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American Morning

Powell Meeting With Palestinian Prime Minister

Aired June 20, 2003 - 08:15   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.


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: There are reports today of a deadly terror attack in the West Bank, and that comes just as Secretary of State Colin Powell is visiting Israel, trying to salvage the road map to peace. Powell is meeting right now with the Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas.
Earlier, Mr. Powell met with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of Israel.

Our Jerusalem bureau chief Mike Hanna is covering the story for us live now.

Mike, hello.

MIKE HANNA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello.

Well, violence is the present backdrop to Powell's latest initiative in the region. The U.S. secretary of state meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and other members of the Israeli cabinet earlier on in the day, and both leaders agreeing that terrorists, as it was put, must not be allowed to undermine the U.S.- backed peace process.

Ariel Sharon insisting that the Palestinian Authority must dismantle all terrorist organizations in Palestinian territories, otherwise there can be no implementation of that U.S.-backed road map.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARIEL SHARON, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): Our Palestinian neighbors and their leaders must understand that the existence of terrorism means the absence of progress. If the infrastructure of terrorism continues to exist, there will be no progress.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNA: The U.S. secretary of state is now meeting with the Palestinian leaders, including the Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, making that very strong call that Abbas has got to forcibly crank down on the militant groups. The ex-Palestinian prime minister insisting that he wants to get a cease-fire or truce through negotiation. But Colin Powell saying that negotiation is not the end, he wants a complete dismantling of all the structures of these militant organizations.

Back to you. KAGAN: Mike Hanna in Jerusalem, thank you so much for that.

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 June 20, 2003 - 08:15   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: There are reports today of a deadly terror attack in the West Bank, and that comes just as Secretary of State Colin Powell is visiting Israel, trying to salvage the road map to peace. Powell is meeting right now with the Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas.
Earlier, Mr. Powell met with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of Israel.

Our Jerusalem bureau chief Mike Hanna is covering the story for us live now.

Mike, hello.

MIKE HANNA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello.

Well, violence is the present backdrop to Powell's latest initiative in the region. The U.S. secretary of state meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and other members of the Israeli cabinet earlier on in the day, and both leaders agreeing that terrorists, as it was put, must not be allowed to undermine the U.S.- backed peace process.

Ariel Sharon insisting that the Palestinian Authority must dismantle all terrorist organizations in Palestinian territories, otherwise there can be no implementation of that U.S.-backed road map.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARIEL SHARON, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): Our Palestinian neighbors and their leaders must understand that the existence of terrorism means the absence of progress. If the infrastructure of terrorism continues to exist, there will be no progress.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNA: The U.S. secretary of state is now meeting with the Palestinian leaders, including the Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, making that very strong call that Abbas has got to forcibly crank down on the militant groups. The ex-Palestinian prime minister insisting that he wants to get a cease-fire or truce through negotiation. But Colin Powell saying that negotiation is not the end, he wants a complete dismantling of all the structures of these militant organizations.

Back to you. KAGAN: Mike Hanna in Jerusalem, thank you so much for that.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com