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CNN Saturday Morning News
President Bush's Travels in Europe
Aired November 23, 2002 - 08:09 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.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush is wrapping up a European swing today, welcoming two of the nations that have been invited to join NATO. And at this hour the president is in Romania. And that's where we find our John King -- John, the president arrived there now in the palace?
JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In the palace, now, Catherine, and he will be here in Revolution Square shortly. This is the spot where in 1989 protesters and demonstrations finally toppled the government of the dictator, Nikolai Ceausescu. President Clinton came here five years ago after the first round of NATO expansion. Romania missed that cut. President Clinton told this country to continue on the path of reform and some day it would be invited into the NATO alliance. Well, Mr. Bush will be here shortly to say congratulations, welcome to the NATO fold.
The president, as you noted, arrived here a short time ago in Bucharest, just reviewing a while ago with the Romanian president, Ion Iliescu, an honor guard. Mr. Bush waling past a military honor guard in the palace. This the second stop as Mr. Bush welcomes two of the seven new Eastern European nations invited to join the NATO alliance. Earlier today Mr. Bush greeted by an enthusiastic crowd in Vilnius, Lithuania. The crowd chanting and cheering for the president repeatedly. Mr. Bush noting that the Nazis and the communists had dominated that country and the Baltic region for decades. Mr. Bush now says if there is any aggression toward Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia, the three Baltic nations invited to join NATO, they will have the United States on their side.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The long night of fear, uncertainty and loneliness is over. You're joining the strong and growing family of NATO. Our alliance has made a solemn pledge of protection and anyone who would choose Lithuania as an enemy has also made an enemy of the United States of America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: As the president looks back at the dramatic transformation of Eastern European in the 13 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall, he is also urging these countries to look forward, saying like the Nazis and like the communists, the enemy of freedom now, in the president's view, is global terrorism. He is counting on these new nations invited to join the NATO alliance to support him in the board war on terrorism, also counting on their support, Catherine, when it comes to the U.S. confrontation with Iraq. CALLAWAY: All right, John, I know you'll be back with us in about 15 minutes for a reporter's notebook live from Bucharest.
Also, we want to tell everyone that when the president speaks, and that's expected at about 9:20 Eastern time this morning, when he gives his speech to the Romanian people, we hope to bring that to you live.
And also coming up in the next hour, The Novak Zone premiers on CNN SATURDAY MORNING. In his first segment, Robert Novak will sit down with Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. We'll bring that to you. Stay with us for that.
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 23, 2002 - 08:09 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush is wrapping up a European swing today, welcoming two of the nations that have been invited to join NATO. And at this hour the president is in Romania. And that's where we find our John King -- John, the president arrived there now in the palace?
JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In the palace, now, Catherine, and he will be here in Revolution Square shortly. This is the spot where in 1989 protesters and demonstrations finally toppled the government of the dictator, Nikolai Ceausescu. President Clinton came here five years ago after the first round of NATO expansion. Romania missed that cut. President Clinton told this country to continue on the path of reform and some day it would be invited into the NATO alliance. Well, Mr. Bush will be here shortly to say congratulations, welcome to the NATO fold.
The president, as you noted, arrived here a short time ago in Bucharest, just reviewing a while ago with the Romanian president, Ion Iliescu, an honor guard. Mr. Bush waling past a military honor guard in the palace. This the second stop as Mr. Bush welcomes two of the seven new Eastern European nations invited to join the NATO alliance. Earlier today Mr. Bush greeted by an enthusiastic crowd in Vilnius, Lithuania. The crowd chanting and cheering for the president repeatedly. Mr. Bush noting that the Nazis and the communists had dominated that country and the Baltic region for decades. Mr. Bush now says if there is any aggression toward Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia, the three Baltic nations invited to join NATO, they will have the United States on their side.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The long night of fear, uncertainty and loneliness is over. You're joining the strong and growing family of NATO. Our alliance has made a solemn pledge of protection and anyone who would choose Lithuania as an enemy has also made an enemy of the United States of America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: As the president looks back at the dramatic transformation of Eastern European in the 13 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall, he is also urging these countries to look forward, saying like the Nazis and like the communists, the enemy of freedom now, in the president's view, is global terrorism. He is counting on these new nations invited to join the NATO alliance to support him in the board war on terrorism, also counting on their support, Catherine, when it comes to the U.S. confrontation with Iraq. CALLAWAY: All right, John, I know you'll be back with us in about 15 minutes for a reporter's notebook live from Bucharest.
Also, we want to tell everyone that when the president speaks, and that's expected at about 9:20 Eastern time this morning, when he gives his speech to the Romanian people, we hope to bring that to you live.
And also coming up in the next hour, The Novak Zone premiers on CNN SATURDAY MORNING. In his first segment, Robert Novak will sit down with Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. We'll bring that to you. Stay with us for that.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
