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CNN Live Saturday

Bush Administration Taking Heat for Position on Several Treaties

Aired July 28, 2001 - 15:08   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.
DONNA KELLEY, CNN ANCHOR: International relations are a major focus right now for the Bush administration, which is taking some heat at home and abroad for its position on a number of treaties. CNN's White House correspondent Kelly Wallace us joining us to talk about the situation. Kelly, how much is the U.S. position changing on some of these international matters?

KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, the Bush administration, Donna, definitely seems to be taking a different approach than the previous administration did. Just this week, for instance, we saw the U.S. pretty much standing alone against the world community when it came to two different international agreements.

Now, as you recall, last weekend, the president was in Genoa, Italy, and he was facing some pressure from European allies to reverse his opposition to that international treaty to combat global warming, known as the Kyoto Protocol. Well, on Monday -- the president refused to do -- and so, on Monday, it was the U.S. standing against 178 nations, which supported implementing that treaty.

The same story a couple of days later when the U.S. stood alone in its objection to a treaty to implement the biological weapons convention. Now, the U.S. is saying that these treaties are both fatally flawed, but these actions coming on top of U.S. opposition to the Antiballistic Missile Treaty and U.S. opposition to an international criminal court has some in the Congress, namely Democrats, accusing the White House of isolating the United States, and by doing so minimizing the United States when it comes to issues of concern such as global warming -- Donna.

KELLEY: And, of course, the administration hears those critics and that criticism. What is on the table? What progress are they making when they say that, well, we're going to have own plans to some of these?

WALLACE: Well, absolutely. The White House is very much responding to that criticism, saying in no way is it pursuing an isolationist agenda. It says it's pursuing a multilateralist agenda, saying that the U.S. will sort of take care of its interests, so the president will stand against treaties, such as the Kyoto treaty, that he thinks would hurt the U.S. economy.

At the same time, the administration is saying the president is working with European allies to deal with issues such as global warming, that the president is working with the Russian leadership to come up with new alternatives to that Antiballistic Missile Treaty.

The U.S. is also saying it's a strong supporter of free trade, which it says is very much against any sort of isolationist perspectives. So, the big question, though, Donna, is the U.S. saying it will continue to work with the world community. The big question is the perception of the international community and what implications that has down the road -- Donna.

KELLEY: All right, thank you, Kelly. Kelly Wallace at the White House for us.

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