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CNN Live Today

Cheney Raises Hopes for Peace

Aired March 19, 2002 - 14:36   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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: The Bush administration working to end the bloodshed in the Middle East. So far that's been a very difficult undertaking. But officials hope a new diplomatic overture may turn the tide there. With more, John King is traveling with the vice president, Dick Cheney.

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JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: The vice president led a double-barreled U.S. diplomatic push that raised hopes for a truce after 18 months of deadly Israeli-Palestinian violence.

DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It is our hope that the current violence and terrorism will be replaced by reconciliation and the rebuilding of mutual trust.

KING: As Mr. Cheney met with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, U.S. special envoy Anthony Zinni carried this message to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. "Mr. Cheney is prepared to return to the region and meet with the Palestinian leader as early as next week. And Israel is prepared to let Mr. Arafat travel to next week's Arab summit in Beirut. But first, Mr. Arafat must agree to a truce and to negotiations for more security cooperation and ultimately a formal cease-fire."

The morning's dramatic events came after an overnight Israeli pullback from five locations in the West Bank and Gaza. And the progress came as part of a significant Bush administration strategy shift. The president had said General Zinni would not return until the Israelis and Palestinians showed a clear commitment to peace.

Instead, Mr. Zinni came back at the peak of the worst violence in years. The White House had denied Mr. Arafat a presidential or a vice presidential meeting, on grounds he has not kept his promise of a 100 percent effort to stop terror attacks.

Just late Monday, a senior U.S. official said Mr. Arafat was nowhere close to meeting that standard. Yet now Mr. Cheney is prepared for such a meeting if a truce is reached. In talks with the prime minister, U.S. sources said Mr. Cheney made clear Arab outrage over the Israeli incursions is making it more difficult for the United States to build support for confronting Iraq.

(on camera): Now Vice President Cheney says Israel is showing its commitment to peace by pulling back its troops and committing to the so-called Tenet plan. And that an end to the violence is within reach, if Mr. Arafat does his part. John King, CNN, Jerusalem.

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