GOV. BUSH: Absolutely. That's international aid. I was seriouswhen I said to the Russians that you can deal with terrorism in your owncountry, but you've overstepped the bounds of decency when you're bombinginnocent women and children and creating over 200,000 refugees. In thespeech, I also made it clear that there are some aid I wouldn't cut off,aid that benefits America, aid that makes the world more safe, startingwith moneys associated with what's called the Nunn-Lugar Act. These aremoneys that are meant to be spent to help Russia dismantle nuclear warheadsand its nuclear weaponry. And we not only ought to spend that money, weought to increase that amount of money in the budget to make the worldsafer. I mean, the new -- in my speech, Tim, I talked about the need tohave a new relationship with Russia, one based upon nuclear safety andproliferation and the development of an anti-ballistic missile system tobring certainty into an uncertain world.

MR. RUSSERT: I want to get to that in a minute, but would youapply the same standard to China that you apply to Russia? Because yousaid China...

GOV. BUSH: Within China -- if China starts bombing innocent womenand children?

MR. RUSSERT: Yes.

GOV. BUSH: Yeah, you bet.

MR. RUSSERT: What about Tibet? What about forced abortion? Asyou said, Chinese government is the enemy of religious freedom and thecoercer of forced abortion policies without reason, without mercy...

GOV. BUSH: We have got to work with the Chinese.

MR. RUSSERT: By why not cut off international aid until theystop human rights abuses all across their country? Jailing Falun Gong,religious...

GOV. BUSH: Well, because in this case, I believe that -- take,for example, trade, which has got an international aid component, I guess,to it. I believe that we have a great opportunity in China to help anentrepreneurialclass and a freedom-loving class grow and burgeon and become viable. Ithink it's in our national interests not only to open up Chinese markets...

MR. RUSSERT: But if they're brutal -- women...

GOV. BUSH: But, look, wait...

MR. RUSSERT: If they're brutal to women and children, why treatthem differently than Russia?

GOV. BUSH: Well, we need to be very harsh with China, but I don'tthink we have the same amount of -- maybe we've got the same amount ofExport-Import Bank loans. I can't answer that question as specific, butyou asked me about the $500 million in the case of Russia and the answeris absolutely.

MR. RUSSERT: But the standard -- if you're going to say to Russia,"Don't treat your people in an brutal, inhumane way," will we apply thatsame standard to China?

GOV. BUSH: Yes.

MR. RUSSERT: Would we consider an attack by the Chinese on Taiwanan attack on the United States?

GOV. BUSH: We would consider it a need for us to enforce theTaiwan relations law, a law that exists on the book, and we must help Taiwandefend itself.

MR. RUSSERT: We would?

GOV. BUSH: Yeah.

MR. RUSSERT: Will you give them a theater missile defense system?

GOV. BUSH: Let me talk theater missile defense systems in generalfirst. It is important for us to change the ABM Treaty with Russia, eitherchange it or withdraw from it, in order to make sure we have adequate andeffective and reliable theater-based anti-ballistic missile system notonly...

MR. RUSSERT: If the Russians say no, how long would you givethem before you pulled out of that...

GOV. BUSH: Reasonable. Reasonable is not years or a year.

MR. RUSSERT: Months.

GOV. BUSH: Yes, sir. I believe it's important. And I believewe need to convince the Russians that the whole nature of strategic warhas changed, that there are real threats of accidental launches now inthe world, and there are threats of rogue leaders willing to use a singleballistic missile or a single launch to effect some kind of blackmail notonly to us, but it could affect Russia as well. We've got to convince themthat we're in a new world. It's no longer the old strategic standoff thatwe were used to.

MR. RUSSERT: President Bush will build a missile defense systemwith  or without the Russians?

GOV. BUSH: Yes, sir.

MR. RUSSERT: OK.

GOV. BUSH: And I think it's not only in our interest to do so,I know it's in the interest of our allies to do so, and I hope the Russiansrealize the wisdom. Now back to Taiwan, I think it's important for us tohave a viable anti-ballistic missile system that'll help keep the peace,and the Chinese have got to understand that there is going to be some areaswhere we can cooperate and areas where we won't. I want to redefine therelationship of one of strategic partnership to one of competitor.

MR. RUSSERT: So Taiwan would get it?

GOV. BUSH: Well, whether we own it or not, whether we own itor Taiwan owns it, whether we own it or Japan owns it, it's not a matterof ownership; it's a matter of deployment. It's a matter of convincingpeople not to launch missiles against our friends. And that includes theNorth Koreans as well. That's why anti-ballistic missile systems are incrediblyimportant for the future stability.

MR. RUSSERT: In your speech, you said that arms reductions arenot our most pressing challenge.

GOV. BUSH: That's right.

MR. RUSSERT: Right now, we have 7,200 nuclear weapons; the Russianshave 6,000. What to you is an acceptable level?

GOV. BUSH: That's going to depend upon generals helping me makethat decision, Tim. That's going to depend upon the people whose judgmentI will rely upon to make sure that we have a peaceful world. Let me tellyou what I said is the most pressing challenge. Safety is the most pressingchallenge in the world, and that's why I'm for expanding the amount ofmoney spent to help Russians dismantle the current weaponry they have inplace, even to bring them down to START I levels. As you know, they haven'teven ratified START II yet.

MR. RUSSERT: We have.

GOV. BUSH: Yes, we have. And they should. I hope they do. Ina newly elected...

MR. RUSSERT: What would START II bring us down to?

GOV. BUSH: I can't remember the exact number. But I know thatwe've got to spend enough money to help them dismantle the weaponry downto the START I level. And then hopefully they'll ratify START II, secondly.But here are the biggest threats. Nuclear safety is one, proliferationis two and anti-ballistic missile systems are three. Those are the threeways to help bring security into the world as we know it today. It is adifferent world and that was part of my speech. The main thing in the speechthat I wanted to say is we should not retreat within our borders. The nextpresident of the United States must have a clear-eyed view of the worldand must be realistic, a world based upon free trade, strong alliancesand, as importantly, a strong military. And this administration has allowedthe morale of the military of the United States to decline. And I intendto build that morale back up.

MR. RUSSERT: Would you begin negotiating on a START III, StrategicArms Limitation Treaty III, before the Russians ratify number II?

GOV. BUSH: I would consider that, but again, I'm a man of priorities.And that's what's important for you to understand. I want to work withthe Russians to dismantle the nuclear warheads and weaponry that's in placethat already is a part of the first START series.

MR. RUSSERT: But in terms of priorities, if START II brings itdown to -- 3,500 -- would you be willing to go down to 1,000 with STARTIII?

GOV. BUSH: That depends upon my advisers and the people who knowa heck of a lot more about the subject than I do. One of the things abouta President Bush is I'll be surrounded by good, strong, capable, smartpeople who understand the mission of the United States is to lead the worldto peace.

MR. RUSSERT: Would you ever send American troops to a place likeHaiti or Somalia?

GOV. BUSH: I strongly doubt it. I strongly doubt it.

MR. RUSSERT: As you know, your dad...

GOV. BUSH: He did on what was called a humanitarian mission andas you know the current administration changed the mission.

MR. RUSSERT: Was that a mistake initially to send 30,000 troopsto Somalia?

GOV. BUSH: I'm not going to second-guess my good father. My gooddad...

MR. RUSSERT: How about Haiti?

GOV. BUSH: I think it was a mistake. I do. And I think we're-- and the reason why, we're overdeployed in America.

MR. RUSSERT: So military missions...

GOV. BUSH: And it must be...

MR. RUSSERT: ...without a national security purpose would be-- would not exist...

GOV. BUSH: Would not be a part of the Bush administration, that'sright. I -- you know, I say that. I mean, maybe there will be an exceptiondown the road. I understand that oftentimes people will replay statementsI've made on shows like this three years into my presidency. But I saidin my speech it is important for a president to set clear priorities, clearpriorities, and to stay with those priorities. And let me just quicklyrun by the priorities: Russia and a strong NATO in Europe; China and ouralliances in the Far East; our own hemisphere; as well as the Middle East.

MR. RUSSERT: You say in your speech that real change in Russiawill come from new leaders.

GOV. BUSH: Yes.

MR. RUSSERT: A new class of leaders. Who are you talking about?

GOV. BUSH: Nobody in specific. I am referring -- for example,there are some governors that are making great strides in helping the Russianpeople understand the wisdom of federalism. But as well as I was saying,our country shouldn't try to pick winners on the Russian political scene.We shouldn't cozy up to a single leader before the Russians have made theirdecisions.

MR. RUSSERT: Like to Boris Yeltsin.

GOV. BUSH: Well, Boris Yeltsin was duly elected by the time thepresident was sworn in. That's different from a -- I'm talking about asthe political process unfolds. And we shouldn't be picking amongst theelites in Russia. What we ought to do is encourage Russia to develop ruleof law in a political system that's fair and open. And we hope the currentelections, by the way, for the Duma, are fair and open.

MR. RUSSERT: Yeltsin, when he leaves -- his hand-picked successoris Prime Minister Putin. Do you have any take on him at all?

GOV. BUSH: I really don't. I will if I'm the president. And Iwill watch with interest as to determine who should get elected.

MR. RUSSERT: Do you think the Clinton administration...

GOV. BUSH: But I don't think we ought to be picking winners inthe Russian political system.

MR. RUSSERT: Do you think the administration got too close toYeltsin?

GOV. BUSH: That's going to be up to the -- that's going to bean interesting discussion during the fall campaign if I'm the nominee,let me just put it to you that way.

MR. RUSSERT: What does that mean?

GOV. BUSH: Well, we'll find out about Viktor Chernomyrdin andthe vice president and the relationship they have.