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CNN Saturday Morning News

Bush Begins Weekend With Security Council Teleconference

Aired November 03, 2001 - 08:07   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 is spending another weekend at Camp David, Maryland and his taped radio address, dealing this week with the anthrax attacks, will be broadcast about two hours from now.

CNN White House Correspondent Kelly Wallace is near Camp David this morning -- good morning to you, Kelly.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Marty.

Well, President Bush beginning his day today the way he begins most Saturdays now, chairing another video teleconference with his National Security Council. The president left the White House yesterday afternoon for Camp David.

He and his advisers, though, also preparing for this week, which can be best described as really a public relations blitz. The president to give two major speeches targeting an international audience, including one one week from today at the United Nations. He'll also be meeting with at least six world leaders in Washington, including British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Senior administration officials say the president felt this was a good time to give a progress report to the American people and to the international community on this campaign against terrorism.

But all of this coming after there are some concerns even in some European nations about the progress so far of the military cooperation. Also, some Arab and Muslim nations expressing concern about military action continuing during the holy Muslim month of Ramadan, which begins in mid-November. Well, Mr. Bush addressing both issues yesterday after his meeting with the Nigerian president, the president making it very clear that there will be no scaling back of military action during Ramadan.

He also said that the administration is making progress, but in a message he has said over and over again, and one we're likely to hear him repeat this week, he said this campaign will take time.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're in for a long struggle and I appreciate the patience of the American people. We're making progress overseas in Afghanistan. We're slowly but surely tightening the net on the enemy. We're making it harder for the enemy to communicate. We're making it harder for the enemy to protect himself. We're making it harder for the enemy to hide. And we're going to get him and them. And it's, you know, there's some that say well, shouldn't this have happened yesterday? This is not an instant gratification war.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: Now, next week Mr. Bush will also give what is being billed as a major address to the American people on homeland security issues. And, Marty, as you mentioned right at the top, his entire radio address today for the first time will be focusing on all these cases of anthrax. You could almost call it an Anthrax 101 address, an opportunity to bring the American people up to date about what the government knows, also to sort of allay some fears about this.

And this, of course, Marty, as you know, after some criticism of the administration's handling of these anthrax cases with often, or at times, conflicting information coming from different agencies -- Marty, back to you.

SAVIDGE: Kelly, that anthrax situation continues to grow. Now we have the report of anthrax at the Treasury Department. What's the administration saying in regard to that?

WALLACE: Yes, exactly. We learned yesterday that the Treasury Department's off-site mail facility was closed, this after a mail room worker noticed a suspicious letter with the postmark Trenton, New Jersey. As you know, the letter that went to Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle as well as to New York media organizations containing anthrax did come from Trenton, New Jersey. The letter also had apparently what's called suspicious writing on the front.

Now, we're told that environmental testing is under way. It could wrap up today. But we're also told, Marty, by a spokeswoman for the Treasury Department that it didn't appear to contain anything inside. It wasn't lumpy. So they don't appear to think that it contains anything suspicious. They're doing all precautionary work. And we should tell our viewers that the Treasury Department is located next to the White House. This facility, though, not in the Treasury Department, although we're told it's not too far away -- Marty.

SAVIDGE: One of the things they were concerned about was the style of writing on the address. Thank you very much. Kelly Wallace reporting at Camp David.

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