Return to Transcripts main page
Live From...
Bush Headed for Mideast Peace Conference
Aired June 02, 2003 - 13:11 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, ANCHOR: President Bush is promising to devote as much time as necessary to achieving peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians.
The president is flying from one summit to another. The G-8 economic summit in Evian, France, to the Mideast summit in Sharm el- Sheik, Egypt. He is expected to arrive there about a half hour from now. CNN's Mike Hanna is already there and he joins us with a preview -- Mike.
MIKE HANNA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Miles, this resort city has been high with activity as final preparations are made for this absolutely critical summit Tuesday. President Bush is due to arrive shortly. And we'll meet with leaders of several Arab nations in the course of series of meetings over tomorrow.
And certainly this is an absolutely critical phase in attempts to resolve the ongoing Israeli/Palestinian conflict.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HANNA (voice-over): The drive to implement the road map gathers momentum. The Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheik has seen many leaders come and go, seen many attempts to resolve the Middle Eastern conflict falter and then fail.
As final preparations are made for the Tuesday summit, some expressing a note of cautious optimism.
MARWAN MUASHER, JORDANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: But we have crossed a major hurdle by both sides accepting the road map, by both sides accepting each other as two independent states, and from now on we need to help them reach the point where the occupation will, indeed, end by 2005.
HANNA: And a clear expression of what the Palestinians hope will come from the summit.
NABIL SHA'ATH, PALESTINIAN We want Arab support. We want America support for the coming moves towards the full implementation of the road map.
HANNA: No Israelis here. Their position will be put in a summit with the U.S. president on Wednesday.
For George W. Bush, this a gigantic leap into the troubled waters of Middle East diplomacy, his presence in the region, a powerful signal of personal involvement.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HANNA: The aim of the U.S. president here to secure the strongest possible Arab backing for the implementation of the road map and he's seeking the assurance that Israeli recognition of a Palestinian state will be reciprocated indicated by Arab recognition of Israel -- Miles?
O'BRIEN: CNN's Mike Hanna in Sharm el-Sheik will be watching that summit, then the next one that follows, every step of the way. Thank you very much, Mike.
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 2, 2003 - 13:11 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, ANCHOR: President Bush is promising to devote as much time as necessary to achieving peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians.
The president is flying from one summit to another. The G-8 economic summit in Evian, France, to the Mideast summit in Sharm el- Sheik, Egypt. He is expected to arrive there about a half hour from now. CNN's Mike Hanna is already there and he joins us with a preview -- Mike.
MIKE HANNA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Miles, this resort city has been high with activity as final preparations are made for this absolutely critical summit Tuesday. President Bush is due to arrive shortly. And we'll meet with leaders of several Arab nations in the course of series of meetings over tomorrow.
And certainly this is an absolutely critical phase in attempts to resolve the ongoing Israeli/Palestinian conflict.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HANNA (voice-over): The drive to implement the road map gathers momentum. The Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheik has seen many leaders come and go, seen many attempts to resolve the Middle Eastern conflict falter and then fail.
As final preparations are made for the Tuesday summit, some expressing a note of cautious optimism.
MARWAN MUASHER, JORDANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: But we have crossed a major hurdle by both sides accepting the road map, by both sides accepting each other as two independent states, and from now on we need to help them reach the point where the occupation will, indeed, end by 2005.
HANNA: And a clear expression of what the Palestinians hope will come from the summit.
NABIL SHA'ATH, PALESTINIAN We want Arab support. We want America support for the coming moves towards the full implementation of the road map.
HANNA: No Israelis here. Their position will be put in a summit with the U.S. president on Wednesday.
For George W. Bush, this a gigantic leap into the troubled waters of Middle East diplomacy, his presence in the region, a powerful signal of personal involvement.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HANNA: The aim of the U.S. president here to secure the strongest possible Arab backing for the implementation of the road map and he's seeking the assurance that Israeli recognition of a Palestinian state will be reciprocated indicated by Arab recognition of Israel -- Miles?
O'BRIEN: CNN's Mike Hanna in Sharm el-Sheik will be watching that summit, then the next one that follows, every step of the way. Thank you very much, Mike.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
