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CNN Live Saturday

Interview With Michael Tarazi

Aired April 06, 2002 - 12:48   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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: As we've told you, Secretary of State Colin Powell travels to the Middle East region tomorrow with a difficult task, to find a solution to the violence. With a look ahead to Powell's trip, we're joined by Michael Tarazi from Jerusalem. He's not officially speaking for the Palestinian Liberation Organization. He is, however, a legal adviser for the PLO.

Thanks very much for joining us.

MICHAEL TARAZI, PLO LEGAL ADVISER: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Well, let's talk about Colin Powell's trip. It is not being made public, exactly his agenda, who he will be speaking with, however, reportedly, meeting with Arafat is not likely to happen. How much of a mistake do you see that in Powell's plans as he embarks on traveling to the Middle East?

TARAZI: Well, I think it would be a major mistake if he didn't meet with President Arafat. I mean we're certainly very encouraged that the United States has decided to reengage. However, Palestinians are now asking themselves what kind of re-engagement will that be.

We have to remember that the Israeli lack of security is directly linked to the Palestinian lack of freedom. So if Colin Powell is coming here only concerned about Israeli security and not concerned about Palestinian freedom, we're afraid that that's not going to get us very far out of this crisis. And if he's not going to meet with President Arafat, it would indicate that he's not necessarily concerned with about the Palestinian side of the equation.

WHITFIELD: And would that also mean if he were not to plan to meet with Arafat, that it's unlikely he would meet with any other leading Palestinian officials?

TARAZI: Well, that remains to be seen. We're obviously very concerned that Ariel Sharon is clearly intent on creating an alternative Palestinian leadership. We have to remember that President Arafat is a democratically elected president. He represents the Palestinian people and trying to create alternative leadership would be very undemocratic.

WHITFIELD: I guess what I'm asking you, too...

TARAZI: You saw that Sharon did that in the E.U. delegation... WHITFIELD: I guess what I'm asking you, too, is by him not extending an offer to meet with Arafat, would the ripple effect be that other Palestinian leaders wouldn't want to meet with Powell even if Powell were to express wanting to meet with other leaders?

TARAZI: Well, no Palestinian official would be authorized to meet with President -- with Colin Powell, unless President Arafat authorized them directly. So it really is President Arafat's decision whether or not any Palestinian leaders will be meeting with Colin Powell. But if they did meet with Colin Powell, they'd be meeting with him as official representatives of President Arafat.

WHITFIELD: What are you hoping will take place as he visits the region? We don't know the other places in the region that he's going to be visiting, but on the list of possibilities, what were you hoping would be on the agenda for Mr. Powell?

TARAZI: Well, we certainly hope that Mr. Powell and the United States administration has finally learned that we cannot address only security issues alone. We cannot have just a cease-fire agreement. We also have to have a cease occupation agreement. We also have to have an agreement that provides the Palestinians with freedom as well.

We have to remember that violence is just a symptom here; it's not the disease. And unless we're prepared to really investigate what are the underlying causes of the violence, we're not going to be able to address the violence.

WHITFIELD: OK.

TARAZI: Hopefully, Colin Powell over the last year-and-a-half also come to that conclusion.

WHITFIELD: All right, PLO legal adviser, Michael Tarazi. Thanks very much for joining us.

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