bush count on from the NATO members? That's what we'll have to see. There will be talks on the sidelines among various nations, of course. Britain offering its support. There could be countries like Bulgaria and Romania, the imminent newbie countries. Turkey possibly offering a base so those talks will be going on. Also, the Czech Republic is already has a chemical weapons squad to deal with chemical weapons stationed in Kuwait. I asked President Vaclav Havel, who used to be part of the velvet revolution, a pacifist at the time, what he thinks about this, will the Czech Republic back Bush if it does comes to grips with a war with Iraq? This is what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRES. VACLAV HAVEL, CZECH REPUBLIC (through translator): Just about all that is necessary to do everything in our power in order that good may overcome evil in a nonviolent way, but this does not mean that there are no situations in which it would not become necessary to use force. (END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNS: President Vaclav jailed three times by the Communist regime, now hosting a NATO summit -- Leon.
HARRIS: Chris Burns reporting from Prague. Appreciate it, Chris. Take care.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired November 19, 2002 - 11:10 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: The summit this time around is historic for being the first NATO gathering behind the former Iron Curtain. President Bush is on his way there right now as a matter of fact. And this is going to be his second meeting with NATO ministers, and our Chris Burns joins us now from Prague with a preview.
Hello, Chris.
CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Leon.
Well, irony on top of irony here in Prague. But first, let me tell you about what they found today, an explosive device, bottle shaped on a train track today, and that has a lot of people jittery about other possible attempts to try to disrupt this summit that happens later on this week. President Bush arrived later this evening. The security forces number some 12,000 police, some 2,000 troops. They're backed by helicopters, bomb-sniffing dogs. We saw some sharpshooters today. There's also U.S. F-16s that are patrolling the skies over the Czech Republic, trying to ensure the security for not only President Bush, but some 40 or so other heads of state to attend this summit. It's also -- it's being held in the Congress hall, where the Communist Party congress used to meet, where the Brezhnevs and so forth used to meet. We did a tour of that yesterday, pretty amazing place, and that is where the meeting will take place.
They're going to invite -- 19 NATO countries are going to invite seven of the former Soviet bloc countries into the fold. This is a very, very big event, but also being overshadowed by the question of Iraq. What kind of support can President Bush count on from the NATO members? That's what we'll have to see. There will be talks on the sidelines among various nations, of course. Britain offering its support. There could be countries like Bulgaria and Romania, the imminent newbie countries. Turkey possibly offering a base so those talks will be going on. Also, the Czech Republic is already has a chemical weapons squad to deal with chemical weapons stationed in Kuwait. I asked President Vaclav Havel, who used to be part of the velvet revolution, a pacifist at the time, what he thinks about this, will the Czech Republic back Bush if it does comes to grips with a war with Iraq? This is what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRES. VACLAV HAVEL, CZECH REPUBLIC (through translator): Just about all that is necessary to do everything in our power in order that good may overcome evil in a nonviolent way, but this does not mean that there are no situations in which it would not become necessary to use force. (END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNS: President Vaclav jailed three times by the Communist regime, now hosting a NATO summit -- Leon.
HARRIS: Chris Burns reporting from Prague. Appreciate it, Chris. Take care.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
