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CNN SATURDAY MORNING NEWS
Discussion of Terrorism in Middle East
Aired November 23, 2002 - 08:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KRIS OSBORN, CNN ANCHOR: Now it's time for our reporter's notebook. We have a number of correspondents around the world who will be answering your questions.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Let's take a look at who's on board for us today.
We have CNN's Nic Robertson, who is in Baghdad. We have John King, who is traveling with the president. And retired U.S. Air Force General George Harrison in Atlanta, also serving as our CNN military analyst.
OSBORN: Absolutely. A number of interesting perspectives and they will be responding to your questions.
But first we want to talk to John King about some news.
We've been talking this morning about an FBI inquiry into whether, in fact, the Saudi Arabian government gave money to some of the hijackers.
CNN's John King is, of course, traveling with the president. He joins us now live from Romania -- John, what are you learning?
JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kris, we've learned of this because of that joint investigation by the House and Senate Intelligence Committees on Capitol Hill. In a preliminary finding in that investigation, they suggest there is evidence that shows that money came from the Saudi Arabian government into the United States and passed on to, perhaps, an associate of the hijackers in California from the wife of the Saudi ambassador to the United States, money going from the Saudi government allegedly to a close associate of two of the September 11 hijackers, who are from Saudi Arabia.
White House officials are rejecting criticism in that report suggesting that the government is not being aggressive enough in trying to find out whether or not Saudi money helped inadvertently or not finance the September 11 attacks. White House officials traveling with the president here in Romania say there is an ongoing FBI investigation and these White House officials say the Saudi government is cooperating fully. So the White House saying Americans should not leap to any conclusions.
But there is an investigation into whether any Saudi government money made its hands into the September 11 hijackers. That, of course, even if it was inadvertent, even if it was a mistake, that, of course, would be quite controversial because there has been a great deal of criticism, which the Saudi say is unwarranted, but a great deal of criticism from some in Congress who say the Saudi have simply not cooperated enough in the war on terrorism.
CALLAWAY: And, John, I know we don't have you for a very long time, because you have to move on, but we want to get in one e-mail question to you, which is actually about the topic you were just discussing. This is from Robert in Phoenix, Arizona. "How will the recent reports of a Saudi connection financially to the 9/11 terrorists affect the war on terrorism more specifically, our relationship with the Saudi government?"
What type of affect is this going to have on the U.S.-Saudi relationship?
KING: It certainly is a cloud and it certainly is an opening for critics of the administration's relationship with Saudi Arabia to raise even more questions. The Bush administration has said from day one that Saudi Arabia is cooperating, that some of this cooperation is not public because of political sensitivities back home. The Saudi cannot discuss the extent of their cooperation with the United States. But now you do have an FBI investigation into the possibility that Saudi money, again, perhaps inadvertently, but that Saudi government money made its hands to the hijackers, two of the September 11 hijackers.
That would be an explosive development. And just yesterday when President Bush was meeting with Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, the question came up about Iraq. President Putin said he wanted to support President Bush on Iraq, yet he said perhaps other focuses in the war on terrorism were being ignored. Mr. Putin himself saying 16 of the 19 hijackers came from Saudi Arabia, questioned publicly whether enough was being done to crack down on terrorist financing.
So Mr. Bush facing questions at home and some questions from key allies overseas about his relationship, close relationship with the Saudi government.
OSBORN: And, John, while we have you with us, we have another e- mail question for you. And this one is about Iraq. It reads, "Curiosity, what role does George Bush, Sr. play in this Iraq situation? The reason behind the question is the fact that Senior was in office for Operation Desert Storm. Is he involved as an adviser?"
That's from Gail in Jacksonville, Florida.
KING: Well, I wish I could answer that question in great detail. One of the things this White House is very reluctant to discuss with us is the nature of the president's contacts with his father, the former president. We do know George W. Bush speaks to his father quite frequently and President Bush himself has said he often seeks the advice of his father.
But White House officials say the president will not get into it beyond that because those conversations are personal between father and son, president and former president. Look at the Bush team, however, and you do see people with contacts to the former president, as well. Dick Cheney, the vice president, was the defense secretary during the first Bush administration and the first Persian Gulf War. Colin Powell, then the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, now the secretary of state.
So it is not only the current president, but much of his war cabinet, if you will, has contacts and ties back to the former president.
CALLAWAY: And, John, we want to try to squeeze in one more e- mail question for you, because I know you're getting ready to run on us here. Here's one from Linda in Phoenix. "It sure seems to me President Bush needed something to help him win the election. It looks like the situation on the world stage did fill the bill. What do you think about the timing of demanding Iraq to disarm."
John?
KING: Well, a great number of Democrats would privately question whether the president at least over emphasized the Iraq issue in the final weeks of the election. The Bush administration says it did no such thing. The president's September 12 speech to the United Nations General Assembly, in which he put the Iraq issue on the table in front of the entire world, has been succeeded for months. There is the General Assembly is scheduled by the United Nations, not by the president of the United States.
So the administration would say he was simply doing his best to put this issue, force this issue onto the world stage with that blunt speech at the United Nations. Some Democrats, though, will question why did he have to mention it in every political rally as he traveled so aggressively around the country in the final days and weeks of the campaigns? That will be a debate that lingers on in politics.
CALLAWAY: All right, John, thank you.
I know you're there covering President Bush in Romania.
We're going to bring that speech to you live when the president begins to address the people of Romania. And we're going to bring in the rest of our panel to answer your questions and take your phone calls, coming up. We're going to take a break.
OSBORN: So keep it right here. Yes, several other panelists will be here to answer your e-mail questions and callers.
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