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CNN Live At Daybreak
Saudi Peace Plan Expected to Be Endorsed at Summit
Aired March 28, 2002 - 06:06 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: Let's turn now to that Arab summit. Our Christiane Amanpour told us in the last hour that text -- written text of remarks by Yasser Arafat are being distributed to the delegates, and she joins us again now -- hello, Christiane. So no satellite -- no live by satellite for Yasser Arafat.
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No. In fact, there has been an awful lot of back and forth and complications over this whole matter. And since the plug was literally pulled on him yesterday, as he was set to deliver his address, then now the Palestinians have got a pledge that he could have addressed the conference today, but now in the whole sort of diplomatic language that is being used, Arafat has chosen not to address the conference but to put his remarks in circulation in text form. So that is what is happening right now in the conference, as they are again behind closed doors in their final working session.
So no Palestinian Yasser Arafat presence, but on the substantive issues, the Palestinian delegates are telling us that shortly, this afternoon, once the whole session closes up, the Saudi peace initiative will be unanimously endorsed. It does offer, as we have been reporting, full normal relations to Israel, full recognition, full diplomatic and all other kinds of relations, end to the conflict, recognition of Israel's right to exist. In return for, a withdrawal to the '67 borders, Jerusalem as the capital of the Palestinian state, East Jerusalem, and also general language on a just solution for the return of the refugees and the whole refugee situation.
Now, in return for that and return for what the Arabs are calling the first ever pan-Arab initiative for peace, they are expecting the United States to deliver the Israeli government.
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PRINCE SAUD AL-FAISAL, SAUDI FOREIGN MINISTER: The United States has a most crucial effort too. The United States is the one that supports Israel militarily, economically and politically. It is the only country that can wield an influence on Israel. It has been shown that when the United States pushes Israel towards a compromising position, they will listen. Even public opinion is affected by what the United States is doing. This is the time when sense must be talked into Mr. Sharon. The war and the conflict now is in his head. This has to be removed from his mind, and only the United States can do that.
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AMANPOUR: Now, there is an equally important issue on the table here, at least as far as the United States goes, and that is the situation with Iraq. As you know, of course, with all of the talk of the U.S. possibly intervening to change the regime in Iraq, there is still no word on whether the Iraqis will allow the U.N. weapons inspectors back into Iraq. We are told, however, by sources that the Iraqis are quite -- quote -- "panicked about any possible U.S. intervention," and that they have made rather dramatic concessions or compliances with the U.N. resolution as far as Kuwait goes. We spoke earlier to the Kuwaiti foreign minister.
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MOHAMMED AL-SABAH, KUWAIT FOREIGN MINISTER: Iraq has been in a state of denial for the past 12 years. There was no remorse whatsoever for what they have done 12 years ago. Now, just actually less than 24 hours ago, they said that, well, we are not going to repeat that. We have to now to see whether they will carry forward on that by implementing security council resolutions.
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AMANPOUR: Now, in sum -- to sum up exactly what has happened here, Iraq apparently has assured Kuwait that it will not repeat the incident of 1990, when Iraq invaded Kuwait, if you remember, in August of 1990. And also that it is recognizing Kuwait's sovereignty. So those are quite positive developments in terms of the Iraq-Kuwait situation.
Now, on another matter, we are hearing from sources amongst countries in this region, Arab countries that are U.S. allies, about what next for Iraq. Now, as you know, there has been a lot of talk about how all of the Arab leaders told Vice President Cheney on his trip through the region a few weeks ago that they would not support an Iraqi -- or rather a U.S. invasion or removal of Saddam from Iraq.
But privately what they are saying is that no Arab leader would miss Saddam Hussein, and that if they will convince the Arab leaders that the United States had a decisive military and political solution for changing the regime in Iraq, then the Arab states would support that -- Carol.
COSTELLO: A lot of interesting information and glad to hear there are some positive things coming out of that summit as well. Thank you -- Christiane Amanpour reporting live for us from Beirut.
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