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CNN Live Saturday

President Bush Monitors Latest Developments From Camp David

Aired November 24, 2001 - 15:13   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.
JONATHAN MANN, CNN ANCHOR: The Bush administration is keeping a close watch on developments in the Middle East and Central Asia.

CNN's White House correspondent Kelly Wallace is near Camp David with more -- Kelly.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jonathan, President Bush monitoring developments in both regions from the presidential retreat at Camp David. He received his daily intelligence briefing. The White House not really saying anything officially today about the developments in the Middle East. But again, the developments do make what was already going to be a difficult mission for those two U.S. envoys, retired Marine Corps General Anthony Zinni and Assistant Secretary of the State William Burns even more difficult.

The two men head to the region tomorrow. And again, the administration's big concern is trying reduce tensions between the Israelis and the Palestinians, and trying make sure that the situation in the Middle East does not affect the international coalition against terrorism.

Now on the other front, the situation in Afghanistan, White House officials saying a surrender of hundreds of Taliban soldiers on this day, a positive development. But they also say the U.S. has plenty of work still ahead in Afghanistan.

And that was the same message coming from President Bush in his radio address. He says a message he's repeated several times this is week, that the toughest part of the military mission is still to come.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The fight we have begun will not be quickly or easily finished. Our enemies hide and plot in many nations. They are devious and ruthless. Yet, we are confident in the justice of our cause. We will fight for as long as it takes. And we will prevail.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: And White House officials, Jonathan, say the President wants to keep reminding Americans and the international community, again, that there have been military successes in Afghanistan, but hunting down Osama bin Laden and his al Qaeda operatives will not be easy and will take time.

And also, on this day, you know, there have been some foreign fighters aligned with the Taliban who have been surrendering, Arabs, Chechens and Pakistanis. And the message from the administration is that those foreign fighters must remain in Afghanistan. They should not be able to leave and head to other countries.

And Jonathan, I heard and you and General Shepperd talking about reports coming from the Northern Alliance commanders that Pakistan has sent in planes to air lift its soldiers out of Afghanistan. As you know, the Pentagon completely disputing those reports, saying the U.S. controls the airspace. So they say they would know about it if it happened to be happening. And they also say they wouldn't allow it to happen because they feel those fighters need to stay in Afghanistan -- Jonathan.

MANN: Kelly, it's only Saturday afternoon on a holiday weekend. We're all still eating leftovers, but let me ask you about next week and what the President will have on his table then. Talk of the economic stimulus and plans, can you tell us something about that?

WALLACE: Definitely. You know, he will be, of course, focusing on the military campaign, but also putting renewed attention on the domestic front. And he will have his weekly breakfast with congressional leaders and also deliver a speech calling on Congress to get a bill to his desk in days to give a boost to the sagging economy.

We call this the economic stimulus package, Jonathan. The President wants a package that mainly is composed of tax cuts, tax rebate checks for the low income, tax breaks for big businesses.

The House of Representatives have already passed $100 billion measure, but Senate Democrats say that's too generous to corporations. They want more money to help the unemployed and improve homeland security. So there's lots of negotiating that still needs to be done. The President though will call on Congress to get something to him by the end of November -- Jonathan.

MANN: Kelly Wallace near Camp David. Thanks very much.

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