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U.S. Urges Israel to Allow Palestinian Leader to Attend Arab Summit

Aired March 25, 2002 - 13:12   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 U.S. right now urging and prodding Ariel Sharon to allow Yasser Arafat to attend that Arab League summit that opens on Wednesday of this week in Beirut, Lebanon. The U.S. urging the Israeli prime minister to it, but so far, Sharon says his decision will be announced tomorrow. Let's get to our senior White House correspondent John King right now at the White House with more on this -- John.

JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: And, Bill, the administration acknowledging today a double standard, if you will, as to the standard for Vice President Cheney meeting Yasser Arafat and as for whether the United States believes Israel should lift the travel restrictions and allow Yasser Arafat to travel on to Beirut for the Arab Summit.

Remember, last week when the vice president was in the region, they calculated with the Israelis a plan under which Prime Minister Sharon would lift those travel restrictions, Vice President Cheney would meet with Yasser Arafat in Egypt. Then Yasser Arafat would go on to the Arab Summit in Beirut. All that was conditioned on a big if, a cease-fire needed to be negotiated first. That cease-fire not in place. Those talks continuing. The Cheney meeting on hold for now. It will not happen before the Arab Summit, White House officials say.

But still, the administration is saying even as it says that Ari Fleischer just said it in the White House briefing, Yasser Arafat can do, must do and should do more to stop the violence, that Israel should let him leave and go to that summit, even if no cease-fire is in place.

Now why the change of position? The administration believes that if Yasser Arafat goes to the summit, the United States can pressure Arab leaders to make it dominated by discussion of the new Saudi peace initiative, to ask Arab leaders to pressure Yasser Arafat to do more to end the violence, and indeed, if no cease-fire is in place, to go back and get one in place. If Mr. Arafat is not there, it is the White House view that the Arab Summit will be dominated by criticism of Israel, indeed perhaps, even some criticism of the United States and that the tone and tenor, if any progress at all has been made in the recent conversations with the president's special envoy General Anthony Zinni, that it would then slide back into the violence and the finger-pointing that we were in a little more than a week ago. So, the administration changing its standards by the day, if you will, hoping that Yasser Arafat will be allowed to go to that summit and hoping some progress can come from that. The key decisions will be made in the next 24 hours, as you noted. More discussions with General Zinni, also an Israeli cabinet meeting coming up, a very delicate moment yet again in the Middle East -- Bill.

HEMMER: John, over the weekend, some Palestinians raising concerns that if Arafat were to go to Beirut, possibly, would he have assurances that he would be allowed to come to say, Ramallah? Is that involved in this plan as well?

KING: Well, certainly, that is one concern from the Palestinians. And would -- if Prime Minister Sharon lifted the restrictions and let Yasser Arafat leave, would he let him come back? U.S. officials have repeatedly said in private conversations with the Israeli government that, of course, Prime Minister Sharon would have to let Mr. Arafat come back. The United States doesn't want to publicly get involved in the back and forth between the Palestinian and the Israelis right now. The Israelis not saying exactly what they might do.

In the political environment in Israel right now, many saying good riddance, let Mr. Arafat leave, but don't let him come back. From the U.S. standpoint, of course, yes, they want the Israeli government to let Yasser Arafat go. And, of course, they are telling the Israeli government if you want to keep any hope of a peace process, any hope of a truce or a cease-fire, of course, you would have to let him back.

HEMMER: And as you point out, the U.S., at this point, believes it's a greater risk if he does not attend as opposed to attending there in Beirut. John, thanks. We'll find out tomorrow from Jerusalem and Ariel Sharon. John King at the White House front lawn with us here.

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