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CNN Sunday Morning

Bush Holds Talks With World Leaders

Aired October 19, 2003 - 09:12   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.


SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Now to Thailand. President Bush is holding talks with world leaders in Bangkok, leading up to tomorrow's APEC summit. CNN's John King is traveling with the president, and he joins us from Bangkok with the latest -- John.
JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: And Suzanne, that bin Laden tape a factor in the discussions under way here at the annual Asian-Pacific Economic Summit. Imagine the timing. The president is here in Bangkok trying to convince the nations of southeast Asia to take additional tough steps to route out al-Qaeda in this region and other terrorist groups in this region.

The president is also asking countries to help him by sending some international troops in to help in post-war Iraq, which Osama bin Laden, if it is him on that tape, threatens to attack. So you could say a difficult situation for the president. A little while ago, I asked Secretary of State Colin Powell if the release of that videotape and the threats from Osama bin Laden, these new threats, does it make it more difficult for the president to get help on the war on terror?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: He is a threat to all of us. And When you see these kinds of tapes, it just reminds us that this kind of terror is still on the face of the Earth. And we have to come together and we have to do even more with the exchange of law enforcement information, intelligence information, the use of our military forces.

We all have to come together. And that's going to be one of the messages coming out of this APEC conference.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Terrorism one of the president's focus. Another focus, a new overture today from the president designed to advance the diplomacy other North Korea's nuclear program. North Korea has said it will only give up its nuclear weapons program if the United States enters into a bilateral nonaggression pact, promising it would not ever invade North Korea.

Mr. Bush has steadfastly said no, he will not negotiate such a bilateral treaty with North Korea. But Mr. Bush did say today that he was willing to put it in writing that the United States had no intention of attacking North Korea as long as it came in a joint statement involving several other Asian nations. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We will not have a treaty f that's what you're asking. That's off the table. Perhaps there are other ways we can look to say exactly what I said publicly on paper, with our partners' consent.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Mr. Bush discussed that approach later with the Chinese president, Hu Jintao. It is Mr. Hu who helped bring about those six- party negotiations. Mr. Bush now hoping that his new proposal gives North Korea what it wants, assurance from the United States and other nations that it would not be attacked if an exchange, it would then give up its nuclear weapons program.

U.S. officials say the Chinese are on board with this approach. More in the morning when the president meets with the president of South Korea -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Thanks, John King in Bangkok, Thailand.

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 October 19, 2003 - 09:12   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Now to Thailand. President Bush is holding talks with world leaders in Bangkok, leading up to tomorrow's APEC summit. CNN's John King is traveling with the president, and he joins us from Bangkok with the latest -- John.
JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: And Suzanne, that bin Laden tape a factor in the discussions under way here at the annual Asian-Pacific Economic Summit. Imagine the timing. The president is here in Bangkok trying to convince the nations of southeast Asia to take additional tough steps to route out al-Qaeda in this region and other terrorist groups in this region.

The president is also asking countries to help him by sending some international troops in to help in post-war Iraq, which Osama bin Laden, if it is him on that tape, threatens to attack. So you could say a difficult situation for the president. A little while ago, I asked Secretary of State Colin Powell if the release of that videotape and the threats from Osama bin Laden, these new threats, does it make it more difficult for the president to get help on the war on terror?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: He is a threat to all of us. And When you see these kinds of tapes, it just reminds us that this kind of terror is still on the face of the Earth. And we have to come together and we have to do even more with the exchange of law enforcement information, intelligence information, the use of our military forces.

We all have to come together. And that's going to be one of the messages coming out of this APEC conference.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Terrorism one of the president's focus. Another focus, a new overture today from the president designed to advance the diplomacy other North Korea's nuclear program. North Korea has said it will only give up its nuclear weapons program if the United States enters into a bilateral nonaggression pact, promising it would not ever invade North Korea.

Mr. Bush has steadfastly said no, he will not negotiate such a bilateral treaty with North Korea. But Mr. Bush did say today that he was willing to put it in writing that the United States had no intention of attacking North Korea as long as it came in a joint statement involving several other Asian nations. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We will not have a treaty f that's what you're asking. That's off the table. Perhaps there are other ways we can look to say exactly what I said publicly on paper, with our partners' consent.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Mr. Bush discussed that approach later with the Chinese president, Hu Jintao. It is Mr. Hu who helped bring about those six- party negotiations. Mr. Bush now hoping that his new proposal gives North Korea what it wants, assurance from the United States and other nations that it would not be attacked if an exchange, it would then give up its nuclear weapons program.

U.S. officials say the Chinese are on board with this approach. More in the morning when the president meets with the president of South Korea -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Thanks, John King in Bangkok, Thailand.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com