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Palestinian Chief Negotiator Resigning From Post
Aired May 16, 2003 - 05:31 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: News from another hot spot on the globe. Sources say the Palestinian chief negotiator is resigning from his post. The news comes just one day before the new Palestinian prime minister meets with his Israeli counterpart for the first time to talk about the so-called road map for peace.
For more on all of this, let's go live to Jerusalem and Kelly Wallace -- good morning, Kelly.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
Well, the big question right now is why, why did Saeb Erakat, the chief Palestinian negotiator, submit his resignation? We don't know the answer just yet. What we do know, according to Palestinian official sources, is that Saeb Erakat submitted his resignation to Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and to the new Palestinian prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas, and that this resignation will take effect in one week. Erakat, according to these Palestinian sources, will still remain a Palestinian legislative member handling the area of Jericho.
As you said, Carol, this move does come, though, before a very, very significant meeting, the first Israeli-Palestinian summit in two and a half years. Prime Minister Sharon of Israel and Prime Minister Abbas will meet Saturday evening for this session, which we understand will be closed to cameras.
Now, Palestinian sources are indicating that Mahmoud Abbas will go into this meeting trying to press Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to accept the so-called road map for Middle East peace, which the Israelis have yet to do, and that Abbas will say until Israel accepts the road map and takes steps such as pulling its troops out of Palestinian towns, the Palestinians cannot go ahead and try and reign in radical Palestinian groups such as Hamas.
Now, Israeli sources say the message from Prime Minister Sharon for this session will be that Israel will not take serious, serious steps until it sees proof that Abbas is "dismantling and disarming" these radical Palestinian organizations.
It is also no secret that the Israelis want to see more than a dozen changes made to that road map. The expectation is that Prime Minister Sharon will discuss some of these changes when he goes to Washington to meet with President Bush on Tuesday.
So, Carol, no major breakthrough expected for this session. But the significance, again, just that these two leaders are meeting after two and a half years of violence -- Carol. COSTELLO: I thought it kind of interesting that Saeb Erakat turned his resignation in to both Yasser Arafat and Mahmoud Abbas.
Is there any significance to that?
WALLACE: There is significance, Carol, because, number one, Saeb Erakat is a very close Yasser Arafat loyalist. No surprise there. And Yasser Arafat had been pressuring Mahmoud Abbas to include certain people in his cabinet, including Saeb Erakat.
Now, Saeb Erakat will say he also has a close relationship with Mahmoud Abbas. And, again, we don't know exactly the reasons for this resignation -- if he felt it was political, if he didn't like the direction this new government was taking, if it's personal. Talking to him previously, Carol, he has said that being in charge of negotiations for the Palestinians had been taking an enormous toll on his family -- Carol.
COSTELLO: I can understand that.
Kelly Wallace live from Jerusalem.
Many thanks.
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 16, 2003 - 05:31 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: News from another hot spot on the globe. Sources say the Palestinian chief negotiator is resigning from his post. The news comes just one day before the new Palestinian prime minister meets with his Israeli counterpart for the first time to talk about the so-called road map for peace.
For more on all of this, let's go live to Jerusalem and Kelly Wallace -- good morning, Kelly.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
Well, the big question right now is why, why did Saeb Erakat, the chief Palestinian negotiator, submit his resignation? We don't know the answer just yet. What we do know, according to Palestinian official sources, is that Saeb Erakat submitted his resignation to Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and to the new Palestinian prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas, and that this resignation will take effect in one week. Erakat, according to these Palestinian sources, will still remain a Palestinian legislative member handling the area of Jericho.
As you said, Carol, this move does come, though, before a very, very significant meeting, the first Israeli-Palestinian summit in two and a half years. Prime Minister Sharon of Israel and Prime Minister Abbas will meet Saturday evening for this session, which we understand will be closed to cameras.
Now, Palestinian sources are indicating that Mahmoud Abbas will go into this meeting trying to press Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to accept the so-called road map for Middle East peace, which the Israelis have yet to do, and that Abbas will say until Israel accepts the road map and takes steps such as pulling its troops out of Palestinian towns, the Palestinians cannot go ahead and try and reign in radical Palestinian groups such as Hamas.
Now, Israeli sources say the message from Prime Minister Sharon for this session will be that Israel will not take serious, serious steps until it sees proof that Abbas is "dismantling and disarming" these radical Palestinian organizations.
It is also no secret that the Israelis want to see more than a dozen changes made to that road map. The expectation is that Prime Minister Sharon will discuss some of these changes when he goes to Washington to meet with President Bush on Tuesday.
So, Carol, no major breakthrough expected for this session. But the significance, again, just that these two leaders are meeting after two and a half years of violence -- Carol. COSTELLO: I thought it kind of interesting that Saeb Erakat turned his resignation in to both Yasser Arafat and Mahmoud Abbas.
Is there any significance to that?
WALLACE: There is significance, Carol, because, number one, Saeb Erakat is a very close Yasser Arafat loyalist. No surprise there. And Yasser Arafat had been pressuring Mahmoud Abbas to include certain people in his cabinet, including Saeb Erakat.
Now, Saeb Erakat will say he also has a close relationship with Mahmoud Abbas. And, again, we don't know exactly the reasons for this resignation -- if he felt it was political, if he didn't like the direction this new government was taking, if it's personal. Talking to him previously, Carol, he has said that being in charge of negotiations for the Palestinians had been taking an enormous toll on his family -- Carol.
COSTELLO: I can understand that.
Kelly Wallace live from Jerusalem.
Many thanks.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
