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President Bush Looking for Strong Statement This Morning from NATO
Aired November 20, 2002 - 08:16 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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: We want to get to Europe right now. President Bush looking for a strong statement this morning from NATO in support of his position right now concerning Iraq. The alliance on the verge of a historic expansion when the summit officially opens tomorrow in Prague.
Chris Burns has made his way there and now he joins us live from the Czech capital with the latest on the ground -- Chris, hello.
Good afternoon there.
CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon, Bill.
Well, it's really a breathtaking moment that will happen tomorrow when seven more, most of them former Soviet Bloc nations, will be invited into the fold of the 19 member NATO alliance. Already three former Soviet Bloc nations, including here, the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary. They joined back in '99. So this is a rapid and vast expansion of the, of NATO coming up.
It's very historic, but, of course, overshadowed by Iraq. The meeting this morning between President Bush and Vaclav Havel, the president of the Czech Republic, the one who led the Velvet Revolution that toppled the Soviet, the communist regime here. And he has thrown his support, qualified support behind President Bush, saying that NATO should make a quick decision if Saddam does not follow through in complying with those U.S. resolutions.
Now, President Bush also getting his message to Mr. Havel and to other allies.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's very important for our nations, as well as all free nations, to work collectively to see to it that Saddam Hussein disarms. If the collective will of the world is strong, we can achieve disarmament peacefully.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNS: Bush going on to meet with other leaders later today and in the coming days, trying to round up more support for a possible U.S.-led attack on Iraq, if that came to pass. At the same time, the security is extremely tight. Helicopters overhead. F-16s flying over the Czech Republic. Some 12,000 Czech police. Some 4,000 troops, 2,000 of them watching VIPs like President Bush and some 40 other heads of state here -- Bill.
HEMMER: Chris, back to this topic of Vaclav Havel and the support, in essence, that he offered yesterday. How many of the other European leaders think along the same lines as him or how much opposition in thought do you find thus far today regarding NATO?
BURNS: Well, obviously the opposition from Chancellor Gerhardt Schroeder of Germany, who made it one of his campaign themes that got him reelected, he is very much at odds with President Bush. Bush does not have any plans to meet with him bilaterally. But other leaders have offered qualified support. Of course, there is support from Great Britain. Jacques Chirac of France has expressed his sympathies, even though he's forced President Bush to push through that U.N. resolution instead of going unilaterally.
So there are a lot of people who are reluctant among those leaders. However, if push came to shove, it is believed that they would provide some kind of support, be it active or passive, passive being perhaps over flight rights, bases.
There's a meeting today between President Bush and the Turkish president and that country is very important. It borders Iraq. Very important bases there. They'll need Turkey's support. Turkey has been reluctant up to now -- Bill.
HEMMER: Chris, thanks.
Chris Burns on the ground in Prague.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
from NATO>
Aired November 20, 2002 - 08:16 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: We want to get to Europe right now. President Bush looking for a strong statement this morning from NATO in support of his position right now concerning Iraq. The alliance on the verge of a historic expansion when the summit officially opens tomorrow in Prague.
Chris Burns has made his way there and now he joins us live from the Czech capital with the latest on the ground -- Chris, hello.
Good afternoon there.
CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon, Bill.
Well, it's really a breathtaking moment that will happen tomorrow when seven more, most of them former Soviet Bloc nations, will be invited into the fold of the 19 member NATO alliance. Already three former Soviet Bloc nations, including here, the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary. They joined back in '99. So this is a rapid and vast expansion of the, of NATO coming up.
It's very historic, but, of course, overshadowed by Iraq. The meeting this morning between President Bush and Vaclav Havel, the president of the Czech Republic, the one who led the Velvet Revolution that toppled the Soviet, the communist regime here. And he has thrown his support, qualified support behind President Bush, saying that NATO should make a quick decision if Saddam does not follow through in complying with those U.S. resolutions.
Now, President Bush also getting his message to Mr. Havel and to other allies.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's very important for our nations, as well as all free nations, to work collectively to see to it that Saddam Hussein disarms. If the collective will of the world is strong, we can achieve disarmament peacefully.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNS: Bush going on to meet with other leaders later today and in the coming days, trying to round up more support for a possible U.S.-led attack on Iraq, if that came to pass. At the same time, the security is extremely tight. Helicopters overhead. F-16s flying over the Czech Republic. Some 12,000 Czech police. Some 4,000 troops, 2,000 of them watching VIPs like President Bush and some 40 other heads of state here -- Bill.
HEMMER: Chris, back to this topic of Vaclav Havel and the support, in essence, that he offered yesterday. How many of the other European leaders think along the same lines as him or how much opposition in thought do you find thus far today regarding NATO?
BURNS: Well, obviously the opposition from Chancellor Gerhardt Schroeder of Germany, who made it one of his campaign themes that got him reelected, he is very much at odds with President Bush. Bush does not have any plans to meet with him bilaterally. But other leaders have offered qualified support. Of course, there is support from Great Britain. Jacques Chirac of France has expressed his sympathies, even though he's forced President Bush to push through that U.N. resolution instead of going unilaterally.
So there are a lot of people who are reluctant among those leaders. However, if push came to shove, it is believed that they would provide some kind of support, be it active or passive, passive being perhaps over flight rights, bases.
There's a meeting today between President Bush and the Turkish president and that country is very important. It borders Iraq. Very important bases there. They'll need Turkey's support. Turkey has been reluctant up to now -- Bill.
HEMMER: Chris, thanks.
Chris Burns on the ground in Prague.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
from NATO>
