Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Saturday Morning News

Bush Offers Billions to Help Fight World Poverty

Aired March 23, 2002 - 07:02   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.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Now let's get back to our lead story this morning, President Bush's Latin American tour. The U.N. Development Conference in Monterrey, Mexico, wrapped up yesterday with the U.S. offering billions of dollars to help fight world poverty.

CNN's Major Garrett is with the president.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MAJOR GARRETT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): President Bush came to Monterrey to highlight billions in U.S. development aid and tighten security on the U.S.-Mexican border, but two dictators, Cuba's Fidel Castro and Iraq's Saddam Hussein, partially overshadowed the Bush agenda.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There's only one country that's not a democracy in our hemisphere, and that's Cuba. And it makes me uncomfortable to realize that there is still one country that doesn't have free press, freedom to speak, freedom to realize your dreams.

GARRETT: Castro left the U.N. Development Conference a full day before it concluded, missing the group photo with dozens of world leaders. Cuban officials said Mexico buckled to U.S. pressure and excluded Castro from certain events, a charge Mexican and U.S. officials dismissed as "ludicrous."

Asked twice about the flap, Mr. Bush flashed some anger.

BUSH: I thought I just answered that question. Maybe I missed it, or you did.

GARRETT: On Iraq, the president said its efforts to develop weapons of mass destruction make it a prime target in the war on terror, just not right now.

BUSH: We have no imminent plans to use military operations. We'll be deliberate, we'll consult with our friends and allies, but we'll deal with Saddam Hussein, and he knows that.

GARRETT: Earlier, the president said he will offer $10 billion in new aid to poor countries that abolish corruption and open their markets to free trade. BUSH: When aid is linked to good policy, four times as many people are lifted out of poverty compared to old aid practices. All of us here must focus on real benefits to the poor instead of debating arbitrary levels of inputs from the rich.

GARRETT: The new aid comes on top of the $10 billion the U.S. already spends each year to alleviate world poverty.

(on camera): Some coalition partners have warned the U.S. that a military strategy alone can't win the war on terror, that the U.S. will also have to fight poverty, which feeds despair, and in some cases gives rise to terrorism.

Major Garrett, CNN, Monterrey, Mexico.

(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