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American Morning

Conflict in the Middle East: Bush Speaks With Sharon, Arafat

Aired May 23, 2001 - 10:09   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.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush is mounting a more aggressive role in trying to broker peace in the Middle East. Earlier today, the president phoned Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and his rival counterpart, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

CNN's senior White House correspondent John King joins us now with the latest -- John.

JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Leon, both of those calls were very significant, given the tense, deadly situation in the Middle East right now.

But certainly, the Arafat call was most noteworthy. Mr. Bush had a very brief conversation with the Palestinian leader back in early February, a getting-to-know-you conversation, but has resisted calls that he speak or meet with the Palestinian leader since then, the U.S. sources telling us all along Mr. Bush first wanted to see a public condemnation of the violence in an effort by Mr. Arafat to bring calm in the Palestinian territories.

But the situation has deteriorated so much that Mr. Bush decided this morning to call the Israeli leader, and the Palestinian leader, as well, to urge them to accept the newly released Mitchell Commission report, named after former Senator George Mitchell, as a framework for ending the violence in the region, the White house saying both leaders agreed to do that.

One of the key recommendations in that report is an immediate cease-fire, so the White House is saying that now that the leaders have communicated it positively to the United States that they will use the Mitchell report, or are open to using the Mitchell report, as a framework for ending the violence, what the United States is now looking for is a declarative statement from each of the leaders, that they are ready to accept a cease-fire.

So a bit of a positive mood here at the White House this morning, that these phone calls have taken place. Certainly, the Arafat call is viewed as quite significant. But the White House says the next move is now up to the leaders in the region -- Leon.

HARRIS: John, is it clear that either side is asking for President Bush to do any more than this?

KING: Well, certainly there has been pressure, from especially the Arab world: President Mubarak of Egypt, King Abdullah of Jordan have urged Mr. Bush to get more personally involved. White House officials say this is it for now, that the president wanted to speak directly to those two leaders.

He spoke yesterday to President Mubarak and King Abdullah, and the U.S. ambassador to Jordan is now the president's point man, the secretary of state's point man in the region. U.S. officials are saying the president is willing to help, but first he needs to see declarations and actions from the Palestinians and the Israelis, to convince him that they are willing, not only to call for a cease-fire, but actually to take steps to make such a cease-fire work.

HARRIS: Understood. John King, at the White House. Thank you -- we appreciate it.

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