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Bush Talks Terror in Asia
Aired October 21, 2003 - 15:07 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.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Now we turn to President Bush on the global stage. The United States is cautiously welcoming Iran's promise to open its nuclear program to tougher inspections. But the administration wants Tehran to prove its intentions with a more formal agreement.
White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan spoke to reporters in Singapore, the latest stop on Mr. Bush's Asian tour.
Our White House correspondent John King is there, too.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In Singapore to thank a strong ally in the war on terror, stop four of six for the president in Asia. Prime Minister Goh is frequently criticized by human rights groups for stifling dissent. Mr. Bush prefers to focus on Singapore's aggressive arrest of terror suspects and expanding economic and military cooperation with the United States.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The prime minister is a wise man and understand Southeast Asia very well.
KING: The president arrived here from the Asia-Pacific summit in Bangkok, where he urged a group founded as an economic forum to add security to its portfolio.
The summit communique pledged to dismantle fully and without delay transnational terrorist groups. The official declaration made no mention of the North Korean nuclear standoff, a major Bush focus at the meeting. But the summit host did read a separate statement endorsing the White House negotiating strategy and calling for:
THAKSIN SHINAWATRA, THAI PRIME MINISTER: And verifiable progress towards a complete and permanent nuclear-weapons-free Korean Peninsula.
KING: English is the preferred language in Singapore. And American businesses are a welcome presence. Next is Indonesia. These protests Tuesday in Jakarta a reminder of widespread anti-American sentiment in the world's most populous Muslim nation.
Mr. Bush will meet Indonesia's President Megawati in Bali, the site of a major terrorist bombing a year ago, now under extraordinary security for the president's three-hour visit. (on camera): The president's Bali stop also includes a meeting with moderate Muslim clerics. And he will urge them to speak out against terrorism and extremism. But several of the clerics say they will tell Mr. Bush, the belief that he so favors Israel in the Middle East is a major factor in the widespread anti-American sentiment in this part of the world.
John King, CNN, Singapore.
(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
Aired October 21, 2003 - 15:07 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Now we turn to President Bush on the global stage. The United States is cautiously welcoming Iran's promise to open its nuclear program to tougher inspections. But the administration wants Tehran to prove its intentions with a more formal agreement.
White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan spoke to reporters in Singapore, the latest stop on Mr. Bush's Asian tour.
Our White House correspondent John King is there, too.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In Singapore to thank a strong ally in the war on terror, stop four of six for the president in Asia. Prime Minister Goh is frequently criticized by human rights groups for stifling dissent. Mr. Bush prefers to focus on Singapore's aggressive arrest of terror suspects and expanding economic and military cooperation with the United States.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The prime minister is a wise man and understand Southeast Asia very well.
KING: The president arrived here from the Asia-Pacific summit in Bangkok, where he urged a group founded as an economic forum to add security to its portfolio.
The summit communique pledged to dismantle fully and without delay transnational terrorist groups. The official declaration made no mention of the North Korean nuclear standoff, a major Bush focus at the meeting. But the summit host did read a separate statement endorsing the White House negotiating strategy and calling for:
THAKSIN SHINAWATRA, THAI PRIME MINISTER: And verifiable progress towards a complete and permanent nuclear-weapons-free Korean Peninsula.
KING: English is the preferred language in Singapore. And American businesses are a welcome presence. Next is Indonesia. These protests Tuesday in Jakarta a reminder of widespread anti-American sentiment in the world's most populous Muslim nation.
Mr. Bush will meet Indonesia's President Megawati in Bali, the site of a major terrorist bombing a year ago, now under extraordinary security for the president's three-hour visit. (on camera): The president's Bali stop also includes a meeting with moderate Muslim clerics. And he will urge them to speak out against terrorism and extremism. But several of the clerics say they will tell Mr. Bush, the belief that he so favors Israel in the Middle East is a major factor in the widespread anti-American sentiment in this part of the world.
John King, CNN, Singapore.
(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
