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CNN Live At Daybreak
Cheney To Leave Without Cease-fire
Aired March 19, 2002 - 06:02 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.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: ...soon he'll be on his way to Turkey. He and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon just wrapped up a joint news conference, which we brought you live in the last hour.
For more on that, we want to go live again to our Jerusalem bureau chief, Mike Hanna -- good morning, Mike.
MIKE HANNA, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: Good morning, Carol. Well, the U.S. vice president about to leave on the final leg of his extended tour of the Middle East, taking away with him not the cease- fire that he may have hoped for, but signs of progress in terms of discussions between Israelis and Palestinians aimed at bringing about a cease-fire on the ground.
And within the last hour or so, the U.S. vice president has announced that he is prepared to meet with the Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat, on condition that a cease-fire agreement drawn up by CIA Director George Tenet is implemented in coming days.
From the Israeli prime minister, the announcement that Yasser Arafat will be allowed to leave the Palestinian territories if this agreement is implemented, and he will be able to attend the Arab summit in Beirut. Israel had kept Yasser Arafat under virtual house arrest in the West Bank city of Ramallah for a long period of time, only recently easing those restrictions likely to allow him to travel around the Palestinian territories.
But an apparent development in terms of getting a cease-fire in place and to respond to the moves of the course of the morning, I am joined by chief Palestinian negotiator, Saeb Erakat, in Ramallah -- thanks for joining, Mr. Erakat.
First of all, your reaction to news that Cheney would be prepared to meet the Palestinian leader.
SAEB ERAKAT, CHIEF PALESTINIAN NEGOTIATOR (via telephone): ... President Arafat and Vice President Cheney at a time and venue to be agreed by both parties. And we all know that every possible effort is being exerted now with the help of General Zinni in order to begin and initiate the implantation of the Tenet peace plan linked to the political horizon.
Yesterday, there was very a serious and professional meeting of the security level, and the sides, with the participation of General Zinni, will continue another meeting tomorrow. We really hope that we can strike an agreement to begin the implementation of Tenet in accordance with the specified time and with the international monitors needed to follow up the implementation on the ground.
HANNA: How close are you to reaching an agreement based on the Tenet plan?
ERAKAT: First of all, Mike, you have to understand that we don't need to reinvent anything. Tenet is Tenet. It's very well specified. What is needed now is a timeline and the mechanisms to implement and the period, and I hope that we can conclude this as soon as possible. I cannot give dates. I cannot give when I don't know how, but I can tell you that if the sides will agree on the timeline and the substance of Tenet as is, without attempting to change any of it, I think we can reach an agreement as soon as possible.
HANNA: Has the visit of the U.S. vice president to the area added impetus to the move towards an agreement?
ERAKAT: Unfortunately, we did not see Vice President Cheney. We have been meeting -- this is the fourth time this morning that President Arafat met with General Zinni. I heard Vice President Cheney speaking about pushing the peace process forward, helping (ph) the peace process between Palestinians and Israelis, and this will take two sides, the Palestinians and Israelis. He heard one side, and I don't know how he can push the peace process forward without the other side.
Anyway, we welcome the talk of a meeting between President Arafat and Vice President Cheney at a time and venue to be agreed in the near future.
HANNA: Final question, Mr. Erakat, and that is announcement by Ariel Sharon that he will be prepared to allow Yasser Arafat to travel. Your reaction to that.
ERAKAT: Well, first of all, I think it's about time for Mr. Sharon to start respecting and honoring agreement signed. President Arafat's free movement is provided for in agreement signed between the Palestinian Authority and the government of Israel. And it's time for Mr. Sharon to stop violating the agreement, stop taking unilateral steps and stop tearing (ph) agreements signed, and he should respect this agreement, because as I said, the free movement of President Arafat is provided for in these agreements.
HANNA: Saeb Erakat, chief Palestinian negotiator, talking to us by phone from Ramallah -- thank you very much indeed.
The U.S. envoy, Anthony Zinni, remains in the region. He will continue contacting or supervising talks between Palestinian and Israeli security chiefs, as the two sides attempt to put in place a cease-fire after 18 months of continual violence, attempting to get a truce in place on the ground, but still violence ongoing in the course of the day. There have been a series of clashes between Israelis and Palestinians. The death toll continues to mount, but the momentum towards a cease-fire continues to grow -- Carol. COSTELLO: All right. Mike Hanna, thank you -- live from Jerusalem this morning.
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