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CNN Live Saturday
President Bush Speaks at Elmendorf Air Force Base
Aired February 16, 2002 - 18:01 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.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Well, we begin this half hour in Alaska. A brief stopover, as we told you, for the president and a morale-booster for the troops there.
CNN senior White House correspondent John King is traveling with the president, which is now bound for East Asia. John, what's the latest?
JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Catherine, a brief stop but a very enthusiastic stop for the president, Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska. The president stopped here to give a pep talk to military personnel thanking them and thanking key U.S. military allies like Canada for their role in the war on terrorism. Mr. Bush promising to push through to the end, promising to capture the terrorists and to continue the fight.
He also said, as he travels on now to Asia, that will be a key goal of his meetings with two key allies, Japan and South Korea, also a summit in Beijing with the Chinese president, Jiang Zemin. Mr. Bush making clear to the troops here that in addition to seeking their support for the continuing ongoing campaign right now, Mr. Bush will also try to line up their support in an international coalition for when the war moves on beyond Afghanistan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're going to Japan and South Korea and China, where I'm going to continue to work with the leaders of those countries in our mutual concerns, starting with fighting the war against terror, making it clear that the resolve of this nation is steady and strong. They will look these leaders in the eye and say, When it comes to defending freedom, the United States of America will not blink.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Sensitive diplomacy anyway, but all the more so because the president includes North Korea, a country in the Asian neighborhood, in what he calls the axis of evil. Mr. Bush saying North Korea, Iran, and Iraq trying to build and perhaps in some cases export weapons of mass destruction. The South Koreans did not like the tough talk of the president's message. They have tried to have a reconciliation, dialogue with the North. The Japanese rattled as well. It was just a few years ago North Korea tested a missile and fired it over Japan.
So the president with some tough diplomacy ahead, but he says he must press on in this fight, must convince these nations and others to confront nations seeking to build weapons of mass destruction.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: One of the worst things that could possibly happen to freedom-loving people, whether it be the United States or our friends or allies, is to allow nations that have got a dark history and an ugly past to develop weapons of mass destruction like nuclear weapons or chemical weapons or biological weapons which could, for example, be delivered by long-range missile, to become a part of the terrorist network.
And there are such nations in the world. Of course, we'd like for them to change their ways, and we'll continue to pressure them to do so. We'd like for them to conform to normal ways of treating their own people, plus their neighborhood, plus the world...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Mr. Bush also saying that in his summit meeting in Beijing, he will raise issues like religious freedoms and other human rights issues. Mr. Bush saying the attack on the United States of September 11 was an attack on those very values, the values those who live in democracies have come to cherish. He promises to raise those issues as well on this three-nation tour. Some very delicate diplomacy ahead for the president over the next several days -- Catherine.
CALLAWAY: And John, while the president's traveling, let's look back quickly at what's going on at the nation's capital, back at home for the president. We understand there's some developments concerning a lawsuit that's seeking access to the vice president's energy task force records.
KING: That's right, Catherine. Just a short time ago, this directive going on from the White House counsel's office. Judge Albert Gonzalez, the president's top lawyer, instructing everyone at the White House to keep any records they have that have anything to do with the vice president's energy task force. A conservative group called Judicial Watch has sued trying to gain access to those records. The fight over whether that case has any merit continues in the courts, but a judge this week put the administration on notice, make sure it saves those records.
The president's top lawyer today sent out that directive telling anyone in the administration, save those records as the court fight continues -- Catherine.
CALLAWAY: All right. CNN's John King, thank you for the latest on what's going on with the president's trip. Thanks, John.
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