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CNN Live Saturday
Bush Proposes Free Trade Zone in the Middle East
Aired May 10, 2003 - 14:05 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: The president is also on the road today mixing business with pleasure. This morning he declared tornado-battered Oklahoma a major disaster area. He's staying with a friend in New Mexico, where he will also be touting a $550 billion tax cut next week. Our Chris Burns is traveling with the president -- Chris.
CHRIS BURNS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka. The president with the tax cut plan on his mind, but also the Middle East, in his speech yesterday in South Carolina, before he came here to New Mexico, he made a commencement speech to the University of South Carolina, pitching the idea of a free trade area in the Middle East, lowering tariff barriers with the United States within the next decade, trying to get trade not only between the U.S. and the Arab countries, but also between the Arab countries and Israel.
Now, a senior administration official says that includes dropping that boycott that the Arab states have against Israel, so obviously aimed at the Israelis, but also aimed at the Arabs to try to accept this.
Now, President Bush, giving his description of that free trade area.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I propose the establishment of a U.S./Middle East free trade area within a decade to bring the Middle East into an expanding circle of opportunity, to provide hope for the people who live in that region.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNS: Now, especially with that, also he mentioned loans to small and medium businesses, education, reforming laws. A major, major endeavor to help Arab countries to try to bring them into the world economy. He said the Arab countries have a GDP combined of less than that of Spain. So he says there is very much in it for them.
But this idea of dropping the boycott against Israel, that should at least provide some argument, as President Bush invites Ariel Sharon, the Israeli prime minister, over on May 20 to Washington. They'll be talking about that road map for peace for the Palestinian state by the year 2005, and hoping, president hoping to sweeten the deal with this free trade zone idea -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, Chris, thank you very much, bringing that report from New Mexico.
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 May 10, 2003 - 14:05 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: The president is also on the road today mixing business with pleasure. This morning he declared tornado-battered Oklahoma a major disaster area. He's staying with a friend in New Mexico, where he will also be touting a $550 billion tax cut next week. Our Chris Burns is traveling with the president -- Chris.
CHRIS BURNS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka. The president with the tax cut plan on his mind, but also the Middle East, in his speech yesterday in South Carolina, before he came here to New Mexico, he made a commencement speech to the University of South Carolina, pitching the idea of a free trade area in the Middle East, lowering tariff barriers with the United States within the next decade, trying to get trade not only between the U.S. and the Arab countries, but also between the Arab countries and Israel.
Now, a senior administration official says that includes dropping that boycott that the Arab states have against Israel, so obviously aimed at the Israelis, but also aimed at the Arabs to try to accept this.
Now, President Bush, giving his description of that free trade area.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I propose the establishment of a U.S./Middle East free trade area within a decade to bring the Middle East into an expanding circle of opportunity, to provide hope for the people who live in that region.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNS: Now, especially with that, also he mentioned loans to small and medium businesses, education, reforming laws. A major, major endeavor to help Arab countries to try to bring them into the world economy. He said the Arab countries have a GDP combined of less than that of Spain. So he says there is very much in it for them.
But this idea of dropping the boycott against Israel, that should at least provide some argument, as President Bush invites Ariel Sharon, the Israeli prime minister, over on May 20 to Washington. They'll be talking about that road map for peace for the Palestinian state by the year 2005, and hoping, president hoping to sweeten the deal with this free trade zone idea -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, Chris, thank you very much, bringing that report from New Mexico.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
