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CNN Live Saturday
Women Crashes Car into Civic Center Where President Bush was Speaking
Aired November 01, 2003 - 14:00 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 KARL, CNN ANCHOR: Let's start this hour with a strange security breach surrounding President Bush today as he campaigned in Mississippi. We can tell you the president is fine and has arrived at his next stop, but it was a bizarre incident and there is some new video in.
We're joined now by CNN White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux in Paducah, Kentucky. Suzanne, what do we know?
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jon, President Bush is now in Paducah, Kentucky, but there really were some tense moments when he was in DeSoto County, Mississippi. That's where the incident had occurred.
The president had just spoken at the civic center. And Trenty Duffy (ph), White House spokesman aboard Air Force One, confirmed that the president was never in any danger whatsoever by this incident, but this is how the Secret Service spokeswoman, as well as some of the eyewitnesses that had actually seen this incident occur in the motorcade, this is how it was described. Essentially, there was a vehicle that approached the motorcade, it turned into the parking lot, jumped a curb, and then was heading towards the civic center.
The tire blew out then the car crashed into the civic center. It was the upper deck, a loading deck. President Bush was in his limousine in the lower deck, just below, about one story below. It was a woman who was driving the car. There were three children in the car with them.
Local police, Secret Service, sheriff's deputies all surrounded the car, they drew their weapons, they took her into custody. She resisted arrest, but they took her into custody. We are being told that Secret Service are interviewing her at this time.
They don't have details about this, but they want to assure people that the president was not in any danger during this incident. But yes, very tense moments just about an hour ago -- Jon.
KARL: All right. And while the president was speaking there today, this morning in Mississippi, he had a lot to say about Iraq. What can you tell us?
MALVEAUX: Well, the president, as you know, coming under a lot criticism, and really at the end of one of the bloodiest weeks inside of Iraq. And despite the fact that members of the United Nations, the Red Cross are pulling out of Baghdad, President Bush made it very clear the United States is in this for the long haul. He said that they're going to stay, that they're going to win this war when it comes to fighting terrorists.
He outlined a strategy. Clearly, the White House is trying to convince Americans that, yes, it can handle Iraq, the situation, despite what's happening on the ground, despite such a rough week and bloody week just the past seven days -- Jon.
KARL: All right. Suzanne Malveaux traveling with the president in Mississippi and now in Kentucky. Thank you very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
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Aired November 1, 2003 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JONATHAN KARL, CNN ANCHOR: Let's start this hour with a strange security breach surrounding President Bush today as he campaigned in Mississippi. We can tell you the president is fine and has arrived at his next stop, but it was a bizarre incident and there is some new video in.
We're joined now by CNN White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux in Paducah, Kentucky. Suzanne, what do we know?
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jon, President Bush is now in Paducah, Kentucky, but there really were some tense moments when he was in DeSoto County, Mississippi. That's where the incident had occurred.
The president had just spoken at the civic center. And Trenty Duffy (ph), White House spokesman aboard Air Force One, confirmed that the president was never in any danger whatsoever by this incident, but this is how the Secret Service spokeswoman, as well as some of the eyewitnesses that had actually seen this incident occur in the motorcade, this is how it was described. Essentially, there was a vehicle that approached the motorcade, it turned into the parking lot, jumped a curb, and then was heading towards the civic center.
The tire blew out then the car crashed into the civic center. It was the upper deck, a loading deck. President Bush was in his limousine in the lower deck, just below, about one story below. It was a woman who was driving the car. There were three children in the car with them.
Local police, Secret Service, sheriff's deputies all surrounded the car, they drew their weapons, they took her into custody. She resisted arrest, but they took her into custody. We are being told that Secret Service are interviewing her at this time.
They don't have details about this, but they want to assure people that the president was not in any danger during this incident. But yes, very tense moments just about an hour ago -- Jon.
KARL: All right. And while the president was speaking there today, this morning in Mississippi, he had a lot to say about Iraq. What can you tell us?
MALVEAUX: Well, the president, as you know, coming under a lot criticism, and really at the end of one of the bloodiest weeks inside of Iraq. And despite the fact that members of the United Nations, the Red Cross are pulling out of Baghdad, President Bush made it very clear the United States is in this for the long haul. He said that they're going to stay, that they're going to win this war when it comes to fighting terrorists.
He outlined a strategy. Clearly, the White House is trying to convince Americans that, yes, it can handle Iraq, the situation, despite what's happening on the ground, despite such a rough week and bloody week just the past seven days -- Jon.
KARL: All right. Suzanne Malveaux traveling with the president in Mississippi and now in Kentucky. Thank you very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
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