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President Bush Pushing Road Map for Middle East Peace
Aired June 02, 2003 - 15:06 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.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush arrived in Egypt last hour for tomorrow's meetings with Arab leaders. The talks will lay the groundwork for Wednesday's meetings in Jordan with Israeli leader Ariel Sharon and Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas. CNN's Mike Hanna has more on the president's efforts to promote the U.S.-backed road map for Middle East peace.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MIKE HANNA, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): The drive to implement the road map gathers momentum. The Egyptian resort of Sharm El-Sheikh 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.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 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 SHAATH, PALESTINIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: We want Arab support. We want America's 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.
(on camera): The aim of the U.S. president here: to secure the strongest possible Arab backing for the implementation of the road map. And Arab nations are seeking U.S. assurances that its commitment to the implementation of that road map is total. Mike Hanna, CNN, Sharm El-Sheikh.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WOODRUFF: The president headed to the modest after making an early exit from the economic summit of world leaders in Evian, France. Before leaving this morning, Mr. Bush had kind words for French President Jacques Chirac. The two leaders held their first one-on-one meeting since the war with Iraq strained the relations between the two countries.
Four of the G-8 nations: France, Germany, Russia and Canada, all opposed the U.S.-led war. But with the war behind them, however, the leaders expressed wide agreement for the goal of stabilizing Iraq and rebuilding its economy.
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 - 15:06 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush arrived in Egypt last hour for tomorrow's meetings with Arab leaders. The talks will lay the groundwork for Wednesday's meetings in Jordan with Israeli leader Ariel Sharon and Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas. CNN's Mike Hanna has more on the president's efforts to promote the U.S.-backed road map for Middle East peace.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MIKE HANNA, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): The drive to implement the road map gathers momentum. The Egyptian resort of Sharm El-Sheikh 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.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 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 SHAATH, PALESTINIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: We want Arab support. We want America's 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.
(on camera): The aim of the U.S. president here: to secure the strongest possible Arab backing for the implementation of the road map. And Arab nations are seeking U.S. assurances that its commitment to the implementation of that road map is total. Mike Hanna, CNN, Sharm El-Sheikh.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WOODRUFF: The president headed to the modest after making an early exit from the economic summit of world leaders in Evian, France. Before leaving this morning, Mr. Bush had kind words for French President Jacques Chirac. The two leaders held their first one-on-one meeting since the war with Iraq strained the relations between the two countries.
Four of the G-8 nations: France, Germany, Russia and Canada, all opposed the U.S.-led war. But with the war behind them, however, the leaders expressed wide agreement for the goal of stabilizing Iraq and rebuilding its economy.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
