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American Morning

Cheney Visits With U.S. Troops on Sinai Peninsula

Aired March 13, 2002 - 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: We are going to turn now to Vice President Dick Cheney's diplomatic mission to the Middle East.

The escalating violence between Israelis and Palestinians appears to be making it much more difficult for the U.S. to sell its anti-Iraq strategy to its Arab allies. The vice president arrived in Egypt this morning on his second stop of an 11-nation tour of that region that began with the country of Jordan. And the president of Egypt, Hosni Mubarak, and Jordan's King Abdullah have both voiced opposition to any U.S.-led effort in topple Iraq's president, Saddam Hussein by force. Let's join CNN Senior White House Correspondent John King who is travelling with the vice president. He joins us now from Sharm el- Sheikh.

Good morning, John.

JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Paula. And in those conversations with President Mubarak of Egypt a bit later today here in Sharm el-Sheikh. We are told by Egyptian diplomats that President Mubarak will make clear he thinks the Israeli-Palestinian violence is much more of a threat to regional security than Saddam Hussein, the president of Iraq.

So, you're dead right. The vice president's trip already delicate diplomacy as he tries to sell a tougher posture toward Iraq, all the more complicated by the ongoing and escalating violence between the Israelis and Palestinians.

Mr. Cheney's first stop here in Egypt was on the Sinai Peninsula. He visited a group of several hundred U.S. peacekeeping troops. They are still there, monitoring on the Sinai Peninsula, 20 years plus, after Egypt and Israel signed a peace agreement.

Now, as you noted, leaders in the region do not want a U.S. military confrontation with Iraq. They think diplomacy is the right course to try to deal with Saddam Hussein's refusal to allow weapons inspectors in, but the vice president, in remarks to those troops, made clear the Bush administration's resolve, with or without support here in the Arab world.

Mr. Cheney saying the Bush administration is committed to keeping biological and chemical weapons out of the hands of terrorists.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Our next objective is to prevent terrorists and regimes that sponsor terror from threatening America and our friends and allies with weapons of mass destruction. We take this threat with great seriousness. That is our duty as responsible officers of the American government. The United States will not permit the forces of terror to gain the tools of genocide.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Mr. Cheney promising President Mubarak today, King Abdullah of Jordan yesterday, that the United States will do all it can to bring about a cease-fire between the Israelis and the Palestinians, but quite a bit of skepticism on the U.S. side that much more than could be accomplished.

One U.S. official traveling with vice president Cheney saying the two parties, the Israelis and the Palestinians are -- quote -- "a long way from the presumption -- from the status of being ready to resume negotiations." The administration refusing to criticize the Israelis for sending the tanks into the occupied territories, but trying to take a much more evenhanded approach, though, between the Palestinians and the Israelis, but you do sense some irritation with the timing of the Israeli effort.

One senior official saying, Prime Minister Sharon did not coordinate his actions, sending in the tanks, with the vice president's schedule, a clear indication that the Israeli actions have complicated Vice President Cheney's diplomacy -- Paula.

ZAHN: All right, John King. Thank you very much for that update from Sharm el-Sheikh.

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