Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

Conflict in the Middle East: Israelis and Palestinians Urged to Return to Negotiating Table

Aired October 23, 2001 - 09:23   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: Israelis and Palestinians are being urged to return to the negotiating table by U.S., and follow the guidelines in a previous agreement known as the Mitchell report. The man behind that peace plan, former Senator George Mitchell, who joins us live from San Francisco.

Good of you to get up so early for us this morning, senator.

Thank you for joining us.

GEORGE MITCHELL, FMR. SENATOR: Thank you for having me, Paula.

ZAHN: First of all, senator, your reaction to what the foreign minister told me, that Israel has no intention removing their troops from these West Bank towns until Yasser Arafat basically turns over the people who killed the Israeli cabinet minister.

MITCHELL: Well, there is no surprise in that. Of course, that's clearly been the position of the government of Israel, and there is no surprise in the Palestinian position either.

Our committee recommended that the first step must be an immediate and unconditional cessation of violence, and a resumption of security coordination. That is the only way this is going to happen.

The problem really at root, Paula, is that there is a total mistrust on both sides. Neither believes what the other side says. Each accuses the other side of violating prior agreements, and no one will take a unilateral step that in anticipation or hope that the other will act.

So there has to be first a complete cessation of violence, unconditional, and a resumption of security cooperation, and then we recommended a series of measures that would hopefully rebuild the confidence that has been so completely shattered in the violence of the past year and get them back into negotiations. It suggests a lot of steps on both sides over time as the emotions cool in the absence of violence.

ZAHN: All right, but given the amount of violence we have seen during the last several weeks, are you fearful that this is going to escalate into something that is much bigger than what we are seeing now? MITCHELL: It could of course, and that is the real danger for all concerned. And that is why there is a growing urgency and a need to end the violence before it spirals out of control. There are any numbers of doomsday scenarios that could be conjured up, if you think about how this could get out of control, and beyond the ability of either side to maintain any sense of control over what's occurring.

So my own view is that the increase in violence since we presented our report in May has added to the urgency of implementing the report, and as I said, most importantly, that first step, immediate, unconditional cessation of violence on both sides and a resumption of security cooperation.

ZAHN: Well, so far, it doesn't seem like either side has taken what the U.S. has said recently very seriously. You would acknowledge that, right?

MITCHELL: Yes, I do acknowledge that.

I think they both pay great attention to the United States. Obviously, we have the greatest influence in the area, but we don't have control, or we are unable to direct, and insist, and say each side must do what we want. We attempt to persuade, we encourage, and the secretary of state has been very active in that.

And I believe that the administration is on the right track. I think there simply has to be the highest possible level of urgency about it. There are really two reasons for it now. The first is that it obviously makes sense to pursue a policy of ending conflict in the Middle East, even if the tragedy of September 11 had not occurred. That made sense on its own right. The events of September 11 have reinforced, and in effect added an independent reason for the administration's policy, and that is of course the need to maintain the international coalition that has been built that will enable us to get at the Al Qaeda network, and bin Laden and those responsible for that terrible crime on September 11.

ZAHN: Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres will be meeting later today with Secretary of State Colin Powell, and we are told that part of their discussion will be the Mitchell Report. But I guess what I'm wondering this morning, is that Shimon Peres told me Israel adamantly refuses to put any freeze on the settlements, but isn't that a fundamental part of your report? Isn't that one of the chief demands? So where is disconnect here? Or is there a hint that there is a potential compromise that no one is admitting to?

MITCHELL: That is one of the series of steps that we recommended, after the cessation of violence to try to rebuild confidence. We imposed on each side, or we recommended that each side accept a series of steps that would help to rebuild confidence with the other side, and they can't be taken out of context. We didn't single out any one and say this one has to be done, but we are not so serious about the others. We think they all have to be taken, and that is the only way to rebuild confidence.

I think in this instance, paradoxically, the most difficult one is the first one. I think once they can get a cessation of violence and a relative period of calm, the political leaders have indicated by their support for our report, by their acceptance, although they didn't endorse every single word or recommendation, but they gave a very generous interpretation of our report, I think that they could get into that. The difficulty is taking the first step in the absence of trust, indeed, in the presence of total mistrust that exists there.

And it is not just the political leaders, Paula. What is most alarming there is the culture of peace that has been so carefully nurtured over past decade has been completely shattered, and it exists among public on both sides. There is a sense of betrayal by the public, a sense that they had believed in the other side, they have been proven wrong, and it's going to take a lot of leadership and a lot of work, and many steps to rebuild that confidence to the point where they can negotiate seriously.

ZAHN: All right, Senator Mitchell, we really appreciate your joining us this morning.

MITCHELL: Thank you.

ZAHN: Good luck.

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