Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

President Bush to Meet with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon

Aired June 26, 2001 - 10:40   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: Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is calling on the United States to do more to bring peace to the Middle East, and the Bush administration appears to be trying. President Bush and Secretary of State Colin Powell are scheduled to meet this afternoon at the White House with Israeli President (sic) Ariel Sharon.

CNN's Andrea Koppel is at the State Department now with the latest. Good morning, Andrea.

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Kyra. The bush administration has been quick to point out that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's visit to the White House later today is only happening because Mr. Sharon was already here in the United States on other business.

But, clearly, with the U.S.-brokered cease-fire between the Israelis and Palestinians hanging on by a thread, increasing violence in the region and Mr. Sharon himself under increasing pressure at home to retaliate against Palestinian acts of violence, his visit to the White House today comes at a critical moment.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KOPPEL (voice-over): President Bush has a dual purpose in meeting with Prime Minister Sharon on Tuesday: to publicly praise him for Israel's recent military restraint, while at the same time to privately encourage Sharon to show more flexibility in his negotiating position with the Palestinians.

EDWARD WALKER, MIDDLE EAST INSTITUTE: It could blow up any day. Another incident or two that -- you got to remember that Sharon's supporters are pushing him real hard to do twice as much as he's doing, and you can only hold off your supporters so long and survive politically.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Welcome, Mr. Prime Minister.

KOPPEL: U.S. officials say Sharon's second trip to the White House could give him a boost back home, but they question whether Sharon will be ready to soften his position on two key issues by the time Secretary Powell arrives in the region later this week. Those issues include his demand for zero Palestinian violence in order for Israel to go forward with implementing confidence-building measures, for instance, permitting Palestinians to return to their jobs in Israel, and his refusal to freeze future growth of Israeli settlements.

Powell has said he believes the purpose of his trip is to connect the dots between the Israeli-Palestinian cease-fire, brokered by CIA Director George Tenet, and the Mitchell Committee report which recommends specific steps to move the parties back to the peace table.

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: At some point, a time table will be necessary. Otherwise, you won't have a road map to follow. But it is not a condition of my trip, and it is not something that I find I have to have in place before I make the trip or before I arrive.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

But U.S. officials tells CNN when Powell arrives in the region tomorrow, he does plan to present both sides with what one U.S. official described as quote, "a loose timeframe for moving quickly forward from the cease-fire into confidence-building measures" and ultimately, Kyra, back to the peace table.

PHILLIPS: Andrea Koppel live from the State Department. Thank you very much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com