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CNN Live Today

Middle East Focus of Administration

Aired April 05, 2002 - 10:09   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.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: The Mideast situation is still the focus of the entire Bush administration.

Our White House correspondent, Major Garrett, joins us now with more from Washington -- Major, good morning.

MAJOR GARRETT, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.

You know, we have covered so much of this story. I guess one of the central questions remaining is does the president's announcement that he is sending Secretary of State Powell to the region actually change facts on the ground? And the answer is right now, no, it doesn't, and it's not likely until the secretary of state arrives in the region sometime, as Jerrold Kessel said, next week. We don't even have a firm date for his arrival, and nor does the secretary of state have a firm agenda once he gets there.

And you know, when you talk to White House officials about what they expect to happen between now and the time that Secretary of State Powell arrives in the region, one thing they say is, well, they certainly hope Israel has either fully withdrawn or at least partially withdrawn from the occupied territories by then. And then you say, but that's not immediate. That doesn't seem to be in complete consistency with what the president said at the White House yesterday, here is what they have to say, that's true, but Israel had been talking about six to eight-week length of time in the occupied territories carrying out all of these military assaults. Having them out by the time Powell arrives next week is certainly better than six to eight weeks of extended occupation. And that's the way the White House looks at.

So senior White House officials do not expect to see tanks pulling back from Ramallah or any other part of the occupied territories, at least not today, at least not even this weekend, but they hope by the time Powell gets there. So changing those facts on the ground is going to take a while, but the administration hopes it will be done sooner rather than later, and that can be perceived throughout the region as at least some degree of progress. That's one key element to deal with -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Major, meanwhile, Secretary Powell is not the only world leader who is traveling. Also Prime Minister Tony Blair of Great Britain will be heading here to the U.S. to meet with President Bush. What can we make of this summit?

GARRETT: Well, it's obviously very clear that the prime minister obviously is going down because Crawford is the -- a ticket for any world leader. Coming to Crawford is the top agenda item for world leaders, who want to show not only to their own constituents that they have a very close relationship with the leader of the global war against terrorism. That was true before 9/11, and it's certainly more true now. Great Britain has stood with the United States ever so consistently in the entire prosecution of the war on terror.

Obviously Iraq will be a huge part of the agenda, but so will the Middle East. And Tony Blair is the European Union's sort of emissary to the Bush White House. The president has a very close relationship with Tony Blair, closer than he does with many other European leaders who have been very critical of the president's Middle East policy. Clearly, Tony Blair will convey some of their thoughts, many of which have been conveyed publicly; some of them through private channels.

They will also talk about other ways of dealing with the global war on terrorism, the campaign on terrorism, where the United Kingdom can continue to be a part of that campaign. And also the downsizing of the U.K.'s role in that security force in Afghanistan, and that's about to be handed over in its second phase to the Turkish government. All those things will be on the table -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Major Garrett at the White House -- Major, thank you very much.

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