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CNN Live At Daybreak

America's New War: U.S. Reaction to Israeli-Palestinian Vow of Cease-Fire

Aired September 18, 2001 - 11:14   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.
PAULA ZAUN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's go quickly now to John King, who joins us from Washington, Christiane Amanpour, who joins us as well from Islamabad, Pakistan.

Christiane, I don't know how clear the audio came to you in your part of the world. If you were able to hear, what is your reaction to what Mr. Peres just expressed?

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, to put that in context, it would remove, if it's true, that there would be a state of nonbelligerency, a cease-fire, no war, no pictures, no pictures of Palestinian being killed. It would remove a major, major source of anger amongst the Muslims in all parts of the Islamic world. This has been the refrain constantly, certainly especially for the last 11 months of the Intifada that the plight of the Palestinians, the U.S. support for Israel, as it's perceived around the Islamic world has been a major, major source of anger in the Islamic world. And it's what they always refer to when they talk about the situation in the Middle East, when they talk about even what happened in the United States. Those on the extreme side who failed to fully condemn that attack mentioned the situation with the United States policy towards the Middle East.

And certainly, if there was to be a military reaction by the United States against Afghanistan, you would probably most likely find the Muslims around the world, and indeed others around the world, are particularly incensed if there was to be suffered by the Afghany people at same time while they could see suffering by the Palestinians on their televisions screens as well.

So if this was to be calmed down it would remove one immediate source of anxiety and anger across the Islamic world.

ZAUN: Christiane, I wanted to make one point here, and you and I discussed this the other day after my interview with King Abdullah of Jordan, where he said, had peace been accomplished in Camp David in July of 2000, that this attack against America might not have happened. How widely held of a view is that?

AMANPOUR: Well, I think, too, that there's two parts of the answer. One is that over the last 11 months there has certainly been a noticeable, palpable rise in anti-Americanism on the streets of many Arab nations, including allies of the United States. These are the last 11 months of the Intifada, the Palestinian uprising and the Israeli attacks by tanks and all the military hardware you've seen; this has resignated very, very deeply with the people on the Arab streets.

On the other hand, it is generally assess by the experts and analysts that those people who commit these kinds of massive terrorist attacks are people who have never believed in the peace process and who are not deterred by the peace process or otherwise. This is an attack against the United States, and they don't believe in the peace process, and whether it was going on or not it is assessed it wouldn't have made any difference to the particular people who conduct these particular assaults on the United States.

ZAUN: All right, Christiane, thanks so much.

Let's go to John King, who's standing by in Washington.

John, you reported last week, Secretary of State Colin Powell urging the Palestinian and the Israelis to get back to the negotiating table. What is the White House response to this latest, big development coming out of the Middle East?

JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Paula, we have at CNN the first response. I just, during the break, spoke to two administration officials -- excuse the helicopter noise flying overhead -- one saying, quote, "this is a very encouraging sign." The president has consistently said there -- the commitment to end the violence must come from the parties in the region, and this is a positive step and potentially a very positive development.

The second official went on to say the next key step here, if this cease-fire holds, is for the dialogue to begin, and Foreign Minister Peres told you he would meet with Mr. Arafat in the very near future. Once that dialogue begins, the United States urging the parties once again to embrace the so-called Mitchell Commission Plan, which called for, after a cease-fire and cooling-off period, additional confidence-building measures like increased economic cooperation, like increased security conversations across the borders.

So the administration viewing this in and of itself as a very positive step. And as Christiane was just noting, one concern of the administration, as it tries to build this international coalition to respond last week's terrorist attacks, has been that Islamic fundamentalist would point to continued violence between the Israelis and the Palestinians as a way to foment anti-U.S. sentiment in the region. So a positive development in the view of the administration just in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and a positive development as well as the president and all of the entire Bush administration tries to build this international coalition to respond to last Tuesday's deadly attacks -- Paula.

ZAUN: John, Christie and I were just talking about King Abdullah of Jordan's comments. He didn't think these attacks would have happened had the some sort of peaceful resolution been arrived at between the Palestinian and Israelis. Could you fill us in on the debate coming from Washington on the extent to which U.S. policy in the Middle East might have contributed to the U.S.' vulnerability?

KING: Well, certainly the radical Islamic fundamentalist anti- U.S. sentiment in part is fueled by what many in the Arab world, and not just those that would be described as fundamentalist, view as a U.S. tilt in favor of Israel. Certainly since the Bush administration took over for Clinton administration throughout the Arab world, even from key allies like Egypt, like Jordan, there have been back channel complaints through diplomatic channels that at least in his public statements and by his refusal to meet directly the with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat that President Bush has tilted U.S. policy in favor of Israel.

At the same time, as Christiane noted, many of these blamed for the terrorism are fiercely opposed to peace process, are fiercely anti-American for other reasons. Mr. bin Laden, in his case, talking frequently of the American troops still in Saudi Arabia, his home country, more than a decade after end of Gulf War. So there is speculation, that, yes, if there were Israeli-Palestinian dialogue, if there were a comprehensive peace, something that has proved so elusive, perhaps the political balance in region would be very different, but it is mere speculation, of course.

ZAUN: OK, John, as you were speaking I just got indication that the president's remarks that were supposed to happen 11:20 will be postponed. As I'm speaking to you is anybody handing you anything that would suggest otherwise?

KING: No. We believe the president's just running a little bit late. There are a number of activities going on over at the White House today. He is meeting with some governors and leaders of the charitable organizations; that is the subject of his address in Rose Garden. There are also airplane CEOs who have already wrapped up a meeting with the Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta. They were heading over to the White House, not to meet with the president, at least not on the schedule, but to meet with his top economic adviser Larry Lindsey. the CEOs emerging from the initial discussions saying there were positive developments. And we at CNN also know through the reporting of our congressional correspondent, Kate Snow, that a bipartisan group of congressional leaders standing by to meet with those airline CEOs this afternoon, promising, if can reach an agreement -- that a big "if," this is a multibillion dollar aide package -- but if they can reach an agreement to move very quickly to get that bailout package, as it has been described through the Congress.

So a great deal of activity. Other briefings for the president as well. No surprise this president, known for his punctuality, under these circumstances, running a little bit late.

ZAUN: All right. So simply a delay, not a postponement.

All right, John.

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