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CNN Live Today
Interview With Rob Sobhani
Aired June 03, 2003 - 10:13 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.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: In the Middle East, dozens of Palestinians are reunited with their families today. Israel released about 100 prisoners in what it's calling a good will gesture. This, in advance of President Bush's peace summit today with Arab leaders. All the prisoners were being held without charges.
President Bush, as we said, is going to be meeting with several Arab leaders. That happens next hour in a summit focusing on an Israeli-Palestinian peace initiative. Mr. Bush is expected to win support for his peacemaking campaign in the Middle East crisis.
Earlier today, he said a solution should not be derailed by "a few people, a few killers, a few terrorists."
Well, joining us now to discuss that is Rob Sobhani. He is an adjunct professor of U.S. fingerprint at Georgetown University and a frequent guest on this network.
Good to see you, professor.
ROB SOBHANI, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY: Good morning, Leon.
HARRIS: Glad to have you back with us this morning.
First off, are you optimistic that President Bush is actually going to, at this time, take the steps and say what has to be said to remove the skepticism right now that Arab leaders are bringing with them to this summit?
SOBHANI: I think, Leon, he does. I think President Bush proved himself in the Iraq campaign that he is a determined leader and that this window of opportunity that now exists, I think the president and his advisers realize that this is the time to strike if there is to ever be peace between Palestinians and Israelis. And I think the president is determined to take advantage of the awe in which the Arab world holds the United States because of our Iraq campaign.
So I think I am guardedly optimistic, yes.
HARRIS: All right. So then what is the one thing that he must do or he must say at this summit to accomplish that?
SOBHANI: I think he must make it very certain to the Arab leaders that Mr. Mahmoud Abbas is America's person to work with Prime Minister Sharon, that Mr. Abbas needs the support of the Arab world. And it's very important for President Bush to indicate to the Arab leaders that they must give Mr. Abbas a platform, they must give him the legitimacy that he needs. Most importantly, they must give Mr. Abbas the financial independence that he needs to break free from Mr. Arafat.
HARRIS: Does that mean, then, that Mr. Bush is going to have to ask these leaders for themselves to make steps against Arafat?
SOBHANI: Well, absolutely. They need to, the president needs to ask not only the Arab leaders, but the Russians, the French and the other Europeans to stay away from Mr. Arafat because, after all, the success of Mr. Abbas is the failure of Mr. Arafat. And Mr. Arafat knows that. And therefore, to the extent that the president can urge the Arab leaders to, number one, give political support to Mr. Abbas, number two, give enormous financial support, I think Mr. Abbas will be able to reign in the terrorists within his territories.
HARRIS: Are you concerned, then, that Mr. Arafat is going to gum up the works somehow, some way here?
SOBHANI: Well, there's no doubt, Leon, that Arafat sees himself as the leader of the Palestinian people. He will try to do whatever he can to create a traffic jam, to pull the rug from underneath this road map. But the onus is right now on Mr. Abbas, on the Arab leaders, because the president of the United States has made it very clear, we want a Palestinian state. The president has asked the Israelis to end their occupation. This is the first time that a president has gone so far and I think the onus is on the Palestinians to make sure this happens.
HARRIS: Well, a lot of people -- and I believe that you've been among them -- who have been saying that President Bush needs to establish a very high level go to person in his administration in order to convey just how seriously he's going to be taking this issue. We're hearing words now that John Wolf, the deputy secretary at the State Department, is the name now that seems to be rising to the top.
Is that the man, do you think, for the job?
SOBHANI: Well, certainly to the extent that any individual in the State Department or any other administration official has the blessing of the president and the president indicates that this is his point person or her point person -- his point person, I'm sorry -- that would give credibility because the first thing that the Palestinians or the Israelis will want is American clout. And any representative must have that clout and it must be from the president of the United States.
HARRIS: OK, finally, on the way out here, professor, I have to ask you this one...
SOBHANI: Sure.
HARRIS: The questions now that are being raised in Washington about weapons of mass destruction, whether or not this administration possibly politicized the intelligence in order to force the war on the world, if you will. If it turns out negatively here on the administration, this question of weapons of mass destruction, do you think that undermines the Bush administration authority there in the Middle East with this peace process?
SOBHANI: I think, Leon, the most important finding in Iraq was the mass graves, the mass graves of children, the mass graves of wives, of fathers, of husbands. That was the most important finding in Iraq, not the weapons of mass destruction. And I think in the end of the day, the Iraqi people are breathing a better sigh of relief. I think that was the most important finding, not necessarily the weapons of mass destruction.
HARRIS: Very interesting. Very interesting.
Rob Sobhani of Georgetown University, as always, thank you.
Glad to have you with us today.
SOBHANI: Thanks a lot.
HARRIS: Take care.
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 June 3, 2003 - 10:13 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: In the Middle East, dozens of Palestinians are reunited with their families today. Israel released about 100 prisoners in what it's calling a good will gesture. This, in advance of President Bush's peace summit today with Arab leaders. All the prisoners were being held without charges.
President Bush, as we said, is going to be meeting with several Arab leaders. That happens next hour in a summit focusing on an Israeli-Palestinian peace initiative. Mr. Bush is expected to win support for his peacemaking campaign in the Middle East crisis.
Earlier today, he said a solution should not be derailed by "a few people, a few killers, a few terrorists."
Well, joining us now to discuss that is Rob Sobhani. He is an adjunct professor of U.S. fingerprint at Georgetown University and a frequent guest on this network.
Good to see you, professor.
ROB SOBHANI, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY: Good morning, Leon.
HARRIS: Glad to have you back with us this morning.
First off, are you optimistic that President Bush is actually going to, at this time, take the steps and say what has to be said to remove the skepticism right now that Arab leaders are bringing with them to this summit?
SOBHANI: I think, Leon, he does. I think President Bush proved himself in the Iraq campaign that he is a determined leader and that this window of opportunity that now exists, I think the president and his advisers realize that this is the time to strike if there is to ever be peace between Palestinians and Israelis. And I think the president is determined to take advantage of the awe in which the Arab world holds the United States because of our Iraq campaign.
So I think I am guardedly optimistic, yes.
HARRIS: All right. So then what is the one thing that he must do or he must say at this summit to accomplish that?
SOBHANI: I think he must make it very certain to the Arab leaders that Mr. Mahmoud Abbas is America's person to work with Prime Minister Sharon, that Mr. Abbas needs the support of the Arab world. And it's very important for President Bush to indicate to the Arab leaders that they must give Mr. Abbas a platform, they must give him the legitimacy that he needs. Most importantly, they must give Mr. Abbas the financial independence that he needs to break free from Mr. Arafat.
HARRIS: Does that mean, then, that Mr. Bush is going to have to ask these leaders for themselves to make steps against Arafat?
SOBHANI: Well, absolutely. They need to, the president needs to ask not only the Arab leaders, but the Russians, the French and the other Europeans to stay away from Mr. Arafat because, after all, the success of Mr. Abbas is the failure of Mr. Arafat. And Mr. Arafat knows that. And therefore, to the extent that the president can urge the Arab leaders to, number one, give political support to Mr. Abbas, number two, give enormous financial support, I think Mr. Abbas will be able to reign in the terrorists within his territories.
HARRIS: Are you concerned, then, that Mr. Arafat is going to gum up the works somehow, some way here?
SOBHANI: Well, there's no doubt, Leon, that Arafat sees himself as the leader of the Palestinian people. He will try to do whatever he can to create a traffic jam, to pull the rug from underneath this road map. But the onus is right now on Mr. Abbas, on the Arab leaders, because the president of the United States has made it very clear, we want a Palestinian state. The president has asked the Israelis to end their occupation. This is the first time that a president has gone so far and I think the onus is on the Palestinians to make sure this happens.
HARRIS: Well, a lot of people -- and I believe that you've been among them -- who have been saying that President Bush needs to establish a very high level go to person in his administration in order to convey just how seriously he's going to be taking this issue. We're hearing words now that John Wolf, the deputy secretary at the State Department, is the name now that seems to be rising to the top.
Is that the man, do you think, for the job?
SOBHANI: Well, certainly to the extent that any individual in the State Department or any other administration official has the blessing of the president and the president indicates that this is his point person or her point person -- his point person, I'm sorry -- that would give credibility because the first thing that the Palestinians or the Israelis will want is American clout. And any representative must have that clout and it must be from the president of the United States.
HARRIS: OK, finally, on the way out here, professor, I have to ask you this one...
SOBHANI: Sure.
HARRIS: The questions now that are being raised in Washington about weapons of mass destruction, whether or not this administration possibly politicized the intelligence in order to force the war on the world, if you will. If it turns out negatively here on the administration, this question of weapons of mass destruction, do you think that undermines the Bush administration authority there in the Middle East with this peace process?
SOBHANI: I think, Leon, the most important finding in Iraq was the mass graves, the mass graves of children, the mass graves of wives, of fathers, of husbands. That was the most important finding in Iraq, not the weapons of mass destruction. And I think in the end of the day, the Iraqi people are breathing a better sigh of relief. I think that was the most important finding, not necessarily the weapons of mass destruction.
HARRIS: Very interesting. Very interesting.
Rob Sobhani of Georgetown University, as always, thank you.
Glad to have you with us today.
SOBHANI: Thanks a lot.
HARRIS: Take care.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
