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Bush Reaffirming U.S. Support for New Palestinian Prime Minister

Aired May 20, 2003 - 11:31   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.


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Now on to the troubled Middle East road map to peace. President Bush today is reaffirming U.S. support for the new Palestinian prime minister. Let's bring in our Senior White House Correspondent John King to tell us more about a key phone call that took place earlier today.
John, good morning.

JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Daryn. It is personal diplomacy from President Bush in his first conversation with the new Palestinian prime minister Mahmoud Abbas. It was a 15-minute conversation. The White House says - Ari Fleischer says - Mr. Bush described it as, quote, "friendly and hopeful," that despite of course the tragic bombings in recent days.

Mr. Bush, we are told, told the new Palestinian prime minister it was imperative that all parties, the Palestinians, the Israelis, other Arab nations in the region, take steps to try to create a climate in which there can be a peace process for the Palestinians. Of course the White House says that must be a crackdown on these militant groups blamed for the bombings over the past several days against Israeli citizens and Israeli targets.

White House officials say that Prime Minister Abbas told President Bush he was committed to political reforms, that he was committed to the peace process, and he was committed to taking steps to end all terror. The White House says Mr. Bush believes Mahmoud Abbas, takes him at his word and believes he is a man committed to peace. Of course the White House also says he must prove that on the ground in the days ahead.

Now, this phone call took place on the very day the Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon, was to be here at the White House to discuss the president's Middle East road map. Prime Minister Sharon, of course, staying back in Israel because of weekend bombings. There have been bombings since then. White House officials say they hope to reschedule that meeting, but they do not see it happening in the next week or so.

By late next week, President Bush leaves for a trip in Europe. White House officials believe it cannot be rescheduled by then. Look for more diplomacy directly from the president in the days ahead. Most of all, they say they need to see the security climate, Daryn, improve on the ground in the region, and then we will have a visit with Prime Minister Sharon. And we're also told Mr. Bush told Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas he looked forward to future phone calls and perhaps a meeting sometime in the future. As well.

KAGAN: Which of course would be so significant because that is not the hand of friendship that has ever at this point been extended to Yasser Arafat by this administration.

KING: No. I was just actually going back through the records. In February, 2001, President Bush spoke on the telephone to Yasser Arafat to urge him to do more to crack down on violence. That, in the first month of the Bush administration. After that, the cold shoulder. This president decided early on that Yasser Arafat was not helping and, in fact, was hurting the effort to stop the violence in the Middle East. The president has not spoken to him. The president consistently refused to meet with Mr. Arafat. And the president refused to publish the road map until Mr. Arafat was pushed to the sidelines and a new Palestinian prime minister put in place.

One of the questions now at the White House now is, is Yasser Arafat now actively trying to undermine this new prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas?

KAGAN: John King at the White House. John, thank you for that.

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




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Aired May 20, 2003 - 11:31   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Now on to the troubled Middle East road map to peace. President Bush today is reaffirming U.S. support for the new Palestinian prime minister. Let's bring in our Senior White House Correspondent John King to tell us more about a key phone call that took place earlier today.
John, good morning.

JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Daryn. It is personal diplomacy from President Bush in his first conversation with the new Palestinian prime minister Mahmoud Abbas. It was a 15-minute conversation. The White House says - Ari Fleischer says - Mr. Bush described it as, quote, "friendly and hopeful," that despite of course the tragic bombings in recent days.

Mr. Bush, we are told, told the new Palestinian prime minister it was imperative that all parties, the Palestinians, the Israelis, other Arab nations in the region, take steps to try to create a climate in which there can be a peace process for the Palestinians. Of course the White House says that must be a crackdown on these militant groups blamed for the bombings over the past several days against Israeli citizens and Israeli targets.

White House officials say that Prime Minister Abbas told President Bush he was committed to political reforms, that he was committed to the peace process, and he was committed to taking steps to end all terror. The White House says Mr. Bush believes Mahmoud Abbas, takes him at his word and believes he is a man committed to peace. Of course the White House also says he must prove that on the ground in the days ahead.

Now, this phone call took place on the very day the Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon, was to be here at the White House to discuss the president's Middle East road map. Prime Minister Sharon, of course, staying back in Israel because of weekend bombings. There have been bombings since then. White House officials say they hope to reschedule that meeting, but they do not see it happening in the next week or so.

By late next week, President Bush leaves for a trip in Europe. White House officials believe it cannot be rescheduled by then. Look for more diplomacy directly from the president in the days ahead. Most of all, they say they need to see the security climate, Daryn, improve on the ground in the region, and then we will have a visit with Prime Minister Sharon. And we're also told Mr. Bush told Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas he looked forward to future phone calls and perhaps a meeting sometime in the future. As well.

KAGAN: Which of course would be so significant because that is not the hand of friendship that has ever at this point been extended to Yasser Arafat by this administration.

KING: No. I was just actually going back through the records. In February, 2001, President Bush spoke on the telephone to Yasser Arafat to urge him to do more to crack down on violence. That, in the first month of the Bush administration. After that, the cold shoulder. This president decided early on that Yasser Arafat was not helping and, in fact, was hurting the effort to stop the violence in the Middle East. The president has not spoken to him. The president consistently refused to meet with Mr. Arafat. And the president refused to publish the road map until Mr. Arafat was pushed to the sidelines and a new Palestinian prime minister put in place.

One of the questions now at the White House now is, is Yasser Arafat now actively trying to undermine this new prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas?

KAGAN: John King at the White House. John, thank you for that.

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




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