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President Bush Pushing AIDS Relief in Africa; Secretary Powell Grilled on Iraq

Aired July 10, 2003 - 15:02   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.


CANDY CROWLEY, CNN ANCHOR: In Africa a short while ago, Secretary of State Colin Powell said President Bush will make a decision about sending U.S. troops to Liberia in the next several days. The prospect of a peacekeeping mission in Africa has gotten a lot of attention during Mr. Bush's trip to the continent, but today, the president tried to keep the focus in large part on what he calls Africa's deadliest enemy, AIDS.
CNN's Chris Burns is traveling with the president -- Chris.

CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Candy, well, the president did take occasion to go to tout his $15 billion rescue package for AIDS- inflicted countries in Africa and the Caribbean. And he chose the country with the highest AIDS rate in the world.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BURNS (voice-over): President Bush taking his rescue mission to a country whose very survival, some say, is threatened by AIDS. Two out of every five adults in Botswana are infected with HIV, and life expectancy has plunged to under four years, putting Botswana on the list for the president's $15 billion AIDS-fighting initiative for Africa and the Caribbean, if Congress approves the money.

It's a powerful setting for the president to deliver the main message of his trip, that, after wielding the sword in Iraq and Afghanistan, it's time to remind the world of America's heart by fighting AIDS.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This is the deadliest enemy Africa has ever faced. And you will not face this enemy alone.

BURNS: Botswana is perhaps Africa's ultimate paradox: the world's worst hit by AIDS, yet the richest in diamonds. Another part of Botswana's economic success story: tariff-free imports to the United States under the African Growth and Opportunity Act, the president wants Congress to extend to 2008. Mr. Bush admitted, U.S. subsidies to its own farmers are crowding African farmers out of the global market.

BUSH: That's part of the problem. The other part of the problem is the lack of technological development in agriculture. And we talked about the need for genetically-modified crops throughout the continent of Africa. BURNS: Genetically-modified food and agricultural subsidies are points of contention between the U.S. and Europe in world trade talks. The president spent barely an hour on a mini-safari. His visit to this nearly Texas-sized nation was a six-hour day trip. But the message of the visit was strong and clear.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BURNS: And the president taking that message again to Uganda tomorrow. Uganda is a success story in some ways in fighting AIDS.

Now, moments ago, Secretary of State Colin Powell wrapped up a news conference, saying that Liberia, the most pressing question will be addressed in the coming days, and Washington should decide whether to send troops. But he's more talking about logistical or command- and-control help, so we'll see how that pans out. But it generally turned out to be more of a congressional hearing, really, than anything else, as Secretary Powell was grilled by reporters over and over again about the question of Saddam Hussein's uranium, wanting to buy uranium from Niger.

That was an allegation that was made during President Bush's State of the Union message on January 28. Just one week later, Secretary Powell went before the U.N. and did not include that because he didn't think it was worth it. He didn't think that it was proven, that there was enough evidence for that, Powell saying today that there was no intent to deceive or mislead the American people, but just that this information on Niger was not proven to be true a week later and that he did not use it -- Candy.

CROWLEY: Thanks so much, CNN's Chris Burns, in Africa with the president.

Also in Africa, President Bush is being called to answer for the continued attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq. His answer today: Hang tough.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: There's no question we've got a security issue in Iraq. And we're just going to have to deal with it person by person. We're going to have to remain tough.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CROWLEY: Two U.S. soldiers were killed today in separate attacks on their convoys, one near Tikrit, the other south of Baghdad. A top military commander in Iraq says attackers have stepped up their activities in recent days. And he says he's convinced, the killings are the work of Saddam Hussein's former fighters.

Now, here in Washington, Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry called on President Bush to -- quote -- tell the truth about Iraq, including, Kerry says, the need for military reinforcements from U.S. allies. We'll have more on the Democratic criticism at the top of the next hour on "INSIDE POLITICS." And if it seems as though the Bush administration is feeling the heat over Iraq, that is small potatoes compared to British Prime Minister Tony Blair's problems.

CNN's Robin Oakley has the latest on the controversy in the U.K..

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You would almost think he had lost the war. Three months on from the defeat of Saddam Hussein, Tony Blair is facing more political pressure than ever. And it all dates from this moment in September last year, when he was making his case for action against Saddam Hussein.

TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: The conclusion is that Iraq has chemical and biological weapons, that Saddam has continued to produce them, that he has existing and active military plans for the use of chemical and biological weapons, which could be activated within 45 minutes.

OAKLEY: Tony Blair pitched his whole case for war not on regime change, but on the need to take out Saddam's weapons. But none of those weapons has yet emerged.

And with some government officials now conceding it's unlikely they ever will be found, he's being accused of misleading Parliament and the people. Even Mr. Blair seemed to have growing doubts, telling M.P.s Tuesday that he was confident weapons programs, rather than the weapons themselves, would be found. A Downing Street spokesman rode back on that apparent admission Thursday, saying Mr. Blair remained confident survey teams would find products as well as programs.

But the man who resigned from his Cabinet rather than back the war says Blair must now admit he was wrong.

ROBIN COOK, FORMER BRITISH FOREIGN MINISTER: This is, after all, the most grave matter. Parliament was asked to vote for war on assurance weapons of mass destruction existed. Parliament might well not have voted for the war if it had known what we're told today, that those weapons did not exist.

OAKLEY: Already, one legislative committee has concluded the government's case for war was not proven. Now opposition leaders and some in Tony Blair's own party are redoubling demands for a full independent judicial inquiry.

(on camera): Mr. Blair has become engaged in a long, drawn-out battle with the British Broadcasting Corporation over his case for war. His own Labor members of Parliament have turned rebellious. And his opinion poll ratings have taken a dive. Analysts say that if weapons aren't found soon in Iraq, things can only get worse.

Robin Oakley, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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




Powell Grilled on Iraq>


Aired July 10, 2003 - 15:02   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN ANCHOR: In Africa a short while ago, Secretary of State Colin Powell said President Bush will make a decision about sending U.S. troops to Liberia in the next several days. The prospect of a peacekeeping mission in Africa has gotten a lot of attention during Mr. Bush's trip to the continent, but today, the president tried to keep the focus in large part on what he calls Africa's deadliest enemy, AIDS.
CNN's Chris Burns is traveling with the president -- Chris.

CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Candy, well, the president did take occasion to go to tout his $15 billion rescue package for AIDS- inflicted countries in Africa and the Caribbean. And he chose the country with the highest AIDS rate in the world.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BURNS (voice-over): President Bush taking his rescue mission to a country whose very survival, some say, is threatened by AIDS. Two out of every five adults in Botswana are infected with HIV, and life expectancy has plunged to under four years, putting Botswana on the list for the president's $15 billion AIDS-fighting initiative for Africa and the Caribbean, if Congress approves the money.

It's a powerful setting for the president to deliver the main message of his trip, that, after wielding the sword in Iraq and Afghanistan, it's time to remind the world of America's heart by fighting AIDS.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This is the deadliest enemy Africa has ever faced. And you will not face this enemy alone.

BURNS: Botswana is perhaps Africa's ultimate paradox: the world's worst hit by AIDS, yet the richest in diamonds. Another part of Botswana's economic success story: tariff-free imports to the United States under the African Growth and Opportunity Act, the president wants Congress to extend to 2008. Mr. Bush admitted, U.S. subsidies to its own farmers are crowding African farmers out of the global market.

BUSH: That's part of the problem. The other part of the problem is the lack of technological development in agriculture. And we talked about the need for genetically-modified crops throughout the continent of Africa. BURNS: Genetically-modified food and agricultural subsidies are points of contention between the U.S. and Europe in world trade talks. The president spent barely an hour on a mini-safari. His visit to this nearly Texas-sized nation was a six-hour day trip. But the message of the visit was strong and clear.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BURNS: And the president taking that message again to Uganda tomorrow. Uganda is a success story in some ways in fighting AIDS.

Now, moments ago, Secretary of State Colin Powell wrapped up a news conference, saying that Liberia, the most pressing question will be addressed in the coming days, and Washington should decide whether to send troops. But he's more talking about logistical or command- and-control help, so we'll see how that pans out. But it generally turned out to be more of a congressional hearing, really, than anything else, as Secretary Powell was grilled by reporters over and over again about the question of Saddam Hussein's uranium, wanting to buy uranium from Niger.

That was an allegation that was made during President Bush's State of the Union message on January 28. Just one week later, Secretary Powell went before the U.N. and did not include that because he didn't think it was worth it. He didn't think that it was proven, that there was enough evidence for that, Powell saying today that there was no intent to deceive or mislead the American people, but just that this information on Niger was not proven to be true a week later and that he did not use it -- Candy.

CROWLEY: Thanks so much, CNN's Chris Burns, in Africa with the president.

Also in Africa, President Bush is being called to answer for the continued attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq. His answer today: Hang tough.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: There's no question we've got a security issue in Iraq. And we're just going to have to deal with it person by person. We're going to have to remain tough.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CROWLEY: Two U.S. soldiers were killed today in separate attacks on their convoys, one near Tikrit, the other south of Baghdad. A top military commander in Iraq says attackers have stepped up their activities in recent days. And he says he's convinced, the killings are the work of Saddam Hussein's former fighters.

Now, here in Washington, Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry called on President Bush to -- quote -- tell the truth about Iraq, including, Kerry says, the need for military reinforcements from U.S. allies. We'll have more on the Democratic criticism at the top of the next hour on "INSIDE POLITICS." And if it seems as though the Bush administration is feeling the heat over Iraq, that is small potatoes compared to British Prime Minister Tony Blair's problems.

CNN's Robin Oakley has the latest on the controversy in the U.K..

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You would almost think he had lost the war. Three months on from the defeat of Saddam Hussein, Tony Blair is facing more political pressure than ever. And it all dates from this moment in September last year, when he was making his case for action against Saddam Hussein.

TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: The conclusion is that Iraq has chemical and biological weapons, that Saddam has continued to produce them, that he has existing and active military plans for the use of chemical and biological weapons, which could be activated within 45 minutes.

OAKLEY: Tony Blair pitched his whole case for war not on regime change, but on the need to take out Saddam's weapons. But none of those weapons has yet emerged.

And with some government officials now conceding it's unlikely they ever will be found, he's being accused of misleading Parliament and the people. Even Mr. Blair seemed to have growing doubts, telling M.P.s Tuesday that he was confident weapons programs, rather than the weapons themselves, would be found. A Downing Street spokesman rode back on that apparent admission Thursday, saying Mr. Blair remained confident survey teams would find products as well as programs.

But the man who resigned from his Cabinet rather than back the war says Blair must now admit he was wrong.

ROBIN COOK, FORMER BRITISH FOREIGN MINISTER: This is, after all, the most grave matter. Parliament was asked to vote for war on assurance weapons of mass destruction existed. Parliament might well not have voted for the war if it had known what we're told today, that those weapons did not exist.

OAKLEY: Already, one legislative committee has concluded the government's case for war was not proven. Now opposition leaders and some in Tony Blair's own party are redoubling demands for a full independent judicial inquiry.

(on camera): Mr. Blair has become engaged in a long, drawn-out battle with the British Broadcasting Corporation over his case for war. His own Labor members of Parliament have turned rebellious. And his opinion poll ratings have taken a dive. Analysts say that if weapons aren't found soon in Iraq, things can only get worse.

Robin Oakley, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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




Powell Grilled on Iraq>