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CNN Live Today
Qorei Accepts Prime Minister Position
Aired September 10, 2003 - 10:01 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 we begin the hour with the Middle East. Twenty-five hours of retaliation may have actually reached a crescendo of hope. Just a few hours ago, Ahmed Qorei accepted the nomination to become the new Palestinian prime minister. That is a job that carries a challenge of forging peace that many in the region would rather die than accept.
Our Chris Burns is following the developments and joins us via videophone from Gaza City -- Chris.
CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well hello, Daryn. Ahmed Qorei saying he's accepting this job at a very historic and dangerous moment in the history of the Middle East right now. Amid this cycle of violence, he's still decided to accept that appointment, that nomination by Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat despite all the odds against him.
Mr. Qorei is asking for the help and cooperation from within the Palestinian authority and also from the Israelis and also help from the Americans as well. His predecessor, Mahmoud Abbas, threw up his hands and quit over the weekend after only 100 days in power saying that he was not getting the support from Yasser Arafat to consolidate the security forces and take on the militants.
But also saying that Israelis were not doing their job in getting confidence-building measures, lifting roadblocks, releasing prisoners and so forth. And the Americans were not, in his words, not pressuring the Israelis enough to move along that road map for peace.
So Mr. Qorei is facing a very difficult challenge. However, he does have a long history of being a peace negotiator, so perhaps he might have a chance.
He also -- he condemned the last -- the latest cycle of violence, that being the Israeli air strike here in Gaza against an apartment building, injuring a senior Hamas political leader and killing his son and bodyguard, seriously and critically wounding his wife and daughter.
That attack comes on the heels of a two suicide bombings, which Mr. Qorei also condemned on the Israeli side that killed some 15 people. Twin bombings just yesterday. That cycle of violence having intensified in the last two and a half weeks.
But there is also an ominous sign from Hamas. The militant wing of Hamas today saying in a leaflet that they are targeting now Israeli homes and apartment blocks saying that the Israelis have done the same. And they will do the same as well. The Israelis have carried out those operations in the occupied territories against Hamas militants, destroying their homes, destroying the of suicide bombers. And now the Hamas military wing says they are going to use the same medicine against the Israelis themselves.
So indications that perhaps this cycle of violence could continue, but Qorei holding out the hope that perhaps he can calm things down. We'll just have to see -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Chris Burns, thank you for the latest from there.
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 10, 2003 - 10:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Now we begin the hour with the Middle East. Twenty-five hours of retaliation may have actually reached a crescendo of hope. Just a few hours ago, Ahmed Qorei accepted the nomination to become the new Palestinian prime minister. That is a job that carries a challenge of forging peace that many in the region would rather die than accept.
Our Chris Burns is following the developments and joins us via videophone from Gaza City -- Chris.
CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well hello, Daryn. Ahmed Qorei saying he's accepting this job at a very historic and dangerous moment in the history of the Middle East right now. Amid this cycle of violence, he's still decided to accept that appointment, that nomination by Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat despite all the odds against him.
Mr. Qorei is asking for the help and cooperation from within the Palestinian authority and also from the Israelis and also help from the Americans as well. His predecessor, Mahmoud Abbas, threw up his hands and quit over the weekend after only 100 days in power saying that he was not getting the support from Yasser Arafat to consolidate the security forces and take on the militants.
But also saying that Israelis were not doing their job in getting confidence-building measures, lifting roadblocks, releasing prisoners and so forth. And the Americans were not, in his words, not pressuring the Israelis enough to move along that road map for peace.
So Mr. Qorei is facing a very difficult challenge. However, he does have a long history of being a peace negotiator, so perhaps he might have a chance.
He also -- he condemned the last -- the latest cycle of violence, that being the Israeli air strike here in Gaza against an apartment building, injuring a senior Hamas political leader and killing his son and bodyguard, seriously and critically wounding his wife and daughter.
That attack comes on the heels of a two suicide bombings, which Mr. Qorei also condemned on the Israeli side that killed some 15 people. Twin bombings just yesterday. That cycle of violence having intensified in the last two and a half weeks.
But there is also an ominous sign from Hamas. The militant wing of Hamas today saying in a leaflet that they are targeting now Israeli homes and apartment blocks saying that the Israelis have done the same. And they will do the same as well. The Israelis have carried out those operations in the occupied territories against Hamas militants, destroying their homes, destroying the of suicide bombers. And now the Hamas military wing says they are going to use the same medicine against the Israelis themselves.
So indications that perhaps this cycle of violence could continue, but Qorei holding out the hope that perhaps he can calm things down. We'll just have to see -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Chris Burns, thank you for the latest from there.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
