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Face to Face
Aired May 29, 2003 - 14:08 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.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas is meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon for the second time in recent days. They're discussing the always difficult road to Middle East peace, and next week's planned summit with Mr. Bush.
CNN's Kelly Wallace is in Jerusalem, and she joins us with the latest on all this -- Kelly.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Miles, we believe that meeting is under way now, or likely to begin just moments from now. This between the Israeli and Palestinian prime ministers. The first meeting, a little bit more than a week ago, did not achieve any breakthrough. But the circumstances, both sides say, different this time around, with both sides wanting to make some progress, in advance of next week's summit meeting with U.S. President Bush.
Now Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas did leave his office in Ramallah, on the West Bank, not too long ago, headed here for Jerusalem. Palestinian sources say he will be coming here with a couple of messages.
Number one, he will wanted to see Israel issue some sort of declaration, saying it supports a two-state solution to the conflict. And he'll also be looking for concrete steps by the Israelis, such as stopping military operations in the West Bank and in the Gaza Strip. The prime minister saying only after these operations come to an end, can he really convince groups like Hamas to disarm and stop their attacks against Israelis.
Now, Israeli sources say Prime Minister Ariel Sharon will tell the Palestinian prime minister that now that the Israelis have given qualified endorsements to the Mideast road map, that the Palestinians must take steps, including cracking down on these radical Palestinian groups. We are also told the prime minister is likely to extend and offer that sources said they extended during the last meeting, and that is for Israeli troops to pull out of certain Palestinian areas if the Palestinians say they are ready and willing to take charge of security.
Both sides, again, say they are hoping for some progress. As one official said, some indication that this road map is now -- quote -- "on the road." But, Miles, no one is expecting any major breakthrough tonight. The indication is, the big statement about what will happen next will likely come next week in Jordan with President Bush -- Miles. O'BRIEN: Of course, conspicuous for his absence will be Yasser Arafat from this process. He nevertheless, in effect, holds a veto over everything that is discussed, doesn't he?
WALLACE: He certainly does. And many Israeli officials privately, Miles, say that they think that Yasser Arafat was sort of standing in the way of this meeting, was responsible for the postponement. This meeting was to take place on Wednesday. Some Palestinian sources, though, say that is not the case.
But they also say Yasser Arafat is wielding a great deal of power, that even under this agreement with the new prime minister, Yasser Arafat still has final say over negotiations with Israel. And Mahmoud Abbas, for his part, is indicating he wants to see an end to the isolation of Yasser Arafat. He is saying that he needs the Americans and the Israelis to recognize that, and allow Yasser Arafat to travel freely and do what he wants, to kind of empower him when it comes to the Palestinian community.
But Americans and Israelis, Miles, as you know, very much want to keep Yasser Arafat sidelined. The question is, how much power is he trying to assert behind the scenes?
Miles.
O'BRIEN: Good question. No good answers just yet. We'll watch. Kelly Wallace in Jerusalem. Thanks very much.
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 May 29, 2003 - 14:08 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas is meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon for the second time in recent days. They're discussing the always difficult road to Middle East peace, and next week's planned summit with Mr. Bush.
CNN's Kelly Wallace is in Jerusalem, and she joins us with the latest on all this -- Kelly.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Miles, we believe that meeting is under way now, or likely to begin just moments from now. This between the Israeli and Palestinian prime ministers. The first meeting, a little bit more than a week ago, did not achieve any breakthrough. But the circumstances, both sides say, different this time around, with both sides wanting to make some progress, in advance of next week's summit meeting with U.S. President Bush.
Now Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas did leave his office in Ramallah, on the West Bank, not too long ago, headed here for Jerusalem. Palestinian sources say he will be coming here with a couple of messages.
Number one, he will wanted to see Israel issue some sort of declaration, saying it supports a two-state solution to the conflict. And he'll also be looking for concrete steps by the Israelis, such as stopping military operations in the West Bank and in the Gaza Strip. The prime minister saying only after these operations come to an end, can he really convince groups like Hamas to disarm and stop their attacks against Israelis.
Now, Israeli sources say Prime Minister Ariel Sharon will tell the Palestinian prime minister that now that the Israelis have given qualified endorsements to the Mideast road map, that the Palestinians must take steps, including cracking down on these radical Palestinian groups. We are also told the prime minister is likely to extend and offer that sources said they extended during the last meeting, and that is for Israeli troops to pull out of certain Palestinian areas if the Palestinians say they are ready and willing to take charge of security.
Both sides, again, say they are hoping for some progress. As one official said, some indication that this road map is now -- quote -- "on the road." But, Miles, no one is expecting any major breakthrough tonight. The indication is, the big statement about what will happen next will likely come next week in Jordan with President Bush -- Miles. O'BRIEN: Of course, conspicuous for his absence will be Yasser Arafat from this process. He nevertheless, in effect, holds a veto over everything that is discussed, doesn't he?
WALLACE: He certainly does. And many Israeli officials privately, Miles, say that they think that Yasser Arafat was sort of standing in the way of this meeting, was responsible for the postponement. This meeting was to take place on Wednesday. Some Palestinian sources, though, say that is not the case.
But they also say Yasser Arafat is wielding a great deal of power, that even under this agreement with the new prime minister, Yasser Arafat still has final say over negotiations with Israel. And Mahmoud Abbas, for his part, is indicating he wants to see an end to the isolation of Yasser Arafat. He is saying that he needs the Americans and the Israelis to recognize that, and allow Yasser Arafat to travel freely and do what he wants, to kind of empower him when it comes to the Palestinian community.
But Americans and Israelis, Miles, as you know, very much want to keep Yasser Arafat sidelined. The question is, how much power is he trying to assert behind the scenes?
Miles.
O'BRIEN: Good question. No good answers just yet. We'll watch. Kelly Wallace in Jerusalem. Thanks very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
