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CNN Sunday Morning
Will Road Map Succeed?
Aired June 15, 2003 - 10:30 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: We begin in the Middle East, where the troubled road map to peace faces more obstacles. As diplomats try to get both sides to put down their weapons, the familiar cycle of violence remains an impediment to peace. CNN's Jerusalem bureau chief Mike Hanna is with us now. Hi, Mike.
MIKE HANNA, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: Well, Fredricka, there is an intense round of diplomacy under way at a number of levels and a bid to lessen the violence on the ground, violence that has seen more than 60 people killed on both sides in the past week. The Palestinian Cabinet met in the course of the morning to discuss moves to secure a cease-fire or a truce with Palestinian militant groups, and from members of the Palestinian Cabinet, a guarded optimism that they will be able to persuade militants to stop carrying out attacks against Israeli targets.
Also in the region, an Egyptian team has arrived to mediate with these militant groups. They have traveled down to Gaza and are holding talks with various representatives from the militant organizations in the course of the day. There is also a meeting planned between the Palestinian Authority, its prime minister, and leaders of the militant groups such as Hamas.
Well, also, Israel held its cabinet meeting in the course of the morning. Discussions there once again centering on how to reduce the level of conflict, and signs from the cabinet that Israel will agree to redeploy its forces in some areas if there is a pledge for the militant groups to stop carrying out attacks against Israeli targets.
So after a week of consistent violence, there are moves to establish some kind of calm on the ground, and to establish such a calm is absolutely imperative if that U.S.-backed road map is to be implemented -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Mike, have you heard whether or not there is much hope in these Egyptian talks with some of these militant group leaders, whether that may in any way kind of lay some groundwork for Secretary of State Colin Powell's visit, expected in about a week?
HANNA: Yes, certainly, there does appear to be a degree of movement in talks with the militant organizations. Egyptian mediators have been heavily involved for a period of time now in attempting to broker a cease-fire between the Palestinian Authority and the militant groups, in order to prevent these militant groups from carrying out attacks against Israel. So there does appear to be movement on this. We'll have to see on the ground what happens, whether there has been success in these attempts, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, Mike Hanna, in Jerusalem, thanks very much.
Well, he may be away from the White House this weekend, but the ongoing bloodshed in the Middle East remains a primary concern for President Bush. We check in now with CNN White House correspondent Chris Burns, who is with the president in Kennebunkport, Maine. Hi there, Chris.
CHRIS BURNS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka. The president was busy the last couple of days, fishing and golfing. However, today, when he stepped out of church, he did have a few words with reporters. He talked about the importance of the free world, in his words, "to deal harshly" with the militants, including Hamas. He also talked about the importance of helping the Interior Minister Dahlan on the Palestinian side of reconstituting his security forces to take on those militants.
And if there was any question of the president's commitment in this process, many people have been saying that this is a very critical time for the president to express his commitment to go, to stay the course on this road map of peace. He talked about that today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: My assessment is that there are people that want peace to go forward, and there are people that don't. And for those of us who want peace to go forward, we must combine our efforts to prevent people like Hamas from sabotaging peace. I'm confident we can achieve peace. It's going to be a tough road, but I'm determined to continue to lend the weight of this government to advance peace.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNS: But the main thing the president seemed to be underlining, aside from that, was the importance of denying, he said in his words, the ability of Hamas and other groups to kill. And that is what the U.S. is focusing on right now and trying to help the Palestinian Authority try and bring the militants under control so that this road map for peace aimed at establishing an independent Palestinian state by the year 2005 can go ahead -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, Chris Burns, at Kennebunkport, thanks very much.
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 15, 2003 - 10:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: We begin in the Middle East, where the troubled road map to peace faces more obstacles. As diplomats try to get both sides to put down their weapons, the familiar cycle of violence remains an impediment to peace. CNN's Jerusalem bureau chief Mike Hanna is with us now. Hi, Mike.
MIKE HANNA, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: Well, Fredricka, there is an intense round of diplomacy under way at a number of levels and a bid to lessen the violence on the ground, violence that has seen more than 60 people killed on both sides in the past week. The Palestinian Cabinet met in the course of the morning to discuss moves to secure a cease-fire or a truce with Palestinian militant groups, and from members of the Palestinian Cabinet, a guarded optimism that they will be able to persuade militants to stop carrying out attacks against Israeli targets.
Also in the region, an Egyptian team has arrived to mediate with these militant groups. They have traveled down to Gaza and are holding talks with various representatives from the militant organizations in the course of the day. There is also a meeting planned between the Palestinian Authority, its prime minister, and leaders of the militant groups such as Hamas.
Well, also, Israel held its cabinet meeting in the course of the morning. Discussions there once again centering on how to reduce the level of conflict, and signs from the cabinet that Israel will agree to redeploy its forces in some areas if there is a pledge for the militant groups to stop carrying out attacks against Israeli targets.
So after a week of consistent violence, there are moves to establish some kind of calm on the ground, and to establish such a calm is absolutely imperative if that U.S.-backed road map is to be implemented -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Mike, have you heard whether or not there is much hope in these Egyptian talks with some of these militant group leaders, whether that may in any way kind of lay some groundwork for Secretary of State Colin Powell's visit, expected in about a week?
HANNA: Yes, certainly, there does appear to be a degree of movement in talks with the militant organizations. Egyptian mediators have been heavily involved for a period of time now in attempting to broker a cease-fire between the Palestinian Authority and the militant groups, in order to prevent these militant groups from carrying out attacks against Israel. So there does appear to be movement on this. We'll have to see on the ground what happens, whether there has been success in these attempts, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, Mike Hanna, in Jerusalem, thanks very much.
Well, he may be away from the White House this weekend, but the ongoing bloodshed in the Middle East remains a primary concern for President Bush. We check in now with CNN White House correspondent Chris Burns, who is with the president in Kennebunkport, Maine. Hi there, Chris.
CHRIS BURNS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka. The president was busy the last couple of days, fishing and golfing. However, today, when he stepped out of church, he did have a few words with reporters. He talked about the importance of the free world, in his words, "to deal harshly" with the militants, including Hamas. He also talked about the importance of helping the Interior Minister Dahlan on the Palestinian side of reconstituting his security forces to take on those militants.
And if there was any question of the president's commitment in this process, many people have been saying that this is a very critical time for the president to express his commitment to go, to stay the course on this road map of peace. He talked about that today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: My assessment is that there are people that want peace to go forward, and there are people that don't. And for those of us who want peace to go forward, we must combine our efforts to prevent people like Hamas from sabotaging peace. I'm confident we can achieve peace. It's going to be a tough road, but I'm determined to continue to lend the weight of this government to advance peace.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNS: But the main thing the president seemed to be underlining, aside from that, was the importance of denying, he said in his words, the ability of Hamas and other groups to kill. And that is what the U.S. is focusing on right now and trying to help the Palestinian Authority try and bring the militants under control so that this road map for peace aimed at establishing an independent Palestinian state by the year 2005 can go ahead -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, Chris Burns, at Kennebunkport, thanks very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
