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CNN LIVE EVENT/SPECIAL

Bush Administration Has Hands Full with Anthrax, Mideast Situations

Aired October 23, 2001 - 06:38   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.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: All right in the meantime let's go to the White House. Kelly Wallace checks in there. She's got the very latest response from the White House the bioterrorism that we've seen play out across the country now.

Good morning Kelly.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning Leon.

Well President Bush will start his day with breakfast with congressional leaders -- his weekly breakfast, likely topics of conversation expected to include growing concerns Leon, just as you mentioned about anthrax after we now know two D.C. postal workers may have died from the bacteria.

And we also, of course, have continued questions about the federal government's response to the threat. We saw yesterday the president's Director of Homeland Security Tom Ridge at a news conference and he was asked why postal workers who worked at that facility -- the facility where this anthrax-tainted letter that went to Senator Daschle's office pass through, why those workers were not tested until this weekend when Capitol Hill staffers were tested immediately.

Well Ridge defended federal public health officials, saying they worked as quickly as they could to see if the anthrax letter contaminated other facilities.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM RIDGE, DIRECTOR OF HOMELAND SECURITY: They moved back, followed the chain as quickly as they possibly can. Obviously, we're going to do everything we can every time we can to expedite that, but I think they moved quickly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: And another complicated issue for the Bush administration to work on, on this day, trying to quell tensions between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Israel's Foreign Minister Shimon Peres will be meeting with Secretary of State Colin Powell and also the president's National Security Adviser Dr. Condoleezza Rice. He actually met with the vice president yesterday and could see President Bush on this day.

This after, as Jerrold Kessell was reporting the Bush administration demanded that Israel withdraw from all Palestinian controlled areas. Israeli forces moved into those areas after last week's assassination of an Israeli cabinet official. This Leon, a situation that would always be a concern for this administration, but now maybe even more of a concern because escalating tension between the Israelis and the Palestinians could anger Arabs and Muslims were very angry and are supporting the Palestinians and that could undermine Arab and Muslim support for the president's campaign against terrorism and the military operation underway in Afghanistan.

Leon.

HARRIS: Well Kelly, you recall the words we just heard from Jerrold Kessel's interview there and what we also heard and learned is that this may be a bit of a difference here between Shimon Peres, who's here in Washington to talk about this -- his stance and that of Ariel Sharon who seems to be actually may be listening more to the right in his particular coalition on that.

And now so what is the White House -- does the White House, I guess, plan to approach these two men differently or do they have a tack here to take or what?

WALLACE: Well I mean you heard very strong language coming from the State Department on Monday. So clearly the White House putting pressure on Israel to pull out those forces and also deploying the killing of some innocent Palestinian civilians over the weekend.

So the message is strong. Now as for what message is coming from the different Israeli leaders, you hear the Israeli prime minister saying that those forces won't leave until Israel's demands were met and Israel's demands include the Palestinian authority turning over all those believed to be responsible for killing that Israeli Tourism Minister, Ze'evi.

So it's a difficult, difficult situation Leon, but what we're seeing is the administration talking tough on the part of the Israelis as well as the Palestinians. Obviously a big concern, but clearly the Arab and Muslim world watching very closely how the Bush administration handles it, and if Arabs and Muslims feel that the Bush administration is going a little soft on Israel, again that could really, really undermine support for the campaign against terrorism.

So it is such a delicate balancing act for this White House that is watching this situation as well as its campaign against terrorism as well.

HARRIS: Well Kelly, let me ask you finally, any sign that there's been any erosion yet? Or any concern amongst the Arab coalition?

WALLACE: Well we are seeing some concerns Leon. We saw in Shanghai even some Muslim nations very concerned about the military action. That is why you did not see in that communique that came out of that economic summit, why there was no mention of the U.S.-led military campaign.

You have heard from some Muslim countries such as Indonesia, who say that the military action should definitely end when the holy Muslim month of Ramadan begins in mid November, saying it would be a -- quote -- "explosive situation in the Muslim world" if that campaign continues.

So definitely the White House getting some pressure. You know Muslim countries very much supporting and condemning terrorism, but not exactly supporting using military means to combat it.

Leon.

HARRIS: And we can see why the White House wants to put a lid on this Mideast situation and fast. Kelly Wallace at the White House, thank you very much. We'll talk with you later.

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