Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Live Today
Bush Meets With EU to Discuss Middle East
Aired May 02, 2002 - 14:16 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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: To the White House now we go. The Middle East crisis again on the agenda today.
Last hour, if you were with us, about 60 minutes ago we saw the president in the East Room, meeting there with European leaders.
To John King right now, for more perspective on what is happening on this front today. John, good afternoon.
JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon, again, to you, Bill.
The challenge for the president now is to move this beyond the talk about a crisis in Ramallah, a crisis in Bethlehem, a standoff here, and confrontation there, into some form of a positive political dialogue.
Mr. Bush meeting today to discuss strategy on just how to do that, with European Union leaders. The presidency of the European Union is in the hands of Spain right now, so the Spanish P.M. Jose Maria Aznar, here for the annual European Union/United States summit.
Also, the European commissioner, Romano Prodi. Mr. Bush swapping notes with his leaders here. Discussing other issues, but dominating the talks, we are told, the Middle East.
Mr. Bush meets next week with the Israeli P.M. Ariel Sharon, with the Jordanian monarch, King Abdullah. He wants to try to see if he can build on what he considers to be recent progress, especially in standing the Ramallah standoff.
In his public remarks, Mr. Bush chose his words carefully. Said it is now incumbent on all parties, the Israelis, the Palestinians and the Arab world, to implement steps toward progress.
Mr. Bush said something the Palestinians would like to hear. He said there needed to be a negotiated end to the occupation. Israel does not like that term. But Mr. Bush also made clear he believed by far the burden is on Yasser Arafat to prove that he can lead. And Mr. Bush said that the challenge is not only to prove that to this White House and the international community, but to prove it to the very own people he says he governs, the Palestinians.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think it's very important for Chairman Arafat to show the world that he's capable of leading.
As I said in my remarks in the Rose Garden about a month ago, which by the way, in the terms of the Middle East, isn't all that long a period of time, in my judgment, that he has just been disappointing. He has disappointed. He has had some chance to grab the peace, and hasn't done so in the past. And therefore, he's let down the Palestinian people.
Now is a chance to show he can lead.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: The key test in the days ahead will be whether there are new differences in terms of strategy between the United States and its allies, the Europeans, and the Saudis, among the Arab nations, saying that Mr. Bush should push for a grand gesture, if you will, dramatic comprehensive peace negotiations.
Most here at the White House, though, believe the climate is simply not ready for that, the distrust and mistrust still too high between the Israelis and the Palestinians, especially P.M. Sharon and Mr. Arafat. So the White House wants slow, steady, incremental progress under pressure to try to be much more bolder than that -- Bill.
HEMMER: John, before we get to next week, let's talk about the key players on the United States side.
Two weeks ago, in Jerusalem, there was a lot of talk that Colin Powell would come back to Jerusalem, possibly in the month of May. We're in that month right now. The CIA director, George Tenet, does he have plans to go back soon? Where is Anthony Zinni?
I guess the bottom line of my question is, what's happening on the ground right now as we await the diplomat talks next week in Washington?
KING: There are United States diplomats on the ground in the region still, but you make a critical point. The administration has not yet decided how to proceed next, how to bring it back up to those highest levels next. That will happen after the meetings here with P.M. Sharon and King Abdullah.
Gen. Zinni has not returned to the region. Whether his role will even continue is an open question at the State Dept. Right now, obviously, the secretary of state and the president himself, when necessary, taking the lead roles in this diplomacy.
How it plays out from here, whether the administration's strategy and the key players in that strategy shift, all to be determined first and foremost on whether there is progress and lack of major violence over the next several days, and then after those key meetings next week here at the White House. HEMMER: Thank you, John. John King, front lawn of the White House.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
