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CNN Live Saturday

Cheney Goes to Europe

Aired January 24, 2004 - 14:02   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 topic was Iraq today at the World Economic Forum. Vice President Dick Cheney delivered an address before world business leaders in Davos, Switzerland. And in it, he defended U.S. action in Iraq. Cheney has since left Davos and has flown on to Rome.
CNN's senior White House correspondent, John King, is traveling with the vice president -- John.

JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, good evening to you from Rome.

Mr. Cheney here, a day of sightseeing tomorrow, then official meetings with Italy's president and prime minister. Also an audience with Pope John Paul II and visits with U.S. troops who helped fight the war in Iraq before Mr. Cheney heads back to Washington early in the new week.

But as you noted, he began his day in Davos, Switzerland. And in a speech to the World Economic Forum, the vice president did strongly defend the U.S. decision to go to war, which of course caused divisions across Europe.

But the vice president's tone was quite conciliatory. This is a vice president, remember, who was very skeptical about going to the United Nations in the debate leading up to the war in Iraq. Yet today, in his speech to the World Economic Forum, Mr. Cheney said it was critical for the United Nations and others around the world to now help the United States with Iraq's difficult post-war political transition.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We urge all democratic nations and the United Nations to answer the Iraqi Governing Council's call for support for the people of Iraq in making the transition to democracy. We urge all nations holding Iraqi debt to be generous in forgiving it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Now the speech quite interesting. Many skeptics of the United States in Europe view Vice President Cheney as the architect of what these critics see as a go-it-alone U.S. foreign policy. Yet in his speech today, the vice president said it was critical that other nations around the world join the United States not only in fighting the broader war on terrorism, but also in promoting democratic and economic reforms across the Middle East.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHENEY: Working cooperatively against the dangers of a new era will place demands on all of us. And there will be occasional differences, even among allies who have great respect for one another. And using military power, when no alternative remains, will always be the most difficult decision that leaders can make. We do not shrink from these obligations because we know from bitter experience that tragedy can come from division, weakness, and vacillation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Anti-American sentiment ran high at the forum last year in the debate running up to the war in Iraq. This year, U.S. officials and many of the European critics say that anti-American sentiment has faded significantly, or at least is much more muted. Vice President Cheney saying he was quite satisfied with his visit today. And Fredricka, as we note, now on in Rome to say thank to you a country that has standed -- stood by the United states against the war in Iraq, and, again, also a chance for the vice president to visit some of the troops who fought in that war before he heads home early next week -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Well, John, no anti-American sentiments this time, but in any -- were there any overt reactions to the vice president's call for action?

KING: Well, many say there will continue to be differences between the United States and Europe, especially on the vice president's point that he did make very often in his speech, saying that if necessary, those nations must be prepared to use force. He says that is the only credible way to fight terrorism.

But the overall response was that the diplomats and the business leaders and political leaders in the room today say they viewed it as a sign that the administration sent such a high profile leader, the vice president, as a sign that the President Bush, the vice president and the entire administration want to put the bitterness over the war in the past and want to move forward.

As another sign of that, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, who of course was a fierce opponent of the war, has been invited to the White House sometime next month -- Fredricka,

WHITFIELD: All right. John King. Thanks very much from Rome.

KING: Thank you.

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 January 24, 2004 - 14:02   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: The topic was Iraq today at the World Economic Forum. Vice President Dick Cheney delivered an address before world business leaders in Davos, Switzerland. And in it, he defended U.S. action in Iraq. Cheney has since left Davos and has flown on to Rome.
CNN's senior White House correspondent, John King, is traveling with the vice president -- John.

JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, good evening to you from Rome.

Mr. Cheney here, a day of sightseeing tomorrow, then official meetings with Italy's president and prime minister. Also an audience with Pope John Paul II and visits with U.S. troops who helped fight the war in Iraq before Mr. Cheney heads back to Washington early in the new week.

But as you noted, he began his day in Davos, Switzerland. And in a speech to the World Economic Forum, the vice president did strongly defend the U.S. decision to go to war, which of course caused divisions across Europe.

But the vice president's tone was quite conciliatory. This is a vice president, remember, who was very skeptical about going to the United Nations in the debate leading up to the war in Iraq. Yet today, in his speech to the World Economic Forum, Mr. Cheney said it was critical for the United Nations and others around the world to now help the United States with Iraq's difficult post-war political transition.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We urge all democratic nations and the United Nations to answer the Iraqi Governing Council's call for support for the people of Iraq in making the transition to democracy. We urge all nations holding Iraqi debt to be generous in forgiving it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Now the speech quite interesting. Many skeptics of the United States in Europe view Vice President Cheney as the architect of what these critics see as a go-it-alone U.S. foreign policy. Yet in his speech today, the vice president said it was critical that other nations around the world join the United States not only in fighting the broader war on terrorism, but also in promoting democratic and economic reforms across the Middle East.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHENEY: Working cooperatively against the dangers of a new era will place demands on all of us. And there will be occasional differences, even among allies who have great respect for one another. And using military power, when no alternative remains, will always be the most difficult decision that leaders can make. We do not shrink from these obligations because we know from bitter experience that tragedy can come from division, weakness, and vacillation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Anti-American sentiment ran high at the forum last year in the debate running up to the war in Iraq. This year, U.S. officials and many of the European critics say that anti-American sentiment has faded significantly, or at least is much more muted. Vice President Cheney saying he was quite satisfied with his visit today. And Fredricka, as we note, now on in Rome to say thank to you a country that has standed -- stood by the United states against the war in Iraq, and, again, also a chance for the vice president to visit some of the troops who fought in that war before he heads home early next week -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Well, John, no anti-American sentiments this time, but in any -- were there any overt reactions to the vice president's call for action?

KING: Well, many say there will continue to be differences between the United States and Europe, especially on the vice president's point that he did make very often in his speech, saying that if necessary, those nations must be prepared to use force. He says that is the only credible way to fight terrorism.

But the overall response was that the diplomats and the business leaders and political leaders in the room today say they viewed it as a sign that the administration sent such a high profile leader, the vice president, as a sign that the President Bush, the vice president and the entire administration want to put the bitterness over the war in the past and want to move forward.

As another sign of that, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, who of course was a fierce opponent of the war, has been invited to the White House sometime next month -- Fredricka,

WHITFIELD: All right. John King. Thanks very much from Rome.

KING: Thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com