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CNN Live Today

Busy Week for President Bush; Experts Warn African Aid Plan Might Be Short-Sighted

Aired July 05, 2005 - 10:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: And Fourth of July fireworks in the nation's capital was followed by a terrorism drill. Officials wanted to see just how quickly the mall area could be evacuated. Traffic signals were adjusted on several routes to get motorists out quickly.
President Bush is now on his way to Europe for a four-day trip, highlighted by the G-8 Summit. The president arrives in Denmark a few hours from now. He plans on thanking the Danish government for supporting the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. And then it's on to Gleneagle, Scotland, to meet with the other leaders of the eight richest nations in the world. Protesters are proceeding the summiteers. Hundreds of protesters fought with riot police in Edinburgh, Scotland, on Monday. Other demonstrators are calling on the G-8 to give more even aid to Africa than promised. The summit is being held at a golf resort under very tight security.

Tomorrow is a big day for the president, beyond the summit. It's his birthday. He'll be turning 59. Our Bob Franken is at the White House with more on the president's busy week. Good morning.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And probably sitting there and reflecting on whether he'll ever amount to anything.

KAGAN: I think he's done OK.

FRANKEN: He's done pretty well, hasn't he? For 59 or any age. At any case, he will be spending his birthday both in Denmark, as you pointed out, a news conference there. Then on to Gleneagle and his encounter with the G-8 Summit leaders, the summiteers as you called them. They will be speaking from their summit about a wide variety of issues, not the least of which is global warming, the changing climate and the huge gap between the United States and the other nations on what to do about it.

President Bush has made it known that before he agrees to any sort of joint communique to come out of this summit meeting, there's going to have to be an effort to come up with an agreement on statement that does not go as far as the Kyoto Treaty, which the United States flatly rejects, says President Bush, because it would wreck the U.S. economy. The other leaders of the G-8 countries are behind that agreement, and therein lies the difficulty in coming up with some sort of statement that would gloss over those differences.

Other issues to be discussed, African aid. The favorite issue of the British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who's the host of this conference. The United States has already announced that it would provide more aid to Africa over the years, but nowhere near as much as Prime Minister Blair is requesting.

Another issue -- farm subsidies. It sounds like the kind of thing that isn't very sexy, but it is very important. It is the type of issue that can really separate nations. It is doing so in this case. The United States offers subsidies to its farmers, so do other countries. They're trying to come up with some sort of deal to level the playing field. That, of course, is a trade issues. There are a lot of other trade issues out there that they're going to try and resolve.

So this is really a working conference with a lot of issues out there that are, as I said, the nuts and bolts issues, the type that can be particularly difficult, but the kind that are needed to make the world run smoothly in this modern time. As far as the demonstrators are concerned, they are converging on Scotland. There is some concern that they're going to get out of hand. There is massive security. The one thing that we can predict with some confidence, Daryn, is that the demonstrators will not be chanting happy birthday to George W. Bush.

KAGAN: All right. They will be chanting, however. Thank you, Bob.

And now here are some of the basics of the G-8 plan and its aid to the world's poorest nations. The Group of Eight agreed in principle last month to forgive the debts of 18 countries. That program could be expanded to write off as much as $55 billion in debt. Most of the debt rests just in the nations of the sub-Saharan African area. That region accounts for $68 billion. Some aid workers, though, are warning that the relief plan is short-sighted. They say without political and economic reforms, the problems may only deepen.

Andrew Natsios is one such expert sounding the warning. He is the director of the Agency for International Development, also known as USAID for short.

Mr. Natsios, good morning. Thanks for being here with us.

ANDREW NATSIOS, DIRECTOR, U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT: Good morning.

KAGAN: You're not suggesting that there should not be additional help to Africa?

NATSIOS: Oh, no. I support it.

My agency is spending a lot of it and we really appreciate the generosity of the president and the Congress on this. The president's instruction to me, though, is to make sure this assistance gets spent properly.

And what I think is being missed in this debate is that if you put a lot of money into weak institutions, the money may disappear, there may be corruption, or even if there is no corruption, the objectives that people are expecting may not be reached.

So we don't want to increase aid and then get people disappointed because the results aren't achieved.

KAGAN: Well, and you're speaking from experience, because USAID doing a lot of work right now in Africa, especially on education, health, migration issues.

How right now in present-day Africa does your agency get around corruption problems?

NATSIOS: Well, in many cases, we go through nongovernmental organizations, farmers cooperatives, the private sector, universities, women's groups. We don't go through governments.

In some countries, the governments are reform-minded, like Ghana, Senegal, Mali, Mozambique, and there are a number of countries that are in that category.

But there are other countries where there's no government, like Somalia hasn't had a government in 15 years -- a national government -- or in the case of the Congo, half the country's not ruled by the central government; the country's in civil war.

KAGAN: Kind of a checklist of what supporters are pushing for, especially at the G-8: debt relief, free trade -- more free trade and doubling of international aid.

Which of those do you think would be most effective in actually making a difference on the ground in Africa?

NATSIOS: Well, if you really want to reduce poverty, you've got to increase people's incomes. It's kind of simple. And how do you increase incomes? You do it through economic growth. And that usually means more exports and more trade not just between the north, northern countries like the Europeans, the United States, Canada and Japan, but also between one southern country and another -- between one African country and another African country.

The World Bank estimates that if we had a free trading system, we could increase the incomes of poor countries by up to $300 billion a year -- a huge amount of money that would really lift hundreds of millions of people out of poverty.

KAGAN: I want to ask -- so many questions for you, but I really want to ask you about a specific number and a statistic that I think is going to come up a lot in the next three days, and it's about gross domestic product.

Currently right now, the comparison between what the U.S. gives compared to some European countries -- the number -- .16 of 1 percent is what the U.S. is giving. A big call for the U.S. to come up to what European nations are giving, which is .7 of 1 percent. What do you think about that call?

NATSIOS: Well, .7 is something that the World Council of Churches, I think it was in the early 1960s, late '50s proposed, or I think it was actually a higher percentage and they have lowered it since. There's no magic to percentages attached to gross national products.

The Europeans have a bigger tradition of this. We have never as a country, in Democratic or Republican administrations, focused on the percentage of our GNP. And the reason we don't is our gross national product is much larger than any other country's. Our economy is growing each year at a very rapid rate.

As you know, in Germany and France, there is 10 percent or 11 percent unemployment, the economies are not growing, they have serious economic problems. So when you have a percentage of that, it's a little bit different than when you have a percentage of a growing economy.

The question is whether aid is increasing.

KAGAN: Couldn't some argue that, look, those countries are in more dire straits than the U.S. and yet they're still giving more out of their own pockets?

NATSIOS: Well, the question is how much you're actually giving.

The Europeans actually gave 2.4 percent more in aid last year than the year before; we gave 14 percent more.

So our aid budget is going up 500 percent faster than the European aid budget. And when the president took office, the total aid budget for the U.S. government, for foreign aid, was $10 billion. Last year, it was $19 billion. We expect it will be somewhere in the order of $24 billion this year.

So it's been increasing more rapidly than any time in the last 40 or 50 years. If we increase too rapidly, and we don't have strong institutions to work with in the developing world, we actually will have corruption and we won't achieve the results we want.

KAGAN: The focus will definitely be on Africa as the week goes on. And I know your organization, as I mentioned at the top, already doing a lot of good work there.

Andrew Natsios, thank you so much.

NATSIOS: Thank you.

KAGAN: From USAID.

Let's go ahead and take a look at other stories making news coast to coast. To Hampton, New Hampshire. Holiday beachgoers watched helplessly as two men drowned coming to the aid of a 10-year-old boy.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They were waving their hands and yelling for help. They -- they were stuck in the -- they pulled them out. And every time I looked at them, they were farther and farther out there in the water.

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KAGAN: A powerful rip tide swept away about a dozen people, including the boy. Lifeguards were able to rescue the boy, but not his father and another man who rushed into the water to help.

In Flagler Beach, Florida, about a half dozen spectators suffered minor burns when a wayward rocket slammed into the sand at their feet. The fireworks display, however, continued on without interruption.

How about this for a close call? Bellevue, Washington. A man was able to emerge from this fireball with no more than some frizzy hair. His classic Ferrari, as you can see, was not as lucky. There's no word on what ignited that gas nozzle.

In less than two weeks, Olympic park bomber Eric Robert Rudolph faces sentencings for his deadly attack. Now his mother is revealing what she calls a tender side of the confessed killer in the Mother's Day card that he sent from prison. Pat Rudolph shares his letters with "USA Today." He is defiant and unapologetic for his rage against abortion and the government that legalized it. After admitting to bombing two abortion clinics, a gay nightclub and the Olympic park, Rudolph seeks forgiveness for the pain he has caused his mother.

In his Mother's Day card, he writes, quote, "Even though I cannot apologize for being who I am and expressing myself in the way that I did, it troubles me greatly that you had to experience any hardships because of my deeds." He signs it, "Your wayward son, Eric R. Rudolph." Rudolph will be sentenced 13 days from now.

From criminals writing letters to writing blogs. Coming up in the next hour, Joseph Duncan, the man charged with kidnapping Shasta Groene, is an active blogger. Hear what he has to say about his life and his battles with what he calls his demons.

But first, coming up this hour, a Vioxx wrongful death lawsuit could be put on hold. We will tell you why, coming up next on CNN LIVE TODAY.

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KAGAN: And we'll take a look at stocks and other news, after the break.

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KAGAN: For about a decade now, the Internet revolution has grown both in size and scope. And while that computer mouse has roared, it also has nibbled away at some boundaries to your privacy. CNN's Christina Park has an online look from our dot-com desk.

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CHRISTINA PARK, CNN.COM CORRESPONDENT: CNN.com/online explores the Internet revolution, including the key developments and technologies that have made our lives easier. But we also look into the darker side of the Internet.

Let's start with spam. Not just a pink pork product, it's slang for unsolicited junk e-mail, not to mention a multimillion dollar business. And what about annoying chain e-mails? You know, those messages in your in-box that promise that Bill Gates is giving away free money or threatened bad luck if you don't forward to ten of your pals? Well, besides souring your friendship, you could be breaking the law. It's actually illegal to start or forward an e-mail chain letter that promises any kind of return. Users could be prosecuted for mail fraud.

Terrorism has also gone high-tech, with many terrorists logging onto communicate with the world via video streams and shared information online. Identity masking and other techniques allow groups to post their messages with little fear of being tracked down.

But along with the bad, there's a world of good that came out of the World Wide Web, like dot-com desk for one. For your complete online guide, logon to CNN.com/online.

I'm Christina Park.

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KAGAN: Great surprise to share with you coming up. An Independence Day surprise here in Georgia. The families of four soldiers were able to see a sight far more exciting than fireworks. Their story is just ahead.

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KAGAN: Music City was also fireworks city last night. Promoters said Nashville's the Fourth of July show was the only one in the nation choreographed to live music. The American Pyrotechnics Association ranks Nashville's fireworks display as the third best in the country. How are you going to top that? Well, the traditional fireworks display on the National Mall in Washington drew a big crowd. Concert performers included Gloria Estefan, The OJays and The Beach Boys.

And then more July 4th boom-booms to show you from here in Atlanta. Lenox Mall display was one of two in the city, both of which claimed to have the biggest fireworks show in the Southeast.

And now to a story of emotional fireworks on the Fourth of July. Four military families were being honored at an annual holiday parade here in Atlanta. But get this: The wives and children had no idea about the surprise that was waiting for them. Tom Regan from our affiliate WSB has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) TOM REGAN, REPORTER, WSB (voice over): Four military wives, proud to be honored for their sacrifices, and the husbands they think are still thousands of miles away in Iraq. As Miss America Deidre Downs sings a heart-stirring hymn, a hotel bus with tinted windows crosses on to Peachtree Street. The wives assume it's just part of the parade setup. And then moments later, the shocking surprise: Out steps the love of their lives. Their jaws drop as they open their arms.

SHERRY ALFORD, SOLDIER'S WIFE: Yes, I'm still shaking. I'm excited, really.

REGAN (voice over): Is it hard to believe?

ALFORD: Yes. I mean I'm right now just -- there's no words.

SGT. TERRANCE ALFORD, U.S. ARMY: I feel great. I feel lucky that I was chosen.

ARIANNE GOOLSBY, SOLDIER'S WIFE: I was like, oh my gosh, they brought somebody's husbands home. Hey, those are our husbands. That's my husband.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'd say it's a blessing. I can just say that, just to come back to do this and see my family, so.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well I didn't say anything, I just kept on hugging him.

REGAN (voice-over): But the joyous reunion will soon make way for painful good-byes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm not even going to worry about -- I'm not thinking about that right now. Right now I'm going to think about the time that we're going to just have together. (END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Love sharing that happy day! That was Tom Regan of CNN affiliate WSB reporting. The soldiers's rotation was moved up so they could make it home here for that surprise on Fourth of July.

Well, it's becoming one of the greatest tools of modern law enforcement -- cameras catching crimes. Some say it's going too far. Hear from both sides of the controversy.

And an interesting study about kids who have TVs in their bedrooms. Statistics show every parent should hear this story. The second hour of CNN LIVE TODAY will begin after a quick break.

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KAGAN: Let's take a look at what's happening now in the news. The mother of Natalee Holloway expresses new concern about the investigation into her daughter's disappearance.

In a news conference in Aruba last hour, Beth Holloway Twitty expressed outrage over the release of two of the three suspects in the case. She says she fears the two young men may try to flee the island. We'll have much more on the investigation in just a minute.

President Bush is on his way to Europe this hour. Mr. Bush will first stop in Denmark before joining other world leaders in Scotland for tomorrow's G-8 Summit. On the agenda for the three-day talks: aid to Africa and global warming. A live report about 20 minutes from now.

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