Return to Transcripts main page
American Morning
President Bush Scheduled to Arrive in Australia This Hour
Aired October 22, 2003 - 07:31 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.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush scheduled to arrive in Australia at this hour, the final stop on his six nation Asian tour. He is flying from Bali, where, amid tight security, he demonstrated his appreciation for Indonesia's help in the war on terror.
CNN's John King arrived in Australia just ahead of the president.
He joins us from Cambra this morning -- hey, John, good morning.
JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Soledad.
This final stop, as you noted, a chance for the president to say thank you to a key ally in the war in Iraq and the broader war on terrorism. And Mr. Bush coming here from a front line in the Southeast Asian front of the war on terrorism.
In Bali for just a little more than three hours, in part because of security concerns. Mr. Bush wanted to pay tribute to and encourage even more action from the Indonesian president, Megawati Sukarnoputri. She is a key ally, Mr. Bush says, in the war on terrorism. Al Qaeda, the group known as Jamia Islamia, also quite active in Indonesia. The Bali bombing, of course, just a little more than a year ago. More than 200 people killed in that terrorist bombing. So Mr. Bush encouraging President Megawati to continue her efforts against terrorism.
The president also trying to counter the deep anti-American sentiment found throughout Indonesia. It is the world's most populous Muslim nation. The president took time to meet in private with five religious leaders, three of them Muslim clerics. They told the president they believe his policy in the Middle East is lopsided in favor of Israel and that is one of the reasons that anti-American sentiment is so strong in the Muslim world.
Mr. Bush told them in that meeting he believed his policy was balanced. And in a public session with President Megawati later, the president took direct aim at terrorists who say they 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: Extraordinary security throughout the president's four hours or so on the ground in Bali. Warships and patrol boats off the shores. Helicopters above. Some 5,000 troops and police in all involved in the effort. Mr. Bush visiting for just several hours and just days after the Indonesian government issued yet another advisory saying it believed a terrorist threat was imminent -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: John King reporting for us from Cambra, Australia this morning.
John, thanks.
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 - 07:31 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush scheduled to arrive in Australia at this hour, the final stop on his six nation Asian tour. He is flying from Bali, where, amid tight security, he demonstrated his appreciation for Indonesia's help in the war on terror.
CNN's John King arrived in Australia just ahead of the president.
He joins us from Cambra this morning -- hey, John, good morning.
JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Soledad.
This final stop, as you noted, a chance for the president to say thank you to a key ally in the war in Iraq and the broader war on terrorism. And Mr. Bush coming here from a front line in the Southeast Asian front of the war on terrorism.
In Bali for just a little more than three hours, in part because of security concerns. Mr. Bush wanted to pay tribute to and encourage even more action from the Indonesian president, Megawati Sukarnoputri. She is a key ally, Mr. Bush says, in the war on terrorism. Al Qaeda, the group known as Jamia Islamia, also quite active in Indonesia. The Bali bombing, of course, just a little more than a year ago. More than 200 people killed in that terrorist bombing. So Mr. Bush encouraging President Megawati to continue her efforts against terrorism.
The president also trying to counter the deep anti-American sentiment found throughout Indonesia. It is the world's most populous Muslim nation. The president took time to meet in private with five religious leaders, three of them Muslim clerics. They told the president they believe his policy in the Middle East is lopsided in favor of Israel and that is one of the reasons that anti-American sentiment is so strong in the Muslim world.
Mr. Bush told them in that meeting he believed his policy was balanced. And in a public session with President Megawati later, the president took direct aim at terrorists who say they 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: Extraordinary security throughout the president's four hours or so on the ground in Bali. Warships and patrol boats off the shores. Helicopters above. Some 5,000 troops and police in all involved in the effort. Mr. Bush visiting for just several hours and just days after the Indonesian government issued yet another advisory saying it believed a terrorist threat was imminent -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: John King reporting for us from Cambra, Australia this morning.
John, thanks.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
