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Australia is Final Stop on President Bush's Six-Nation Tour
Aired October 22, 2003 - 06:01 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's thank-you tour is on its way to Australia, but before he boarded Air Force One, he was in Bali to show support for Indonesia's war on terror.
But let's head live to southeastern Australia now and senior White House correspondent, John King.
Good morning -- John.
JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Carol.
Mr. Bush is due here, nighttime in Australia, in just a short time here to say thank you to a key ally in the war on terrorism, including the war in Iraq. Mr. Bush, though, is coming from a front line, you might say, in the war on terrorism. The president spending a little more than three hours in Bali, Indonesia, meeting with Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri to thank her for her efforts in trying to crack down against al Qaeda and other terrorist groups in Indonesia.
It is the world's most populous Muslim nation, and anti-American sentiment runs quite deep. So, in addition to his meetings with Indonesia's president, Mr. Bush, trying to change the perceptions of the United States, by meeting privately with five religious leaders, including three leading Muslim clerics.
Now, in that private meeting, and then later in public -- in the private meeting, the clerics told Mr. Bush that they believe one reason Americans were not well-liked in the Muslim world was that Mr. Bush was too biased in favor of Israel. In that private meeting, and then later in public, Mr. Bush not only defended his Middle East policy, but did not shy away from his criticism of the Palestinian leadership.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Our foreign policy is for a development of a Palestinian state that lives side by side with Israel in peace, and the first president to ever articulate such a vision, and I still believe it is possible. In order to achieve a Palestinian state living side by side in peace, there needs to be leadership willing to fight off the terror that is trying to prevent the state from emerging.
(END VIDEO CLIP) KING: Extraordinary security for this little more than three- hour visit, warships and patrol boats off the shore of Bali, helicopters, some 5,000 troops and police involved. Just this week, the Indonesian government said it believed again that the terrorist threat was imminent. Mr. Bush in Bali just a little more than a year after that nightclub bombing that killed more than 200 people, including 7 Americans.
And now, Carol, as you noted, Mr. Bush is just a short time away from touching down here in Australia, the final stop, the sixth stop of his overseas trip -- Carol.
COSTELLO: And, of course, John, many of those killed in that Bali bombing were Australians, and President Bush is heading there, and you've got to believe he'll mention that.
KING: You can be sure of that, and he'll also say thank you to Prime Minister John Howard for his very public, at times trouble for Prime Minister Howard here at home, for being so supportive of President Bush. So, the president is here to say thank you.
COSTELLO: All right, John King reporting live from Australia 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.
Tour>
Aired October 22, 2003 - 06:01 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's thank-you tour is on its way to Australia, but before he boarded Air Force One, he was in Bali to show support for Indonesia's war on terror.
But let's head live to southeastern Australia now and senior White House correspondent, John King.
Good morning -- John.
JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Carol.
Mr. Bush is due here, nighttime in Australia, in just a short time here to say thank you to a key ally in the war on terrorism, including the war in Iraq. Mr. Bush, though, is coming from a front line, you might say, in the war on terrorism. The president spending a little more than three hours in Bali, Indonesia, meeting with Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri to thank her for her efforts in trying to crack down against al Qaeda and other terrorist groups in Indonesia.
It is the world's most populous Muslim nation, and anti-American sentiment runs quite deep. So, in addition to his meetings with Indonesia's president, Mr. Bush, trying to change the perceptions of the United States, by meeting privately with five religious leaders, including three leading Muslim clerics.
Now, in that private meeting, and then later in public -- in the private meeting, the clerics told Mr. Bush that they believe one reason Americans were not well-liked in the Muslim world was that Mr. Bush was too biased in favor of Israel. In that private meeting, and then later in public, Mr. Bush not only defended his Middle East policy, but did not shy away from his criticism of the Palestinian leadership.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Our foreign policy is for a development of a Palestinian state that lives side by side with Israel in peace, and the first president to ever articulate such a vision, and I still believe it is possible. In order to achieve a Palestinian state living side by side in peace, there needs to be leadership willing to fight off the terror that is trying to prevent the state from emerging.
(END VIDEO CLIP) KING: Extraordinary security for this little more than three- hour visit, warships and patrol boats off the shore of Bali, helicopters, some 5,000 troops and police involved. Just this week, the Indonesian government said it believed again that the terrorist threat was imminent. Mr. Bush in Bali just a little more than a year after that nightclub bombing that killed more than 200 people, including 7 Americans.
And now, Carol, as you noted, Mr. Bush is just a short time away from touching down here in Australia, the final stop, the sixth stop of his overseas trip -- Carol.
COSTELLO: And, of course, John, many of those killed in that Bali bombing were Australians, and President Bush is heading there, and you've got to believe he'll mention that.
KING: You can be sure of that, and he'll also say thank you to Prime Minister John Howard for his very public, at times trouble for Prime Minister Howard here at home, for being so supportive of President Bush. So, the president is here to say thank you.
COSTELLO: All right, John King reporting live from Australia 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.
Tour>
