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CNN Live At Daybreak
International Wrap: Eye on the World
Aired February 25, 2004 - 05:40 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: Actor Jason Alexander of "Seinfeld" is launching a peace initiative in the Middle East. Yes, George Costanza.
Let's get details on that and other stories our international desk is tracking today. David Clinch is with us.
George Costanza...
DAVID CLINCH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Yes.
COSTELLO: ... getting involved.
CLINCH: Yes. George Costanza, in real life Jason Alexander, very different from his character in "Seinfeld." And obviously committed to the cause of peace. But key to what he was talking about in Israel yesterday is that they, his group, the group that he is involved with called One Voice, has set up a Web site which is deliberately and specifically designed to bypass the politicians on both sides.
This Web site, SilentNoLonger.org is the Web site, is designed to allow Israelis and Palestinians on both sides to express their opinion about the peace process, which of course doesn't really exist very much at the moment, but about what their goals at their level, at the citizen's level, would be for how Palestinians and Israelis should live together.
COSTELLO: And he is just soliciting comments from common citizens both Palestinians and Israelis?
CLINCH: Right. More than that, I mean this specific poll of opinions, which will then be compiled by IDM (ph), we are told, and presented then, at that point, to the world, and obviously to the politicians as well, to reflect what people in the streets really feel should happen.
COSTELLO: So the big question is will politicians take this seriously?
CLINCH: Well politicians generally do take polls very seriously. And clearly I think even Israeli and Palestinian politicians have acknowledged that there is a desire on many people's parts for the people themselves to express their opinion. So we'll be watching that very closely.
And elsewhere, in Haiti we are watching, you know the opposition were given until 5:00 p.m. yesterday to agree to a U.S.-sponsored peace plan. That deadline disappeared. Not exactly clear what happens next. The opposition groups have said they will have a statement of their own at some point later this morning. We'll cover that when it happens.
And interestingly, Colin Powell expressing enthusiasm yesterday during the day for a French plan. The French Foreign Minister suggesting that the opposition groups and groups representing the government could come to Paris later in the week to discuss options. The key point, the opposition and the rebels, most importantly, saying Aristide must go.
COSTELLO: We'll see what happens.
David Clinch, many thanks to 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 February 25, 2004 - 05:40 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Actor Jason Alexander of "Seinfeld" is launching a peace initiative in the Middle East. Yes, George Costanza.
Let's get details on that and other stories our international desk is tracking today. David Clinch is with us.
George Costanza...
DAVID CLINCH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Yes.
COSTELLO: ... getting involved.
CLINCH: Yes. George Costanza, in real life Jason Alexander, very different from his character in "Seinfeld." And obviously committed to the cause of peace. But key to what he was talking about in Israel yesterday is that they, his group, the group that he is involved with called One Voice, has set up a Web site which is deliberately and specifically designed to bypass the politicians on both sides.
This Web site, SilentNoLonger.org is the Web site, is designed to allow Israelis and Palestinians on both sides to express their opinion about the peace process, which of course doesn't really exist very much at the moment, but about what their goals at their level, at the citizen's level, would be for how Palestinians and Israelis should live together.
COSTELLO: And he is just soliciting comments from common citizens both Palestinians and Israelis?
CLINCH: Right. More than that, I mean this specific poll of opinions, which will then be compiled by IDM (ph), we are told, and presented then, at that point, to the world, and obviously to the politicians as well, to reflect what people in the streets really feel should happen.
COSTELLO: So the big question is will politicians take this seriously?
CLINCH: Well politicians generally do take polls very seriously. And clearly I think even Israeli and Palestinian politicians have acknowledged that there is a desire on many people's parts for the people themselves to express their opinion. So we'll be watching that very closely.
And elsewhere, in Haiti we are watching, you know the opposition were given until 5:00 p.m. yesterday to agree to a U.S.-sponsored peace plan. That deadline disappeared. Not exactly clear what happens next. The opposition groups have said they will have a statement of their own at some point later this morning. We'll cover that when it happens.
And interestingly, Colin Powell expressing enthusiasm yesterday during the day for a French plan. The French Foreign Minister suggesting that the opposition groups and groups representing the government could come to Paris later in the week to discuss options. The key point, the opposition and the rebels, most importantly, saying Aristide must go.
COSTELLO: We'll see what happens.
David Clinch, many thanks to 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
