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American Morning
Egyptian Delegation Meeting With Palestinian Militias Today
Aired June 16, 2003 - 08:04 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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Back to our top story again, from the Middle East at this point, an Egyptian delegation is meeting with Palestinian militias today, trying to get Hamas and others to resume their cease-fire talks. This is the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He says it may be time to consider sending in American forces.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. RICHARD LUGAR (R-IA), FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE: Ultimately, there has to be force that is credible to go after the terrorists. It is incredible to suggest that Abbas, without security forces, somehow should secure territory or combat terrorists or what have you. Whether the United States is involved, that's down the trail to discuss, and it ought to be discussed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: Watching these latest efforts to try and save the road map for peace, Wolf Blitzer is in Jerusalem, where he joins us now in the afternoon, where it's local time there in Jerusalem -- Wolf, what about this notion and the reports and the talk that really has increased over the past week about sending in U.S. troops, maybe NATO troops, in to police the peace, if that's ever achieved?
How serious is that?
WOLF BLITZER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Palestinians like the idea very much, anything to get the Israeli forces off their backs, if you will. They'd love to see whether U.N., NATO, U.S. troops come in. The Israelis don't like the idea, I think it's fair to say, that the Israeli government, the top Israeli leadership, in fact, hate the idea of U.S. soldiers and Marines coming in, NATO troops coming in.
I spoke yesterday with the vice prime minister of Israel, Ehud Olmert. He made that very clear.
Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EHUD OLMERT, ISRAELI INDUSTRY AND TRADE MINISTER: Do I want one American person to be a victim of a suicidal attack? The answer is definitely no, because I think that it's too dangerous and we never wanted Americans to die for us or to risk their lives for us. We are ready to fight if necessary, but what we say, and I think what your government wants, is that the Palestinians will do what they have to do. If they will seriously fight terror, that will make the entire difference. If they will not fight, no NATO forces will be able to save them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Despite that opposition from the Israeli government, I think it's fair to say, Bill, there has been a growing chorus of individuals, influential individuals, saying that some sort of third party force coming in to separate the Israelis and the Palestinians on the West Bank and Gaza might be worthwhile. Last week I spoke to John Warner, the Senate -- the senator from Virginia, the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, who said a NATO force would probably be a good idea.
The secretary general, Kofi Annan, made a similar proposal for U.N. troops on Friday in an interview with the Israeli newspaper "Ha'aretz" and now we're hearing that, as you pointed out, from Senator Richard Lugar, the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee.
Despite all of that, the Israelis, once again they're saying don't go for it -- Bill.
HEMMER: Wolf, thanks.
Wolf Blitzer again live in Jerusalem.
Join Wolf later today, noon Eastern, then later at 5:00 Eastern for "Wolf Blitzer Reports," live from Jerusalem all this week.
Wolf, thanks for that.
We'll talk to you later.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Today>
Aired June 16, 2003 - 08:04 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Back to our top story again, from the Middle East at this point, an Egyptian delegation is meeting with Palestinian militias today, trying to get Hamas and others to resume their cease-fire talks. This is the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He says it may be time to consider sending in American forces.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. RICHARD LUGAR (R-IA), FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE: Ultimately, there has to be force that is credible to go after the terrorists. It is incredible to suggest that Abbas, without security forces, somehow should secure territory or combat terrorists or what have you. Whether the United States is involved, that's down the trail to discuss, and it ought to be discussed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: Watching these latest efforts to try and save the road map for peace, Wolf Blitzer is in Jerusalem, where he joins us now in the afternoon, where it's local time there in Jerusalem -- Wolf, what about this notion and the reports and the talk that really has increased over the past week about sending in U.S. troops, maybe NATO troops, in to police the peace, if that's ever achieved?
How serious is that?
WOLF BLITZER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Palestinians like the idea very much, anything to get the Israeli forces off their backs, if you will. They'd love to see whether U.N., NATO, U.S. troops come in. The Israelis don't like the idea, I think it's fair to say, that the Israeli government, the top Israeli leadership, in fact, hate the idea of U.S. soldiers and Marines coming in, NATO troops coming in.
I spoke yesterday with the vice prime minister of Israel, Ehud Olmert. He made that very clear.
Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EHUD OLMERT, ISRAELI INDUSTRY AND TRADE MINISTER: Do I want one American person to be a victim of a suicidal attack? The answer is definitely no, because I think that it's too dangerous and we never wanted Americans to die for us or to risk their lives for us. We are ready to fight if necessary, but what we say, and I think what your government wants, is that the Palestinians will do what they have to do. If they will seriously fight terror, that will make the entire difference. If they will not fight, no NATO forces will be able to save them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Despite that opposition from the Israeli government, I think it's fair to say, Bill, there has been a growing chorus of individuals, influential individuals, saying that some sort of third party force coming in to separate the Israelis and the Palestinians on the West Bank and Gaza might be worthwhile. Last week I spoke to John Warner, the Senate -- the senator from Virginia, the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, who said a NATO force would probably be a good idea.
The secretary general, Kofi Annan, made a similar proposal for U.N. troops on Friday in an interview with the Israeli newspaper "Ha'aretz" and now we're hearing that, as you pointed out, from Senator Richard Lugar, the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee.
Despite all of that, the Israelis, once again they're saying don't go for it -- Bill.
HEMMER: Wolf, thanks.
Wolf Blitzer again live in Jerusalem.
Join Wolf later today, noon Eastern, then later at 5:00 Eastern for "Wolf Blitzer Reports," live from Jerusalem all this week.
Wolf, thanks for that.
We'll talk to you later.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Today>
