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CNN Live Today
Sharon Defending Need for Palestinian State
Aired June 09, 2003 - 11:36 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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon pushed forward on the road map to peace, but there are an awful lot of new hurdles in the way.
CNN Jerusalem bureau chief Mike Hanna joins us with the very latest -- Mike.
MIKE HANNA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, the leaders, Palestinian and Israeli, are struggling to come to terms with dissent within their own constituencies. Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas has recommitted himself to the implementation of the U.S. backed road map. At a news conference in the West Bank City of Ramallah in the course of the morning, he responded to criticism from Palestinian circles that he had made too many concessions to Israel.
Last week, Mahmoud Abbas made a speech in which he said the armed intifada, as he put it, must end. This created an uproar among Palestinian militant groups in particular, and they said they will have no more dealings with the Palestinian prime minister.
But Mr. Abbas says he will continue to seek dialogue with these militant groups in a bid to get them to end their acts of violence. And he says the only alternative to dialogue is more dialogue.
The Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon, too, receiving criticism from some of his followers, at a convention of the ruling Likud Party, there was much criticism of the Israeli prime minister.
However, Ariel Sharon insisted that he would go ahead and meet his obligations in terms of the road map, despite this opposition within his party. And in the course of the day, the Israeli government has begun dismantling settlements as it describes illegal. That's one of the first steps it's got to take in terms of its obligations under that road map -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Now, Mike, there are U.S. monitors that are scheduled to be in that area this week. Are any of them there, a? And then, b, what will they actually be able to do?
HANNA: well, nobody has actually been seen on the grounds. But sources have told CNN that there have been a small group of observers, who will be watching the implementation of the road map process. And the head of that group, John Wolf, the U.S. assistant secretary of state, is on his way to the region. He is expected to arrive here in coming days to put into place this very critical aspect of the entire implementation of the road map, and that is having a party on the ground to whom both sides can complain should they feel the other side is not meeting their obligations, who can rule over whatever disputes may emerge. And certainly this group, although it is going to be small initially, primarily made up of U.S. observers, is an absolutely critical factor in terms of ensuring the implementation of the road map goes ahead smoothly -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Mike Hanna in Jerusalem, thank 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 June 9, 2003 - 11:36 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon pushed forward on the road map to peace, but there are an awful lot of new hurdles in the way.
CNN Jerusalem bureau chief Mike Hanna joins us with the very latest -- Mike.
MIKE HANNA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, the leaders, Palestinian and Israeli, are struggling to come to terms with dissent within their own constituencies. Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas has recommitted himself to the implementation of the U.S. backed road map. At a news conference in the West Bank City of Ramallah in the course of the morning, he responded to criticism from Palestinian circles that he had made too many concessions to Israel.
Last week, Mahmoud Abbas made a speech in which he said the armed intifada, as he put it, must end. This created an uproar among Palestinian militant groups in particular, and they said they will have no more dealings with the Palestinian prime minister.
But Mr. Abbas says he will continue to seek dialogue with these militant groups in a bid to get them to end their acts of violence. And he says the only alternative to dialogue is more dialogue.
The Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon, too, receiving criticism from some of his followers, at a convention of the ruling Likud Party, there was much criticism of the Israeli prime minister.
However, Ariel Sharon insisted that he would go ahead and meet his obligations in terms of the road map, despite this opposition within his party. And in the course of the day, the Israeli government has begun dismantling settlements as it describes illegal. That's one of the first steps it's got to take in terms of its obligations under that road map -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Now, Mike, there are U.S. monitors that are scheduled to be in that area this week. Are any of them there, a? And then, b, what will they actually be able to do?
HANNA: well, nobody has actually been seen on the grounds. But sources have told CNN that there have been a small group of observers, who will be watching the implementation of the road map process. And the head of that group, John Wolf, the U.S. assistant secretary of state, is on his way to the region. He is expected to arrive here in coming days to put into place this very critical aspect of the entire implementation of the road map, and that is having a party on the ground to whom both sides can complain should they feel the other side is not meeting their obligations, who can rule over whatever disputes may emerge. And certainly this group, although it is going to be small initially, primarily made up of U.S. observers, is an absolutely critical factor in terms of ensuring the implementation of the road map goes ahead smoothly -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Mike Hanna in Jerusalem, thank 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
