1st up: Mandela's 27-year prison
Senator outlines his goals for 17-day trip
CAPE TOWN, South Africa -- Very early this morning, Sen. Barack Obama travels from his hotel at the waterfront Table Bay here to take the short journey to Robben Island, where former South African president and international icon Nelson Mandela was locked up for 27 years. Obama arrived here late Saturday night, after a flight of 21 hours that started in Washington. He changed planes in Amsterdam and said he spent part of the time between planes in the airport's meditation room. He will be meeting with Mandela on this trip.
Before he left, we talked about his trip -- and his third visit to Kenya, where his father was born. Here are edited transcripts of the conversation:
Q. What can you tell me about the speech you're giving in Cape Town at the start of the trip?
A. The first speech will focus on health care, broadly, and AIDS in particular, given that it is such an enormous issue throughout the continent. We'll also meet with the faith-based groups that are doing good work there.
Q. What's the most important thing you want to learn in South Africa?
A. I'm going to be interested, No. 1, in finding out what's being done to deal with the AIDS crisis there. Initially, at least, it was thought that the government wasn't aggressive enough in dealing with the issue. I'm particularly interested in what's being done to promote women's health issues and women's education because part of what made AIDS spread so rapidly is the lack of control women have over sex in the country. So I'm interested in finding out what programs can successfully educate folks on that issue. I'm also interested in finding out how South Africa is balancing the need for economic growth and to compete in the international economy.
Q. How would you describe the relationship right now between South Africans and the United States?
A. South Africa tries to help the administration on the war on terror. I think that the level of trade is not where people hoped it would be a decade ago. So that's going to be an area where specific improvements can be made.
Q. There is a story from the [Kenya] Daily Nation that includes an interview with your grandmother in Kenya, saying she expects to cook you lots of eggs. She said their house is spruced up and the village is spruced up. Have you read the story?
A. I haven't read it, but I'm looking forward to seeing her. You'll see when you get there that folks don't have a lot, and I'm grateful for any small gestures that are made. I have indicated to my uncle and others who are there that it's a pleasure to visit, but I don't want them spending money they don't have.
Q. Is this the first time that your daughters have been to Kenya?
A. Yes.
Q. Will they be prepared for what might be an overwhelming homecoming here?
A. Well, you know they are 8 and 5, and they were just in the Bud Billiken Parade. We had a million people. So they'll handle it with their usual grace.
Q. The results of the Congo election won't be in by the time we get there. What is your purpose for going there at this time?
A. The main thing for us when we are there is to listen and find out what the status is. We are there to encourage violence-free elections to continue.
Q. What's the point of going to Djibouti to see the troops?
A. One of the things I think the people don't spend enough time focusing on are the national security ramifications of Africa. We are seeing in Somalia right now a situation in which you have an al-Qaida sympathizer claiming himself leader of the country. We want to talk to the Djibouti people about how we can strengthen U.S. military operations with the rest of the region.
Q. How will your family's trip be paid for? (Wife Michelle and daughters Malia and Sasha will join him for the family visit portion of the trip in Kenya.)
A. That's all paid for by me, personally.