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CNN Live At Daybreak
Bush Getting in Driver's Seat on Dangerous, Difficult Road to Mideast Peace
Aired May 23, 2003 - 05:06 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: On the dangerous and difficult road to peace in the Middle East, it appears President Bush is getting into the driver's seat. White House officials tell us he's trying to arrange a meeting with the Israeli and Palestinian prime ministers.
For details, we take you live now to Jerusalem and John Vause -- hello, John.
JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Carol.
It could be a bit like herding cats, but if it does happen, it could take place at the Egyptian seaside town of Sharm el-Sheikh. That's been the location of a number of summits about Mideast peace. And it could take place at the end of George W. Bush's eastern trip, which is scheduled for early next month.
But we're told these three leaders will only meet after a period of sustained calm in the region. But today Israeli government sources tell CNN that they're expecting a statement from the White House in which George W. Bush will accept Israel's concerns about the road map peace plan and it will say in that statement, we are told, that those concerns will be addressed as the process moves forward. And we're told that that statement coming from the White House is acceptable to the Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon will then take it to the regular Sunday cabinet meeting here for approval.
Now, Israel has raised a number of objections with this road map. Even though the Palestinians have accepted the road map in full, Israel has had a number of concerns, we're told as many as 14. It appears as if the U.S. has accepted all but two of those concerns. And among those concerns, it's being reported that the United States has accepted Israel's demand that the peace process, the road map be implemented in stages and only after the Palestinians begin a real crackdown, a real fight against terrorism. And also it appears that the United States has accepted Israel's demand for a different Palestinian leadership -- in other words, the removal of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat from a position of influence -- Carol.
COSTELLO: OK, so how will the Palestinians see this?
VAUSE: Well, the Palestinians are demanding that the Israelis accept the peace process in full. But there's a real concern on both sides here, on all sides, really, that the road map was going to be stillborn, that it would be deadlocked before it even got off the ground. So the process here now is let's just get it started, let's get people talking, let's begin the negotiations and then deal with the details as they come up rather than having to resolve all the issues at once.
But the Palestinians are still demanding that both sides accept the road map in full -- Carol.
COSTELLO: John Vause 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
to Mideast Peace>
Aired May 23, 2003 - 05:06 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: On the dangerous and difficult road to peace in the Middle East, it appears President Bush is getting into the driver's seat. White House officials tell us he's trying to arrange a meeting with the Israeli and Palestinian prime ministers.
For details, we take you live now to Jerusalem and John Vause -- hello, John.
JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Carol.
It could be a bit like herding cats, but if it does happen, it could take place at the Egyptian seaside town of Sharm el-Sheikh. That's been the location of a number of summits about Mideast peace. And it could take place at the end of George W. Bush's eastern trip, which is scheduled for early next month.
But we're told these three leaders will only meet after a period of sustained calm in the region. But today Israeli government sources tell CNN that they're expecting a statement from the White House in which George W. Bush will accept Israel's concerns about the road map peace plan and it will say in that statement, we are told, that those concerns will be addressed as the process moves forward. And we're told that that statement coming from the White House is acceptable to the Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon will then take it to the regular Sunday cabinet meeting here for approval.
Now, Israel has raised a number of objections with this road map. Even though the Palestinians have accepted the road map in full, Israel has had a number of concerns, we're told as many as 14. It appears as if the U.S. has accepted all but two of those concerns. And among those concerns, it's being reported that the United States has accepted Israel's demand that the peace process, the road map be implemented in stages and only after the Palestinians begin a real crackdown, a real fight against terrorism. And also it appears that the United States has accepted Israel's demand for a different Palestinian leadership -- in other words, the removal of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat from a position of influence -- Carol.
COSTELLO: OK, so how will the Palestinians see this?
VAUSE: Well, the Palestinians are demanding that the Israelis accept the peace process in full. But there's a real concern on both sides here, on all sides, really, that the road map was going to be stillborn, that it would be deadlocked before it even got off the ground. So the process here now is let's just get it started, let's get people talking, let's begin the negotiations and then deal with the details as they come up rather than having to resolve all the issues at once.
But the Palestinians are still demanding that both sides accept the road map in full -- Carol.
COSTELLO: John Vause 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
to Mideast Peace>
