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American Morning

Iraq, Israeli-Palestinian Issues Intertwine On Cheney's Trip

Aired March 12, 2002 - 09:12   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: Now we're going to turn our attention to the vice president's mission in the Middle East. With Israelis and Palestinians mired in a deadly cycle of attack and retaliation, Vice President Cheney this morning is on his way to Jordan to discuss the prospects for peace and perhaps a war against Iraq.

Jordan the first of nine Arab countries to hear Cheney's pitch for the next phase of the war on terror. And yesterday in London, he met with Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Here's CNN's John King.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tough talk about Iraq was well received in London, but will pose a diplomatic challenge as the U.S. vice president moves on now to Jordan and other stops in the Middle East.

JAFFA HASSAN, JORDANIAN EMBASSY TO U.S. SPOKESMAN: And we totally reject a military solution to that problem. We don't think it's the best way to deal with things. On the contrary, it's a nightmare for most of the countries in that region.

KING: Mr. Cheney and the British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, cast Iraqi President Saddam Hussein as the major threat to security in the region.

TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: No decisions have been taken on how we deal with this threat. But that there is a threat from Saddam Hussein and the weapons of mass destruction that he has acquired, is not in doubt at all.

(EXPLOSION)

KING: But in the Arab world, deadly Israeli-Palestinian violence is a greater concern and complicates Mr. Cheney's diplomatic challenge.

LEE HAMILTON, WOODROW WILSON INSTITUTE: The Arab world has a very strong feeling now that the United States is heavily biased in our policy towards Israel. And that will not be easily overcome.

KING: Top Blair advisers voice worries that Arab resentment will make it harder for the White House to sell a tougher posture toward Iraq and broader goals in the war on terrorism.

Mr. Cheney will praise the new Saudi-Middle East peace initiative and promise an aggressive push for a cease-fire when the White House Special Enjoy, Retired Marine General Anthony Zinni returns to the region this week. But the vice president rejects the notion that Arab support for confronting Iraq is somehow linked to U.S. policy in the Israeli-Palestinian dispute.

DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm sure they're linked in some minds, but the fact of the matter is, we need effective policies to deal with both situations.

KING (on camera): But it was clear, even here in the friendliest of territory that, like it or not, these two challenges are now intertwined. And, as Mr. Cheney heads to the Middle East to try to sell Arab nations on tough U.S. posture toward Iraq, he, in turn, will face pressure for more consistent and more evenhanded U.S. pressure to end 18 months of bloody Israeli-Palestinian violence.

John King, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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