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American Morning

President Bush Pushes Missile Defense Plan to NATO Allies

Aired June 13, 2001 - 10:03   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.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: We begin this hour at the headquarters of the NATO military alliance, where President Bush has faced a critical test of his diplomatic skills. NATO allies are upset with his administration's plans to build a missile defense system. They say that would violate the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, a landmark agreement long credited with reining in the U.S./Russian arms race.

Mr. Bush calls the agreement, quote,"a relic." Instead, he says NATO must guard against nuclear threats from rogue nations and the futuristic system provides just such a safeguard.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I told the allies I'm committed to working closely with them to address this common threat by developing a new framework for nuclear security. The framework must include greater non-proliferation and counter- proliferation efforts, decreased reliance on offensive weapons and greater transparency so that responsible nations can have greater levels of confidence.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Mr. Bush also came under fire yesterday in Spain, which was the first stop of his six-nation tour. There, he faced questions over the White House's plans to abandon the Kyoto treaty, which is an international plan to combat global warming.

Let's take a closer look now at these issues of diplomacy and divisiveness. For that, we turn to our guests in Washington. Jason Forrester is a former senior analyst on international affairs for the Gore presidential campaign. He joins us in our Washington bureau this morning. Good to see you, how are you?

JASON FORRESTER, FRM. INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS ANALYST, GORE CAMPAIGN: Thank you. Good morning, Leon.

HARRIS: Were you able to listen to the entirety of Mr. Bush's comments just moments ago before the NATO -- the press there covering the NATO summit?

FORRESTER: I was able to listen to it. I thought that what the president had to say was very encouraging. The Bush administration, in its early months, has been in sort of an anti-Clinton, we're not Bill Clinton mode, which makes sense on some levels, but in terms of international, diplomatic consultation, I think it's very encouraging to see the president is talking a lot more about consultation rather than, for instance, unilateral abrogation of the ABM Treaty, as had been hinted at by certain members of his administration early on.

HARRIS: Yes, and as a matter of fact, that question about unilateralism was brought up there by the press. We also want to take a moment now to welcome in another guest who is going to join us now. Robert George is an associate editorial page editor for "The New York Post." He's joining us in our New York bureau this morning.

Good to see you, glad you're able to join us. Were you able to hear the comments Mr. Bush made moments ago?

ROBERT GEORGE, "THE NEW YORK POST": Unfortunately, I didn't hear the exact comments. I saw basically an advance outline of the speech, so I have a general idea of what the president said.

HARRIS: All right, then what do you make then of what you were able to see, then?

GEORGE: I think -- I tend to agree. I think that the president is definitely trying to, in a sense, bring in his European allies into his way of thinking. I think the early days of the administration might have been awkward from a public relations perspective, but I think, actually, he's on the right track right now.

HARRIS: Yes, what he's doing right now is he's actually having to go out and actually sell the ideas that he's been talking about for some time, and the fact that these questions are actually being asked says something about this way this administration going about building relationships with the international community. Do you expect this trip, basically -- Jason, do you expect the trip to, I guess, pave the way for a smoother way to go from now on for the administration in that regard?

FORRESTER: I certainly hope so. In my opinion, probably the most important visit that he will have -- the most important meeting will be on Saturday in Slovenia with President Putin. Getting off on the right foot with President Putin could be the key to trying to implement this new vision that the president talked a lot about, but he hasn't given a lot of specificity on. I think the more we move toward specificity and to consultation, the more encouraged I will be, and I think the greater likelihood we'll have of international stability.

HARRIS: And that lack of specificity has been cited as the reason why so many in the international, particularly European, community have been on edge about this administration; correct?

FORRESTER: Exactly, Leon. There's a common phrase flying about Washington now, "fly before you buy." As it relates to missile defense, I mean, the clearer we get on missile defense, the clearer the discussion or the more concrete we can have an exchange of ideas so the Europeans can understand whether the Bush proposal will threaten the Russian nuclear deterrent or whether we're actually moving into, as the president mentioned in his speech at NATO headquarters, in his press conference of a complex approach to dealing with the questions of nuclear weapons, et cetera, via arms control, diplomacy, deterrence as well as possibly a limited missile defense.

HARRIS: Well, that agenda there in mind, Robert, what is it that you are looking to see this administration do; specifically, what are you looking to see or hear Mr. Bush say in the coming days before he meets Vladimir Putin at the end of the weekend?

GEORGE: I think one of the things that we've learned is that Bush, obviously, is a right-of-center politician. And he, in a sense, is trying to convey his views on arms control and so forth from that philosophical perspective, where most of the -- a lot of the Europeans are sort of left-of-center.

So, I think Bush, obviously, in a sense has to clearly outline a vision saying that the United States is still going to be there as, in a sense, a trusted ally, but there's a new world, there's new priorities, and they're willing to share the technology on missile defense and so forth, and convince Putin of the wisdom of that view.

HARRIS: It's a new world, but there's still some old business to attend in that world. Mr. Bush was also asked about the developments in the Middle East, and I want to keep the two of you here, since we do have you here, we'd like to get your perspective on the developments there in the Middle East. And before we get to that, I want to get back to Kyra Phillips.

PHILLIPS: Good segue, Leon. In diplomatic news, Washington has helped broker a new agreement between Israeli and Palestinian leaders, but reluctance and reservations loom.

CNN's Jerrold Kessel has more on the latest chapter in nearly nine months of violence now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): From the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv, the CIA chief continues his energetic mission to consolidate the truce in the making. No immediate changes on the ground, though. Israeli tanks still presiding over Palestinian areas; shooting still at Jewish settlers on West Bank roads. One woman injured in the latest incident.

Dominating, too, each side's lack of faith that other will actually respect commitment undertaking in terms of the plan, buttressing the doubts it will work.

LIMOR LIVNAT, ISRAELI CABINET MINISTER: Arafat's response will be examined by the outcome and the result. He is supposed to stop all the violence, and what we will see in the next few days, next few hours, next few days, if he lives up to his promises or not.

YASSER ABED RABBO, PALESTINIAN CABINET MINISTER: This is a test for the Israeli government to show that they are really ready to start a new process: if they freeze the settlement activities, if they put an end to atrocities of settlers and if they lift the siege and the collective punishment they have imposed upon our people.

KESSEL: President Bush called Mr. Tenet to congratulate him. Perhaps, say observers, most crucial to the success of the efforts, what the U.S. leadership does now.

CHEMI SHALEV, ISRAELI POLITICAL ANALYST: Whether George Tenet will tell them that this is a lost case despite the fact that he signed some sort of cease-fire agreement, and they will therefore desist and hold off or whether he will recommend that America continue its heavy involvement in the area, in which case both sides will be interested in maintaining the cease-fire and in seeing where American diplomacy leads them.

KESSEL: There'll be plenty of opposition on both sides. Even as the CIA chief and Yasser Arafat were wrapping up the late-night Palestinian agreement, demonstrations in nearby streets from various Palestinian groups opposed to ending their intifada.

ISMAIL ABU-SHANAB, HAMAS SPOKESMAN: We understand the enormous pressure against Arafat and the Palestinian Authority. This pressure is not solving the real problem. The real cause of the suffering of the Palestinian is the occupation, the settlers and the Israeli tanks on the Palestinian territories. Tenet is not dealing with the real cause of the problem.

KESSEL: On the Israeli side, Prime Minister Sharon, who has been conferring with his military commanders on the West Bank, has resisted insistence of Jewish settlers that he unleash Israeli's full military might. Now, the frustrations of the Israeli right have grown.

YEHUDIT TAYAR, SETTLER SPOKESWOMAN: If it wasn't so serious, it would be ludicrous that people actually pretend to believe when Arafat says there's going to be a cease-fire.

KESSEL (on camera): The Tenet working plan is designed to consolidate two previously independently-declared cease-fires by Ariel Sharon and Yasser Arafat. If this attempt to create one agreed truce doesn't take hold, the risk, the fear is it could undermine, perhaps even collapse those declared commitments to restraint.

Jerrold Kessel, CNN, Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: And back now to our guests, who have been helping us analyze these international issues this morning, Jason Forrester in our Washington bureau, and Robert George, who's standing by in New York.

Robert, let's start with you on this one, taking a look now at the situation in the Middle East. This administration, the Bush administration had kept an arm's length approach for some time now. It seemed to reverse course, now actually getting involved here, and it actually produced something, produced some quiet or at least a chance at some quiet there on the ground. Does this signal now, the time for the Bush administration to step up its involvement?

GEORGE: Well, I think so to a certain extent, and George Tenet had experience doing that when the Clinton administration was in there. So, he knows several of the players. But frankly, I mean, we have to be somewhat skeptical of this because so far, I mean if you go back to previous agreements, Israel had really given more concessions than they may have done in their previous history, and that was not enough for the Palestinians in that, and they restarted the intifada.

So I think, really the onus is on the Palestinians to hold on to this cease-fire. I think that's really the only success that you're going to have right now.

HARRIS: Many observers of note have said that the reason they made this concession this time or at least come to table is because -- you want to say the press battle in trying to present an image of the victim in this. Let's go to you, Mr. Forrester, standing by in Washington. What's your take on all of this?

FORRESTER: Well, obviously, a very complicated situation. Once again, greatly encouraged by the Bush administration's willingness to get involved. The bombing almost two weeks ago in Tel Aviv at the beachside club had the potential of igniting conflagration much wider than it's been since September, since the intifada started.

It can only be an encouraging sign that in the interim, the Bush administration deployed George Tenet who, as Robert noted, does have extensive experience with the leaders there, and that we now have something that we can build upon that both sides seem to have some degree of confidence in, and we would hope move away from this situation of the last eight months.

HARRIS: Jason -- go ahead. Final word. Robert.

GEORGE: I was just going to say, I think the key issue there was following that explosion was Sharon's willingness to hold back, and that really delivered the public relations blow to the Palestinian Authority.

HARRIS: Very good, thank you very much for your insight this morning, gentleman. Robert George of "The New York Post" in our New York bureau, and Jason Forrester, former senior analyst of foreign affairs for the Gore-Lieberman campaign, we thank you very much for coming in with us and sharing your insights.

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