(6 Jul 2002)
1. US President George W. Bush walks by with golf club
2. SOUNDBITE: (English) George W. Bush, US President
"Vice President Qadir of Afghanistan was gunned down. The administration and the country mourns the loss of a man who desired freedom and stability for a country he loved. We have been in touch with Chairman Karzai and expressed our deepest condolences for the Chairman, the government and the people of Afghanistan. He lost a good and valued friend. The Afghan government is in the process of investigating who might have done this. We're more resolved than ever to bring stability to the country."
3. Wide shot Bush
4. SOUNDBITE: (English) George W. Bush, US President
"I am confident and I believe Chairman Karzai is confident with patience and aid and a proper strategy, Afghanistan can develop into a peaceful and hopeful nation."
Question: What do you say to the Afghan people who are upset about the bombings?
A: "Well, I say we're investigating. I say, we, mostly the Afghanistan government and the United States government are investigating to find out the facts. But I can say to the Afghan people exactly what I told Chairman Karzai. Any time innocent life is loss, we're sad. Our country values life, all life. We'll find out what the facts are and then, address it accordingly."
Q: Will the FBI help in the investigation?
A: "We'll find out right now. The Afghan government believe they can handle the investigation. There are all kinds of scenarios into who killed him and we'll work closely with the government to find out who killed him."
Q: Is there any sign that it could be the work of terrorist groups?
A: "It could be, it could be drug lords, it could be long-time rivals, who knows? All we know is a good man is dead and we mourn his loss."
5. President greeting local residents
STORYLINE:
US President George W. Bush says the United States is more resolved than ever to help build stability for Afghanistan following the assassination of the Afghan Vice President Abdul Qadir.
Two gunmen assassinated Qadir as he was being driven from a government ministry on Saturday.
President Bush speculated that although terrorism may have been a motive there were many other potential reasons for the attack. He also said that although Afghanistan was leading the investigation, the US would offer any help it could.
President Bush also addressed Monday's bombing of a wedding party in the village of Kakarak, in Afghanistan. Although there have been reports the US was responsible for the attack that killed scores of people, Bush did not acknowledge U-S guilt.
He did offer his condolences to the Afghan people, something he'd expressed in a phone call to the Afghan President Hamid Karzai the day before.
Bush was speaking from his vacation home in Kennebunkport in Maine where he is celebrating his 56th birthday.
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