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CNN Live At Daybreak
Challenges to Mideast Peace
Aired June 09, 2003 - 06:06 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: To the Middle East now. Three terrorist groups ban together to derail the road map to peace. Members of Hamas, the Islamic Jihad and the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade shoot four Israelis, before being gunned down themselves.
We take you live to Jerusalem now and CNN's Jerrold Kessel.
Good morning -- Jerrold.
JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
A very delicate moment for that peace initiative that was launched with fanfare last week by President Bush, a very interesting moment, perhaps a very exciting moment, because it looked yesterday with two attacks by Palestinian militants down in Gaza -- the one where the three gunmen invaded an Israeli army post at a crossing point, killed four soldiers before being killed themselves, and in the West Bank town of Hebron, where an Israeli soldier was shot and killed before the two Palestinian gunmen were shot themselves there -- this seemed to be risking, losing and knocking that road map right off course and that peace initiative, bringing it down right at the start.
But the United States has appealed very firmly to the two leaders -- Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian prime minister, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon -- to stay the course, to remain committed to their commitment, not to let the extremists knock this peace initiative off course.
And this morning, a response from the Palestinian prime minister. Mahmoud Abbas had been under enormous criticism from within the Palestinian community, not only from the militant groups, but from ordinary Palestinians that he'd been too conciliatory at the Aqaba summit, worrying more, they said, about Israel's interests, less about the Palestinian suffering and pain.
But Mr. Abbas this morning came out firmly against those attacks by the militants. He said that could not be tolerated. The fact that he's talking about Israeli soldiers didn't matter. He has come out firmly. Some hope still that this peace initiative will remain on course -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Jerrold Kessel 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 June 9, 2003 - 06:06 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: To the Middle East now. Three terrorist groups ban together to derail the road map to peace. Members of Hamas, the Islamic Jihad and the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade shoot four Israelis, before being gunned down themselves.
We take you live to Jerusalem now and CNN's Jerrold Kessel.
Good morning -- Jerrold.
JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
A very delicate moment for that peace initiative that was launched with fanfare last week by President Bush, a very interesting moment, perhaps a very exciting moment, because it looked yesterday with two attacks by Palestinian militants down in Gaza -- the one where the three gunmen invaded an Israeli army post at a crossing point, killed four soldiers before being killed themselves, and in the West Bank town of Hebron, where an Israeli soldier was shot and killed before the two Palestinian gunmen were shot themselves there -- this seemed to be risking, losing and knocking that road map right off course and that peace initiative, bringing it down right at the start.
But the United States has appealed very firmly to the two leaders -- Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian prime minister, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon -- to stay the course, to remain committed to their commitment, not to let the extremists knock this peace initiative off course.
And this morning, a response from the Palestinian prime minister. Mahmoud Abbas had been under enormous criticism from within the Palestinian community, not only from the militant groups, but from ordinary Palestinians that he'd been too conciliatory at the Aqaba summit, worrying more, they said, about Israel's interests, less about the Palestinian suffering and pain.
But Mr. Abbas this morning came out firmly against those attacks by the militants. He said that could not be tolerated. The fact that he's talking about Israeli soldiers didn't matter. He has come out firmly. Some hope still that this peace initiative will remain on course -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Jerrold Kessel 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.
