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CNN Saturday Morning News

Interview With Marc Ginsberg

Aired November 17, 2001 - 08:35   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.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: As the U.S.-led war against terrorism rages on in Afghanistan, how do the people of the Middle East view the ongoing battle?

Here to discuss this is Ambassador Marc Ginsberg, who has just returned from a trip to the region. Good morning to you, sir. Thank you for being with us.

MARC GINSBERG, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO MOROCCO: Good morning, Martin.

SAVIDGE: There seems to be a tremendous chasm between how Americans view this conflict and why it is being waged versus those in the Middle East. Explain it to us.

GINSBERG: Martin, I am continuously troubled by the difference of view that's being expressed both here and in the Middle East. We're ships passing in the night. At best, people in the region still have not been convinced that Osama bin Laden undertook the terrible attacks on September 11 and, indeed, they've complained to me on my recent trip that we've never really provided them the evidence to that effect. And these are people who want to help us out in the region.

There's a growing indifference towards American attacks in Afghanistan. The civilian casualties that have occurred, the correlation between what we are doing in Afghanistan and our indifference towards the Palestinians. The mood in the region is sour and I'm concerned that unless we engage in a 24-7 effort to engage our friends and have them engage, particularly during the holy month of Ramadan, with those who are much more adversarial to us, we're losing the battle of public opinion in the region and it's something that I'm concerned will have far greater repercussions for us once we turn our sights away from Afghanistan.

SAVIDGE: So what's the answer? Is it requiring an all out media blitz on the part of the administration into that region to try to convince people of our cause?

GINSBERG: Well, this is not a question of selling toothpaste to the region. This is a question of making sure that we provide those in the region who are best able to carry our message forward are fully engaged. I'm talking about journalists. I'm talking about university professors. I'm talking about seminarians. There are people out there who are going to create conspiracy theories against the United States and they have to be dealt with.

And so what we need to do is to have Americans who speak the language go out to the region, engage those people who need to be engaged on our behalf. We need to provide them more information about us. We need to be on the TV more in the region. We need to be more on the radio there and we're not there yet. We're not even close to being where we need to be engaged.

SAVIDGE: And how do people in that region view the loss of over 5,000 American lives in the terrorist attacks? Is that not meaningful to them?

GINSBERG: Martin, when I was on my tour I was frankly disappointed to keep hearing expressions of empathy for the loss of life, but it was always coupled with the following word, but. But you Americans don't seem to understand how upset we are about what is taking place in Palestine. But you don't understand how much we feel that you are indifferent to our point of view. But you don't seem to be willing to hear us and engage us in a dialogue with you about our positions.

So it's, there is empathy, but there is also this caveat that keeps coming back and which therefore mitigates what I think should be a natural expression of horror and anger against Osama bin Laden and the al Qaeda network.

SAVIDGE: And yet while this conflict has been going on in Afghanistan, the Bush administration has come forward with some very strong new ideas pertaining to the United States and the support of a Palestinian state. We anticipate the secretary of state is going to make a major announcement next week. Has that not sunken in or had an impact on public opinion?

GINSBERG: Not yet. Indeed, I'm sure that the speech will have important impact. It will resonate quite well, I'm convinced. But once again, if we don't follow through with deeds to try to bring about a hands on engagement to restart the peace process, then all the talk will be viewed as nothing more than talk and that the aspirations of Palestinians will continue to be unaffected in Washington and, indeed, we have to come to an admission here in Washington that unless we are willing to engage on -- to restart the peace process, the support that we need against al Qaeda will not be there.

And it's very hard, I think, for Americans to understand the correlation between the two, and I'm not necessarily drawing the connection between the two insofar as our policies are concerned. But in order for us to regain the strength and support that we had and the standing we had, we need to reengage in the peace process more authoritatively.

SAVIDGE: Ambassador Marc Ginsberg, thank you very much for joining us this morning and despite the fact that it is very troubling to hear that kind of report. Thank you.

GINSBERG: Thank you.

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