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CNN Sunday Morning

White House Says bin Laden's Statement Isolates Him

Aired November 04, 2001 - 07:05   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.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: The Bush administration was very quick to respond to the videotape message from Osama bin Laden. The White House says that it shows how isolated bin Laden is from the rest of the world.

CNN's Kelly Wallace has more on the administration's response and its stepped up offense to win Arab and Muslim support.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Shortly after Osama bin Laden's videotape statement was broadcast by the Arabic network Al-Jazeera, a retired American diplomat recruited by the Bush administration to help in its campaign against terrorism was on the same airwaves, speaking in Arabic.

CHRIS ROSS, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO SYRIA (through translator): President Bush have (sic) repeatedly said the war of the international alliance is not against Islam.

WALLACE: Senior U.S. officials called bin Laden's condemnation of Arab members of the United Nations an act of desperation saying, quote, "by launching this attack against the other Arab nations he's alienating millions of moderate Muslims." U.S. lawmakers agreed.

REP. PETER DEFAZIO (D), OREGON: In the past, he has received support from a number of the nations that he's now attacking and the leaders of those nations. So I don't think this helps his cause a bit.

WALLACE: The U.S. tried to get that message out quickly using its campaign style war room at the White House, which is linked to an office in London and soon one in Islamabad. A necessary step, according to experts who believe so far the United States has fallen behind in the war of words.

STEPHEN COHEN, BROOKINGS INSTITUTION: What they're trying to do is humiliate the Americans to demonstrate American weakness, and I think the administration has been weak in responding to that. They focused on the military side of this, not the political and psychological side.

WALLACE: The administration has also faced criticism for its response to anthrax. But in his weekly radio address, President Bush defended the handling of what he called the second wave of terrorist attacks in the U.S.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're working to protect the people based on the best information available. And as we deal with this new threat, we are learning new information every day.

WALLACE (on-camera): But what the administration still hasn't learned is who is responsible for the anthrax attacks, whether they are the work of bin Laden's al Qaeda network, a domestic extremist group, or someone else.

Kelly Wallace, CNN, near Camp David, Maryland.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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