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CNN Student News

Aired February 01, 2002 - 04:30   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.
ANNOUNCER: You're watching CNN STUDENT NEWS seen in schools around the world because learning never stops and neither does the news.

SHELLEY WALCOTT, CO-HOST: Get ready for your weekend in CNN STUDENT NEWS. We top things off with a discussion with Afghanistan's interim leader.

MICHAEL MCMANUS, CO-HOST: After that, we take a meeting with the World Economic Forum.

WALCOTT: Then we'll tell you who's saying yes to children.

MCMANUS: Finally, a twist on "Where in the World?" Can you guess "What in the World" we're talking about?

WALCOTT: And welcome to CNN STUDENT NEWS. I'm Shelley Walcott.

MCMANUS: And I'm Michael McManus.

Afghanistan's interim leader Hamid Karzai wraps up his U.S. visit with a tour of ground zero and a final plea, don't let up on the war against terror.

WALCOTT: That's right. From Washington to London, Hamid Karzai met yesterday with Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair. Karzai is pushing for the expansion of the British-led international security force in Afghanistan.

A few months ago, many people had never even heard of Hamid Karzai. Now the Afghan leader is being hailed as the man of the moment in the political world.

CNN's Michael Holmes has more on Mr. Karzai.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hamid Karzai may be as well known overseas for his cloak as his politics. The media here have dubbed it the technicolor dream cloak, but its formal name is japan (ph). The hat is lambs wool, a karakulee (ph). They're worn by older, educated, wise men. Karzai, considered by people who know him, to be all of those things. He's making an impression in ways other than clothing, of course, in the early days of his administration receiving parades of tribal leaders. Most of those meetings behind closed doors, CNN getting access to one of them. He's also met businessmen.

HAMID KARZAI, CHAIRMAN, AFGHAN INTERIM GOVERNMENT: These are our people. We're supposed to be making the country for them. So it's very, very, very valuable. That's our legitimacy.

HOLMES: Consensus and inclusiveness, the dominant motifs of his leadership, a sense of humor too.

KARZAI: And our lunch will get cold if you keep asking...

HOLMES: On the world stage, he's gone from meeting U.S. senators to world leaders.

His comfort level with those leaders is obvious, but as important is his comfort coping with the tribal and ethnic divides that crisscross Afghanistan and make consensus difficult.

So far he's widely accepted. Why? Because he has the backing of the international community. He has a hand on the checkbook for foreign aid. Also because he's not too well known here, he seemed as more acceptable than many better known leaders who perhaps carry baggage from the past.

A tribal leader himself, Indian educated, much traveled and with impeccable English, Karzai spent much of the 1980's in the United States. Some of his family still in the U.S.

He served as a junior minister in the 1990's, more recently a warrior against the Taliban, crossing from a base in Pakistan to lead troops against the Taliban, at one time being evacuated by U.S. helicopters before returning to fight again.

Would Hamid Karzai be elected national leader if a vote were held today? Probably not, he's still not well known enough here. Some people have their regional favorites, and others are hoping for a return of the former king.

Michael Holmes, CNN, Kabul.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: Paul Rook from Orlando, Florida asks: "What is the size of Afghanistan in relation to a place in the U.S.? And what's the population of Afghanistan?

ALAN CARROLL: Afghanistan is just a little bit smaller than the state of Texas. Pakistan, which is next door to Afghanistan, is about twice the size of California.

Well let's compare it again to Texas. The population of Texas is 20 million, Afghanistan is 26 million, which amazes me given that Afghanistan is so rugged and arid and such a poor country. It's actually got a very sizeable population.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCMANUS: CNN's Wolf Blitzer sat down with Mr. Karzai on Sunday for an interview. The leader spoke about his vision for Afghanistan's future and the role he would like the U.S. to play in it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR (on camera): You are the first leader of Afghanistan in I believe, if my notes are correct, 39 years to be officially welcomed in Washington, D.C. What is going through were your mind right now knowing you are representing your people here?

KARZAI: I'm glad. I'm very happy. It's a honor that the U.S. president, the U.S. government, the people are welcoming me here. I have seen a good welcome so far.

In my mind, as I stay in Washington, as I right now I'm talking to you, is only one thing: how to make Afghanistan good again, how to make it strong against the reemergence of terrorism and bad people from around the world, and how to cooperate with America and the international community to finish terrorism forever and to make a nice, good, peaceful world.

BLITZER (on camera): Will that require the United States not only making a commitment to you that it's willing to help you, but to take a leadership role in an international peacekeeping force in Afghanistan?

It has a leading role. It should play that leading role all over. And in Afghanistan, it has the role that it has played in the past when we were fighting the Soviets. And now the help that we receive from America to fight terrorism and with regard to the stability of Afghanistan for now into the future, it must play a continuous leading role, certainly.

BLITZER: Right now, the British are leading this force, with about 2,500 troops. There have been some suggestions that 30,000 might be necessary, with a robust U.S. presence. Is that what you want?

KARZAI: All of them have asked for more international presence in Afghanistan. The people of Afghanistan have asked for that.

All of them were saying: We are grateful to America for bringing us the independence that we had lost to terrorism.

All of them have asked for increased U.S. presence and increase international presence, yes.

BLITZER: So, how many American troops would you like to see participate? KARZAI: The number is not something that I can suggest now. It is something that the situation should determine. If you have stability, and if we have smooth running, we will probably not need lots of troops. But if things don't go well, if there is turmoil in the region, if the neighbors don't cooperate in a manner that we like, in a manner that is good for the stability, and if there are other conditions that are not so good for the overall peace in the country, then of course we will think of larger numbers.

But right now, things are fine. The neighbors are very good, they're helping Afghanistan, they're nice with us and the country's tremendously in favor of peace and stability, the common man.

BLITZER: When you say all the neighbors have been nice so far, Pakistan -- let's go through those neighbors. First of all, Pakistan President Musharraf, is he supporting you? Are you are confident that he is working to help Afghanistan?

KARZAI: Well, he was the first president of a country to call me, even when I was away from Kabul north of Kandahar in central Afghanistan. He called to congratulate me and to extend his cooperation and to say, look, let's have the best of relations.

BLITZER: So the previous support for the Taliban, you forgot about?

KARZAI: Yes. We have to be reasonable. We have to live in this part of the world. We have to be good with our neighbors. We have to have the best of relationships, trade and so on. From our side, there is the best of intentions. Based on our national interest, we will do that.

BLITZER: As you know, many American officials are very concerned about the Iranian role. Reports of troops, of arms shipments into Afghanistan. What exactly are the Iranians up to?

KARZAI: Iran, too, is a major neighbor of ours. We share history. We share culture. We share the same language. We are both Muslim countries. The Iranians have come and told us that they have the best intentions towards us. I spoke to the president of Iran, Mr. Khatami. He gave me assurances.

Yes, we hear things happening in western parts of the country. But just a few days ago in Tokyo, the Iranian foreign ministry gave me a reassurance again and we take that as good. And if there is anything that is not done well by our neighbors, that we feel is not right, we will tell them straight. And we right now hope that everybody will be nice to us and we are nice to them. That's where I would like things to be.

BLITZER: As you know, Russia has a history in Afghanistan, not a very good history, the former Soviet Union. I have spoken to people who have been in Kabul recently say there's a lot of Russians running around Kabul right now. Are they playing a positive or a negative role, as far as you can tell? KARZAI: I don't think there are so many Russians in Afghanistan right now. There was some that came from a medical unit. They have not displayed any such activity that should concern us, that should make us worried. At this point now, today, I believe all of our neighbors are having a reasonable attitude.

It is tremendously in the interest of all in that region to have a moderate, reasonable approach to Afghanistan. Otherwise, terrorism, bad people, radicalism will find a place again and that's going to be disastrous for the region as a whole.

BLITZER: As you know, many U.S. officials are also concerned about the warlords in various parts of your country who are still in control. What do you want to do with them? Specifically, do you want to disarm them?

KARZAI: More than U.S. officials, Afghans are concerned about warlords. They have suffered the consequences of having warlords, warlords that were trained by outsiders and brought on the Afghan people to create havoc in our country.

We must differentiate between a freedom fighter and a warlord. Those Afghans that fought for Afghanistan's liberation from the Soviets are freedom fighters. Those Afghans that fought against terrorism in Afghanistan are freedom fighters. Now, there are also people who are gun-runners, who force people, through their guns, to do things. Those are the people that we must take away from the streets and villages and cities of Afghanistan.

Those are the people that we are concerned with. And we are determined, absolutely determined, that we must free Afghanistan from those elements. The people of Afghanistan have asked me this repeatedly.

BLITZER: And the drug smugglers?

KARZAI: Absolutely.

BLITZER: Because the warlords and the drug smugglers ...

KARZAI: They're together. They're together, yes. We will make sure that they go. If we do not make sure, our country will not see peace or stability.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCMANUS: Interim leader Hamid Karzai is the first Afghan head of state to visit the U.S. in nearly 40 years. Many say his visit marks a change in the role the U.S. will play in Afghanistan. And to find out more about his trip on our companion Web site, check out CNNstudentnews.com.

WALCOTT: More news of global significance now as we turn to an event taking place in New York. The World Economic Forum has kicked off its annual meeting, this year being held at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in Manhattan. The WEF meeting draws some of the world's top business people, political leaders and thinkers to discuss global economic trends. The meeting has hundreds of city police officers on high alert. That's because violent anti-globalization demonstrations have broken out at previous WEF gatherings. But so far, practitioners of the Falun Gong Spiritual Movement and a small environmental group have staged peaceful protests.

With more on the World Economic Forum and what it hopes to accomplish, here's Garrick Utley.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARRICK UTLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It began 30 years ago at a small Swiss ski resort, Davos. It grew into a glittering gathering place for heads of state and captains of industry to rub shoulders, along with other movers, shakers and thinkers. At the heart of the World Economic Forum is the belief that free markets and free trade everywhere will lead to a better world for everyone.

And then there are those who beg to differ, those who do not see global capitalism as an improvement in the human condition. And if they go too far at this week's meeting which is being held in midtown New York, well, they will face this.

Along fashionable Park Avenue, up to 3,000 people will spend five days in thoughtful meetings and global schmoozing.

(on camera): New York City Police say they can handle any demonstration here, but it could be a remarkable scene with anger and protests in the streets while here inside the revolving doors of the Waldorf-Astoria, if you're allowed inside, you enter a different world.

(voice-over): If a setting like this speaks of power and wealth and confidence, that's not exactly the mood this week. The theme running through this year's World Economic Forum will be fragility, terrorism, recession, corporate failure and collapsed 401(k)s.

DONNA REDEL, MANAGING DIRECTOR, WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM: You've already had the dot-com debacle. You've had highs and lows in the markets. You've had people that have lost jobs so people themselves feel different about their own fragility.

UTLEY: It is not just in the United States that the recovery from recession is slow and weak in coming, most of the industrialized world is caught in the first global slowdown since the 1970s. Then there is the growing, embarrassing and painful gap between the rich and the poor in this world. Are those who are better off really going to think or care or do much about those who are falling behind?

(on camera): And finally, there's the issue that no one thought they'd be discussing at this year's conference, the credibility of capitalism itself.

(voice-over): The sight of Enron going down, of accountants not doing their job, of personal tragedy and employees who placed their faith and savings in their employer's honesty and stock. It's not a pretty picture.

CHARLES MACLEAN, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS, WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM: So I think corporate governess is obviously going to be a very hot topic now given what happened with Enron and it will be much discussed here at the Waldorf in the next couple of days.

UTLEY: Much discussed to maintain confidence in a free market which is supposed to be fair or at least honest.

Garrick Utley, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: Exploring our world, here now is CNN STUDENT NEWS "Perspectives."

MCMANUS: A teenage boy in Russia, a young girl in India, an international human rights leader, they all have something in common. What is it?

Kathy Nellis tells us as our U.N. coverage continues.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATHY NELLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): By the box load and the bag full and by computer, ballots pour in from 168 nations around the globe, a campaign by children to change the world for children.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All the children should have homes, like they shouldn't be homeless, and they should have something to eat.

NELLIS: It's called "Say Yes for Children." The focus: protecting the rights and improving the lives of children everywhere.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

CORRINE WOODS, PROJECT DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL SAY YES FOR CHILDREN CAMPAIGN: We believe that children's voices are important and they have the power to change the world and government leaders will listen to them.

NELLIS: Those government leaders will be listening during the United Nations Special Session on Children this spring. But first, the U.N. is asking you to tell them what you think matters most.

Start at the Web page for UNICEF -- www.unicef.org. You can see the goals of the campaign, including educating every child, protecting them from war and protecting the earth for children. You can even vote for the three issues you consider most urgent in your country. No computer? You can get a paper ballot by calling 1-800-FOR-KIDS or write Say Yes for Children, U.S. Fund for UNICEF, 333 East 38th Street, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10016. (on camera): Say Yes is more than a simple signup campaign, it's focusing attention on the serious issues facing children today. Millions of pledges are already in, but there is still time to add your voice.

(voice-over): Kids are helping to count the votes and standing up to be counted.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Take care of the poor people.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Education is very important for, like, children our age because, like, once we grow up to be adults -- I mean all ages, I mean because when we grow up to be adults, you know, we'll have like a good job and we'll have little children that looks up to us and maybe they'll do stuff good in their lives also.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Should we educate every child and should we listen to children? Now I would hope that every single person in the world would say we need to fight poverty, we need to fight HIV/AIDS, we need listen to children, and if so, you need to sign the pledge.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Global movement for children. Say Yes for Children. Now your name please.

NELSON MANDELA, FORMER SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT: My real name is Grandpa.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Grandpa.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Grandpa.

MANDELA: Nelson Mandela.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nelson Mandela.

WOODS: Nelson Mandela, who was one of the first people to pledge, he sat in his garden and he pledged on his Web site -- on the -- on the Web site in his garden, he chose his three priorities. He will be coming to the special session, and he has said he wants to take the voices of the world, hand them over to the Secretary-General Kofi Annan and then let the leaders hear.

MANDELA: Any country, any society which does not care for its children is no nation at all.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Grown-ups have their time being children and now they're all grown up. And us children need our lives as children and we need to grow up and be what we need to be.

NELLIS: Celebrities around the world are helping to spread the word and taking the pledge.

("SAY YES COMMERCIAL")

YUE SAL KAN, SAY YES CELEBRITY: I think it's wonderful to do things for children. We always say children is -- were (ph) children is our future and we have to take care of them. And normally we don't really take care of them. It's wonderful to be able to do it for them, and this is the first time we have a chance to do it on a global basis.

CHILDREN: Say yes to children. Say yes to children.

NELLIS: A simple declaration aimed to make a complex world a better place.

Kathy Nellis, CNN, the United Nations.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCMANUS: President Bush brought his vision for America into focus this past week with his very first State of the Union Address. Among other things, Mr. Bush outlined his government's plans for the war against terrorism as well as his plans for the education and the economy.

With more, here's Joel Hochmuth.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILSON LIVINGOOD, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES SGT. AT ARMS: Mr. Speaker, the president of the United States.

(APPLAUSE)

JOEL HOCHMUTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A confident President Bush entered a packed House of Representatives Tuesday night. His audience: a joint session of Congress, the American people and the world.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: As we gather tonight, our nation is at war, our economy is in recession and the civilized world faces unprecedented dangers. Yet the state of our union has never been stronger.

HOCHMUTH: The headline came as Mr. Bush prepared Americans for a possible widening of the war against terrorism. In a change of strategy, he issued warnings to governments that might threaten the U.S. with weapons of mass destruction, not just governments that shield terrorists. He mentioned Iraq, Iran and North Korea, in particular, and borrowed terminology from World War II calling those nations an axis of evil.

BUSH: I will not stand by as peril draws closer and closer. The United States of America will not permit the world's most dangerous regimes to threaten us with the world's most destructive weapons.

HOCHMUTH: Those words seemed to indicate the U.S. is considering military action against those nations, at least somewhere down the road. Domestically, that prospect was met both with support and skepticism.

SEN. TOM DASCHLE (D), SENATE MAJORITY LEADER: Those are the three countries that come to mind. Those are the three countries that have to be targeted. So I think the president enjoys broad bipartisan support in his effort to ensure that we don't see another 9-11 by ignoring the perils of ignoring these three countries.

LAWRENCE EAGLEBURGER, FORMER U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: My only concern is, do we have in place sufficient military power to carry out our demands, if and when we are told that they're not going to agree with us?

HOCHMUTH: Predictably, the harshest criticism came from those countries Mr. Bush singled out in his axis of evil remark. Never before had he mentioned Iraq, Iran and North Korea together in such a way. North Korea's official news agency calls the remarks hostile and aggressive. Iran sounded offended.

JAVAD ZARIF, IRANIAN DEPUTY FOREING MINISTER: What was not expected and is a -- is a source of shock, it was (ph) for the United States president to have a short memory and to forget what has happened in the past three months in Afghanistan and how Iran has played an immensely important role in bringing about the end of Taliban and bringing about the current government in Afghanistan, the interim administration of Mr. Hamid Karzai, which we have supported and helped establish.

HOCHMUTH: Then there's Iraq, which would appear to be the most likely military target of the three.

TAHA YASSEN RAMADAN, IRAQI VICE PRESIDENT (through translator): The statement made by Bush is stupid and it is improper for the president of a superpower to issue a judgement on the conduct of a state through sheer imagination or the estimation that a state will do so and so.

HOCHMUTH: In the aftermath of Mr. Bush's speech, his administration scrambled to explain just what he meant. Officials deny any military action is eminent, but ...

DONALD RUMSFELD, U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY: I think if I were in Iran or North Korea or Iraq and I heard the president of the United States say what he said last night about weapons of mass destruction and about terrorism and about terrorist networks and about nations that harbor terrorists, I don't think there would be a lot of ambiguity as to the view he holds of those problems and their behavior.

HOCHMUTH: S till, there is ambiguity in predicting just what action Mr. Bush is planning and when.

Joel Hochmuth, CNN STUDENT NEWS.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WALCOTT: AIDS or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome has been a major worldwide epidemic. Recent surveys show that thousands of children in Brazil are born with AIDS every year. That's a statistic many Brazilians would like to turn around. Our CNN Student Bureau has the story of one young activist who's trying to help young people by educating them about AIDS.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GILLIAN HAMIHOTA (ph), CNN STUDENT BUREAU, (voice-over): Yuri Ferrerira is a 19-year-old from Rio de Janeiro. He loves music like most Brazilians. Yuri has dedicated his life to fighting AIDS.

YURI FERRERIRA (through translator): I work as a volunteer in (UNINTELLIGIBLE) in fight against HIV infection. I distribute condoms, and I advise people how to avoid contamination.

HAMIHOTA: Yuri does AIDS education at least twice a week. The U.N. recommends AIDS education for even younger children. Today Yuri's meeting kids who were born with AIDS through the Viva Cazuza program. Brazilians know Cazuza well. He's one of the most celebrated rock stars in the country. He died of AIDS 11 years ago. Yuri is welcomed by Cazuza's mother, who explains how the institution works.

MARIA LUCIA ARAUSO, PRESIDENT, VIVA CAZUZA SOCIETY (through translator): These kids have good food, access to new medicines, cultural activities, school classes and all kinds of assistance. Here, everybody lives as part of a very big family.

HAMIHOTA: Many kids from poor areas or from Rio de Janeiro have come to live at the Cazuza Institution, where they are supported by this program. Like Yuri, many students in Rio de Janeiro are trying to stop the spread of AIDS for those who need help the most.

FERRERIRA (through translator): As days go by, I'm getting more convinced it's really up to us. Everyone can do something to help other people.

Gillian Hamihota, CNN Student Bureau, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ONSCREEN: "Where in the World?"

The name of this organization was coined by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Was founded in 1945.

189 countries belong to this organization.

Can you name this organization?

United Nations.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCMANUS: That is CNN STUDENT NEWS for Friday. Have a great weekend.

WALCOTT: We'll see you Monday. Bye-bye.

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