Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live At Daybreak

Powell Peace Mission: View From Jerusalem

Aired May 12, 2003 - 06:05   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: Peace on the road. Secretary of State Colin Powell's peace mission continues. He has just arrived in Cairo. He'll talk to leaders there about what role they can play in the peace process. Powell also plans to discuss U.S.-Egyptian relations and a new government in Iraq.
On the subject of peace between the Israelis and Palestinians, though, Mr. Powell has talked with both prime ministers, and says there is enough agreement to begin implementing that road map.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: I believe that there is sufficient goodwill, sufficient commitment that we can get started, and as I have said, let's get started now. Let's not waste another day. Let's not waste another discussion session. Let's get on with the action that's required.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: But as the small steps to peace go forward, so does the violence in the Middle East.

We take you live to Jerusalem and CNN's Jerrold Kessel.

Good morning -- Jerrold.

JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol. And a hard road getting on to that peace road, and a darn hard road you might even say.

And we're talking about this cartoon in one of the Israeli papers this morning, which I think reflects some of that difficulty. We have here the Israeli cartoon is showing a picture of the secretary of state on the phone, as it were, as he's departing from the Middle East here, at least from Israel. And what it has -- what the cartoonist has Mr. Powell saying is, "Iraq was a piece of cake," compared, that is, to getting the Israelis and Palestinians away from confrontation and back to negotiation.

But it seems that the tactic or the strategy that the United States, and certainly Mr. Powell was adopting during his 36 hours of intensive talks here was exactly what he said in that little clip you had him saying there, let's get started, let's get moving, let's not get distracted by the differences between the two sides. And by (UNINTELLIGIBLE), there are very, very serious differences still between the Israelis and the Palestinians, because they not only have a different perception of how to go forward, they're blaming each other for being tardy at who should go first in trying to move this peace map forward.

And Mr. Powell said the approach out of that is simply get moving, carry out even the small things that you promised to do.

Well, that's left a different perception of the value and the failure or success of this mission. The Palestinians are saying he didn't push Ariel Sharon, Israel's prime minister, nearly hard enough. He didn't push him at all, say the Palestinians, to signing on to this peace document. And the Palestinians are arguing if the Israelis aren't on board, why should they be on (UNINTELLIGIBLE) to fulfill their obligations under the peace map like curbing the Palestinian militants?

The Israelis say they are pleased that Mr. Powell spoke so forcefully against -- towards the Palestinians to make progress in curbing the militants, and that Mr. Powell's approach of a step-by- step, small-steps approach is the right one.

He's moved on now. The question is: Will the United States remain as forceful as he said and as assertive as he said in making the Israelis and Palestinians move towards negotiations. That question still ahead.

COSTELLO: Yes, big question. Jerrold Kessel live from Jerusalem. Mr. Powell is now in Cairo, Egypt.

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 May 12, 2003 - 06:05   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Peace on the road. Secretary of State Colin Powell's peace mission continues. He has just arrived in Cairo. He'll talk to leaders there about what role they can play in the peace process. Powell also plans to discuss U.S.-Egyptian relations and a new government in Iraq.
On the subject of peace between the Israelis and Palestinians, though, Mr. Powell has talked with both prime ministers, and says there is enough agreement to begin implementing that road map.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: I believe that there is sufficient goodwill, sufficient commitment that we can get started, and as I have said, let's get started now. Let's not waste another day. Let's not waste another discussion session. Let's get on with the action that's required.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: But as the small steps to peace go forward, so does the violence in the Middle East.

We take you live to Jerusalem and CNN's Jerrold Kessel.

Good morning -- Jerrold.

JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol. And a hard road getting on to that peace road, and a darn hard road you might even say.

And we're talking about this cartoon in one of the Israeli papers this morning, which I think reflects some of that difficulty. We have here the Israeli cartoon is showing a picture of the secretary of state on the phone, as it were, as he's departing from the Middle East here, at least from Israel. And what it has -- what the cartoonist has Mr. Powell saying is, "Iraq was a piece of cake," compared, that is, to getting the Israelis and Palestinians away from confrontation and back to negotiation.

But it seems that the tactic or the strategy that the United States, and certainly Mr. Powell was adopting during his 36 hours of intensive talks here was exactly what he said in that little clip you had him saying there, let's get started, let's get moving, let's not get distracted by the differences between the two sides. And by (UNINTELLIGIBLE), there are very, very serious differences still between the Israelis and the Palestinians, because they not only have a different perception of how to go forward, they're blaming each other for being tardy at who should go first in trying to move this peace map forward.

And Mr. Powell said the approach out of that is simply get moving, carry out even the small things that you promised to do.

Well, that's left a different perception of the value and the failure or success of this mission. The Palestinians are saying he didn't push Ariel Sharon, Israel's prime minister, nearly hard enough. He didn't push him at all, say the Palestinians, to signing on to this peace document. And the Palestinians are arguing if the Israelis aren't on board, why should they be on (UNINTELLIGIBLE) to fulfill their obligations under the peace map like curbing the Palestinian militants?

The Israelis say they are pleased that Mr. Powell spoke so forcefully against -- towards the Palestinians to make progress in curbing the militants, and that Mr. Powell's approach of a step-by- step, small-steps approach is the right one.

He's moved on now. The question is: Will the United States remain as forceful as he said and as assertive as he said in making the Israelis and Palestinians move towards negotiations. That question still ahead.

COSTELLO: Yes, big question. Jerrold Kessel live from Jerusalem. Mr. Powell is now in Cairo, Egypt.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.