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Bush Visits Injured Troops

Aired April 11, 2003 - 15:11   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.


CANDY CROWLEY, CNN ANCHOR: We want to turn now to the U.S. home front and focus on what's being said by the Bush administration about these latest developments in Iraq. Here is CNN's senior White House correspondent John King -- John.
JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: And, Candy, perhaps soon this afternoon we will get the president's thoughts himself. Mr. Bush is out of the White House. He is, as we speak, at the Bethesda Naval Medical Center just outside of Washington visiting sailors and Marines just back from combat duty in Iraq. These people were injured, some of them quite seriously in the combat. The president and the first lady at Bethesda Naval to say thank you and to comfort and console the families.

Also, the president was on hand -- two of those injured are not U.S. citizens or were not U.S. citizens just an hour or so ago. Two of those -- Mr. Bush on hand as those two were just now granted their U.S. citizenship in a ceremony conducted at Bethesda Naval.

Earlier in the day, the president was at the Army Medical Center, Walter Reed Army Medical Center here in Washington, D.C., again visiting about two dozen or more injured Army personnel who are being treated for their wounds at Walter Reed. Mr. Bush's duties there also included handing out a few Purple Hearts, rewarding those injured in combat.

Now as for the chaos and the looting underway in Iraq, the White House says of course that is a concern. But the White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer saying the No. 1 priority for the military is to fight the fight. He says the regime is gone, but the war is not over because of continued skirmishes in Baghdad and in cities to the north.

Mr. Fleischer says in time the security will improve and he bets that that comes quite quickly. But he also says after 30 years of oppression by the Saddam Hussein government, that while looting is not to be excused, it is also not unexpected.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARI FLEISCHER, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: You saw in the Soviet Union with the collapse of the Soviet Union. And nobody likes to see it, but I think it has to be understood in context of people who have been oppress, who are reacting to the oppression. But military, as they briefed yesterday and they briefed today, does have plans to help enhance the security as the military civil affairs units moves in.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: A bit of sarcasm from the White House press secretary as well suggesting that people were rushing now to come to the conclusion that the United States was not prepared to provide critical security. Ari Fleischer saying the security will come as quickly as the military can get it in there. Again, he says priority No. 1 is winning the war.

Ari Fleischer also sarcastically noting that in his view many of those who early on said the war plan was a failure, well now are saying the United States is not prepared to provide security. He says in a day or so things will look much different -- Candy.

CROWLEY: Thanks, CNN senior White House correspondent John King. Thanks, John.

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 April 11, 2003 - 15:11   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN ANCHOR: We want to turn now to the U.S. home front and focus on what's being said by the Bush administration about these latest developments in Iraq. Here is CNN's senior White House correspondent John King -- John.
JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: And, Candy, perhaps soon this afternoon we will get the president's thoughts himself. Mr. Bush is out of the White House. He is, as we speak, at the Bethesda Naval Medical Center just outside of Washington visiting sailors and Marines just back from combat duty in Iraq. These people were injured, some of them quite seriously in the combat. The president and the first lady at Bethesda Naval to say thank you and to comfort and console the families.

Also, the president was on hand -- two of those injured are not U.S. citizens or were not U.S. citizens just an hour or so ago. Two of those -- Mr. Bush on hand as those two were just now granted their U.S. citizenship in a ceremony conducted at Bethesda Naval.

Earlier in the day, the president was at the Army Medical Center, Walter Reed Army Medical Center here in Washington, D.C., again visiting about two dozen or more injured Army personnel who are being treated for their wounds at Walter Reed. Mr. Bush's duties there also included handing out a few Purple Hearts, rewarding those injured in combat.

Now as for the chaos and the looting underway in Iraq, the White House says of course that is a concern. But the White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer saying the No. 1 priority for the military is to fight the fight. He says the regime is gone, but the war is not over because of continued skirmishes in Baghdad and in cities to the north.

Mr. Fleischer says in time the security will improve and he bets that that comes quite quickly. But he also says after 30 years of oppression by the Saddam Hussein government, that while looting is not to be excused, it is also not unexpected.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARI FLEISCHER, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: You saw in the Soviet Union with the collapse of the Soviet Union. And nobody likes to see it, but I think it has to be understood in context of people who have been oppress, who are reacting to the oppression. But military, as they briefed yesterday and they briefed today, does have plans to help enhance the security as the military civil affairs units moves in.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: A bit of sarcasm from the White House press secretary as well suggesting that people were rushing now to come to the conclusion that the United States was not prepared to provide critical security. Ari Fleischer saying the security will come as quickly as the military can get it in there. Again, he says priority No. 1 is winning the war.

Ari Fleischer also sarcastically noting that in his view many of those who early on said the war plan was a failure, well now are saying the United States is not prepared to provide security. He says in a day or so things will look much different -- Candy.

CROWLEY: Thanks, CNN senior White House correspondent John King. Thanks, John.

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