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CNN Sunday Morning
Bush Heads to Britain
Aired November 16, 2003 - 09:11 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.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush says the U.S. won't spend years and years in Iraq as the new government takes shape. But he also says troops won't leave prematurely. He made the comments in an interview for PBS and the BBC.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: They need to know that we won't leave the country prematurely. They need to know two things, we're not going to cut and run. And, two, we believe they have the capacity to run their own country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: President Bush heads to Britain this week with pro- American sentiment waning greatly. British polls show little support for the war in Iraq or the British alliance with the United States. Diana Muriel reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DIANA MURIEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The flags already flying in London in honor of the American president's state visit. Indeed, all over England, preparations are under way for the occasion. But here in Suffolk, George W. Bush would get less of a welcome.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it would be fantastic if he actually realized that there was an opposition to him coming and to see that we can be creative with our protests, too.
MURIEL: Mel Harrison (ph) and colleagues are busy constructing a six meter or nearly 20-foot high effigy of Bush. Later, it will be painted bronze and taken to London to be ceremoniously toppled from a (UNINTELLIGIBLE) in Trafalgar Square at the culmination of a mass protest march. The irony obvious.
But Bush is unlikely to see the event or many of the other protests. Police have said they will cordon off White Hall which runs past the prime minister's residence on Downing Street and Parliament Square itself.
ANDY TROTTER, DEPUTY ASSISTANT POLICE COMMISSIONER: We're not going to stop access to London. London is open for business. What we can't have are tens of thousands of demonstrators in White Hall or in Parliament City. MURIEL: Organizers of the Stop the War Coalition who are planning the main marches in the capital are trying to get that decision reversed.
GHADA RAZUIKI, STOP THE WAR COALITION: I think the only problem will arise -- and this is very, very serious -- if they don't allow us to march past those two places, I think people will get very frustrated and will get very angry and will want to march to Downing Street because we know that's where George Bush and Tony Blair will be.
MURIEL: But for its part, the Stop the War Coalition is maintaining a relaxed, even humorous approach to its preparations. And many in Britain are sympathetic to their cause.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The population in the U.K. have put up with a lot over the last 12 months. And a number of people are very keen to air their views.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think they should allow us to demonstrate if we want to, definitely. I don't think it's particularly democratic that they're trying to (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
MURIEL (on camera): Whatever restrictions are placed on demonstrators in London, Stop the War campaigners are determined to make their point. And with tens of thousands of protesters expected to take part, it's likely to be a forceful one.
Diana Muriel, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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 November 16, 2003 - 09:11 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush says the U.S. won't spend years and years in Iraq as the new government takes shape. But he also says troops won't leave prematurely. He made the comments in an interview for PBS and the BBC.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: They need to know that we won't leave the country prematurely. They need to know two things, we're not going to cut and run. And, two, we believe they have the capacity to run their own country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: President Bush heads to Britain this week with pro- American sentiment waning greatly. British polls show little support for the war in Iraq or the British alliance with the United States. Diana Muriel reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DIANA MURIEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The flags already flying in London in honor of the American president's state visit. Indeed, all over England, preparations are under way for the occasion. But here in Suffolk, George W. Bush would get less of a welcome.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it would be fantastic if he actually realized that there was an opposition to him coming and to see that we can be creative with our protests, too.
MURIEL: Mel Harrison (ph) and colleagues are busy constructing a six meter or nearly 20-foot high effigy of Bush. Later, it will be painted bronze and taken to London to be ceremoniously toppled from a (UNINTELLIGIBLE) in Trafalgar Square at the culmination of a mass protest march. The irony obvious.
But Bush is unlikely to see the event or many of the other protests. Police have said they will cordon off White Hall which runs past the prime minister's residence on Downing Street and Parliament Square itself.
ANDY TROTTER, DEPUTY ASSISTANT POLICE COMMISSIONER: We're not going to stop access to London. London is open for business. What we can't have are tens of thousands of demonstrators in White Hall or in Parliament City. MURIEL: Organizers of the Stop the War Coalition who are planning the main marches in the capital are trying to get that decision reversed.
GHADA RAZUIKI, STOP THE WAR COALITION: I think the only problem will arise -- and this is very, very serious -- if they don't allow us to march past those two places, I think people will get very frustrated and will get very angry and will want to march to Downing Street because we know that's where George Bush and Tony Blair will be.
MURIEL: But for its part, the Stop the War Coalition is maintaining a relaxed, even humorous approach to its preparations. And many in Britain are sympathetic to their cause.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The population in the U.K. have put up with a lot over the last 12 months. And a number of people are very keen to air their views.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think they should allow us to demonstrate if we want to, definitely. I don't think it's particularly democratic that they're trying to (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
MURIEL (on camera): Whatever restrictions are placed on demonstrators in London, Stop the War campaigners are determined to make their point. And with tens of thousands of protesters expected to take part, it's likely to be a forceful one.
Diana Muriel, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
