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CNN Live Today
Bush's African Tour
Aired July 09, 2003 - 10:32 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.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush is vowing to work with the United Nations and Africans for peace in Liberia. Although the administration has not committed to joining a peace keeping effort in the nation, a U.S. military team is on the ground in Liberia to assess the humanitarian and security situation.
Brent Sadler is in Liberian capital of Monrovia, and he joins us with the latest.
Brent, hello.
BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Daryn.
Yes, the specialist survey team of humanitarian experts have been out for a second day today. And I can tell you, they're getting a rapturous welcome in an uncontrolled fashion, of course, from many thousands of Liberians. In one village, on one of their early forays, they were literally inundated by a surge of many, many thousands of very excited Liberians chanting "stop the war. We don't want the war. We want peace. We want an end to looting," and perhaps more importantly, as far as the United States themselves are concerned, they say they want the United States to help them get out of 20 years of a cycle of violence to get their lives back on track.
Now, there's continuing, of course, pressure led by the United States on Liberia embattled President Charles Taylor. He, of course, is still in office here in the Liberian capital. I spent some time with him. He was certainly very articulate in really explaining that he did not want to leave office, although he says he will under the right conditions, but not the conditions that would throw this country into even greater chaos, he says. He also says that this is not Somalia of a decade ago, when U.S. forces were mangled by a ruthless warlord, and he really said that Liberia, that U.S. troops should be committed now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRES. CHARLES TAYLOR, LIBERIA: In fact, we would feel insulted if we were to even be slightly comparing to Somalia. Everything here is American, everything, everything. We are educated in America. I have cousins, I have nephews in the United States Marines, the Air Force, the Army, everywhere. There are hundreds, in fact, maybe thousands of Liberians in the armed services all over the place. I have my nephews in your Marines and everything. We can never be anti- America, never. So Somalia, don't even mention it.
(END VIDEO CLIP) SADLER: Many Liberians refer to the United States as their big brother, referring back to the fact that it was freed American slaves that founded this nation back in the early part of the 19th century. Take a look at that flag just behind me there. Look closely, you'll see that's the lone star Liberian flag, and if we just can zoom beyond my shoulders and go up the hill behind me on Mambo (ph) Point here in the Liberian capital of Monrovia. We'll get up to the U.S. embassy compound there, and there is the stars and stripes flying in the strong wind.
So you can see the similarities in flag. You can see the similarities in connectivity between many of the important buildings here. There's a JFK Hospital, there's a Richard M. Nixon Institute, and there is also, of course, the name Monrovia, after James Monroe, the fifth American president. But U.S. President George W. Bush still not made a decision on whether to commit troops there.
KAGAN: Brent Sadler from Monrovia, Liberia, thank you for that.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush, as you know, is monitoring the crisis in Liberia as he travels across part of the African continent. He is now on the second stop of his five-nation tour. He is in South Africa, where there have been protests against Mr. Bush's visit.
CNN's Charlayne Hunter-Gault joins us now from Pretoria, South Africa. She's got the very latest for us on this trip.
CHARLAYNE HUNTER-GAULT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Leon.
And they're missing you from south Africa and want to you come back soon.
Meanwhile, it was a day of mutual admiration between President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa and George W. Bush and their wives. That's been on display the entire day, from the opening ceremony this morning to the press opportunity this afternoon, then during a toast at lunch. Both saying that they need each other, that the United States is committed to helping South Africa and the African continent. President Thabo Mbeki echoing President Bush's remarks.
But at the same time, there were some discordant notes. I don't think President Bush may have expected this, but he was asked in a country deeply concerned about Iraq and some, where some questioned the legality of that war, he was asked about his doubts or confidence about the weapons of mass destruction at this point.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I am confident that Saddam Hussein had a weapons of mass destruction program. In 1991, I will remind you, we underestimated how close he was to having a nuclear weapon. Imagine a world in which this tyrant had a nuclear weapon. In 1998, my predecessor raided Iraq based upon the very same intelligence, and in 2003, after the world had demanded he disarm, we decided to disarm him. (END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNTER-GAULT: But that was the only digression, Leon. The rest of the day, the president is going to be devoting his time to talking with South African and American businessmen, the president having said that the country needs more investment here, and that President Bush has it in his power to encourage that investment, and President Bush gave every indication that he would be doing just that -- Leon.
HARRIS: Very interesting, Charlayne. Mr. Bush may have been surprised about that question about Iraq, but I sure wasn't. I heard lots of talk about it when I was there this last week.
But let me ask you about something else that was also talked about quite a bit, Zimbabwe, the issue of the President Mugabe's leadership there, and the fact that the U.S., the U.N., many people trying to put pressure on him to leave. Did that topic at all come up with Mr. Mbeki?
HUNTER-GAULT: Well, you know, I wasn't a fly on the wall on the one on one between the two leaders. But yesterday, President Mbeki expressed some disenchantment over the public exhortation from the United States that South Africa should get tougher on Zimbabwe in trying to resolve that crisis.
President Mbeki said today that, and it was echoed by Mr. Bush, that there were no disputes, no disagreements, everything was on target. And in fact, President Mbeki emphasized the people of Zimbabwe were talking to one another, and moving to a political stalemate there.
But at the same time, during the demonstrations, the chief spokesman for the Movement for Democrat Change, the opposition party in Zimbabwe, was here in South Africa today and said there were no discussions going on. So it's not very clear what's happening, and President Bush did say that the United States reserved the right to -- even as he downplayed any friction or disagreement over tactics, downplayed any disagreement, he said that the United States reserved the right to take positions that it thought was right on Zimbabwe -- Leon.
HARRIS: Sounds like as usual, there's a story behind the story. Charlayne, see you in a bit.
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 July 9, 2003 - 10:32 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush is vowing to work with the United Nations and Africans for peace in Liberia. Although the administration has not committed to joining a peace keeping effort in the nation, a U.S. military team is on the ground in Liberia to assess the humanitarian and security situation.
Brent Sadler is in Liberian capital of Monrovia, and he joins us with the latest.
Brent, hello.
BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Daryn.
Yes, the specialist survey team of humanitarian experts have been out for a second day today. And I can tell you, they're getting a rapturous welcome in an uncontrolled fashion, of course, from many thousands of Liberians. In one village, on one of their early forays, they were literally inundated by a surge of many, many thousands of very excited Liberians chanting "stop the war. We don't want the war. We want peace. We want an end to looting," and perhaps more importantly, as far as the United States themselves are concerned, they say they want the United States to help them get out of 20 years of a cycle of violence to get their lives back on track.
Now, there's continuing, of course, pressure led by the United States on Liberia embattled President Charles Taylor. He, of course, is still in office here in the Liberian capital. I spent some time with him. He was certainly very articulate in really explaining that he did not want to leave office, although he says he will under the right conditions, but not the conditions that would throw this country into even greater chaos, he says. He also says that this is not Somalia of a decade ago, when U.S. forces were mangled by a ruthless warlord, and he really said that Liberia, that U.S. troops should be committed now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRES. CHARLES TAYLOR, LIBERIA: In fact, we would feel insulted if we were to even be slightly comparing to Somalia. Everything here is American, everything, everything. We are educated in America. I have cousins, I have nephews in the United States Marines, the Air Force, the Army, everywhere. There are hundreds, in fact, maybe thousands of Liberians in the armed services all over the place. I have my nephews in your Marines and everything. We can never be anti- America, never. So Somalia, don't even mention it.
(END VIDEO CLIP) SADLER: Many Liberians refer to the United States as their big brother, referring back to the fact that it was freed American slaves that founded this nation back in the early part of the 19th century. Take a look at that flag just behind me there. Look closely, you'll see that's the lone star Liberian flag, and if we just can zoom beyond my shoulders and go up the hill behind me on Mambo (ph) Point here in the Liberian capital of Monrovia. We'll get up to the U.S. embassy compound there, and there is the stars and stripes flying in the strong wind.
So you can see the similarities in flag. You can see the similarities in connectivity between many of the important buildings here. There's a JFK Hospital, there's a Richard M. Nixon Institute, and there is also, of course, the name Monrovia, after James Monroe, the fifth American president. But U.S. President George W. Bush still not made a decision on whether to commit troops there.
KAGAN: Brent Sadler from Monrovia, Liberia, thank you for that.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush, as you know, is monitoring the crisis in Liberia as he travels across part of the African continent. He is now on the second stop of his five-nation tour. He is in South Africa, where there have been protests against Mr. Bush's visit.
CNN's Charlayne Hunter-Gault joins us now from Pretoria, South Africa. She's got the very latest for us on this trip.
CHARLAYNE HUNTER-GAULT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Leon.
And they're missing you from south Africa and want to you come back soon.
Meanwhile, it was a day of mutual admiration between President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa and George W. Bush and their wives. That's been on display the entire day, from the opening ceremony this morning to the press opportunity this afternoon, then during a toast at lunch. Both saying that they need each other, that the United States is committed to helping South Africa and the African continent. President Thabo Mbeki echoing President Bush's remarks.
But at the same time, there were some discordant notes. I don't think President Bush may have expected this, but he was asked in a country deeply concerned about Iraq and some, where some questioned the legality of that war, he was asked about his doubts or confidence about the weapons of mass destruction at this point.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I am confident that Saddam Hussein had a weapons of mass destruction program. In 1991, I will remind you, we underestimated how close he was to having a nuclear weapon. Imagine a world in which this tyrant had a nuclear weapon. In 1998, my predecessor raided Iraq based upon the very same intelligence, and in 2003, after the world had demanded he disarm, we decided to disarm him. (END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNTER-GAULT: But that was the only digression, Leon. The rest of the day, the president is going to be devoting his time to talking with South African and American businessmen, the president having said that the country needs more investment here, and that President Bush has it in his power to encourage that investment, and President Bush gave every indication that he would be doing just that -- Leon.
HARRIS: Very interesting, Charlayne. Mr. Bush may have been surprised about that question about Iraq, but I sure wasn't. I heard lots of talk about it when I was there this last week.
But let me ask you about something else that was also talked about quite a bit, Zimbabwe, the issue of the President Mugabe's leadership there, and the fact that the U.S., the U.N., many people trying to put pressure on him to leave. Did that topic at all come up with Mr. Mbeki?
HUNTER-GAULT: Well, you know, I wasn't a fly on the wall on the one on one between the two leaders. But yesterday, President Mbeki expressed some disenchantment over the public exhortation from the United States that South Africa should get tougher on Zimbabwe in trying to resolve that crisis.
President Mbeki said today that, and it was echoed by Mr. Bush, that there were no disputes, no disagreements, everything was on target. And in fact, President Mbeki emphasized the people of Zimbabwe were talking to one another, and moving to a political stalemate there.
But at the same time, during the demonstrations, the chief spokesman for the Movement for Democrat Change, the opposition party in Zimbabwe, was here in South Africa today and said there were no discussions going on. So it's not very clear what's happening, and President Bush did say that the United States reserved the right to -- even as he downplayed any friction or disagreement over tactics, downplayed any disagreement, he said that the United States reserved the right to take positions that it thought was right on Zimbabwe -- Leon.
HARRIS: Sounds like as usual, there's a story behind the story. Charlayne, see you in a bit.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
