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Vice President Dick Cheney's Visit to Italy

Aired January 26, 2004 - 05:30   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.


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Well, we want to get more now on Vice President Dick Cheney's visit to Italy and his meeting later today with the Italian prime minister.
Our senior White House correspondent John King is in Rome traveling with the vice president. He joins us with the latest -- John.

JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Fredericka.

I don't know if you can see the picture. Mr. Cheney is right now outside of the Italian senate. He is standing with the president of the Italian senate. You mentioned the meeting with Prime Minister Berlesconi tonight here in Italy, morning time back in the United States. Before that, the vice president will deliver a speech here to some college students and business and political leaders at the United States senate.

An unmistakable message from the vice president. He is obviously here to remind Italy and all of Europe of the debt, if you will, that he believes Europe owes the United States for its support, but also a very conciliatory tone. The administration is making clear it wants to move past the bitter prewar debate over Iraq, especially as the post-war transition enters a critical phase, and as the vice president and his boss, of course, campaign for president back in the United States.

So Mr. Cheney will thank inlay today for its very strong support and its sacrifices, the death of some of its servicemen and military police in Iraq, but also send a clear signal the administration, Fredricka, is trying to avoid more fights with others in Europe as the postwar transition moves on.

WHITFIELD: And, John, this is a particularly poignant time given that the vice president now here in Italy and the secretary of state in Russia. Certainly the Bush administration reaching out to kind of solidify its international allies.

KING: Solidify its allies and blunt the Democratic attacks. The Democrats say Mr. Bush should get the United Nations more involved in Iraq. The administration right now is trying to get the United Nations to help with the political transition, help with the negotiations with the Shia in Iraq. So the administration trying to blunt that criticism. Another criticism from the Democrats is that the administration has not internationalized the post-war effort in Iraq. You will hear the vice president today, as we heard him in Davos, Switzerland on Saturday, say that the United States wants help from everyone around the world.

So there is a foreign policy element to this, but certainly, also, Fredricka, as the vice president is on only his second trip overseas as vice president, a domestic politics element to this speech, as well.

WHITFIELD: All right, John King in Rome, thanks very much, on the phone with us while we're looking at live pictures there of Vice President Dick Cheney meeting with the Italian senate.

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 January 26, 2004 - 05:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Well, we want to get more now on Vice President Dick Cheney's visit to Italy and his meeting later today with the Italian prime minister.
Our senior White House correspondent John King is in Rome traveling with the vice president. He joins us with the latest -- John.

JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Fredericka.

I don't know if you can see the picture. Mr. Cheney is right now outside of the Italian senate. He is standing with the president of the Italian senate. You mentioned the meeting with Prime Minister Berlesconi tonight here in Italy, morning time back in the United States. Before that, the vice president will deliver a speech here to some college students and business and political leaders at the United States senate.

An unmistakable message from the vice president. He is obviously here to remind Italy and all of Europe of the debt, if you will, that he believes Europe owes the United States for its support, but also a very conciliatory tone. The administration is making clear it wants to move past the bitter prewar debate over Iraq, especially as the post-war transition enters a critical phase, and as the vice president and his boss, of course, campaign for president back in the United States.

So Mr. Cheney will thank inlay today for its very strong support and its sacrifices, the death of some of its servicemen and military police in Iraq, but also send a clear signal the administration, Fredricka, is trying to avoid more fights with others in Europe as the postwar transition moves on.

WHITFIELD: And, John, this is a particularly poignant time given that the vice president now here in Italy and the secretary of state in Russia. Certainly the Bush administration reaching out to kind of solidify its international allies.

KING: Solidify its allies and blunt the Democratic attacks. The Democrats say Mr. Bush should get the United Nations more involved in Iraq. The administration right now is trying to get the United Nations to help with the political transition, help with the negotiations with the Shia in Iraq. So the administration trying to blunt that criticism. Another criticism from the Democrats is that the administration has not internationalized the post-war effort in Iraq. You will hear the vice president today, as we heard him in Davos, Switzerland on Saturday, say that the United States wants help from everyone around the world.

So there is a foreign policy element to this, but certainly, also, Fredricka, as the vice president is on only his second trip overseas as vice president, a domestic politics element to this speech, as well.

WHITFIELD: All right, John King in Rome, thanks very much, on the phone with us while we're looking at live pictures there of Vice President Dick Cheney meeting with the Italian senate.

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