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American Morning

Discussion with Palestinian Chief Negotiator

Aired January 28, 2002 - 08:20   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: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) a terrorist on Friday. We posed that question to Israel's Consulate General Alon Pinkus. Today, we're going to get the Palestinian side from Saeb Erakat, who is the Palestinian authority's chief negotiator. He joins us now from Ramallah in the West Bank. Welcome back, sir.

SAEB ERAKAT, CHIEF NEGOTIATOR, PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY: Thank you, Paula.

ZAHN: Israeli police are now saying it appears as though the attack in Jerusalem on Sunday was carried out by a female. If she was on a suicide mission, that would mark the first time a woman has ever done this in Israel. Does this represent a change in strategy among Palestinians?

ERAKAT: We don't know all the details about this suicide attack. All I know is that President Arafat issued a condemnation of this attack, because in the Palestinian authority we don't condone the killing of Palestinians and Israelis. But I don't know all the details about this attack yet. Even the Israelis have not revealed the information they have on this attack.

ZAHN: How troubled would you -- if it is proven that this was, in fact, a female suicide bomber? Does that make things different?

ERAKAT: Listen, the fact that there are suicide bombers in Israeli streets, the fact that there are Palestinians being buried (ph) every day, the fact that there are Israeli tanks in (UNINTELLIGIBLE), that there are Israeli assassinations, is really troubling me. All I know is that we need help. Palestinians and Israelis need help in order to resume the negotiations. And we are not getting this help.

ZAHN: But, sir, you didn't answer the question. Because there are many who follow the faith of Islam and they feel that this is just an outrage that a woman would ever be put in this position or would allow for herself to be put in this position.

ERAKAT: Well, as I told you, Paula, we don't know all the details. But whether a man or a woman, this is not acceptable to us. And, as I said, President Arafat issued a statement condemning the attack. And we need to find a way to resume the negotiations in order to end the Israeli occupation, which is the shortest way to revive hopes in the minds of Palestinians and Israelis. I'm not going to go about just defying such actions. I'm not going to just defy anything. All I can say is that at this moment of desperation -- desperation would (ph) be to disparate acts -- once the Palestinian people are prevented to have hope, once the Israeli occupation continued (ph) -- the settlement activities continue -- the (UNINTELLIGIBLE), the humiliation, the destruction of their economy and their hope of any future, I believe this is what should be dealt with. And the only way to deal with it is to resume a meaningful negotiation between the two sides.

ZAHN: Mr. Erakat, you call for resuming these negotiations, but this call comes at a time when the administration makes it quite clear how they feel about Yasser Arafat. Let me replay or read to you some of what the vice president had to say on a Sunday talk show yesterday. He -- quote, "He promised" -- referring to Yasser Arafat -- "to renounce violence, give up terrorism. What has happened is that we have been deeply disappointed by his inability or his unwillingness to control the terrorist launching from Palestine to Israeli civilians."

Which is it? Is he unwilling to stop this or unable to stop this?

ERAKAT: Well, first of all, the statements we've been hearing from the American administration is absolutely unacceptable. And it may be cost free for them, as well as the entire (ph) American politics is concerned. But it's not cost free as far as those of us -- both Israelis and Palestinians who are trying to revive the peace process and put it back on track. I think such statements, such talks, will only add to the complexities we have, we'll only add to the cycle of violence and counter violence. And it will not contribute to saving Israeli or Palestinian lives.

What we need is the Americans to carry out their responsibilities, because they are responsible for the peace process -- to get back to the negotiating table. I saw Vice President Cheney's statements. So in accordance to his logic, President Arafat is guilty until proven dead. On January 19th, Paula, President Arafat wrote President Bush a letter -- a written letter -- inviting the Americans to join us in the investigation of the -- of the ship (ph) to shred the truth on it. And we have said we are willing to exert every possible effort to know who's behind it, because it's absolutely contradicting the policies of Arafat and the Palestinian authority to smuggle arms.

We don't have neons saying "stupid" on our foreheads, to take on Israel with 50 tons of (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Nevertheless, the Americans said, "We don't want to investigate with you. You are guilty until proven dead." And that's wrong. That's really wrong. What we need is for the Americans to resume their active role in bringing the parties back to the security (ph) cooperation, to exchange information, to negotiate. And that's the only way that can lead in a direction of restoring some sanity, wisdom and hope.

ZAHN: But, Mr. Erakat, in closing, is it your expectation that if these talks ever come to pass that the U.S. will not be dealing with Yasser Arafat? The vice president went as far as saying yesterday that he didn't believe Yasser Arafat when he said he had nothing to do with this arms shipment from Iran.

ERAKAT: Well, then tell us, President Arafat is an elected president by the Palestinian people directly. On the one hand, he is irrelevant, he must be destroyed, and the Israelis are doing just that by confining him to his headquarters with tanks. The closure and the seize, the destruction of our -- all police forces and headquarters. Then ability for our forces to move.

And on the other hand, if anything goes wrong, we're accountable. Make up your mind. Are we partners or not? President Arafat was elected by the Palestinian people, and it's shameless for any other party to say whether he's relevant or irrelevant, because it's the Palestinian people who have decided that President Arafat is relevant. And President Arafat extended his arms to the Israelis to come back to the negotiation table, because this is the only way we know how to save lives. And we need the American administration's help.

And I think the talks we've been hearing from the administration will only increase the support of those extremists on both sides who want to sabotage everything.

ZAHN: All right. Saeb Erakat, as always, thank you very much for joining us here on AMERICAN MORNING. We plan to get back to you as this -- obviously, the story develops. Thank you again for your time this morning.

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