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CNN Live At Daybreak
Bush Headed Home
Aired June 05, 2003 - 05:02 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.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush is on his way home after a week long trip highlighted by the Middle East summit. But before leaving the region, the president had a thank you message to deliver.
CNN's Dana Bash joins us live now from Doha, Qatar -- good morning, Dana.
DANA BASH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning from a very hot, very windy Doha, Carol.
Well, the president's last stop in his six day, six country trip was a victory lap of sorts. He paid a visit to the men and women that helped deliver that victory in the war with Iraq. He went to heap praise on the troops at U.S. Central Command here in Doha for what he called mission accomplished.
And his remarks come as controversy is brewing at home about the stated goal of that mission, which is the intelligence backing the U.S. argument that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction. The president said in his remarks that two mobile biological labs had been found and said we're on the look, we'll reveal the truth.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This is a man who spent decades hiding tools of mass murder. He knew the inspectors were looking for him. You know better than me he's got a big country in which to hide them. We're on the look. We'll reveal the truth. But one thing is certain, no terrorist network will gain weapons of mass destruction from the Iraqi regime because the Iraqi regime is no more.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: Now, Mr. Bush spent some time earlier in the morning with the emir of Qatar. He paid a visit to him to thank him for hosting the U.S. troops here and he is the first U.S. president ever to visit this country, part of what Mr. Bush hopes will be a broader, reformed Mideast.
Now, the picture of the trip, though, of course, the event of the trip was in Aqaba, Jordan, the summit where the president met for the first time with the new Israeli prime -- with the new Palestinian prime minister and the Israeli prime minister to -- in what he says begin the new part, the new stage of the Middle East peace process. And Mr. Bush was certainly in an upbeat mood when he gave his own briefing to reporters about the trip and about the series of meetings that he had. He said that a big part of this trip was to prop up Mahmoud Abbas, that new Palestinian prime minister. He said that he felt comfortable in him, in his abilities and in the fact that there will be support from the region and from the Israelis for him and his efforts.
And the president also told reporters that he sees his role moving forward in helping as much as he can whenever he is needed, whenever he can. He will be called in and do what he can to help. He even said that he would use an old Texas ranch term. He said this to the leaders. He said he would ride herd when he has to -- Carol.
COSTELLO: All right, Dana Bash reporting live from Doha, Qatar this morning.
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 June 5, 2003 - 05:02 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush is on his way home after a week long trip highlighted by the Middle East summit. But before leaving the region, the president had a thank you message to deliver.
CNN's Dana Bash joins us live now from Doha, Qatar -- good morning, Dana.
DANA BASH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning from a very hot, very windy Doha, Carol.
Well, the president's last stop in his six day, six country trip was a victory lap of sorts. He paid a visit to the men and women that helped deliver that victory in the war with Iraq. He went to heap praise on the troops at U.S. Central Command here in Doha for what he called mission accomplished.
And his remarks come as controversy is brewing at home about the stated goal of that mission, which is the intelligence backing the U.S. argument that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction. The president said in his remarks that two mobile biological labs had been found and said we're on the look, we'll reveal the truth.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This is a man who spent decades hiding tools of mass murder. He knew the inspectors were looking for him. You know better than me he's got a big country in which to hide them. We're on the look. We'll reveal the truth. But one thing is certain, no terrorist network will gain weapons of mass destruction from the Iraqi regime because the Iraqi regime is no more.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: Now, Mr. Bush spent some time earlier in the morning with the emir of Qatar. He paid a visit to him to thank him for hosting the U.S. troops here and he is the first U.S. president ever to visit this country, part of what Mr. Bush hopes will be a broader, reformed Mideast.
Now, the picture of the trip, though, of course, the event of the trip was in Aqaba, Jordan, the summit where the president met for the first time with the new Israeli prime -- with the new Palestinian prime minister and the Israeli prime minister to -- in what he says begin the new part, the new stage of the Middle East peace process. And Mr. Bush was certainly in an upbeat mood when he gave his own briefing to reporters about the trip and about the series of meetings that he had. He said that a big part of this trip was to prop up Mahmoud Abbas, that new Palestinian prime minister. He said that he felt comfortable in him, in his abilities and in the fact that there will be support from the region and from the Israelis for him and his efforts.
And the president also told reporters that he sees his role moving forward in helping as much as he can whenever he is needed, whenever he can. He will be called in and do what he can to help. He even said that he would use an old Texas ranch term. He said this to the leaders. He said he would ride herd when he has to -- Carol.
COSTELLO: All right, Dana Bash reporting live from Doha, Qatar this morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
