Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Today

New Violence Makes Cease-Fire Tough

Aired April 10, 2002 - 14:07   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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Secretary of State Colin Powell is a man on a mission to ease tensions between Israel and the Palestinians, and work towards cease-fire. But the new violence is only making a tough job that much tougher. CNN's Andrea Koppel is traveling with the secretary and has this report from Madrid, on a search for peace.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: On the eve of his expected arrival in Israel, Secretary of State Powell dismissed suggestions that his delicate, diplomatic peace-making mission was in jeopardy. He also said that he planed to go ahead, or at least hoped to go ahead, with a meeting with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat over the objections of Ariel Sharon, the Israeli prime minister, who said that would be a tragic mistake.

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: I believe it is important for me to meet with Chairman Arafat. He's the leader of the Palestinian people, and I think the Palestinian people and the Arab leaders with whom I've met over the last several days believe that he is the partner that Israel will have to deal with at some point -- he and the other leaders of the Palestinian Authority.

The reality is that no other Palestinian leader, or for that matter, Arab leader, is prepared to engage as a partner until Mr. Arafat has had a chance to express his views to me and to others. So I hope that there will be no difficulties in arranging a meeting with Chairman Arafat. And I think if we are going to ill move forward, such a meeting is appropriate an important.

KOPPEL: Earlier today, Secretary Powell's mission got a big boost when it was endorsed by members of much of the international community, including the European Union, the secretary-general of the United Nations and the Russian federation, all of whom said that this was a tragic situation and that there was no military solution to the conflict.

They said that there were really three critical issues at hand right now, one of which was the increased fighting between the Israelis and the Palestinians, the mounting humanitarian and human rights crisis, as well as the increased fighting along the second front, what's known as the second front, that is, Israel's northern border with Lebanon. And so all of these governments, while acknowledging that Secretary Powell wouldn't be able to pull a rabbit out of the hat, did say that he was really the best man for the job, with the weight of the U.S. government behind him. When Secretary Powell arrives in Israel, he's expected to go into alternate meetings with the Israelis and the Palestinians. And in an indication as to just how difficult this mission is, he said that his return date has not been set. Andrea Koppel, CNN, Madrid.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com