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American Morning

President Bush Wrapping Up European Tour

Aired July 24, 2001 - 10:21   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.
BRIAN NELSON, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush has wrapped up his European tour with a visit to U.S. troops who are stationed in Kosovo, and he is now heading down to Rome as he prepares to make his way back here to the United States. Our White House correspondent Kelly Wallace is standing by in Rome right with the latest on the president's trip.

Kelly, good morning, or good afternoon to you?

KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Right, good afternoon to you too, Brian from Rome. As you noted, President Bush on his way back here Rome simply to change planes before heading off and returning to Washington. His trip and his visit to U.S. troops in Kosovo billed as an opportunity for the president to thank the American service members and give them a bit of a morale boost.

Well, Mr. Bush got a bit of a boost himself. The troops giving him a very warm welcome and reception. The president traveling to Camp Bondsteel, which the main command center for the some 5,000 U.S. forces currently in Kosovo. This visit, though, coming at definitely a tense time in the region, with fighting continuing in nearby Macedonia between ethnic Albanian rebels and Macedonian government forces. The fighting threatening an already very shaky and fragile cease-fire.

Now, U.S. Forces in Kosovo and Macedonia are already playing a role to try to prevent the conflict from escalating, but there is that possibility that additional U.S. forces may one day have to be deployed to Macedonia to try to defuse the tensions.

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GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: America has a vital interest in European stability and therefore peace in the region. That's why I've recently taken steps to cut off outside support for the rebels in Macedonia. That's why we need to you keep patrolling the border and cutting off the arms flow.

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WALLACE: Now, after that speech, the president and first lady Laura Bush hit the chow line and dined with the men and women in the military in the mess hall. This trip also interesting because during the presidential campaign, Mr. Bush pledged that he would like to bring U.S. troops out of the Balkans and that he would encourage European allies to put more of their troops on the ground.

But after facing some pressure from European allies, the president sort of saying what he repeated on this day, that the U.S. and the Europeans went into Kosovo together, and that they will leave together. But Mr. Bush also said he hoped to speed up the day when all NATO forces could leave Kosovo, when local institutions would be up and running and civilian police forces play the role that the military peacekeepers are now playing.

What he couldn't say, though, is exactly when that day will be and with the tension in Macedonia, it does not look like that will be any time soon. The president did, though, come with a gift of sorts. He signed a bill into law, a $1.9 billion measure which provides a pay raise and some improvements in benefits and health care for military men and women.

So, Brian, you could say the president is ending trip on a high note before heading back to Washington where he faces some definite battles with the Congress over domestic issues such as a patients bill of rights and campaign finance reform -- Brian.

NELSON: Kelly, does the president have any additional time to play tourist before he jumps back on the plane to come back home?

WALLACE: Zero time. Absolutely no time. He basically lands here in Rome, changes plane, heads off on Air Force One and is back to Washington. He did have some time, though, to sight-see during this trip. He visited the Forum, the ancient ruins here in Rome and in London, he took some time to see the sights as well. So, he did get some sight-seeing in on this trip.

NELSON: Well, we hope you did, too. Kelly Wallace, reporting to us from Rome.

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