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CNN Live At Daybreak
President Bush Due in Australia Soon
Aired October 22, 2003 - 05:06 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: And halfway around the world, President Bush is flying over the South Pacific aboard Air Force One. He is due in Australia in the 7:00 a.m. Eastern hour, and as promised, we're going to take you there live.
John King is there to give us a preview of what he'll be doing in Australia -- good morning, John.
JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Carol.
Mr. Bush coming here to Australia to say thank you to a key ally in the war in Iraq and the broader war on terrorism. Prime Minister John Howard out supporting President Bush quite early when he was trying to build support for going to war in Iraq and sent a modest number of Australian troops to help fight in the war.
Mr. Bush is coming here from a three hour, a little more than three hour stop in Bali, Indonesia. Enormously high security for that visit. Indonesia's government this week saying it believes the terrorist threat is imminent yet again. Warships offshore. More than 5,000 police and troops involved in the security effort.
But Mr. Bush viewed the stop as critical to lend his support and encouragement to President Megawati Sukarnoputri in Indonesia. Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim nation. There are active al Qaeda cells there. Another terrorist group, Islamiyah al- Jemaah, also quite active in Indonesia. The president visiting one year after a deadly bombing at a Bali nightclub that killed more than 200.
And in his public remarks alongside President Megawati, Mr. Bush directly challenging the terrorists who attack in the name of Islam.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Terrorists who claim Islam as their inspiration defile one of the world's great faiths. Murder has no place in any religious tradition. It must find no home in Indonesia.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Anti-American sentiment runs quite deep in Indonesia. Mr. Bush trying to change that perception by holding a private meeting with religious leaders, including two clerics from Indonesia's largest Muslim organizations. Those clerics, we are told, told Mr. Bush one reason America is disliked in Indonesia is that the Muslims there believe Mr. Bush is biased in favor of Israel when it comes to policy in the Middle East. The president responded by saying he was the first president to publicly call for a Palestinian state. Mr. Bush, both in that private meeting and in public, defending his foreign policy. And as you noted, Carol, Mr. Bush now on his way here to Australia to say thank you to a key ally of the United States -- Carol.
COSTELLO: And, John, there's not an outpouring of love for Americans in Australia, either, is there?
KING: It's much more welcome here than he will be in Indonesia. But there are some members of the Australian parliament who say they will walk out in protest or stage some form of a protest during the president's speech. Mr. Bush telling reporters before making this trip that he's happy to see some dissent. That's a sign, he says, of a thriving democracy.
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
Aired October 22, 2003 - 05:06 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And halfway around the world, President Bush is flying over the South Pacific aboard Air Force One. He is due in Australia in the 7:00 a.m. Eastern hour, and as promised, we're going to take you there live.
John King is there to give us a preview of what he'll be doing in Australia -- good morning, John.
JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Carol.
Mr. Bush coming here to Australia to say thank you to a key ally in the war in Iraq and the broader war on terrorism. Prime Minister John Howard out supporting President Bush quite early when he was trying to build support for going to war in Iraq and sent a modest number of Australian troops to help fight in the war.
Mr. Bush is coming here from a three hour, a little more than three hour stop in Bali, Indonesia. Enormously high security for that visit. Indonesia's government this week saying it believes the terrorist threat is imminent yet again. Warships offshore. More than 5,000 police and troops involved in the security effort.
But Mr. Bush viewed the stop as critical to lend his support and encouragement to President Megawati Sukarnoputri in Indonesia. Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim nation. There are active al Qaeda cells there. Another terrorist group, Islamiyah al- Jemaah, also quite active in Indonesia. The president visiting one year after a deadly bombing at a Bali nightclub that killed more than 200.
And in his public remarks alongside President Megawati, Mr. Bush directly challenging the terrorists who attack in the name of Islam.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Terrorists who claim Islam as their inspiration defile one of the world's great faiths. Murder has no place in any religious tradition. It must find no home in Indonesia.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Anti-American sentiment runs quite deep in Indonesia. Mr. Bush trying to change that perception by holding a private meeting with religious leaders, including two clerics from Indonesia's largest Muslim organizations. Those clerics, we are told, told Mr. Bush one reason America is disliked in Indonesia is that the Muslims there believe Mr. Bush is biased in favor of Israel when it comes to policy in the Middle East. The president responded by saying he was the first president to publicly call for a Palestinian state. Mr. Bush, both in that private meeting and in public, defending his foreign policy. And as you noted, Carol, Mr. Bush now on his way here to Australia to say thank you to a key ally of the United States -- Carol.
COSTELLO: And, John, there's not an outpouring of love for Americans in Australia, either, is there?
KING: It's much more welcome here than he will be in Indonesia. But there are some members of the Australian parliament who say they will walk out in protest or stage some form of a protest during the president's speech. Mr. Bush telling reporters before making this trip that he's happy to see some dissent. That's a sign, he says, of a thriving democracy.
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
