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Crisis in the Middle East: Politics of Peace
Aired June 16, 2003 - 14:37 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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Well it's fork in the road that you won't find on the map, and therein lies the problem. Israelis and Palestinians are each demanding the other stand down for the sake of the U.S.-sponsored road map, which took a beating in last week's continual attacks and reprisals. Envoys from Egypt spent two days in intense talks in Gaza while Israeli leaders vowed to continue targeting what they call "ticking bombs."
The eyes of the world are on the politics of peace today, and that includes CNN's Wolf Blitzer in Jerusalem and John King at the White House. Thank you both.
Wolf, let's start with you and talk about just the U.S.'s role in all of this right now. We're going to talk about the -- from a military standpoint, also from more of a negotiation standpoint. Now talk of American forces possibly being needed to fight Hamas. What are you hearing? What do you know about that?
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Well, there's been some talk about it, although the Bush administration is keeping its distance, Kyra.
Last week, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, John Warner, suggested NATO troops, possibly including U.S. troops be brought, in as a buffer, if you will, between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Kofi Annan, the U.N. secretary general made a similar kind of proposal on Friday in an interview with an Israeli newspaper, thought about third-party troops coming in at least for a short-term period. And only yesterday, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Richard Lugar, said it might be necessary, although he didn't think that the U.S. was at that point yet.
The Bush administration is not supporting this by any means. The Palestinians are totally supported. They would like some third party to come in to replace the Israelis, to get the Israelis off their back, if you will. At the same time, the Israelis are making it clear they don't want U.S. troops. They don't want any third parties to come in. The vice prime minister of Israel told me yesterday he doesn't want U.S. troops to become a target and, Kyra, almost certainly they would become a quick target. There would be a bullseye on those U.S. troops by the extremist elements out there, Hamas among them, potentially, and as a result it doesn't look like that's going to happen any time soon.
PHILLIPS: And John, Hamas has always rejected peace talks with Israel. What's your take from there at the White House? How does the U.S. intercede now? Is it military action? Is it tougher negotiations?
JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's tough negotiations and it's pressure on both sides. The Bush administration will not negotiate directly with Hamas because it calls Hamas a terrorist group. But the Bush administration is very much supporting and assisting behind the scenes those negotiations now under way, led by the Egyptians, trying to at least bring about a temporary cease- fire.
If you can get that cease-fire, the Bush administration believes you can then make further progress including the Israeli military leaving some Palestinian territories and letting the Palestinian authority assume control, security control over those areas. That would be a key test for Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas. If he has to take security control of key Palestinian cities, can he keep Hamas and other groups from attacking Israelis? That is one key question.
Another key question came up here at the White House today. Ariel Sharon's chief of staff, Dov Weisglass, was here for meets with Condoleezza Rice, the president's national security adviser, and Secretary of State Colin Powell. We are told that in that meeting the United States side made clear that it does not like Israel's practice of targeted assassination of key Palestinian leaders. The United States side, we are told, said Israel has every right to defend itself, but it views those attacks as provocative right now. The encouragement from the Bush White House is for the Israelis and the Palestinians to work together, to actually not just talk about being partners, but be partners on the ground in trying to improve the security situation.
PHILLIPS: John, good point. Palestinian factions finally discussing or having discussions, the pressure on Hamas to suspend attacks.
Wolf, from there, on the ground, do you see progress? Is there a glimpse of hope here?
BLITZER: Well, the interesting thing is there certainly is a glimpse of hope. I wouldn't go overboard and be overly optimistic by any means, although I have spoken with Israeli sources close to the prime minister; I've spoken to Palestinians over the past several hours and -- the Palestinian sources close to Mahmoud Abbas that is -- and they do suggest there is an opportunity now -- it's not a great opportunity but certainly the U.S. is directly involved, the special U.S. envoy, John Wolf, is now here. He melt with the Israeli foreign minister. He'll be meeting with the Palestinians tomorrow.
The Egyptians, as John King points out -- they 'e deeply involved in trying to establish a cease-fire with Hamas right now. They've broken off the talks today, but they could resume in Cairo. And Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian authority prime minister, is now in Gaza expected to meet with Hamas leaders and others to see if they can get some sort of cease-fire going.
So while I wouldn't get crazy with optimism, I would suggest that the next 24 to 48 hours could be decisive in setting the tone -- whether there will be more acts of terrorism and more Israeli air strikes against Hamas targets. The targeted killings that the Israelis vow that they will continue if there is this ticking bomb notion that there's an action in the works or on the way, or if there's going to be some sort of peace negotiation and the president's road map is allowed to get off the ground. These hours right now, Kyra, are critical.
PHILLIPS: Fortunately, with regard to our hour, we're out of time. We've got to leave it there. Gentlemen, John King at the White House. Thank you, Wolf in Jerusalem. We'll see you at 5:00. Thanks, guys.
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 16, 2003 - 14:37 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Well it's fork in the road that you won't find on the map, and therein lies the problem. Israelis and Palestinians are each demanding the other stand down for the sake of the U.S.-sponsored road map, which took a beating in last week's continual attacks and reprisals. Envoys from Egypt spent two days in intense talks in Gaza while Israeli leaders vowed to continue targeting what they call "ticking bombs."
The eyes of the world are on the politics of peace today, and that includes CNN's Wolf Blitzer in Jerusalem and John King at the White House. Thank you both.
Wolf, let's start with you and talk about just the U.S.'s role in all of this right now. We're going to talk about the -- from a military standpoint, also from more of a negotiation standpoint. Now talk of American forces possibly being needed to fight Hamas. What are you hearing? What do you know about that?
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Well, there's been some talk about it, although the Bush administration is keeping its distance, Kyra.
Last week, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, John Warner, suggested NATO troops, possibly including U.S. troops be brought, in as a buffer, if you will, between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Kofi Annan, the U.N. secretary general made a similar kind of proposal on Friday in an interview with an Israeli newspaper, thought about third-party troops coming in at least for a short-term period. And only yesterday, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Richard Lugar, said it might be necessary, although he didn't think that the U.S. was at that point yet.
The Bush administration is not supporting this by any means. The Palestinians are totally supported. They would like some third party to come in to replace the Israelis, to get the Israelis off their back, if you will. At the same time, the Israelis are making it clear they don't want U.S. troops. They don't want any third parties to come in. The vice prime minister of Israel told me yesterday he doesn't want U.S. troops to become a target and, Kyra, almost certainly they would become a quick target. There would be a bullseye on those U.S. troops by the extremist elements out there, Hamas among them, potentially, and as a result it doesn't look like that's going to happen any time soon.
PHILLIPS: And John, Hamas has always rejected peace talks with Israel. What's your take from there at the White House? How does the U.S. intercede now? Is it military action? Is it tougher negotiations?
JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's tough negotiations and it's pressure on both sides. The Bush administration will not negotiate directly with Hamas because it calls Hamas a terrorist group. But the Bush administration is very much supporting and assisting behind the scenes those negotiations now under way, led by the Egyptians, trying to at least bring about a temporary cease- fire.
If you can get that cease-fire, the Bush administration believes you can then make further progress including the Israeli military leaving some Palestinian territories and letting the Palestinian authority assume control, security control over those areas. That would be a key test for Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas. If he has to take security control of key Palestinian cities, can he keep Hamas and other groups from attacking Israelis? That is one key question.
Another key question came up here at the White House today. Ariel Sharon's chief of staff, Dov Weisglass, was here for meets with Condoleezza Rice, the president's national security adviser, and Secretary of State Colin Powell. We are told that in that meeting the United States side made clear that it does not like Israel's practice of targeted assassination of key Palestinian leaders. The United States side, we are told, said Israel has every right to defend itself, but it views those attacks as provocative right now. The encouragement from the Bush White House is for the Israelis and the Palestinians to work together, to actually not just talk about being partners, but be partners on the ground in trying to improve the security situation.
PHILLIPS: John, good point. Palestinian factions finally discussing or having discussions, the pressure on Hamas to suspend attacks.
Wolf, from there, on the ground, do you see progress? Is there a glimpse of hope here?
BLITZER: Well, the interesting thing is there certainly is a glimpse of hope. I wouldn't go overboard and be overly optimistic by any means, although I have spoken with Israeli sources close to the prime minister; I've spoken to Palestinians over the past several hours and -- the Palestinian sources close to Mahmoud Abbas that is -- and they do suggest there is an opportunity now -- it's not a great opportunity but certainly the U.S. is directly involved, the special U.S. envoy, John Wolf, is now here. He melt with the Israeli foreign minister. He'll be meeting with the Palestinians tomorrow.
The Egyptians, as John King points out -- they 'e deeply involved in trying to establish a cease-fire with Hamas right now. They've broken off the talks today, but they could resume in Cairo. And Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian authority prime minister, is now in Gaza expected to meet with Hamas leaders and others to see if they can get some sort of cease-fire going.
So while I wouldn't get crazy with optimism, I would suggest that the next 24 to 48 hours could be decisive in setting the tone -- whether there will be more acts of terrorism and more Israeli air strikes against Hamas targets. The targeted killings that the Israelis vow that they will continue if there is this ticking bomb notion that there's an action in the works or on the way, or if there's going to be some sort of peace negotiation and the president's road map is allowed to get off the ground. These hours right now, Kyra, are critical.
PHILLIPS: Fortunately, with regard to our hour, we're out of time. We've got to leave it there. Gentlemen, John King at the White House. Thank you, Wolf in Jerusalem. We'll see you at 5:00. Thanks, guys.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
