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American Morning
Ariel Sharon and President Bush Meeting Today
Aired October 16, 2002 - 08:09 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 go to the White House. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and President Bush are meeting today there. One subject on the table, how Israel should respond, if at all, if the U.S. leads an attack on Iraq. The president is also expected to raise some humanitarian issues concerning the Palestinians.
With a preview, let's turn to Kelly Wallace, who's standing by outside the -- oh, actually, you're inside today.
Lucky gal you are -- good morning, Kelly.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.
Inside because, as you can see, a rainy day in Washington.
But, you know, speaking of this meeting with the Israeli prime minister, this administration knows that getting Arab support for any possible war with Iraq could hinge on what happens between the Israelis and the Palestinians. And that is why President Bush will use this, his seventh face to face session in the Oval Office with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, to encourage Israel to live up to its commitments and improve economic conditions and ease the humanitarian suffering of the Palestinian people.
The president will make the case that in order for the Palestinians to enact reforms, they need to know that the living conditions of their people will improve.
Now, this meeting does come at a time when the administration has issued some rare criticism of the Israelis, criticizing the recent siege of Yasser Arafat's compound and recent Israeli raids in the Gaza Strip.
Now, as for the subject of Iraq, what Mr. Bush is likely to do is to try and encourage the Israeli leader to talk as little as possible about any possible retaliation against Iraq if Saddam Hussein launches an attack against Israel. The administration knows any such talk could complicate efforts to get an Arab coalition for any action in Iraq. The reason this is an issue, during the Gulf War, Israel did not retaliate, but this time around the Israelis have said they would retaliate if Saddam Hussein launches any attack.
And then later this morning, you could call it a symbolic show of force. The president will be having a signing ceremony in the East Room at 11:00 a.m., bringing together House and Senate leaders, signing a bill which gives him the authority to use military force against Iraq if necessary. The strategy of this administration here, it is trying to use congressional backing to put some pressure on U.S. allies up at the U.N. to get a tough new U.N. resolution.
But, Paula, as you know, so far no such agreement -- back to you.
ZAHN: Kelly, just very quickly in closing, we should point out that the United States, of course, has provided Israel with Patriot missile batteries and the Arrow system, too.
WALLACE: Exactly. And certainly during the Gulf War that's what the U.S. tried to do, encourage Israel not to retaliate, that the U.S. would protect Israel in any which way possible. U.S. officials are certainly just hoping to keep the talk as little as possible while there is discussion about what to do when it comes to dealing with Iraq. The message, of course, though, is the U.S. will do everything it possibly can to protect Israel -- Paula.
ZAHN: Thanks, Kelly.
Enjoy the great indoors.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired October 16, 2002 - 08:09 ET
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 go to the White House. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and President Bush are meeting today there. One subject on the table, how Israel should respond, if at all, if the U.S. leads an attack on Iraq. The president is also expected to raise some humanitarian issues concerning the Palestinians.
With a preview, let's turn to Kelly Wallace, who's standing by outside the -- oh, actually, you're inside today.
Lucky gal you are -- good morning, Kelly.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.
Inside because, as you can see, a rainy day in Washington.
But, you know, speaking of this meeting with the Israeli prime minister, this administration knows that getting Arab support for any possible war with Iraq could hinge on what happens between the Israelis and the Palestinians. And that is why President Bush will use this, his seventh face to face session in the Oval Office with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, to encourage Israel to live up to its commitments and improve economic conditions and ease the humanitarian suffering of the Palestinian people.
The president will make the case that in order for the Palestinians to enact reforms, they need to know that the living conditions of their people will improve.
Now, this meeting does come at a time when the administration has issued some rare criticism of the Israelis, criticizing the recent siege of Yasser Arafat's compound and recent Israeli raids in the Gaza Strip.
Now, as for the subject of Iraq, what Mr. Bush is likely to do is to try and encourage the Israeli leader to talk as little as possible about any possible retaliation against Iraq if Saddam Hussein launches an attack against Israel. The administration knows any such talk could complicate efforts to get an Arab coalition for any action in Iraq. The reason this is an issue, during the Gulf War, Israel did not retaliate, but this time around the Israelis have said they would retaliate if Saddam Hussein launches any attack.
And then later this morning, you could call it a symbolic show of force. The president will be having a signing ceremony in the East Room at 11:00 a.m., bringing together House and Senate leaders, signing a bill which gives him the authority to use military force against Iraq if necessary. The strategy of this administration here, it is trying to use congressional backing to put some pressure on U.S. allies up at the U.N. to get a tough new U.N. resolution.
But, Paula, as you know, so far no such agreement -- back to you.
ZAHN: Kelly, just very quickly in closing, we should point out that the United States, of course, has provided Israel with Patriot missile batteries and the Arrow system, too.
WALLACE: Exactly. And certainly during the Gulf War that's what the U.S. tried to do, encourage Israel not to retaliate, that the U.S. would protect Israel in any which way possible. U.S. officials are certainly just hoping to keep the talk as little as possible while there is discussion about what to do when it comes to dealing with Iraq. The message, of course, though, is the U.S. will do everything it possibly can to protect Israel -- Paula.
ZAHN: Thanks, Kelly.
Enjoy the great indoors.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
