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American Morning

Target: Terrorism - Rumsfeld's Mission to the Mideast

Aired October 03, 2001 - 09:17   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.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Along the diplomatic front, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is heading to the Middle East and central Asia on a coalition building mission.

For the very latest on that, let's go to my colleague CNN's John King, joins us from Washington with the all the latest. Good morning, John.

JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Paula. Well, a great deal of focus on that trip by the Defense Secretary. Some asking, why is the Defense Secretary on this diplomatic mission and not the Secretary of State?

A short time ago I had a conversation with the number 2 man at the State Department, The Deputy Secretary Richard Armitage; and I began by asking him if a comparison might be drawn to a trip made more than decade ago by then Defense Secretary Dick Cheney and then General Colin Powell, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. They traveled to the region just in advance of the United States launching the air war against Iraqi forces deployed into Kuwait and Southern Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RICHARD ARMITAGE, DEPUTY SECRETARY OF STATE: I think the comparison Mr. King, you should draw is that given the importance of the endeavor we're about to embark, and the importance of those countries to our efforts; that the Secretary of Defense felt he needed, and indeed in respect required we have a face to face meeting with the leaders of the various countries involved.

KING: He told reporters on his plan on the way over, that he had a pretty good sense of where Osama bin Laden was, but he did not have the exact coordinates.

Does the United States have detailed intelligence now about the location of Mr. bin Laden?

ARMITAGE: Well, there's intelligence about the location, how detailed it is, I think, is a matter of some conjecture. I think the Secretary of Defense put it exactly correctly.

KING: From the NATO allies yesterday, word that the United States had provided -- quote -- "[C]lear and compelling evidence linking these strikes to bin Laden and his network."

I understand the sensitivity of intelligence matters, sir, but can you help us understand what type of evidence we are talking about? How do you connect the dots between these hijackers and bin Laden?

ARMITAGE: Well it's both -- it's a number of things: Financial records, financial transactions, communications among and between various groups, information gleaned from interrogations of people who've been picked up, as they say, busted in various attempts to disrupt terrorist cells. So, it's a combination of all.

KING: It seem to be -- this operation seems to be proceeding on two different tracks. On the one hand, we hear of efforts to try to divide the Taliban, cause defections, bring them down from within, if you will, without firing a shot; on the other hand, the British prime minister yesterday saying quite bluntly, surrender the terrorist or surrender power. The president once again warning the Taliban of -- quote -- "consequences."

Explain for us, is this a two track mission, or is there a military option only?

ARMITAGE: Well, there are many more than two tracks, Mr. King. There are also financial tracks, which are -- we hope to strangle the financial resources of al Qaeda. There clearly are attempts to divide the Taliban. There are other attempts by many nations to help and assist the opposition, the Northern Alliance. And finally, there's the pressure brought by the coalition to include the possibility of military pressure.

So, it's a many tracked front.

KING: And credibility, obviously, is very important to diplomatic endeavors. Do you run the risk, sir, if the president and the prime minister are speaking in such muscular language, if you will, that if there is not military strikes relatively soon, that people will start to doubt the resolve?

ARMITAGE: No, I think, speaking as I understand the American people's resolve, they'd rather get it right than get it in a hurry. That's the way the president looks at it. He wants to get it right, and he's going to attack this terrible enemy on all fronts, simultaneously. And he will do in his time, not on the terrorist timetable.

KING: There have been in the three weeks since these tragic events a number of stories about efforts over the year to try to capture Mr. bin Laden or to kill Mr. bin Laden; obviously the Clinton administration chose the cruise missile option back in 1998.

One report this morning saying that the United States, under the Clinton administration, had an agreement with the Pakistani intelligence service to try to go after bin Laden, and that that agreement fell apart during -- after the military coup in which General Musharraf seized power in Pakistan.

Is that true, sir?

ARMITAGE: Well, I don't think I would be long for this job if I were commenting on intelligence activity. I think what is true is that we'd all be a lot better off if Osama bin Laden was not here.

KING: Let me ask you, sir, about the difficult diplomacy. We hear assurances from Secretary Powell, yourself, the president, that the Saudis are fully cooperating. Yet in the Saudi press back in the region, they say they do not want their bases used for offensive military actions.

Can you explain to us, sir, is there a degree of disagreement between the United States and Saudi Arabia, or is this just an example, if you will, of having to speak to the home political audience?

ARMITAGE: Well, every nation has a home political audience, but I'm unaware of any major difficulties with the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. I think they, like many others, want to know exactly what we're up to. I think, because Secretary Rumsfeld will explain that very well, and I suspect that you will see the government of Saudi Arabia fully supportive of President Bush's efforts.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KING: More of that conversation with the Deputy Secretary of State in the 11:00 hour. In that segment of the interview, we discussed the cooperation of Pakistan and the very delicate diplomacy there.

I also want to add that subsequent to that conversation with Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, we did speak to a senior administration official who, while refusing to get into the details, did confirm for CNN that there was arrangement the Clinton administration was negotiating with the Pakistani intelligence service for an operation against Osama bin Laden.

That agreement fell apart, we are told, when General Musharraf, now President Musharraf, seized power. The agreement was made under the previous government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. We're trying to get more details on that.

And Paula, as we go back to you in New York, also a great deal of activity on Capitol Hill today. The first sign of strains between the Bush administration and members of Congress over that anti terrorism package, are bubbling up.

Also, strains between the president and fellow Republicans over just what should be in an economic stimulus package. In the next hour we will speak live to the Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert about those efforts, those negotiations, and the fist signs of some difficulty in what has been a remarkably polite tone between the president and the Congress in the three weeks since these attacks.

ZAHN: So what will be the biggest sticking block there? KING: It depends on the issue. Democrats are objecting to some of the items in that anti terrorism package the attorney general wants. They think it goes too much into invading privacy laws. Urgent negotiations there.

The most interesting debate is probably on the economic stimulus front. Many Republicans, conservatives in the House, urging the conservatives to hold the line. They think the president is giving in too much to the Democrats when it comes to an emergency stimulus package. They want much more tax breaks for the business community. The administration right now favoring temporary tax cuts.

So, some tension not only between Democrats and Republicans, but also between the president and his fellow conservatives in the House of Representatives when it comes to just what the government should do about the economy.

ZAHN: Thanks so much, John. See you a bit later on this morning.

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