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CNN Live At Daybreak
Bump in 'Road Map to Peace'
Aired May 16, 2003 - 06:31 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: The road map to peace has led to something that hasn't happened for years: Israeli and Palestinian leaders meeting face to face. We're talking Abbas, Sharon, tomorrow. But now comes word that the Palestinian chief negotiator has resigned.
Kelly Wallace live in Jerusalem with details.
Kelly -- why did he do it?
KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That is the key question, Carol, that we're trying to find the answer to. We talked on the phone with Saeb Erakat a short time ago, and he is saying he does not want to comment right now, that his decision was based on -- quote -- "a lot of things."
However, the timing, of course, is interesting. It comes just, as you said, two days -- he turned the resignation in on Thursday, so it comes two days before that Saturday meeting between Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian prime minister, and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
Now, Mahmoud Abbas has indicated that he will be bringing two people along to that session: his security chief and also the spokesman for the Palestinian Legislative Council, but not Saeb Erakat. And Israeli media are quoting unnamed Palestinian officials as saying this is the reason for Erakat's resignation; that he was enraged that Mahmoud Abbas would not include him in on a meeting that could pave the way for future negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians.
Now, Erakat on the phone dismissed those reports, saying they are total nonsense. However, he still refuses to say exactly why he turned in his resignation, and why now. And he also is indicating -- or sources are indicating privately that he did this in part because he is -- quote -- "fed up with the current Palestinian leadership."
He is a loyalist to Yasser Arafat, someone very close to the Palestinian president. And so, Carol, the question becomes: Did Saeb Erakat feel that he was in some way being pushed out and not getting as much power with the prime minister and his top advisors -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Understand. It makes you wonder whether other Palestinian leaders will resign.
WALLACE: Well, lots of questions, of course. You know, Saeb Erakat, again, very closely aligned to the Palestinian president, Yasser Arafat. In fact, Mahmoud Abbas, the prime minister, faced a lot of pressure from Yasser Arafat as he was trying to put his cabinet together to include some old cabinet ministers, people close to Yasser Arafat.
Right now, Saeb Erakat is the one coming forward saying he is stepping down. No Israeli reaction, Carol, just yet. Saeb Erakat has certainly been the public face for the Palestinian community, and we'll have to see if this has any implications for Saturday's meeting -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Yes, we've talked to him many times here on CNN. Kelly Wallace 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 May 16, 2003 - 06:31 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The road map to peace has led to something that hasn't happened for years: Israeli and Palestinian leaders meeting face to face. We're talking Abbas, Sharon, tomorrow. But now comes word that the Palestinian chief negotiator has resigned.
Kelly Wallace live in Jerusalem with details.
Kelly -- why did he do it?
KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That is the key question, Carol, that we're trying to find the answer to. We talked on the phone with Saeb Erakat a short time ago, and he is saying he does not want to comment right now, that his decision was based on -- quote -- "a lot of things."
However, the timing, of course, is interesting. It comes just, as you said, two days -- he turned the resignation in on Thursday, so it comes two days before that Saturday meeting between Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian prime minister, and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
Now, Mahmoud Abbas has indicated that he will be bringing two people along to that session: his security chief and also the spokesman for the Palestinian Legislative Council, but not Saeb Erakat. And Israeli media are quoting unnamed Palestinian officials as saying this is the reason for Erakat's resignation; that he was enraged that Mahmoud Abbas would not include him in on a meeting that could pave the way for future negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians.
Now, Erakat on the phone dismissed those reports, saying they are total nonsense. However, he still refuses to say exactly why he turned in his resignation, and why now. And he also is indicating -- or sources are indicating privately that he did this in part because he is -- quote -- "fed up with the current Palestinian leadership."
He is a loyalist to Yasser Arafat, someone very close to the Palestinian president. And so, Carol, the question becomes: Did Saeb Erakat feel that he was in some way being pushed out and not getting as much power with the prime minister and his top advisors -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Understand. It makes you wonder whether other Palestinian leaders will resign.
WALLACE: Well, lots of questions, of course. You know, Saeb Erakat, again, very closely aligned to the Palestinian president, Yasser Arafat. In fact, Mahmoud Abbas, the prime minister, faced a lot of pressure from Yasser Arafat as he was trying to put his cabinet together to include some old cabinet ministers, people close to Yasser Arafat.
Right now, Saeb Erakat is the one coming forward saying he is stepping down. No Israeli reaction, Carol, just yet. Saeb Erakat has certainly been the public face for the Palestinian community, and we'll have to see if this has any implications for Saturday's meeting -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Yes, we've talked to him many times here on CNN. Kelly Wallace 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.
