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CNN Live At Daybreak

New White House Public Relations Initiative Aims to Keep Coalition Together

Aired November 02, 2001 - 05:15   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.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Thirteen minutes after the hour now. The latest developments for you in America's new war. U.S.-led air strikes target several key positions this morning around Bagram Air Base in northern Afghanistan. Opposition fighters say intense U.S. bombing could give them the break that they need to advance against the Taliban forces.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld takes the U.S. strategy against terrorism on the road this weekend. He heads off to Russia today and then to four other Central Asian countries before returning to Washington on Monday.

President Bush is pushing a Senate and House conference committee to quickly iron out the details of an airline security bill. The House approved a Republican backed version that would grant oversight to the federal government but would not make the airport security workers federal employees.

CALLAWAY: Suspected terrorist Osama bin Laden is supposedly calling on Pakistan Muslims to join in the fight against the U.S., the message coming in a letter delivered to the Arab news network Al Jazeera. The note is signed by bin Laden, but its authenticity is unconfirmed. That letter urges Muslims to fight against a new Christian crusade led by President Bush.

And CNN terrorism analyst Peter Bergen will take a look at the message and its implications later this morning on CNN LIVE with Paula Zahn. That's ahead, coming up at 7:00 Eastern time.

HARRIS: The leader of the world's most heavily Muslim nation has called for a cease-fire in the air strikes in Afghanistan. Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri says that if the U.S.-led assaults don't stop, the global coalition against terrorism could unravel.

Meanwhile, a new White House public relations initiative aims to keep that coalition together.

CNN White House correspondent Kelly Wallace now with the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Is the Bush administration losing the propaganda war with Afghanistan's ruling Taliban?

ARI FLEISCHER, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Absolutely not.

WALLACE: But White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer says the administration can do better, which is why it's mounting a new public relations blitz in the U.S. and overseas, with a new campaign style war room in the White House linked to offices in London and Islamabad. The goal? A communications network capable of refuting Taliban statements throughout the 24 hour news cycle.

FLEISCHER: We're dealing with a regime that has lied not only to its own people, but to its neighbors and to the people of the United States, the people of Pakistan and around the world.

WALLACE: The administration is not only trying to counter images like these, Taliban claims of civilians killed or injured by U.S. bombs, but also trying to win over the hearts and minds of Arabs and Muslims who are seeing anti-U.S. protests every day.

President Bush, meeting Thursday with the Austrian chancellor, is also trying to hold a fragile coalition together, with public opinion of the military campaign starting to erode even in some European nations.

(on camera): And so next week Mr. Bush meets in Washington with six world leaders and delivers two speeches targeting an international audience. But he'll also be focusing on domestic concerns about anthrax and future terrorist attacks in a speech that is being billed as a major address to the American people.

Kelly Wallace, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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