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CNN Sunday Morning

President Bush Offers Investigative Assistance to Afghan Government

Aired July 07, 2002 - 09:06   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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush says he mourns the loss of Vice President Qadir, who he called a good man. Mr. Bush is spending the weekend with his family in Kennebunkport, Maine. CNN's Kelly Wallace joins us from there with more on the administration's reaction to this. Kelly.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, President Bush has offered American assistance to help the Afghan government if it needs it try to track down those responsible for the assassination of Vice President Qadir, but what we're also seeing on this day, Democrats and Republicans appearing on the Sunday interview programs, raising questions about the American involvement in Afghanistan if the Americans should do more to try to control the security in that country.

As for President Bush, he started this day going to church, a lovely stone and brick church here in Kennebunkport, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Joining him, the first lady, Mrs. Bush, his father the former president, as well as Condoleezza Rice, the national security adviser, and also of course, you see there, the president's mother Barbara Bush.

Now there are Democrats and even some Republicans who say the time might come for the U.S. to support the expansion of an international peacekeeping force beyond Kabul to other parts of Afghanistan. This is something the Bush administration has been reluctant to do. In part it says such a move could really be dangerous for U.S. forces in that country but military analysts say the onus really is on the United States, that the United States must do more.

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GEN. WESLEY CLARK, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: This puts a lot more pressure on the United States and on the International Security and Assistance Force currently under the command of Turkey, to provide the kind of close information and protection that's needed to secure the Hamid Karzai government that we've just got to do this. We've got to help the Afghans get on their feet so they provide their own security. So, it's one more brick to carry for the United States.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: This all coming though at a tense time between the United States and Afghanistan, after there is growing anti-American sentiment following the deaths of some 48 Afghan civilians, according to Afghan officials, after a U.S. military operation earlier in the week on Saturday.

The Pentagon for the first time says that Afghan civilians were unintentionally killed. President Bush during a phone call to Afghan President Karzai on Friday, expressed his sympathies and, Kyra, yesterday he promised an investigation to find out the facts and to make sure something like this does not happen again. Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, Kelly Wallace, thanks Kelly.

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