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Israeli Prime Minister to Come to U.S. for Meeting With President

Aired May 06, 2002 - 12:01   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 Middle East crisis is playing out today in Washington and in Bethlehem. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has come to the U.S. for crucial meetings with U.S. officials, including President Bush. We are going to get to that in just a moment.

First, though, we go to Bethlehem, and that's where we find our Matthew Chance on the latest hopes that a dangerous standoff could be nearing an end -- Matthew, hello.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, as well, Daryn.

Those hopes are still there. But although there's been a lot of anticipation over the past 24 hours or so that some deal is going to be reached or has been reached to end this siege around the Church of the Nativity here in Bethlehem, there's still been no clear word on when that's going to happen. We are told, though, that negotiations have resumed between the two sides, between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

Both sides tell us that some kind of agreement is nearing, but it's not there yet. Olivier Rafowicz is the spokesman for the Israeli Army here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OLIVIER RAFOWICZ, ISRAELI ARMY SPOKESMAN: The negotiations are still going on. We are maybe today closer than yesterday, but we are still waiting for the final answers from the other side. As you know, there have been several points of discussion still in discussion right now. And we hope very much that a solution safe and quick will arrive in order to solve this crisis of the church.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHANCE: Well we don't know yet what the shape of that deal is going to look like exactly. Although we're told it's going to involve, of course, a number of Palestinians who the Israelis call hard core militants holed up inside of the Church of the Nativity with a lot of other people, clergy and ordinary civilians as well. A number of them -- perhaps a number around six or seven people -- being cast into exile, perhaps in Italy. Another number of Palestinian militants inside there we're told are going to be sent into Gaza to be tried into Palestinian courts. That's the general shape of the deal. The exact numbers involved, though, have not been agreed yet. They haven't (UNINTELLIGIBLE) to find a formula that both sides are satisfied with. And until they do, Daryn, this standoff is likely to continue -- back to you.

KAGAN: Matthew, what about the compromises that Yasser Arafat is making here? First of all, the Palestinians had said no to any kind of exile. Now they're agreeing to at least six. And, then, is there also some criticism coming from last week, when Yasser Arafat agreed to give up some of those who were holed up with him in Ramallah? Is there a sense among the Palestinians that he's being too soft in these negotiations?

CHANCE: Yasser Arafat is playing a very difficult game. Certainly, in that instance in Ramallah. There's been a lot of criticism from within the Palestinian community that he shouldn't have backed down over this and he shouldn't have allowed those six Palestinians who were wanted by Israel to be transferred through to international guard.

Nevertheless, he doesn't have a lot of choices in this situation. He does have to make a deal. It is in his interest for this siege around the Church of the Nativity, just like in Ramallah, to come to an end -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Matthew Chance in Bethlehem, we'll check back with you on any progress.

There are those who believe that the holed up in Bethlehem has to do with a meeting that is to take place tomorrow in Washington between Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of Israel as he meets with President Bush. The Prime Minister is already in D.C., along with our John King, Senior White House Correspondent standing by at the White House -- John, hello.

JOHN KING, SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, Daryn.

The prime minister in Washington and making the rounds meeting other senior administration officials today, including a stop later at the Pentagon. His White House meeting with President Bush comes late tomorrow afternoon. And at that meeting the main issue and the view of the White House is trying to convince the Israeli prime minister that maybe he doesn't like Yasser Arafat, maybe he doesn't trust Yasser Arafat, maybe he thinks Yasser Arafat is a terrorist, but that Yasser Arafat remains the leader of the Palestinian Authority, and that if there is to be any progress, the Sharon government must deal directly with Yasser Arafat.

The president was asked about this a short time ago. He is traveling in Michigan today promoting his education agenda. He was asked what he wants to talk to the prime minister about. He said he will keep that secret and let the prime minister hear it first. But the president, once again, making clear his displeasure with Mr. Arafat. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: But if you're asking about Chairman Arafat, I have been asked -- if I've been asked once, I've been asked 20 times about him. He has disappointed me. He must lead, he must show the world that he believes in peace. And we have laid out conditions for all parties in order to achieve peace. All parties -- the Arab nations, Israel.

Chairman Arafat and the Palestinian Authority must assume their responsibilities and lead. And this is a series of discussions we're having with not only Prime Minister Sharon, as you know, but King Abdullah is coming as well. Follows up on meetings I've had with the crowned prince of Saudi Arabia, as well as the king of Morocco. I will continue to have further meetings as we begin to coalesce the world around a vision for peace.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: You heard the president at the very end there saying he's trying coalesce the world around a vision of peace. That is one of the biggest challenges at the moment because of the very different opinions. The Palestinians, with the support of the Arab countries want to move immediately into big picture comprehensive peace negotiations.

CNN is told, though, that Prime Minister Sharon wants to focus on short-term security improvements first. More buffer zones, more checkpoints between the Israeli and Palestinian land. So the president's Middle East strategy and his powers of persuasion get a big test this week -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Well President Bush clearly (UNINTELLIGIBLE) to think that he wants Prime Minister Sharon to agree to. But as I understand it, the prime minister has traveled to Washington with a big thick stack of documents that the Israelis believe clearly ties Yasser Arafat to many roles of terrorism. And the Israelis, John, are going to say, how can we negotiate with somebody who is so closely linked to terrorism?

KING: And the White House response will be that they accept much of what is in that new Israeli report. It runs about 100 pages, there are notations in Yasser Arafat's own handwriting, in which he authorizes payments to people who are believed to be lead suspects in suicide bombings and other attacks like that.

So the administration will make the case, yes, there is evidence linking Arafat and other top Palestinian officials to terrorism, but that the problem before Israel, the United States and the world is that he is the internationally recognized leader of the Palestinian Authority. If you are to negotiate a short-term cease-fire or a long- term peace agreement, who are you going to negotiate it with? If not Arafat, then who?

That is a question this administration cannot answer, the previous administration could not answer. So the message to Prime Minister Sharon is if there is to be progress, he is, at the moment, the leader of the Palestinian people, like it or not.

KAGAN: Also, another point that we heard the president talk about in that quick sound byte, a lot of folks in town, not just the prime minister. You have King Abdullah of Jordan, and then earlier we saw with Secretary of State Powell the Saudi foreign minister. No shortage of lobbying this week and meetings.

KING: No shortage. And in the Arab world, there is a fear that Prime Minister Sharon will come here and present what he calls a peace plan. What the Arabs would call a security arrangement, under which he puts in more checkpoints, puts in some short term, maybe a cease- fire agreement with the Palestinians, but then does not want to address the long-term issues of a Palestinian state, of economic rights and the like. So you have pressure on the administration from the Arab world at the very same time.

We are told King Abdullah of Jordan's message will simply be this: that you cannot have a successful peace conference like the administration wants a month or so from now, unless there is a commitment from all parties, including, most importantly, Prime Minister Sharon, to sit down and talk about comprehensive peace negotiations. The goal of those would be a Palestinian state.

Again, the president is talking to a lot of people right now. There remain a great deal of differences about what the specific strategy should be, what the timetable should be. Very difficult diplomacy here in Washington this week.

KAGAN: John King at the White House -- John, thank you for your reporting and your insight.

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