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CNN Live At Daybreak

Comments from Sharon Maybe Causing Hope in Middle East

Aired November 28, 2003 - 05:32   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.


CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Comments from Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon maybe causing some hope in the Middle East. Let's take you live to Jerusalem this morning and CNN's Chris Burns for the latest on this.
Good morning, Chris.

CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Catherine. You might take a look at the headline of the leftist newspaper, "Haaretz." Mr. Ariel Sharon sweating it out, in their words, under pressure from President Bush and from others to do something about the Jewish settlements on the West Bank and about the barrier that the Israelis are building in the West Bank.

This pressure seems to have caused Mr. Sharon to make some statements yesterday, very interesting statements, saying once again the he does expect to make painful concessions. But saying a little bit more, going a bit more, saying it is clear that we will not be able to stay in all the place that we have been on the West Bank.

That is a very, sort of, telegraph message that they do plan on pulling out of some settlements, but he's not being specific about which. But he also said that they will speed up the barrier, the building of this barrier on the -- that goes through much of the West Bank that is aimed preventing -- the Israelis want to prevent Palestinian militants from crossing into settlements, as well as Israel proper. They want to speed up with that.

And Mr. Sharon, also giving a warning to the new Palestinian leader, Ahmed Qureia, that he has to hurry up with some kind of a peace deal, otherwise the Israeli's will cut their own deal, continue to build that barrier and to include settlements in some kind of a final status that they would like to establish themselves.

Meanwhile, however, there will be talks going on. There is a meeting of the chiefs of staff of Mr. Sharon and the Prime Minister Qureia on Sunday. And meanwhile, tomorrow, even there is expected to be a meeting or a visit by Williams Burns the U.S. undersecretary of State for Near Eastern affairs.

So, there is a lot of diplomatic movement going on right now. Could be pointing to some kind of movement in the peace process once again -- Catherine.

CALLAWAY: So, the discussions are taking place, but what about the so-called illegal outposts? That seems to be quite a contentious issue, what can you tell us about it?

BURNS: Well, that is a very, very spiny issue, because Mr. Sharon could actually loose his coalition. There are people on the right side of his coalition that are ready to walk out if he does pull out of certain areas.

Now, on these outposts, that is required by the U.S. led road map for peace. Those outposts are to be uprooted. And this is the case where Mr. Sharon said yesterday that he sees some as being, having security reasons, reasons for Israel's security because some of them are built on these hilltops inside the West Bank and close to other settlements.

On the other hand, he says that others are not. So he doesn't want to be pinned down on exactly which ones, or on which settlements proper that they would be willing to pull out of. But these indications are that Mr. Sharon is willing to move on this. And that is very interesting ahead of that meeting with Mr. Qureia, planned sometime in the next week or so.

CALLAWAY: Yes, at least it is out there for discussion, right, Chris?

All right, thank you very much. Chris Burns in Jerusalem.

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 November 28, 2003 - 05:32   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Comments from Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon maybe causing some hope in the Middle East. Let's take you live to Jerusalem this morning and CNN's Chris Burns for the latest on this.
Good morning, Chris.

CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Catherine. You might take a look at the headline of the leftist newspaper, "Haaretz." Mr. Ariel Sharon sweating it out, in their words, under pressure from President Bush and from others to do something about the Jewish settlements on the West Bank and about the barrier that the Israelis are building in the West Bank.

This pressure seems to have caused Mr. Sharon to make some statements yesterday, very interesting statements, saying once again the he does expect to make painful concessions. But saying a little bit more, going a bit more, saying it is clear that we will not be able to stay in all the place that we have been on the West Bank.

That is a very, sort of, telegraph message that they do plan on pulling out of some settlements, but he's not being specific about which. But he also said that they will speed up the barrier, the building of this barrier on the -- that goes through much of the West Bank that is aimed preventing -- the Israelis want to prevent Palestinian militants from crossing into settlements, as well as Israel proper. They want to speed up with that.

And Mr. Sharon, also giving a warning to the new Palestinian leader, Ahmed Qureia, that he has to hurry up with some kind of a peace deal, otherwise the Israeli's will cut their own deal, continue to build that barrier and to include settlements in some kind of a final status that they would like to establish themselves.

Meanwhile, however, there will be talks going on. There is a meeting of the chiefs of staff of Mr. Sharon and the Prime Minister Qureia on Sunday. And meanwhile, tomorrow, even there is expected to be a meeting or a visit by Williams Burns the U.S. undersecretary of State for Near Eastern affairs.

So, there is a lot of diplomatic movement going on right now. Could be pointing to some kind of movement in the peace process once again -- Catherine.

CALLAWAY: So, the discussions are taking place, but what about the so-called illegal outposts? That seems to be quite a contentious issue, what can you tell us about it?

BURNS: Well, that is a very, very spiny issue, because Mr. Sharon could actually loose his coalition. There are people on the right side of his coalition that are ready to walk out if he does pull out of certain areas.

Now, on these outposts, that is required by the U.S. led road map for peace. Those outposts are to be uprooted. And this is the case where Mr. Sharon said yesterday that he sees some as being, having security reasons, reasons for Israel's security because some of them are built on these hilltops inside the West Bank and close to other settlements.

On the other hand, he says that others are not. So he doesn't want to be pinned down on exactly which ones, or on which settlements proper that they would be willing to pull out of. But these indications are that Mr. Sharon is willing to move on this. And that is very interesting ahead of that meeting with Mr. Qureia, planned sometime in the next week or so.

CALLAWAY: Yes, at least it is out there for discussion, right, Chris?

All right, thank you very much. Chris Burns in Jerusalem.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com