Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman comments on US Politics

(22 Oct 2001)

1. medium shot Biden having lunch
2. wide shot, Biden to podium
3. various shots, guests
4. SOUNDBITE: (English) Joseph Biden, Jr., (D-Deleware) Chairman, Senate Foreign Relations Committee
"How long the honeymoon, how long the unequestioning period of unabashed support for the President's policy will continue? I think everyone, well, I shouldn't say everyone, but I think the vast majority of the foreign policy establishment of the Democratic and Republican sides of the aisle, in fact share the view that up to now the Presiden'ts done a pretty darn good job of assembling this multilateral force, of resisting what were very strong entrees from the administration to bypass Afghanistan and go straight to Iraq, etc., I think he's done well. But now we're going to get into the tough calls -- case in point and then I'll stop: how much longer does the bombing continue? Because we're going to pay every single hour, every single day it continues, we're going to pay an escalating price in the Muslim world, we're going to pay an escalating price in the region. ANd that in fact is going to make the aftermath of our 'victory' difficult to reconstruct the region."
5. cutaway: audience
6. wide shot, luncheon
7. SOUNDBITE: (English) Joseph Biden, Jr., (D-Deleware) Chairman, Senate Foreign Relations Committee
"But the Saudis have gone above and beyond the call of destabilizing the region in my view in terms of them essentially funding significant portions of what we are now dealing with in the extreme example of Islam gone awry. It's one thing that you're going to explore Wahhabi sunniism by setting up madrasas in the region. Ok, I get that. But what I don't get is setting them up where they have a third feature -- where they're a hate-filled anti-American breeding ground. I think we should have a very simple, straight-forward discussion with the Saudis. And understand that they have a hell of a lot more to lose in the breakup of the relationship than we have to lose."
8. wide shot luncheon

STORYLINE
U-S Senator Joseph Biden, D-Del., speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York on Monday, said it was in the United States' interest to wind up military operations in Afghanistan as soon as possible.

He also said, however, that he believes President Bush has strong public support.

He said the American public is prepared for a long siege, and that the window of weather was narrowing more quickly than the window of tolerance for the military strikes.

Biden also critized Saudi Arabia for actively destabilizing the region by funding radical Islamic groups bent on doing harm to the U-S.

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