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American Morning
President Bush Given All Clear by Doctors for Now
Aired December 19, 2003 - 07:33 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: President Bush has been given the all clear by doctors for now. The president had an MRI on both of his knees yesterday at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Doctors say he will not need surgery. Mr. Bush may do some exercises. The doctors have recommended that the long time runner refrain from his rigorous running routine.
The Bush administration plans to appeal a ruling that an al Qaeda suspect must be released from military custody within 30 days. The federal appeals court says that the administration does not have the right to indefinitely detain Jose Padilla, a U.S. citizen.
Senior White House correspondent John King is live for us in Washington this morning -- hey, John, good morning.
JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Soledad.
This is one of several interesting challenges to the broad anti- terrorism powers the Bush administration has sought and enforced since the September 11 attacks more than two years ago. Jose Padilla's case is unique, of course, because he is a U.S. citizen arrested here in the United States.
The charge against him when he was arrested back in May, 2002, was that he was scouting sites around the United States to detonate a so-called dirty bomb, a crude radioactive device. They took him into custody, accused him of being an al Qaeda sympathizer here in the United States. Instead of prosecuting him in the federal court system, the president declared him an enemy combatant, denying him legal rights, denying him even frequent sessions with his lawyers.
Well, the Second Court of Appeals yesterday said that's unconstitutional. The court said this in its decision, a 2-1 ruling, "We find that the president lacks inherent constitutional authority as commander-in-chief to detain American citizens on American soil outside the zone of combat."
The administration says it will not only appeal this ruling, but it will seek a stay. The court said Jose Padilla must be released in 30 days. The administration will try to delay that. White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan says the president believes he's made the right decisions here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCOTT MCCLELLAN, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The president's most solemn obligation is protecting the American people. We believe the Second Circuit ruling is troubling and flawed. The president has directed the Justice Department to seek a stay and further judicial review. This is a case in which an individual was involved with terrorist organization activity and was actively engaged in an effort to do harm to the American people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: And, again, the Jose Padilla case just one of several challenges to the broad powers the Bush administration has tried to enforce. As his case makes its way up through the courts, you also have the Supreme Court now entertaining the question of whether those more than 600 detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba deserve more routine access to lawyers and then access to the U.S. federal court system -- soldier.
O'BRIEN: John King at the White House for us this morning.
John, thanks.
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 December 19, 2003 - 07:33 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush has been given the all clear by doctors for now. The president had an MRI on both of his knees yesterday at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Doctors say he will not need surgery. Mr. Bush may do some exercises. The doctors have recommended that the long time runner refrain from his rigorous running routine.
The Bush administration plans to appeal a ruling that an al Qaeda suspect must be released from military custody within 30 days. The federal appeals court says that the administration does not have the right to indefinitely detain Jose Padilla, a U.S. citizen.
Senior White House correspondent John King is live for us in Washington this morning -- hey, John, good morning.
JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Soledad.
This is one of several interesting challenges to the broad anti- terrorism powers the Bush administration has sought and enforced since the September 11 attacks more than two years ago. Jose Padilla's case is unique, of course, because he is a U.S. citizen arrested here in the United States.
The charge against him when he was arrested back in May, 2002, was that he was scouting sites around the United States to detonate a so-called dirty bomb, a crude radioactive device. They took him into custody, accused him of being an al Qaeda sympathizer here in the United States. Instead of prosecuting him in the federal court system, the president declared him an enemy combatant, denying him legal rights, denying him even frequent sessions with his lawyers.
Well, the Second Court of Appeals yesterday said that's unconstitutional. The court said this in its decision, a 2-1 ruling, "We find that the president lacks inherent constitutional authority as commander-in-chief to detain American citizens on American soil outside the zone of combat."
The administration says it will not only appeal this ruling, but it will seek a stay. The court said Jose Padilla must be released in 30 days. The administration will try to delay that. White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan says the president believes he's made the right decisions here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCOTT MCCLELLAN, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The president's most solemn obligation is protecting the American people. We believe the Second Circuit ruling is troubling and flawed. The president has directed the Justice Department to seek a stay and further judicial review. This is a case in which an individual was involved with terrorist organization activity and was actively engaged in an effort to do harm to the American people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: And, again, the Jose Padilla case just one of several challenges to the broad powers the Bush administration has tried to enforce. As his case makes its way up through the courts, you also have the Supreme Court now entertaining the question of whether those more than 600 detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba deserve more routine access to lawyers and then access to the U.S. federal court system -- soldier.
O'BRIEN: John King at the White House for us this morning.
John, thanks.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
