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CNN Live Today
White House Reassesses Policy in Middle East
Aired April 19, 2002 - 14:21 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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Following Colin Powell's trip to the Middle East, the White House is reassessing its policy in the region. CNN's White House correspondent Major Garrett joins us with more. How are they reassessing things, Major?
MAJOR GARRETT, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, good afternoon, Fredricka. Several Bush administration officials tell CNN that there is a rather lively debate going on in the White House now about where to go next.
The choices are pretty stark: stick with the current Middle East policy, which is basically tethered to two plans. One, the Tenet security plan offered by the CIA director George Tenet. That's a security cooperation agreement between the Israelis and the Palestinians, one they've committed to in word but not necessarily carried out in deed.
Then there's the Mitchell plan, which is a process to perhaps reach an ultimate political solution of all the underlying difficulties in achieving a Palestinian state and security for Israel. Now, that's been on the table for a long time.
The White House has always said Tenet and Mitchell is the way to peace. But there is some debate inside the White House as to whether or not that's enough. That if Tenet and Mitchell haven't gotten us very far now, maybe there needs to be a reassessment.
And there is some talk, perhaps, of at least exploring the option of having the United States put its own peace plan on the table to sort of break through the logjam between the Israelis and Palestinians. There's also very active conversation going on in the Bush White House about putting millions and millions of dollars on the table as part of a global effort to rebuild shattered Palestinian refugee camps and cities after the Israeli incursions, and putting that money on the table as part of an ultimate settlement for all of the underlying grievances.
No decisions have been made. But there's a good deal of talk about whether Bush administration policy in the Middle East needs to be shaken up, and if so, exactly how -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Now, Major, if the Tenet plan and the Mitchell plan are losing favor now, or things are being reassessed, does this also mean the White House is willing to talk a little bit more candidly about whether they still would want Tenet to make his way to the Middle East?
GARRETT: Well, these things are all part of the ongoing deliberations. Secretary of State Powell joined the president here today for a National Security Council meeting, for the entire national security council, a broad range of advisers for the president on this topic. And this is all part of the equation.
If George Tenet goes back, it would be back, of course, to talk about the security plan, or maybe some amendments to it or some variation on a security agreement. Clearly the White House still believes you have to have security before you can have real political dialogue.
But how do you get there is really the question. Do you marry an ultimate political solution to talks on security to try to link them together more closely? And if so, what's the character of that political solution? That's where the U.S.-backed peace plan may in fact come in.
But, Fredricka, before any of these sort of larger issues are addressed, there are some real issues on the ground here and now. One of them is the continued siege of Yasser Arafat's compound in Ramallah. The administration is trying to work that out. And also the question of what becomes of Jenin.
Is there United Nations investigation as to what exactly happened in Jenin? What kind of damage was inflicted by Israeli defense forces? How many Palestinian casualties are there? Today the White House endorsed an investigation, but pointedly didn't openly embrace the United Nations investigation.
One of the reasons is, the Israel government contends there doesn't need to be a United Nations investigation. That it's government can investigate matters in Jenin just fine, thank you. The United States so far appears to be slightly sympathetic to that point of view.
The Palestinians of course want an international investigation sponsored by the U.N. to get to the bottom of what exactly happened in Jenin. So those are key issues that have to be dealt with right here and now before some of these broader issued can be tackled -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: OK, thanks very much. Major Garrett at the White House.
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