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CNN Live Today

Interview With Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright

Aired July 30, 2002 - 10:08   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.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: We turn our attention to the Middle East and yet another act of violence. This time, it was a suicide bombing on a busy street in central Jerusalem. Only the bomber was killed. At least seven others, though, were wounded. Police have identified him as a 17-year-old boy from Bethlehem. And it is believed the teen was on his way to Zion Square, a heavily traveled area in central Jerusalem. A source said the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, an offshoot of the fatah movement, claimed responsibility. That group is an offshoot of Yasser Arafat's fatah movement.

It's the first attack in Jerusalem since two last month killed 26 people. And this latest attack comes as the U.S. continues to try to end the violence in the region.

Our next guest this morning played a pivotal role in the Middle East peace process in the Clinton administration. We welcome this morning former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who joins us from Denver to talk about the ongoing violence there, efforts to find a lasting peace, and whatever else we can squeeze in this mourning in the time we have.

Madam Secretary, always good to have you with us. How are you?

MADELEINE ALBRIGHT, FMR. SECY. OF STATE: Good to be with you, Leon.

HARRIS: Let's begin with what's happening right now in the Middle East. I would like to have your thoughts exactly on your view of how things stand at this particular point. And President Bush has said that Ariel Sharon is a man of peace. Do you think the events we have seen unfold in the past few weeks confirm that, and do you think Yasser Arafat should be marginalized as he is?

ALBRIGHT: I think things are in very bad shape, because they were allowed to deteriorate in a way where the two sides, the Israelis and the Palestinians, can't seem to find a venue or the appropriate discussions to have. We always believe it was essential for the United States to be deeply involved, not to make decisions for the parties, but to try it push them together to try serve as a catalyst, and that has not happened.

I hope very much that what will happen is that there will be talks at some level between the two parties, and also, maybe a secret channel, but I think it is absolutely essential that there be talks. I understand that Secretary Powell is thinking of meeting with Palestinian leaders, and I think that is important.

I think you also asked about Arafat. I think it is very hard to totally marginalize him, and what I believe happens is that more we try to do that, the more he becomes the center of attention, and is able to play the role that he really likes a lot, which is to be the chief victim.

HARRIS: So you don't think this talk about him being a titular head is actually going to be productive?

ALBRIGHT: Well, it could happen, but it will not happen as a result of the United States giving ultimatums, because that, in fact, gets everybody's back up, and I do think it is possible that there will be some evolution in the Palestinian system that will allow for him to assume a different position with then having someone as prime minister or setting up a system of government that allows greater input into the decision making process.

But for us and the Israelis to just say, he doesn't count any more, I think is not a helpful process.

HARRIS: I want to advise you, madam secretary, and the audience as well, that President Bush will feature the signing of that corporate responsibility law, will be happening in just a couple of minutes. That's the room right there, the East Room of the White House. We will be going there in just a moment.

So let's continue our conversation in the meantime with former Secretary Albright.

Let me talk about you a bit about Iraq. The administration, as you know, has been getting quite upset that there have been leaks in the papers in the last couple of weeks or so, about different battle plans for actually invading Baghdad or whatever, to go after Saddam Hussein. How do you read what's happening there between the White House, and the State Department and Pentagon with all that?

ALBRIGHT: There are always internal discussions in any government. You don't always get the straight story in the press. But I think it is very hard to figure out what purpose of the leaks really is. I mean, if it is people that are supportive of the invasion or some kind of an attack on Saddam Hussein, they are certainly signaling an awful lot to him. If it is being leaked by people who oppose it, that is something that does happen in the government, is that those who oppose the policy sometimes put the word out.

But in either case, it is certainly not helpful.

I think what will be very important is for Senator Biden to hold these hearings, that really allow for a national debate as for whether it is the right thing to go in and get rid of Saddam Hussein at this point. HARRIS: And those hearings are held at this week. With that in mind, what do you make then of what some have been calling marginalization of your successor, I should say, Colin Powell -- he is now the secretary. Some have said he has been marginalized on this as well as Middle East issue. You have been in his shoes before. I would like to know what you think about all that.

ALBRIGHT: There are always these stories about who is up and down, and sometimes they are right, but mostly they're wrong. And I think that Colin Powell has a very special role to play. I think he is the one that is the chief spokesperson for foreign policy, and the one who manages it. And he is out there now talking with a variety of Asian leaders at this very moment, and he needs to be supported in what he is doing. The secretary of state is, and should be, the chief spokesperson for foreign policy.

HARRIS: All right, that's a very diplomatic way of putting it, in answering that question. Let me ask you about the case the administration made or has not made about going into Iraq to begin with. We hear Jordan's King Abdullah saying he was surprised to even hear talk coming out of Washington that Jordan would be a launching pad for any such attack. What do you make of the way the administration handled this case publicly?

ALBRIGHT: I think that they basically are just trying to...

HARRIS: I'm sorry, madam Secretary. I'm soar sorry to interrupt you, but we want to go the White House, because the event with President Bush is about to get underway.

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