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CNN Sunday Morning

Bush Delivers Pointed Message to U.N.

Aired November 11, 2001 - 08:21   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: President Bush rewarded Pakistani president -- the president of Pakistan, that is -- for standing with the U.S. against terrorism with a new aid package. And after meeting with President Pervez Musharraf, Mr. Bush had some advice for Afghanistan's Northern Alliance.

CNN's senior White House correspondent John King has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The two presidents are in agreement on one pressing issue in the military campaign: Both say advances by Northern Alliance rebels against the Taliban should stop short of taking the capital of Kabul. Pakistan long has been at odds with the rebels. While the United States is helping Northern Alliance forces, Mr. Bush says taking Kabul would undermine efforts to build a broad-based coalition to replace the Taliban.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We will encourage our friends to head south across the Shomali Plains, but not into the city of Kabul itself. And we believe we can accomplish our military missions by that strategy.

KING: Mr. Bush rewarded President Musharraf's support in the war on terrorism with a promise to increase overall U.S. economic assistance to more than $1 billion. About $500 million of that in new direct aid, help the Pakistani leader hopes quiets some critics back home.

PERVEZ MUSHARRAF, PRESIDENT OF PAKISTAN: I remain extremely grateful to the president for his concern for Pakistan and for his desire to assist Pakistan in -- through the difficulty that we are facing at the moment.

KING: Earlier, the president addressed the United Nations General Assembly, issuing a pointed warning to nations he says are still turning a blind eye to terrorists.

BUSH: Every regime that sponsors terror: There is a price to be paid, and it will be paid. The allies of terror are equally guilty of murder, and equally accountable to justice.

KING: Mr. Bush did not name names, or say what the price might be. But Syria, Lebanon, Iran and Iraq top the administration's list of states that sponsor terrorism and harbor terror groups.

BUSH: History will record our response, and judge or justify every nation in this hall.

KING: Osama bin Laden said in an interview published Saturday he has chemical and nuclear weapons. And Mr. Bush raised the issue in warning leaders gathered for the general assembly, their country could be the next target.

BUSH: All the world faces the most horrifying prospect of all: These same terrorists are searching for weapons of mass destruction, the tools to turn their hatred into holocausts.

KING: Mr. Bush would not answer directly when asked if he believes bin Laden has nuclear weapons. Other administration sources say they believe the claim is exaggerated.

(on camera): But those officials say the United States does have credible information that bin Laden has tried to acquire nuclear technology, and they say his claims of having such weapons should only help the president make his case that other nations have no choice but to join the fight.

John King, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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