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CNN Live At Daybreak

America Strikes Back: European Leaders Voice Support for Bush

Aired October 08, 2001 - 07:38   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.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Britain's Tony Blair has been one of President Bush's staunchest allies and he repeated his support yesterday after the attacks in Afghanistan began.

For more reaction from Europe, we turn to CNN's Sheila MacVicar in our London bureau -- good morning, Sheila.

SHEILA MACVICAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.

Well, Prime Minister Tony Blair we heard from last night. He will call the House of Commons into a special session again tonight at 6:00 p.m. That's the third special session since the 11th of September.

What we have across all of Europe is widespread support. This morning, the French defense minister, Alain Richard, saying that French forces were on the ground in Afghanistan and implying that they were involved in helping or assisting with targeting there. The French obviously were amongst those European nations who were thanked yesterday by President Bush, the other two, of course, being Britain and Germany.

It is not yet clear what kind of contributions other European nations will be making to the effort, although earlier this morning the European Union's director of foreign policy, Javier Solana, talked about the kind of support that would be coming from European nations in a sort of an each according to his ability sort of fashion.

Some nations have offered the support of bases or air clearance rights. Others have suggested there would be other kinds of support. From NATO this morning in Brussels, news that five AWACs planes will be dispatched to the United States to help provide domestic security in the United States.

In addition, just a short while ago we heard from British Defense Minister Geoff Hoon and the British chief of defense staff talking much in the same way as Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld was talking with you earlier, Paula, about last night's activity. Now, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld told you, I think, two to three dozen targets. Here they're talking about 30 targets, military and terrorist training camps -- Paula.

ZAHN: Sheila MacVicar, thanks for that report. Before I let you go, though, you mentioned this issue of the five AWACs. Should that come as a surprise to the United States or was that expected?

MACVICAR: Well, you remember that NATO has invoked the clause which calls upon all NATO nations to support each other. Now, this is a tangible thing, something that NATO forces can do. I suppose the surprise is is that the United States feels the need to ask for additional AWACs support in the skies over the United States at this time.

ZAHN: OK, thanks, Sheila.

See you a little bit later on this morning.

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