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Sharon Indicating Conditions Not Yet Ripe For Arafat to Attend Summit

Aired March 26, 2002 - 13:36   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: If you were with us last hour, Aerial Sharon, the prime minister of Israel, indicating that the conditions are not yet ripe, in his words, for Yasser Arafat to go to that summit in Beirut, Lebanon. That may change in the next half day or so. We shall see.

Let's talk about the Arab position now. Georgetown professor Rob Sobhani is a specialist in U.S. foreign policy, live in Washington.

Professor, good to see you again.

We have talked many times in the past seven months time. I know you are not Arab; you are Persian, from Iran. That's part of the reason we wanted you on today, to give us a broader perspective of the Middle East. I think a lot of Americans may look at the Arab countries, 22, to be represented in Beirut, thinking and acting with one voice, but that's not necessarily the case on the ground.

Curious to know, is there a consensus regarding the future for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that you can put your finger on at this point?

ROB SOBHANI, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY: I think, Bill, the Arab summit meeting, starting tomorrow, has to be viewed in two broad contexts. One, from our perspective, from the U.S. perspective, it has to be viewed in the context of our war against terrorism, to the extend the Arab-Israeli peace process and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is resolved, it will help in the broader war against terrorism.

Coming to the Arab summit itself, as you mentioned, the Arab world is not homogeneous. And in many respects, this Arab summit is a race, it's a competition for the heart and soul of the Arab world.

Who will be the leader? Who will finally deliver the Palestinian state in West Bank and Gaza as the Arabs see it?

So in many respects, this Arab summit is going to be a rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Mubarak, for example.

HEMMER: Egypt and Saudi Arabia, you see them as holding the biggest sway at this summit. SOBHANI: Absolutely. And that's why even though President Mubarak has indicated he will not attend the summit, it appears that part of that may be because there is a sense of rivalry. Will Egypt, the biggest Arab nation, deliver the Palestinian cause, or will it be Saudi Arabia, the site of the holy shrines of Mecca And Medina, who will deliver the cause? So many respects this summit is about competition.

HEMMER: What about this, professor, if Saudi Arabia and Egypt with Mubarak having the most sway, is there a possibility for a third party, an arbitrator of sorts, to come between the two and perhaps pull more sway in terms of a general consensus?

SOBHANI: I think on the ground, you are probably looking at Jordan, King Abdullah of Jordan, who may be able to play that role. But I think at the end of the day, both Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the Arab world, looks to the United States, because we are the world's only remaining superpower. And to the extent they would like to see us engage even-handedly in the resolution of this conflict, they are looking to the United States, which is why it's very important that President Bush succeed in persuading the Israeli prime minister to let Mr. Arafat leave Ramallah and go to the summit, because to the extent Mr. Bush has vested his credentials in this case on Mr. Arafat leaving, it's very important that we succeed.

HEMMER: You mentioned the White House there and President Bush. You have always said the U.S. has a very difficult time selling itself in the Middle East, that part of the world. Has it gotten better? has the engagement in the middle east situation helped the U.S. position?

SOBHANI: I think we have been able to dehumanize Osama bin Laden, because of our successes in Afghanistan, the welcoming of American troops by the Afghan people, we have had success. But that has been a in a non-Arab setting. The fundamental issue facing the United States is the Arab world, in many respects, and that's where we should invest more of our resources, financial as well as moral, into democratization in the Arab world, free media in the Arab world.

HEMMER: Tough do when the media is controlled by so many governments when you are trying to get a message out.

SOBHANI: Absolutely, and that's part of the reason why there is so much misunderstanding in the Arab world toward the United States, so much frustration and anger, because there are no other outlets from which to hear about the United States. That's why I think it is very important in this war against terrorism we invest in democratization as well.

HEMMER: We shall see what happens in Beirut over the next 72 hours, the two-day summit beginning tomorrow.

Professor Rob Sobhani, thanks. We'll talk again. Much appreciated there.

SOBHANI: Thank you. HEMMER Georgetown University, live in D.C.

I want to get to the Middle East right now.

Raanan Gissin is the spokesperson for Ariel Sharon, the prime minister, now joining us live from Jerusalem.

We say good evening to you, and we appreciate your time.

The Aerial Sharon in his message said -- and I want to use his words directly to quote him -- "not yet ripe. The conditions are not yet ripe." Could they change or ripen over the next 12-16 hours that would allow Yasser Arafat to attend.

RAANAN GISSIN, SPOKESMAN FOR ARIEL SHARON: You know, as always, it is up to Yasser Arafat. He holds the destiny and the fate of himself and his people in his hands.

If he makes -- and the prime minister stated it very clearly. If he makes a declaration, in his own language, in Arabic, as the United States has demanded, calling for a complete cease-fire and turning to all the armed terrorist groups there and everyone who is carrying a weapon, telling now is time for complete cessation of violence, terrorism and incitement, then of course we will be willing to consider that, and that will facilitate taking the decision. But there is another condition.

HEMMER: Second condition, go ahead.

GISSIN: If I may, if I may, just the other condition. I want to make that very clear, because of the past violence and so many agreements, because we want to assure Arafat will be a messenger of peace and not a harbinger of more terrorism and violence, we want to have optional sanction that in the event that he does come to Beirut and turn it into a summit of terror, calling for more violence against Israel, and as a result we have terrorist activity in the territories that takes the life of our people, we will have in our hands the right to consider whether Arafat will return or not.

HEMMER: Listen, let's take for the sake of argument here, the fact that Yasser Arafat does not go to Beirut. I know your situation, because you just explained it to me, but do you pay a higher price if Arafat is not in attendance there in Beirut?

GISSIN: There is a principle here that has to be adhered to. Arafat must understand that he has to comply with agreements, with commitments he took upon himself.

As a matter of fact, when pressure was brought to bear upon him, he did arrest those who were involved in the murder of our minister of tourism, and arrested the man who was responsible for bringing in the Karina (ph) weapons ship smuggling, he did do that. So under pressure, and when there are certain sanctions, he does take actions against terrorism.

There is no way this summit could succeed in terrorism in the Middle East and terrorism in Israel, and in the territories continues unabated. We want to insure that if he goes to Beirut, he goes as a messenger as peace, and not as a harbinger of more violence and terror.

HEMMER: One would think the latest condition about travel, about having the precondition met that gives Israel the rights and the option to allow Yasser Arafat to come back to Ramallah might be in a lot of corners just a flat-out nonstarter.

GISSIN: Well, look, we don't want it use this option. We don't want to use this option. We much prefer that Arafat makes that commitment to peace, because we are committed to peace. The prime minister says we will spare no effort to achieve cease-fire. We are trying to help General Zinni to implement Tenet, to implement the Mitchell Report, and then to move toward political negotiations. We are willing to meet and continue the summit meeting that the Arabs are conducting now in any venue in the Middle East or elsewhere where an Israeli delegation will meet with the Arab delegation so we can discuss peace, and stop the violence that has taken the life of so many people.

HEMMER: I got to get back to the White House for another event there on the surgeon general nomination. That has nothing to do with you.

But I want to know, in your opinion, in the next 12 hours, will Yasser Arafat attend that summit, quickly?

GISSIN: Well, as I said, it depends very much on the ripening of conditions, and those ripening of conditions depends very much, as always, as most things that happen in the past 18 months, on Arafat's decision, on Arafat's behavior.

HEMMER: Raanan Gissin, spokesperson for the Israeli government there, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

GISSIN: Thank you, sir. Again, nightfall there in Jerusalem. Time is ticking down with that summit again set to begin tomorrow in Beirut. Twenty-two members, 22 Arab countries, will send representatives to that meeting. We anticipate that Saudi peace proposal in the Middle East to be at the forefront of that summit, certainly something we shall watch as the day gross closer to tomorrow.

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