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CNN Live Today

Middle East Crisis Front and Center at the U.N.

Aired April 03, 2002 - 14:33   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 LIN, CNN ANCHOR: You won't be surprised to hear the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is front and center at United Nations. Richard Roth joins us now with the various ways delegates are expressing their various frustrations. Richard, despite a couple of votes by the United Nations, it appears so far that the Bush administration is remaining firm in not getting too involved with the Mideast conflict right now.

RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the U.S. is happy that there's a resolution on the books that calls on Israel to withdraw. The Palestinians want later today a new resolution that demands that they withdraw. The U.S. is not going to go that far, at least at this point.

Things are volatile in the Mideast. Things are heating up here inside the Security Council. Libya made an appearance among the dozens of countries that again spoke, all of them against Israel. The Libyan ambassador, Omar Dorda, held up a copy of "TIME" magazine -- this is quite rare inside the Security Council -- to make his point.

First he questioned that Israel truly exists, questioning the background of Israeli leaders, from Menachem Begin to Benjamin Netanyahu. Then he says, look at this magazine, at least it's not a Libyan magazine. Kindly look at it. He says there's a map inside the magazine. He says, I'm sure you've all seen it. You may note, he says, in the last few weeks, what's left of the so-called, he says, West Bank and Gaza. And he marks inside the "TIME" magazine, a very detailed issue, settlements, which he says Israel is certainly building there, he says illegally. So this is the type of atmosphere here at the Security Council.

Also another ambassador from Japan, concerned about appearances. When you have so many ambassadors speaking, they all walk up to two different sides of the table. The Japanese ambassador was seated next to the Israeli ambassador. And he said, -- quote -- "I find it embarrassing to choose between the two seats. I hope in the future there will a more politically comfortable way to sit." So appearances here mean a lot at the United Nations, especially in a time of war -- Carol.

LIN: Richard, if can you give us a diplomatic perspective on what the buzz is in the hallway now, now that there are public demonstrations in Lebanon, in Jordan, in Egypt. Clearly, frustration and anger in the Arab world. Where is this likely to go? And is this being done specifically to put pressure on President Bush to do more?

ROTH: Well, it's definitely to ratchet up pressure. And here at the United Nations they are used to these types of crises. People in America may not think much of the U.N. at times. But, particularly for the Arab world, the United Nations is king.

And people there look to the Secretary Council and what the ambassadors do there as very important. The action that the Council does perhaps determines whether there are going to be street reactions. It's not just a place to vent emotions. They want to see that the world is listening to their plight, as they consider it.

President Bush and the U.S. are playing it two different ways. In Washington they say, perhaps with a green light for Israel, do what it can to fight terrorism. Here they do sign on to resolutions calling on Israel it withdraw. It's up sometimes to the reader or the viewer to determine which course Washington truly favors.

LIN: All right, thank you very much. Richard Roth at the United Nations.

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