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CNN Live At Daybreak

Diplomatic Trip: President Leaves Australia

Aired October 23, 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: Air Force One in the air and on its way to Hawaii. On board: President Bush, who had a bumpy time of it in Australia. He was interrupted. There were protesters.
CNN's senior White House correspondent, John King, has more for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Even among friends, the president was compelled to justify his decision to wage war in Iraq without the blessing of the United Nations.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If the world promises serious consequences for the defiance of the lawless, then serious consequences must follow.

KING: The president's speech to Australia's parliament was twice interrupted by Iraq war critics.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The sergeant will remove Senator Brown (ph) from the House.

KING: And 41 opposition members wrote a letter to the president, complaining he led Australia and Great Britain to war because of a clear and present danger which just did not exist.

Mr. Bush was warned democracy Australian-style can get a bit rowdy, and he winked when heckled, then he took issue with his critics.

BUSH: America, Australia and other nations acted in Iraq to remove a grave and gathering danger instead of wishing and waiting while tragedy drew closer.

KING: Prime Minister John Howard backed the Iraq war and sent Australian troops into combat alongside the Americans. His critics among the protesters outside the parliament were not so subtle in suggesting he is too willing to follow Mr. Bush's lead.

The prime minister sees things differently.

JOHN HOWARD, AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER: We believe the right decision was taken. We believe Australia was right to join the United States. KING: The subject of this letter, Mr. Bush declined to accept, are assertions two Australian citizens captured by U.S. troops in Afghanistan are being mistreated at Guantanamo Bay. The issue also came up between the president and the prime minister.

BUSH: To allege allegations of torture is ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous. And we will deal with them in a way that conforms to our standards.

KING: Australia was the sixth and final stop of the president's overseas trip. The protests here are another reminder that his vow to destroy potential threats before they can attack the United States is a frequent source of criticism.

(on camera): But the president's first stop back in the States will make clear that policy is not about to change. Mr. Bush will visit the scene of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and defend his view that it is best to deal with potential threats before they can reach U.S. shores.

John King, CNN, Canberra, Australia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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 23, 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: Air Force One in the air and on its way to Hawaii. On board: President Bush, who had a bumpy time of it in Australia. He was interrupted. There were protesters.
CNN's senior White House correspondent, John King, has more for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Even among friends, the president was compelled to justify his decision to wage war in Iraq without the blessing of the United Nations.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If the world promises serious consequences for the defiance of the lawless, then serious consequences must follow.

KING: The president's speech to Australia's parliament was twice interrupted by Iraq war critics.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The sergeant will remove Senator Brown (ph) from the House.

KING: And 41 opposition members wrote a letter to the president, complaining he led Australia and Great Britain to war because of a clear and present danger which just did not exist.

Mr. Bush was warned democracy Australian-style can get a bit rowdy, and he winked when heckled, then he took issue with his critics.

BUSH: America, Australia and other nations acted in Iraq to remove a grave and gathering danger instead of wishing and waiting while tragedy drew closer.

KING: Prime Minister John Howard backed the Iraq war and sent Australian troops into combat alongside the Americans. His critics among the protesters outside the parliament were not so subtle in suggesting he is too willing to follow Mr. Bush's lead.

The prime minister sees things differently.

JOHN HOWARD, AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER: We believe the right decision was taken. We believe Australia was right to join the United States. KING: The subject of this letter, Mr. Bush declined to accept, are assertions two Australian citizens captured by U.S. troops in Afghanistan are being mistreated at Guantanamo Bay. The issue also came up between the president and the prime minister.

BUSH: To allege allegations of torture is ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous. And we will deal with them in a way that conforms to our standards.

KING: Australia was the sixth and final stop of the president's overseas trip. The protests here are another reminder that his vow to destroy potential threats before they can attack the United States is a frequent source of criticism.

(on camera): But the president's first stop back in the States will make clear that policy is not about to change. Mr. Bush will visit the scene of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and defend his view that it is best to deal with potential threats before they can reach U.S. shores.

John King, CNN, Canberra, Australia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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