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CNN Live At Daybreak

Ariel Sharon Makes Key Address Today

Aired December 18, 2003 - 05:29   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: Turning now to the Middle East, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon makes a key address today that will be very closely watched. He's expected to outline a go it alone move in the West Bank if peace talks fail.
CNN's John Vause joins us live from Jerusalem to explain -- what does that mean, John?

JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Carol.

Well, we'll find out in a couple of hours from now. But we've had some hints in the days and weeks leading up to this major policy speech, which is in Herzliya, just outside Tel Aviv.

The last couple of days, the last couple of weeks, Ariel Sharon has been talking about his commitment to the U.S.-backed road map peace plan. But he's also said that his patience won't last forever. In his words, if he believes the Palestinians are not acting, then Israel will act alone.

So what does that mean? That's when we get to this unilateral withdrawal by Israel from parts of the West Bank. Effectively, it will leave the West Bank but keep the parts of the West Bank that it wants; in other words, where those major settlements are. He has also said in recent days that some other settlements will have to be dismantled. But what is interesting, in the last day or so, they're now using the term relocated.

So what we're looking for tonight is how long will Ariel Sharon wait for Ahmed Qureia, the Palestinian prime minister, how long is he prepared to give him before Israel is willing to do this unilateral withdrawal on its own?

The Palestinians, though, object to this withdrawal from the West Bank. Of course, the Palestinians want Israel out of the West Bank and what they're saying is they want Israel back to the 1967 borders. What they say about this unilateral withdrawal, they say it allows Israel to draw the borders of a future Palestinian state, borders which the Palestinians don't agree to, and therefore they won't respect those borders.

Now, of course, the Israelis and the Palestinians will be watching this speech very closely. So, too, will be Washington, and we're told that, by some media reports, that the White House will receive a copy of this speech a couple of hours before it's delivered -- Carol. COSTELLO: And talking more about the settlements, because it's such a controversial issue, does that mean that the Jews living in those settlements will be forced to move out by Ariel Sharon?

VAUSE: This is a very, very difficult issue for the Israeli prime minister. We've seen him say in the last couple of days that he is committed to removing the illegal settlement outposts. Now, they're outposts which spring up on a hill. They're usually a mobile home, a water tank or something like that. In the last couple of days, the police have moved in, arrested a couple of people because Ariel Sharon gave that commitment to George Bush back at the Aqaba summit in June.

But as for the more major, permanent settlements on the West Bank, now, this is a difficult issue. They're like suburbs in the United States. They're very, very difficult to move. So Ariel Sharon will try and keep those parts of the West Bank. But the other, smaller settlements, which will be easier to relocate -- and there are one or two settlements where the people will, in fact, be happy to leave, providing they get some kind of financial compensation for moving. But they're very, very few and far between, and the settlers are expected to put up a very, very big fight to any move to relocate or dismantle or what -- however you want to call it -- the major settlements in the West Bank.

COSTELLO: We'll see what happens.

John Vause reporting 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 December 18, 2003 - 05:29   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Turning now to the Middle East, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon makes a key address today that will be very closely watched. He's expected to outline a go it alone move in the West Bank if peace talks fail.
CNN's John Vause joins us live from Jerusalem to explain -- what does that mean, John?

JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Carol.

Well, we'll find out in a couple of hours from now. But we've had some hints in the days and weeks leading up to this major policy speech, which is in Herzliya, just outside Tel Aviv.

The last couple of days, the last couple of weeks, Ariel Sharon has been talking about his commitment to the U.S.-backed road map peace plan. But he's also said that his patience won't last forever. In his words, if he believes the Palestinians are not acting, then Israel will act alone.

So what does that mean? That's when we get to this unilateral withdrawal by Israel from parts of the West Bank. Effectively, it will leave the West Bank but keep the parts of the West Bank that it wants; in other words, where those major settlements are. He has also said in recent days that some other settlements will have to be dismantled. But what is interesting, in the last day or so, they're now using the term relocated.

So what we're looking for tonight is how long will Ariel Sharon wait for Ahmed Qureia, the Palestinian prime minister, how long is he prepared to give him before Israel is willing to do this unilateral withdrawal on its own?

The Palestinians, though, object to this withdrawal from the West Bank. Of course, the Palestinians want Israel out of the West Bank and what they're saying is they want Israel back to the 1967 borders. What they say about this unilateral withdrawal, they say it allows Israel to draw the borders of a future Palestinian state, borders which the Palestinians don't agree to, and therefore they won't respect those borders.

Now, of course, the Israelis and the Palestinians will be watching this speech very closely. So, too, will be Washington, and we're told that, by some media reports, that the White House will receive a copy of this speech a couple of hours before it's delivered -- Carol. COSTELLO: And talking more about the settlements, because it's such a controversial issue, does that mean that the Jews living in those settlements will be forced to move out by Ariel Sharon?

VAUSE: This is a very, very difficult issue for the Israeli prime minister. We've seen him say in the last couple of days that he is committed to removing the illegal settlement outposts. Now, they're outposts which spring up on a hill. They're usually a mobile home, a water tank or something like that. In the last couple of days, the police have moved in, arrested a couple of people because Ariel Sharon gave that commitment to George Bush back at the Aqaba summit in June.

But as for the more major, permanent settlements on the West Bank, now, this is a difficult issue. They're like suburbs in the United States. They're very, very difficult to move. So Ariel Sharon will try and keep those parts of the West Bank. But the other, smaller settlements, which will be easier to relocate -- and there are one or two settlements where the people will, in fact, be happy to leave, providing they get some kind of financial compensation for moving. But they're very, very few and far between, and the settlers are expected to put up a very, very big fight to any move to relocate or dismantle or what -- however you want to call it -- the major settlements in the West Bank.

COSTELLO: We'll see what happens.

John Vause reporting 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