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CNN Live At Daybreak
Deadline Nearing for Formation of Palestinian Cabinet
Aired April 22, 2003 - 06:08 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.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Some say it's a sign Yasser Arafat is not irrelevant. Tomorrow, Palestinian prime minister-designate Abu Mazen is expected to have a list of his new cabinet members, paving the way for that U.S.-made roadmap for peace, but Yasser Arafat has other ideas.
Let's go live to explore this issue, live to Jerusalem and Jerrold Kessel.
Good morning -- Jerrold.
JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
And Abu Mazen has presented this list, and it is not acceptable to Yasser Arafat, and that's at the nub of this ongoing, high political drama, and a real power struggle in the Palestinian leadership.
But the reason this is important is it's not only for the future of the Palestinian Authority, Palestinian society, but because it could provide a major new obstacle in the way to easing the Palestinian-Israeli conflict back from confrontation to negotiation. Because the United States and the British have said that only when -- Abu Mazen was with Yasser Arafat last week, the week before -- only when he presents his new cabinet will they present the roadmap for peace.
Now, those pictures we saw of the two men together are really from last week, because since Saturday when they met last and Abu Mazen stormed out of a meeting they haven't met since. And the negotiations between the two camps have been going on by brokers in between, trying to patch up the differences, but so far the impasse remains.
Despite the fact that Yasser Arafat has been under enormous international pressure, indirectly from the United States, which, of course, doesn't maintain any contacts officially with Yasser Arafat, but certainly directly from the British, from the Europeans, from Arab leaders, exerting him not to continue blocking the way for Abu Mazen, lest that will hold up these new efforts to revive peace-making between Palestinians and Israelis and the presentation of the roadmap.
But for now, there is a meeting going on right now in Ramallah of the leadership of the Fatah movement -- that's the main political party. Yasser Arafat is there; Abu Mazen is not. The impasse remains. And whichever way this crisis plays out over the next 36 hours or so until the deadline for which Abu Mazen has to present his cabinet for approval, whichever way it plays out, it seems to be an indication that those who were saying that Yasser Arafat could be counted out have been counting perhaps a little bit too early.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AHMED TIBI, PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS ANALYST: It is the dream of Ariel Sharon, it is the dream of the right-wing in Israel, and some figures of the American administration. They have to wait more and more time in order to have this dream be fulfilled. Yes, Arafat is a very important figure, and he is No. 1 on the Palestinian scene.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And remains No. 1?
TIBI: He is No. 1, and the prime minister will be No. 2.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KESSEL: Whether this is brinkmanship by Yasser Arafat, as he's often accustomed to doing, or whether the crisis will remain real and a very serious development if Abu Mazen is not able to form their government, well, the next 36 hours will be critical for them -- Carol.
COSTELLO: And we'll be following. Jerrold Kessel reporting live from Jerusalem this morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Aired April 22, 2003 - 06:08 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Some say it's a sign Yasser Arafat is not irrelevant. Tomorrow, Palestinian prime minister-designate Abu Mazen is expected to have a list of his new cabinet members, paving the way for that U.S.-made roadmap for peace, but Yasser Arafat has other ideas.
Let's go live to explore this issue, live to Jerusalem and Jerrold Kessel.
Good morning -- Jerrold.
JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
And Abu Mazen has presented this list, and it is not acceptable to Yasser Arafat, and that's at the nub of this ongoing, high political drama, and a real power struggle in the Palestinian leadership.
But the reason this is important is it's not only for the future of the Palestinian Authority, Palestinian society, but because it could provide a major new obstacle in the way to easing the Palestinian-Israeli conflict back from confrontation to negotiation. Because the United States and the British have said that only when -- Abu Mazen was with Yasser Arafat last week, the week before -- only when he presents his new cabinet will they present the roadmap for peace.
Now, those pictures we saw of the two men together are really from last week, because since Saturday when they met last and Abu Mazen stormed out of a meeting they haven't met since. And the negotiations between the two camps have been going on by brokers in between, trying to patch up the differences, but so far the impasse remains.
Despite the fact that Yasser Arafat has been under enormous international pressure, indirectly from the United States, which, of course, doesn't maintain any contacts officially with Yasser Arafat, but certainly directly from the British, from the Europeans, from Arab leaders, exerting him not to continue blocking the way for Abu Mazen, lest that will hold up these new efforts to revive peace-making between Palestinians and Israelis and the presentation of the roadmap.
But for now, there is a meeting going on right now in Ramallah of the leadership of the Fatah movement -- that's the main political party. Yasser Arafat is there; Abu Mazen is not. The impasse remains. And whichever way this crisis plays out over the next 36 hours or so until the deadline for which Abu Mazen has to present his cabinet for approval, whichever way it plays out, it seems to be an indication that those who were saying that Yasser Arafat could be counted out have been counting perhaps a little bit too early.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AHMED TIBI, PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS ANALYST: It is the dream of Ariel Sharon, it is the dream of the right-wing in Israel, and some figures of the American administration. They have to wait more and more time in order to have this dream be fulfilled. Yes, Arafat is a very important figure, and he is No. 1 on the Palestinian scene.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And remains No. 1?
TIBI: He is No. 1, and the prime minister will be No. 2.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KESSEL: Whether this is brinkmanship by Yasser Arafat, as he's often accustomed to doing, or whether the crisis will remain real and a very serious development if Abu Mazen is not able to form their government, well, the next 36 hours will be critical for them -- Carol.
COSTELLO: And we'll be following. Jerrold Kessel reporting live from Jerusalem this morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
