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American Morning
America's New War: Should Jesse Jackson Go to Afghanistan
Aired September 28, 2001 - 09:34 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.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: He has done it before, but can he do it again?
As you heard here on CNN, the Reverend Jesse Jackson is considering an invitation by the Taliban government to go to Afghanistan and negotiate a peace deal. Some families want him to go and talk peace, but Secretary of State Colin Powell says there is nothing to negotiate.
Joining us now to talk more about this is syndicated columnist Julianne Malveaux, and talkshow host Laura Ingraham, who's doing a radio show now.
Good to see the two of you. Welcome.
LAURA INGRAHAM, TALKSHOW HOST: Nice to be here, Paula.
JULIANNE MALVEAUX, SYNDICATED COLUMNIST: Thank you.
ZAHN: Laura, What are the chances that Jesse Jackson will go?
INGRAHAM: I don't know. It was sort of a "should I stay or should I go" routine played out in the press yesterday. I think, Paula, it is inconceivable to me that the Reverend Jackson would be out there at a time where we are clearly gearing up for a military response.
We've said clearly we're not negotiating with terrorist. We can't go down that road. Yet, he thinks he can go, speak to the Taliban, and make everything OK. That's why people are calling his potential trip to Afghanistan: Operation Legacy Rescue. I mean, doesn't Jesse Jackson have a few people in the United States to minister to, the victims of families, families of the victims of the attacks?
So, I just think -- I think it's really bad form. And I think Colin Powell is being polite in saying he can't imagine what he can accomplish over there.
ZAHN: And Julianne, this morning it's being widely debated as to how this invitation came about. In our lead in, we said that he was invited by the Taliban, but now there was a suggestion perhaps, the Taliban is saying this, that he asked to come there and do this. That they didn't invite him. MALVEAUX: I find that highly unlikely. I spoke with the Reverend Jackson last evening about the invitation, which he does say comes from the Taliban. He has successfully, on four other occasions, brought people out of countries that were hostile to us. There are eight Christians over there that he could bring back here.
I don't find it laughable at all, Laura, that Reverend Jackson would consider this invitation. It really speaks to the fact that there are no bridges between the United States and the Taliban, no diplomatic relations. And this man, this African-American man, has such international respect that they've reached out to him.
Now, whether he should go or not, if it were me, I wouldn't go. But I'm a little chicken hearted, quite frankly. But I think that he may well go and he may well make a difference. And anything that improves the situation is good.
Colin Powell not being polite, Colin Powell is being considered. In the past when Reverend Jackson has had these invitation, you've heard White House rhetoric that says he should not go, he has no business there.
This White House hasn't said that, because we are desperate for bridges, and they won't be diplomatic.
INGRAHAM: All right, all right, whoa!
ZAHN: Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Julianne, before you go any further, Mr. Jackson made a distinction with me in his interview about the two different things that we're talking about here.
One is the issue that you raised, about perhaps traveling to Afghanistan and working with families of Christians who are in jail and trying to get them out of jail; and going to talk about the Taliban is a completely different thing, isn't it?
MALVEAUX: It is a completely different thing, but if he is there he may well have that opportunity. The fact is that he is putting himself and a delegation in a position to bring about dialogue. This is what seems so very necessary now.
The United States has failed to have dialogue with people in a number of these countries, and that may well have led to where we are right now.
INGRAHAM: Well, we know that -- we certainly know that at the end is...
ZAHN: No, let me ask you this. Laura...
INGRAHAM: Yes?
ZAHN: Would you be comfortable if Jesse Jackson traveled to Pakistan, and worked exclusively in trying to secure the release for some of these Christians who are currently being jailed for trying to spread Christianity? INGRAHAM: Well, look...
ZAHN: Would you be OK with that?
INGRAHAM: Well, it's not for me to say where Jesse Jackson -- he can go wherever he wants.
The question is number one, is it good for America now to have freelance negotiators going overseas, talking to countries that we do not recognize as legitimate, governments that we have no diplomatic relations with, and doing this kind of freelance thing in front of the camera?
Jesse Jackson...
ZAHN: All right, so -- wait, wait, wait. You're saying it doesn't make any difference whether he's trying to simply just secure the release of those....
INGRAHAM: No, we're in a....
ZAHN: ... in prison, and whether he's going to try to negotiate?
INGRAHAM: No, this is -- we're in a war footing right now. I think if the administration wants Jesse Jackson's help, I think they know how to reach him.
And right now Jesse Jackson seems much more concerned with doing these kinds of -- quote -- unquote -- "negotiations" in front of cameras. Why can't he just do this stuff behind the scenes so we don't have to watch it?
But at the end of August, let's not forget...
MALVEAUX: You don't have to watch it, Laura. You don't have to watch it.
INGRAHAM: Let me just finish, let me just finish. At the end of August, Jesse Jackson was hugging Fidel Castro down in South Africa. Jesse Jackson has a history of consorting with people who have interests, which are completely contrary to the United States.
I think that's the problem a lot of people have with Jesse Jackson here.
MALVEAUX: Interest....
ZAHN: Julianne, do you have a problem with that? Does that picture look right...
MALVEAUX: The picture of Jesse Jackson...
ZAHN: ... for the Reverend Jackson to have embraced Fidel Castro?
MALVEAUX: I have no problem with that whatsoever, because I have no problem with Fidel Castro.
INGRAHAM: Oh, great.
MALVEAUX: Our foreign policy -- our foreign policy on Cuba...
ZAHN: All right, all right, all right.
(CROSSTALK)
MALVEAUX: Laura, like you said, let me finish, let me finish now.
ZAHN: Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Time out, time out, time out. Let's come back to the issue of Mr. Jackson potentially getting involved in any kind of negotiating with the Taliban.
You would have no problem with him sitting across the table from Mohammed Omar -- Julianne, that's what you're telling me -- even though the U.S. government is making it abundantly clear they think if Jackson does this, he's getting in the way of our negotiations and potentially harming the lives of Americans, and anybody else in the coalition?
MALVEAUX: In consultation of Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice, if after he's consulted with them, I wouldn't have a problem with that. I don't think that they said that he should not do that.
If they tell him he should not, I believe that he won't. What Colin Powell has said to date is that Reverend Jackson is free to travel. He is not sure what result any negotiations would have, and no one is sure what result negotiations would have.
But I'm sure of this, if nobody talks, the situation escalates itself. There will a humanitarian problem in Afghanistan.
INGRAHAM: It's already escalated, Julianne.
MALVEAUX: Well, there will be a humanitarian problem with the thousands of people there. We're talking about bombing rubble on top of what is already rubble.
If something can be prevented, if somehow Reverend Jackson can influence the Taliban to turn over Mr. Bin laden, hey...
INGRAHAM: Are we living in a fantasy land, here?
MALVEAUX: Are you living in fantasy land, girlfriend? I mean have you lost it completely?
INGRAHAM: I mean the Taliban has harbored terrorists for the last seven years, Julianne. For seven years we've asked the Taliban to turn over Osama bin Laden. They've laughed in our faces. Right now we have all had a wake up call. We have 6,000 Americans dead. We're beyond the point of negotiations. Colin Powell made that point. Andy Card made that point. Condi Rice made the point. The administration is solid on that point. Jesse Jackson doesn't seem to care about that. Jesse Jackson seems to care about himself and own legacy.
MALVEAUX: I don't think that's the first thing he did, Laura. Laura, the first thing that Reverend Jackson did was call Colin Powell.
ZAHN: All right, all right, all right. I'm going to cut you off right now. I'm going to give you --- Julianne, hang on, hang on. I'm going to give you both 10 seconds a piece for a final thought, then we've got to move on.
Julianne, you go first.
MALVEAUX: My final though is Reverend Jackson can only make things better here. Again, this is a testament to his international prominence, and to the humanitarian work that he's done for the past 40 years of his life.
ZAHN: Laura Ingraham.
INGRAHAM: Jesse Jackson has little to no credibility left in this country. He doesn't have time to spend time with his illegitimate daughter, but he seems to have time to fly to -- to hang out with the Taliban.
It's just the picture doesn't look right, and we don't need it. We don't need anyone else mucking up our foreign policy. I think Colin Powell can handle it.
ZAHN: Tell us how you really think, Laura
(LAUGHTER)
INGRAHAM: Well, that's why you have me on, right?
ZAHN: Exactly. I want to know how both of you feel.
Julianne Malveaux, Laura Ingraham, thank you for both of your perspectives this morning.
MALVEAUX: Thank you, Paula.
ZAHN: There's a lot to debate in the many days to come.
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