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CNN Live Saturday

Bush Pushes Sharon For Immediate Withdrawal

Aired April 06, 2002 - 22:05   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: Well, the promises to wrap things up quickly may not be quick enough for the Bush administration. His focus, after all, is not only on the Middle East.

And our White House correspondent Kelly Wallace has more now on a day devoted to policy.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): President Bush ratcheted up the pressure on Israel, insisting Israeli forces pull out without delay from Palestinian areas they recently occupied.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: My words to Israel are the same today as they were a couple of days ago, withdraw without delay.

WALLACE: Thursday, the president issued his first call for Israeli withdrawal, but Prime Minister Sharon ignored it, widening his crackdown. So senior administration officials said Mr. Bush decided to be more explicit and followed it up with a phone call, telling the Israeli prime minister he wants the military operations over with now.

Outside, hundreds demonstrated a few miles from the president's Crawford, Texas ranch, critical of Israel's military offensive and sympathetic to the Palestinians. Inside, Mr. Bush showed his patience is wearing thin with the Palestinian leader, saying Yasser Arafat has not earned his trust or kept his word to fight terror.

BUSH: Chairman Arafat has failed in his leadership. And he's let the people down.

WALLACE: This visit to the ranch was supposed to be a casual get-together and a chance for the president and the British prime minister to huddle about Iraq. While the Middle East dominated the talks, the leaders agreed Saddam Hussein and his weapons of mass destruction must be dealt with.

BUSH: I explained to the prime minister that, you know, that our -- the policy of my government is the removal of Saddam, and that all options are on the table.

WALLACE: Mr. Blair, facing some domestic opposition to any military action against Iraq, stressed no decisions have been made, trying to strike a balance between backing the president and placating his critics at home.

TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: But the president is right to draw attention to the threat of weapons of mass destruction. That threat is real. How we deal with it, that's a matter we discuss.

WALLACE (on camera): And Mr. Bush knows getting international support for any action against Iraq will be difficult until the violence between Israelis and Palestinians comes down. So that's the focus now. The administration will be watching Israel's response. Keeping up the pressure, aides say, expecting to see results before the Secretary of State leaves for the region Sunday night.

Kelly Wallace, CNN, Crawford, Texas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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