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CNN Live Today
Qorei Won't Take PM Post if Arafat Excluded
Aired September 08, 2003 - 10:06 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.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Now as I understand it, Jerrold Kessel is ready to go to tell us more about this new Palestinian prime minister, Ahmed Qorei. Jerrold is in Jerusalem. Jerrold, hello.
JERROLD KESSEL, CNN DEPUTY JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: Hello, Daryn. And he could be the man, Ahmed Qorei, to break this impasse between the Palestinians demand that Yasser Arafat be center stage and have a big say in the direction the Palestinians go, and the American-Israeli view that Yasser Arafat must be sidelined. And if Yasser Arafat is in the picture then there'll be no movement down the peace road.
However, Ahmed Qorei, he (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Abu Ala, when we spoke to him this morning as he was mulling his decision on whether to take up the appointment was very, very firm. He said unless Yasser Arafat is given his due recognition of his status as the Palestinian president, the elected president he said, he didn't see how he could do the job.
So we're still in a very difficult impasse of the Palestinian leadership looking to find a replacement for Mahmoud Abbas, but at the same time, looking for someone whom the Israelis and the Americans might say, Well, he personally may be acceptable, but not because he's taking orders still or he's still under the wing of Yasser Arafat -- Daryn.
KAGAN: And, how much and what's the possibility he actually will have any more power or be any more effective than Mahmoud Abbas?
KESSEL: Well I think that is the key question. He came out this morning when we spoke to him with some very, very strong demands. That he wants assurances from the United States, from the international guarantees -- guarantors of the road map of peace, from the Israelis, particularly, that they will live up for their obligations and will also accept Mr. Arafat's position.
So he was taking a very stringent line there. But the question is, was he just trying to apply counter pressure to what the Americans and the Israelis have been applying on the Palestinian leadership? Or does he mean? We don't really know how closely he is going to align himself to Yasser Arafat or is this the positions so he seems to be adopting an independent stance.
But he will also be asking, if he does take up the post, for more independence from Yasser Arafat. And that, of course, is the key question of whether the Palestinian leadership row (ph) will lead possibly to an opening on that now elusive road to peace -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Jerrold Kessel in Jerusalem. Jerrold, 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
Aired September 8, 2003 - 10:06 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Now as I understand it, Jerrold Kessel is ready to go to tell us more about this new Palestinian prime minister, Ahmed Qorei. Jerrold is in Jerusalem. Jerrold, hello.
JERROLD KESSEL, CNN DEPUTY JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: Hello, Daryn. And he could be the man, Ahmed Qorei, to break this impasse between the Palestinians demand that Yasser Arafat be center stage and have a big say in the direction the Palestinians go, and the American-Israeli view that Yasser Arafat must be sidelined. And if Yasser Arafat is in the picture then there'll be no movement down the peace road.
However, Ahmed Qorei, he (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Abu Ala, when we spoke to him this morning as he was mulling his decision on whether to take up the appointment was very, very firm. He said unless Yasser Arafat is given his due recognition of his status as the Palestinian president, the elected president he said, he didn't see how he could do the job.
So we're still in a very difficult impasse of the Palestinian leadership looking to find a replacement for Mahmoud Abbas, but at the same time, looking for someone whom the Israelis and the Americans might say, Well, he personally may be acceptable, but not because he's taking orders still or he's still under the wing of Yasser Arafat -- Daryn.
KAGAN: And, how much and what's the possibility he actually will have any more power or be any more effective than Mahmoud Abbas?
KESSEL: Well I think that is the key question. He came out this morning when we spoke to him with some very, very strong demands. That he wants assurances from the United States, from the international guarantees -- guarantors of the road map of peace, from the Israelis, particularly, that they will live up for their obligations and will also accept Mr. Arafat's position.
So he was taking a very stringent line there. But the question is, was he just trying to apply counter pressure to what the Americans and the Israelis have been applying on the Palestinian leadership? Or does he mean? We don't really know how closely he is going to align himself to Yasser Arafat or is this the positions so he seems to be adopting an independent stance.
But he will also be asking, if he does take up the post, for more independence from Yasser Arafat. And that, of course, is the key question of whether the Palestinian leadership row (ph) will lead possibly to an opening on that now elusive road to peace -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Jerrold Kessel in Jerusalem. Jerrold, 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
