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American Morning
Bush in Africa
Aired July 08, 2003 - 09:04 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.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: The former ambassador to South Africa is currently with the Council on Foreign Relations. He joins us from Washington this morning.
Thank you, ambassador, for joining us.
The administration, we well know, has voiced concerns about terror groups, specifically Al Qaeda, finding root in Africa, because of the poverty, because of the lawlessness there.
Why else is Africa now at the top of the president's agenda?
AMB. PRINCETON LYMAN, FMR. AMB. TO NIGERIA AND SOUTH AFRICA: There are several reasons. One, the one you mention, of course, but also Africa has not participated actively enough in the world trading system. And if we're going to have another round of world trade, we have to bring Africa into it. Third, Africa will buy another decade, be providing 25 percent of America's oil. So it's becoming much more important to us.
And finally, there's the humanitarian crisis, not only the refugees, but the HIV/AIDS issue, which the president has a bold new initiative for.
O'BRIEN: The president will showcase Africa's success stories in his visits to Senegal, and South Africa and to Botswana and Nigeria and to Uganda. Some critics say that this is essentially a photo-op.
Do you think there's any merit in that criticism?
LYMAN: I think that's exaggerated, because what's happened with the president's trip following two trips by President Clinton is that Africa is now on the foreign policy agenda, and it will be, I think, for any administration. President Bush is highlighting a number of successes in Africa, and that's important, because we hear about the wars and the crises, but many countries in Africa are making progress on democracy and economic development.
O'BRIEN: Historically, as you well know, the U.S. has been very reluctant to get mired in any sort of civil unrest in Africa and Rwanda, certainly in the Congo, but now by very publicly mulling whether to send troops into Liberia, what kind of message do you think the administration is sending?
LYMAN: Well, I think it's an important issue, and it's going to dog the president on this trip until he makes a decision. I think it's symbolic of our recognition of the importance of Africa that we do help bring stability to Liberia, and I think bringing in a small, but significant American military force, together with the West Africans, to stabilize that situation, sends a very strong signal to the whole continent.
O'BRIEN: A very obvious mission meetingwise in this trip is any kind of meeting with the former South African President Nelson Mandela. He, of course, was very critical of President Bush. At one point, saying the president had no foresight, also saying the president was going to plunge the world into Holocaust.
Notably, the president actually mentioned Mandela in his remarks this morning. You know Nelson Mandela. Does he feel now he regrets those statements and was probably too hasty in what he said?
LYMAN: Nelson Mandela is a man who speaks his mind. I think he spoke about what he felt. I don't think he would retract them. But he would always be gracious in greeting an American president, should they have been able to meet.
O'BRIEN: Ambassador Princeton Lyman, joining us this morning from Washington D.C., thanks for joining us. Appreciate it.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired July 8, 2003 - 09:04 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: The former ambassador to South Africa is currently with the Council on Foreign Relations. He joins us from Washington this morning.
Thank you, ambassador, for joining us.
The administration, we well know, has voiced concerns about terror groups, specifically Al Qaeda, finding root in Africa, because of the poverty, because of the lawlessness there.
Why else is Africa now at the top of the president's agenda?
AMB. PRINCETON LYMAN, FMR. AMB. TO NIGERIA AND SOUTH AFRICA: There are several reasons. One, the one you mention, of course, but also Africa has not participated actively enough in the world trading system. And if we're going to have another round of world trade, we have to bring Africa into it. Third, Africa will buy another decade, be providing 25 percent of America's oil. So it's becoming much more important to us.
And finally, there's the humanitarian crisis, not only the refugees, but the HIV/AIDS issue, which the president has a bold new initiative for.
O'BRIEN: The president will showcase Africa's success stories in his visits to Senegal, and South Africa and to Botswana and Nigeria and to Uganda. Some critics say that this is essentially a photo-op.
Do you think there's any merit in that criticism?
LYMAN: I think that's exaggerated, because what's happened with the president's trip following two trips by President Clinton is that Africa is now on the foreign policy agenda, and it will be, I think, for any administration. President Bush is highlighting a number of successes in Africa, and that's important, because we hear about the wars and the crises, but many countries in Africa are making progress on democracy and economic development.
O'BRIEN: Historically, as you well know, the U.S. has been very reluctant to get mired in any sort of civil unrest in Africa and Rwanda, certainly in the Congo, but now by very publicly mulling whether to send troops into Liberia, what kind of message do you think the administration is sending?
LYMAN: Well, I think it's an important issue, and it's going to dog the president on this trip until he makes a decision. I think it's symbolic of our recognition of the importance of Africa that we do help bring stability to Liberia, and I think bringing in a small, but significant American military force, together with the West Africans, to stabilize that situation, sends a very strong signal to the whole continent.
O'BRIEN: A very obvious mission meetingwise in this trip is any kind of meeting with the former South African President Nelson Mandela. He, of course, was very critical of President Bush. At one point, saying the president had no foresight, also saying the president was going to plunge the world into Holocaust.
Notably, the president actually mentioned Mandela in his remarks this morning. You know Nelson Mandela. Does he feel now he regrets those statements and was probably too hasty in what he said?
LYMAN: Nelson Mandela is a man who speaks his mind. I think he spoke about what he felt. I don't think he would retract them. But he would always be gracious in greeting an American president, should they have been able to meet.
O'BRIEN: Ambassador Princeton Lyman, joining us this morning from Washington D.C., thanks for joining us. Appreciate it.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
