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CNN Live Sunday
Bush Attends Memorial at Ground Zero
Aired November 11, 2001 - 18:12 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 marked the two- month anniversary of the September 11 attacks by attending a memorial at ground zero in New York.
And CNN White House correspondent Major Garrett is joining us now live from Washington with details about that visit and the emotional ceremony. What's the latest?
MAJOR GARRETT, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, good evening, Catherine. President Bush returned here to the White House this afternoon, after devoting two days in New York City to coalition maintenance and remembrance of the murderous crime that made the coalition necessary in the first place. This afternoon, Mr. Bush stood silently with United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, as the names of 86 nations were read aloud and flags placed in honor of victims from each country. President Bush also signed a wall of nations, leaving behind these words. "Good will triumph over evil. May God bless you all."
Earlier, Mr. Bush attended a Veterans Day breakfast in New York City and said America, sadly, had added to the ranks of those now seen as veterans, policemen, firefighters, postal workers, all of them civilians who never sought the war the nation now wages. But Mr. Bush said Veterans of past wars understand as well as Veterans now will soon, the pursuit of a battle to save civilization very similar to that in World War II.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: One veteran of World War II recalled the spirit of the American military and the relief it brought to suffering peoples. America, he said, has sent the best of her young men around the world, not to conquer but to liberate. Not to terrorize, but to help.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GARRETT: On this Veterans Day, Vice President Cheney spoke from a far more familiar location, Arlington National Cemetery. And there, he repeated President Bush's vow to bring Osama bin Laden and the al Qaeda terrorist network to justice.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Now Americans must fight again. In this new century, war has come to us. The terrorists who attacked this country have declared themselves the mortal enemies of the United States and will be dealt with as such.
Americans have no illusions about the difficulties that lie ahead. We cannot predict the length or course of the conflict, but we know with absolute certainty that this nation will persevere and we will prevail.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GARRETT: The Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said today, it appears divisions have now begun to hamper the ranks of the Taliban. And while he did not predict swift victory in Afghanistan, he and other administration officials say progress on the ground in Afghanistan is real. Probably the best evidence of that, Catherine, is heightened efforts by the U.S., the United Nations and other interested parties in preparing for a post-Taliban government an Afghanistan -- Catherine.
CALLAWAY: You know, Garrett, every day for the President since September 11 has been an important one no doubt. But the last two days, yesterday and today, have been really historical days for the President, in the sense that he's had to address the U.N. He's been there again to ground zero of New York. Important meetings for the President this weekend, right?
GARRETT: Very important meetings with the President. You know, here on Friday, he met with the Indian prime minister Vajpayee. On Saturday, with the Pakistani president Musharraf. Those are crucial meetings, keeping those two nations focused on the task at hand, eliminating the Taliban government in Afghanistan and being partners in creating a stable and peaceful post-Taliban regime in that country.
And of course, his speech at the United Nations, a marker for all nations around the world to understand that not only is the global campaign against terrorism one that will be waged in Afghanistan, but the President made it abundantly clear other nations that harbor terrorists after the campaign in Afghanistan is over will on the U.S.' watch list and better change their ways, unless they want to incur the wrath of this President and the coalition he has assembled -- Catherine.
CALLAWAY: All right, CNN's White House correspondent Major Garrett. Thanks, Major.
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