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Bush Gives Independence Day Address in Dayton

Aired July 04, 2003 - 13:04   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.


KYRA PHILLIPS, ANCHOR: The White House says the president still hasn't made up its mind and will rely on military experts, who will travel to Africa and advise Mr. Bush on whether to send in troops.
Meanwhile, the president paid attribute to all U.S. forces as he marked Independence Day at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio.

CNN White House correspondent Dana Bash is there. She joins us live from there.

Dana, tell us about the celebration.

DANA BASH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra.

Well, as you said, President Bush is here in Dayton, Ohio, to celebrate Independence Day and to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Wright brothers' first flight. You can hear some of the rowdy crowd is still here. There were 23,000 people here to listen to the president.

But although the president himself did not make remarks on the situation in Liberia, his press secretary, Ari Fleischer, made it clear that they are encouraged by the remarks, the apparent remarks by Charles Taylor, that country's president, that he is willing to leave the country. But Ari Fleischer said what he needs to do now is actually leave.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARI FLEISCHER, WHITE HOUSE SPOKESMAN: The president has called for Charles Taylor to leave Liberia so that peace and stability can take root. If this report of Charles Taylor leaving is true, the president would be encouraged by it. It's important that it's more than words. It has to be deeds. He needs to leave so that peace can be achieved.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: Well, Fleischer was also clear that the president has not yet made up his mind as to whether he's going to send U.S. peacekeeping troops in. But he did say that the president has authorized an assessment team to go from the Pentagon to go to Liberia, to work with United Nations representatives and other officials in the region to get a sense of what is actually needed there, if he were to actually commit U.S. troops to the region. It is what Fleischer said is the president doing his due diligence on this situation.

Now, as for the president, he used his Independence Day speech, and not just specifically, again, talk about Liberia, but he did give his prescription for what U.S. troops could be used for around the world.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Our people in uniform do not have easy duty. And much depends on their success. Without America's active involvement in the world, the ambitions of tyrants would go unopposed. And millions would live at the mercy of terrorists. With Americans' active involvement in the world, tyrants learn to fear and terrorists are on the run.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: Now, Ari Fleischer, the White House spokesman, did not say when President Bush would make a final decision as to when and whether to send U.S. peacekeeping troops into Liberia.

He did say, however, that he would not be kept to what he called artificial deadlines. That is, of course, referring to the fact that President Bush is leaving on Monday for Africa. He said, instead, that his decision will come in due time -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Dana Bash with the president, 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 July 4, 2003 - 13:04   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, ANCHOR: The White House says the president still hasn't made up its mind and will rely on military experts, who will travel to Africa and advise Mr. Bush on whether to send in troops.
Meanwhile, the president paid attribute to all U.S. forces as he marked Independence Day at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio.

CNN White House correspondent Dana Bash is there. She joins us live from there.

Dana, tell us about the celebration.

DANA BASH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra.

Well, as you said, President Bush is here in Dayton, Ohio, to celebrate Independence Day and to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Wright brothers' first flight. You can hear some of the rowdy crowd is still here. There were 23,000 people here to listen to the president.

But although the president himself did not make remarks on the situation in Liberia, his press secretary, Ari Fleischer, made it clear that they are encouraged by the remarks, the apparent remarks by Charles Taylor, that country's president, that he is willing to leave the country. But Ari Fleischer said what he needs to do now is actually leave.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARI FLEISCHER, WHITE HOUSE SPOKESMAN: The president has called for Charles Taylor to leave Liberia so that peace and stability can take root. If this report of Charles Taylor leaving is true, the president would be encouraged by it. It's important that it's more than words. It has to be deeds. He needs to leave so that peace can be achieved.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: Well, Fleischer was also clear that the president has not yet made up his mind as to whether he's going to send U.S. peacekeeping troops in. But he did say that the president has authorized an assessment team to go from the Pentagon to go to Liberia, to work with United Nations representatives and other officials in the region to get a sense of what is actually needed there, if he were to actually commit U.S. troops to the region. It is what Fleischer said is the president doing his due diligence on this situation.

Now, as for the president, he used his Independence Day speech, and not just specifically, again, talk about Liberia, but he did give his prescription for what U.S. troops could be used for around the world.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Our people in uniform do not have easy duty. And much depends on their success. Without America's active involvement in the world, the ambitions of tyrants would go unopposed. And millions would live at the mercy of terrorists. With Americans' active involvement in the world, tyrants learn to fear and terrorists are on the run.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: Now, Ari Fleischer, the White House spokesman, did not say when President Bush would make a final decision as to when and whether to send U.S. peacekeeping troops into Liberia.

He did say, however, that he would not be kept to what he called artificial deadlines. That is, of course, referring to the fact that President Bush is leaving on Monday for Africa. He said, instead, that his decision will come in due time -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Dana Bash with the president, 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