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CNN Live Saturday

Interview With Aaron David Miller

Aired June 07, 2003 - 16:08   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: Potential trouble for the new Palestinian prime minister whose authority is under strain. The militant Islamic group Hamas has cut off cease-fire talks with Mahmoud Abbas and now plans to meet with all the radical Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip to discuss how to deal with the prime minister. Abbas' strategists say he, too, might meet with those radical factions and urge them to pressure Hamas to return to the negotiating table.
Aaron David Miller knows how the militant mind-set works. For the last 20 years, he's helped formulate U.S. policy on the Arab- Israeli peace process. The president of Seeds of Peace and the former U.S. Middle East negotiator joins us now from New York with some insight. Good to see you.

AARON DAVID MILLER, FORMER U.S. ENVOY TO MIDDLE EAST: Nice to see you.

WHITFIELD: All right. Well, talks have been cut off, so to speak, involving Hamas and Abbas. Might they come to the table once again to try and have a meeting of the minds?

MILLER: I think this is clearly a huge bump in the road and probably will be the key moment of truth for the Palestinian Authority. I mean, the reality is the Palestinians have got to try to impose or reimpose their monopoly over the forces and sources of violence within their own society. I'm sure Abu Mazen would prefer negotiation and cooptation, but ultimately he may have to threaten military pressure, because unless the Palestinians are prepared again to reassert their authority, it's hard to believe that we're going to be able to move forward.

WHITFIELD: Well, how ...

MILLER: At the same time -- I'm sorry -- at the same time the Israelis are also going to have to try to empower him and help him by taking measures and implementing gestures that are meaningful for the majority of Palestinians.

WHITFIELD: OK. Well, therein lies the question, in empowering. Would Abbas be empowered in order to have some sort of military pressure? Because there are many analysts who say that that just isn't an option at all.

MILLER: Well, I think, in reality, if you look at the only other time that the Palestinian Authority has really tried to assert its authority over Hamas and Islamic Jihad, it occurred in the spring of 1996. And at that time, the PA, the Palestinian Authority, threatened the so-called dowa (ph), Hamas's economic and social infrastructure, which is extremely important to its capacity to deliver services to Palestinians. So I think the Palestinian Authority has got to at least reach a moment where, if negotiation fails, then they're going to have to find an alternative method. But that is only going to be possible if Abu Mazen and the PA are empowered both by the Israelis and by the Americans.

WHITFIELD: Well, for years the Palestinian Authority has been synonymous with Yasser Arafat. But if you're asking the Palestinian Authority to be a little bit more assertive here, does it also mean that there's a call to get Arafat more involved as well?

MILLER: Frankly, I don't think that's an option. Neither the government of Israel nor the United States is going to involve Mr. Arafat in any meaningful capacity. That said, Abu Mazen is caught between a Yasser Arafat on one hand, that sees irrelevance as his future, and Hamas on the other, that frankly is not interested right now in an accommodation with the Israelis. So it's a tough spot, and it's going to require real leadership on the part of Abu Mazen, with support, with major support, from the Israelis, the Americans and key Arab states.

WHITFIELD: U.S. monitors are expected to head to that region as early as this coming week. How involved do you believe the U.S. ought to be in terms of monitoring any progress on this road to peace?

MILLER: I think one of the most encouraging new factors here is the commitment and focus and energy of President Bush. There is absolutely no doubt, when you have a situation which Israelis and Palestinians are separated by a profound gap of suspicion and mistrust, you need a third party. And the only third party willing and able to play this role is the United States. I think it will take a 24/7 commitment, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Aaron David Miller, thanks very much for joining us.

MILLER: Thank you.

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 June 7, 2003 - 16:08   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Potential trouble for the new Palestinian prime minister whose authority is under strain. The militant Islamic group Hamas has cut off cease-fire talks with Mahmoud Abbas and now plans to meet with all the radical Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip to discuss how to deal with the prime minister. Abbas' strategists say he, too, might meet with those radical factions and urge them to pressure Hamas to return to the negotiating table.
Aaron David Miller knows how the militant mind-set works. For the last 20 years, he's helped formulate U.S. policy on the Arab- Israeli peace process. The president of Seeds of Peace and the former U.S. Middle East negotiator joins us now from New York with some insight. Good to see you.

AARON DAVID MILLER, FORMER U.S. ENVOY TO MIDDLE EAST: Nice to see you.

WHITFIELD: All right. Well, talks have been cut off, so to speak, involving Hamas and Abbas. Might they come to the table once again to try and have a meeting of the minds?

MILLER: I think this is clearly a huge bump in the road and probably will be the key moment of truth for the Palestinian Authority. I mean, the reality is the Palestinians have got to try to impose or reimpose their monopoly over the forces and sources of violence within their own society. I'm sure Abu Mazen would prefer negotiation and cooptation, but ultimately he may have to threaten military pressure, because unless the Palestinians are prepared again to reassert their authority, it's hard to believe that we're going to be able to move forward.

WHITFIELD: Well, how ...

MILLER: At the same time -- I'm sorry -- at the same time the Israelis are also going to have to try to empower him and help him by taking measures and implementing gestures that are meaningful for the majority of Palestinians.

WHITFIELD: OK. Well, therein lies the question, in empowering. Would Abbas be empowered in order to have some sort of military pressure? Because there are many analysts who say that that just isn't an option at all.

MILLER: Well, I think, in reality, if you look at the only other time that the Palestinian Authority has really tried to assert its authority over Hamas and Islamic Jihad, it occurred in the spring of 1996. And at that time, the PA, the Palestinian Authority, threatened the so-called dowa (ph), Hamas's economic and social infrastructure, which is extremely important to its capacity to deliver services to Palestinians. So I think the Palestinian Authority has got to at least reach a moment where, if negotiation fails, then they're going to have to find an alternative method. But that is only going to be possible if Abu Mazen and the PA are empowered both by the Israelis and by the Americans.

WHITFIELD: Well, for years the Palestinian Authority has been synonymous with Yasser Arafat. But if you're asking the Palestinian Authority to be a little bit more assertive here, does it also mean that there's a call to get Arafat more involved as well?

MILLER: Frankly, I don't think that's an option. Neither the government of Israel nor the United States is going to involve Mr. Arafat in any meaningful capacity. That said, Abu Mazen is caught between a Yasser Arafat on one hand, that sees irrelevance as his future, and Hamas on the other, that frankly is not interested right now in an accommodation with the Israelis. So it's a tough spot, and it's going to require real leadership on the part of Abu Mazen, with support, with major support, from the Israelis, the Americans and key Arab states.

WHITFIELD: U.S. monitors are expected to head to that region as early as this coming week. How involved do you believe the U.S. ought to be in terms of monitoring any progress on this road to peace?

MILLER: I think one of the most encouraging new factors here is the commitment and focus and energy of President Bush. There is absolutely no doubt, when you have a situation which Israelis and Palestinians are separated by a profound gap of suspicion and mistrust, you need a third party. And the only third party willing and able to play this role is the United States. I think it will take a 24/7 commitment, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Aaron David Miller, thanks very much for joining us.

MILLER: Thank you.

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