Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Sunday Morning
Powell Meets With Sharon, Abbas
Aired May 11, 2003 - 11:00 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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: The U.S. is making a financial investment in the Middle East, not just a diplomatic one. Secretary of State Colin Powell announced today new aid for the Palestinian Authority. That came after his meeting with new Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank town of Jericho. CNN's Jerrold Kessel is also there, and has more -- Jerrold.
JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka. And Colin Powell is still behind me in this hotel here on the outskirts of Jericho, meeting with members of Palestinian civil liberties groups, the heads of the Palestinian delegation, including the newly installed Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, headed away from this Jordan valley town of Jericho back to Ramallah, and they will be reporting, they tell us, to Yasser Arafat on the meeting that they had here, a meeting with Colin Powell earlier this afternoon.
Before that, Mr. Powell had met with the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, and all through his day of talks here, in between the Israelis and the Palestinians, the U.S. secretary of state has been underlining the message that it matters not a lot if the two sides remain at loggerheads on how to move ahead and how to get this peace plan implemented or begin to get this peace plan implemented. Mr. Powell has taken the line that the approach should be get things going, get things moving, simply move.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: Obviously there are still comments to be received from the Israeli side, and we look forward to analyzing those. And the two sides need to talk to each other. But I believe that there is sufficient goodwill, sufficient commitment that we can get started, and as I have said, let's get started now. Let's not waste another day, let's not waste another discussion session. Let's get on with the actions required.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KESSEL: It's a determined strategy that the U.S. seems to be following. Some might call it even a foolhardy strategy, because it seems to be flying in the face of reality with the Israelis and Palestinians still trading accusations, who is responsible for not getting this road map started, who needs to go first. The Israelis saying they want to see real action from the Palestinians to curb terror, not just declarations. The Palestinians saying, and rightfully they say, Ariel Sharon, Israel's prime minister, hasn't even accepted the road map. So if the Israelis aren't on board, why should the Palestinians meet their obligations?
The U.S. approach seems to be, as we heard Colin Powell saying there, we're going to ignore those charges and countercharges and we're going to say, do what you've promised to do, however little, however small, and get it done, and then we will judge where things can go.
That seems to be the U.S. approach. And Mr. Powell said, it is a new era here. After Iraq, there is a new era. The United States, it seems, is being assertive in the Middle East, and if it is that, then perhaps the Israelis and Palestinians will have to change their tune and adapt to that new assertive USA -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, thanks very much, Jerrold, appreciate it.
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 May 11, 2003 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: The U.S. is making a financial investment in the Middle East, not just a diplomatic one. Secretary of State Colin Powell announced today new aid for the Palestinian Authority. That came after his meeting with new Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank town of Jericho. CNN's Jerrold Kessel is also there, and has more -- Jerrold.
JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka. And Colin Powell is still behind me in this hotel here on the outskirts of Jericho, meeting with members of Palestinian civil liberties groups, the heads of the Palestinian delegation, including the newly installed Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, headed away from this Jordan valley town of Jericho back to Ramallah, and they will be reporting, they tell us, to Yasser Arafat on the meeting that they had here, a meeting with Colin Powell earlier this afternoon.
Before that, Mr. Powell had met with the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, and all through his day of talks here, in between the Israelis and the Palestinians, the U.S. secretary of state has been underlining the message that it matters not a lot if the two sides remain at loggerheads on how to move ahead and how to get this peace plan implemented or begin to get this peace plan implemented. Mr. Powell has taken the line that the approach should be get things going, get things moving, simply move.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: Obviously there are still comments to be received from the Israeli side, and we look forward to analyzing those. And the two sides need to talk to each other. But I believe that there is sufficient goodwill, sufficient commitment that we can get started, and as I have said, let's get started now. Let's not waste another day, let's not waste another discussion session. Let's get on with the actions required.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KESSEL: It's a determined strategy that the U.S. seems to be following. Some might call it even a foolhardy strategy, because it seems to be flying in the face of reality with the Israelis and Palestinians still trading accusations, who is responsible for not getting this road map started, who needs to go first. The Israelis saying they want to see real action from the Palestinians to curb terror, not just declarations. The Palestinians saying, and rightfully they say, Ariel Sharon, Israel's prime minister, hasn't even accepted the road map. So if the Israelis aren't on board, why should the Palestinians meet their obligations?
The U.S. approach seems to be, as we heard Colin Powell saying there, we're going to ignore those charges and countercharges and we're going to say, do what you've promised to do, however little, however small, and get it done, and then we will judge where things can go.
That seems to be the U.S. approach. And Mr. Powell said, it is a new era here. After Iraq, there is a new era. The United States, it seems, is being assertive in the Middle East, and if it is that, then perhaps the Israelis and Palestinians will have to change their tune and adapt to that new assertive USA -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, thanks very much, Jerrold, appreciate it.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
