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CNN Live Sunday

President Bush Gets Ready to Deliver a Series of Speeches Focusing on Fight Against Terrorism

Aired November 04, 2001 - 17:01   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.
DONNA KELLEY, CNN ANCHOR: Against the backdrop of some of the heaviest bombing in the U.S.-led campaign in Afghanistan, President Bush is getting ready for a series of high-profile speeches this week, focusing on the fight against terrorism. The push to take this case to the public comes after some tough questions about the military campaign and his administration's ability to deal with domestic terrorism.

CNN's White House correspondent Kelly Wallace with our report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Returning from Camp David, President Bush gears up for a public relations offensive on the war against terror, while his top advisers the defend military campaign.

GEN. RICHARD MYERS, JOINT CHIEFS CHAIRMAN: I think it's going exactly according to our plan. We have taken down the Taliban air defenses. We have disrupted their ability to resupply their own forces.

WALLACE: Myers concedes the Taliban still have a substantial force left, but says mores U.S. special operation teams are now on the ground to help the opposition, and believes as winter approaches the Taliban have the most to lose.

MYERS: The best equipped forces will be the opposition, not the Taliban. They are going to have a terrible time trying to resupply themselves.

WALLACE: But some Arab, Muslim and even European nations are concerned about the progress of the war and civilian casualties in Afghanistan. While in the United States, a weekend "Newsweek" poll shows the American people are split on the government's ability to deal with bioterrorism.

Mr. Bush will try to answer those concerns this week with a series of high-profile speeches, an address by a satellite to a terrorism conference in Warsaw, Poland Tuesday, a prime-time speech Thursday on homeland security and his first address as president to the United Nations Saturday.

Some lawmakers say the administration needs to do a better job of getting the president's message to the Arab and Muslim people.

REP. HENRY HYDE (R), ILLINOIS: This is a country that invented Madison Avenue and Hollywood. And if we can't market our own virtues throughout the world, then we are pretty poor.

WALLACE; Democratic lawmakers point to the home front too, saying the president's advisers may need to fine tune their strategy.

SEN. JOHN BREAUX (D), LOUISIANA: They are telling us to be on highest possible alert but also go about your daily lives, and you don't go about your daily lives being on highest possible alert.

WALLACE (on camera): Senior administration officials say it is not easy to fight a two-front war, but believe by continuing to educate the American people and by stepping up efforts to reach out to Arabs and Muslims, the president will maintain strong support in the United States and abroad.

Kelly Wallace, CNN, near Camp David, Maryland.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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