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American Morning

President Bush Leaves on Four-Day Tour of Latin America

Aired March 21, 2002 - 07:02   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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Up front this morning, Marine One is wheels up in just a few hours, when President Bush leaves on a four-day tour of Latin America. He'll be stopping first in El Paso, Texas today, and then on to Mexico, Peru and El Salvador. Topping the president's agenda is American foreign aid, which last week he proposed increasing 50 percent to $15 billion annually, but a deadly car bombing in Peru threatens to mar that trip even as it begins. The bomb exploded late yesterday outside the U.S. Embassy in Peru killing at least nine people. Claudia Cisneros reports from Lima.

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CLAUDIA CISNEROS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Smoke coming from a vehicle alerted passerbyers and police something was wrong. When they approached, the bomb went off. Among the dead and injured were two members of the U.S. Embassy security staff.

The vehicle had been placed in a parking lot of a shopping center located some 150 feet from the U.S. Embassy in a commercial and residential area in Lima, although the U.S. Embassy was not damaged.

Security in the area was extremely tight in advance of President George Bush's arrival for his state visit on Saturday.

Interior Minister Fernando Rospigliosi said there was no way this incident could have been prevented short of isolating the entire area.

Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo cut short his trip to Mexico to return to the capital on Thursday. The nation cabinet held an emergency late-night meeting. Officials say they have no suspects yet, but that at this point, nothing could be ruled out.

(on camera): The question lingers if this will turn out to be an isolated act, or if it means that terrorism in Peru is back and alive.

Claudia Cisneros for CNN, Lima, Peru.

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