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CNN Saturday Morning News
Interview with Aaron David Miller
Aired August 23, 2003 - 09:07 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.
JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Well, from truce to turmoil. Palestinians are condemning Israel for the killing of a top Hamas leader. Israelis say the ceasefire fell apart when a suicide bomber blew up a Jerusalem bus earlier in the week, killing 20 people.
So what does all of this mean for the road map for the Mideast peace? Let's get some feedback from Aaron David Miller, former Mideast negotiator. He's also president of Seeds of Peace.
But David, I just want to ask, start by asking you, why can't these two parties stick to a peace plan? In the broader sense here, what is the problem?
AARON DAVID MILLER, FORMER MIDEAST NEGOTIATOR: Well, first of all, John, you've got profound suspicion and mistrust between the parties. And in such an environment, such a climate, the prospects of each of them carrying out their responsibilities and obligations are very, very difficult.
I mean, the road map is neither alive, nor is it dead. It's a piece of paper that contains very important responsibilities, but it's not self-implementing. And in an environment when you've got so much suspicion and mistrust, it's critical that a third party, like the United States, play a significant role.
And I think that's the challenge that the administration confronts at this moment. Both Palestinians and Israelis have to take clear steps. Certainly on the Palestinian side, they've got to control terror. If you don't control terror, you have no credibility. If you have no credibility, you're not going to emerge as a state.
But in order to strengthen Abu Mazen and Muhammad Dahlan (ph), the Israelis also have to do their part. And to pull it all together, the United States has to engage and probably change the character of its involvement to a much more detailed and on-the-ground role.
VAUSE: But how much more involvement can you have? Last year, the secretary of state made, I think, five visits to the region. A number of high-level delegations have been continually going to the Middle East, to Israel, to the territories as well.
Now the situation with the Palestinians calling for U.S. peacekeepers in the region, with Israel rejecting that. What else can the United States do?
MILLER: The administration has some very talented diplomats, Condi Rice, Colin Powell, the president's personal commitment.
But the question is how to turn all of that commitment into a serious diplomatic strategy. And that essentially means negotiating with the parties how exactly the road map is going to be implemented.
Again, it's a piece of paper. It's not self-implementing. If the administration really wants to move to get it implemented, they're going to have to work with each side. First with the Palestinians to push them to do what is necessary to control terror. And as they do, with the Israelis, to get them to do things that the Palestinians require, withdrawals, lifting economic restrictions, further release of prisoners.
And ultimately, to move with a very intense and involved engagement.
VAUSE: But how do you move two sides to peace when it seems that the extremists, in many ways on both sides, are not interested in negotiating with the other? And it is the extremist elements on both sides which is, in effect, ruining the peace for 90 percent of the population of the Palestinians and the Israelis.
MILLER: I think you're right. It's small groups who speak with a loud voice, particularly if it's a violent voice, can fundamentally disrupt the process. But the reality is that most Israelis and Palestinians essentially want this problem to be resolved.
I just came back from a week in Jerusalem. And my conversations with Israelis and Palestinians, in all elements of society, strongly suggest that people are exhausted. They want this over.
But the problem is, when you've got two parties that are so fundamentally suspicious and disillusioned with one another, neither of them can take the kinds of steps without the help of a third party. And that, I think, is the real challenge for the administration.
And, frankly, I think with this president, this administration is capable of rising to that challenge.
VAUSE: We will wait, and we will see. And I guess we will just hope eventually things will work out. Aaron David Miller, former Mideast negotiator, thanks for joining us on CNN.
MILLER: Thanks, John.
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 August 23, 2003 - 09:07 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Well, from truce to turmoil. Palestinians are condemning Israel for the killing of a top Hamas leader. Israelis say the ceasefire fell apart when a suicide bomber blew up a Jerusalem bus earlier in the week, killing 20 people.
So what does all of this mean for the road map for the Mideast peace? Let's get some feedback from Aaron David Miller, former Mideast negotiator. He's also president of Seeds of Peace.
But David, I just want to ask, start by asking you, why can't these two parties stick to a peace plan? In the broader sense here, what is the problem?
AARON DAVID MILLER, FORMER MIDEAST NEGOTIATOR: Well, first of all, John, you've got profound suspicion and mistrust between the parties. And in such an environment, such a climate, the prospects of each of them carrying out their responsibilities and obligations are very, very difficult.
I mean, the road map is neither alive, nor is it dead. It's a piece of paper that contains very important responsibilities, but it's not self-implementing. And in an environment when you've got so much suspicion and mistrust, it's critical that a third party, like the United States, play a significant role.
And I think that's the challenge that the administration confronts at this moment. Both Palestinians and Israelis have to take clear steps. Certainly on the Palestinian side, they've got to control terror. If you don't control terror, you have no credibility. If you have no credibility, you're not going to emerge as a state.
But in order to strengthen Abu Mazen and Muhammad Dahlan (ph), the Israelis also have to do their part. And to pull it all together, the United States has to engage and probably change the character of its involvement to a much more detailed and on-the-ground role.
VAUSE: But how much more involvement can you have? Last year, the secretary of state made, I think, five visits to the region. A number of high-level delegations have been continually going to the Middle East, to Israel, to the territories as well.
Now the situation with the Palestinians calling for U.S. peacekeepers in the region, with Israel rejecting that. What else can the United States do?
MILLER: The administration has some very talented diplomats, Condi Rice, Colin Powell, the president's personal commitment.
But the question is how to turn all of that commitment into a serious diplomatic strategy. And that essentially means negotiating with the parties how exactly the road map is going to be implemented.
Again, it's a piece of paper. It's not self-implementing. If the administration really wants to move to get it implemented, they're going to have to work with each side. First with the Palestinians to push them to do what is necessary to control terror. And as they do, with the Israelis, to get them to do things that the Palestinians require, withdrawals, lifting economic restrictions, further release of prisoners.
And ultimately, to move with a very intense and involved engagement.
VAUSE: But how do you move two sides to peace when it seems that the extremists, in many ways on both sides, are not interested in negotiating with the other? And it is the extremist elements on both sides which is, in effect, ruining the peace for 90 percent of the population of the Palestinians and the Israelis.
MILLER: I think you're right. It's small groups who speak with a loud voice, particularly if it's a violent voice, can fundamentally disrupt the process. But the reality is that most Israelis and Palestinians essentially want this problem to be resolved.
I just came back from a week in Jerusalem. And my conversations with Israelis and Palestinians, in all elements of society, strongly suggest that people are exhausted. They want this over.
But the problem is, when you've got two parties that are so fundamentally suspicious and disillusioned with one another, neither of them can take the kinds of steps without the help of a third party. And that, I think, is the real challenge for the administration.
And, frankly, I think with this president, this administration is capable of rising to that challenge.
VAUSE: We will wait, and we will see. And I guess we will just hope eventually things will work out. Aaron David Miller, former Mideast negotiator, thanks for joining us on CNN.
MILLER: Thanks, John.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
