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CNN Saturday Morning News
Yasser Arafat and Palestinian Prime Minister Work Out Differnces
Aired November 08, 2003 - 07:31 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.
THOMAS ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: We turn our attention now to the Middle East. And it looks like Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia are close to resolving some of their differences over a new cabinet.
CNN's Fionnuala Sweeney joins us now on the phone from Ramallah, where Arafat is meeting to consider a new proposal from the prime minister -- and, Fionnuala, is this slow progress or possibly something else?
FIONNUALA SWEENEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, there are signs of real progress here, Thomas. There has been an impasse over the previous week as to who will assume the crucial role of interior minister, that is with responsibility for security in the West Bank and Gaza. Yasser Arafat wanted to see his choice in. The Palestinian prime minister, Ahmed Qureia, also wanted to see his own choice in. And Washington and Israel very interested in who assumes this role because they say they want to see an empowered security minister who will be able to crack down on Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
They have dismissed Yasser Arafat at this time as irrelevant to the peace process.
Now, in a meeting with CNN, the Palestinian prime minister told us a couple of hours ago that the proposal now under consideration is that Yasser Arafat will get his way in the choice of minister, but that Ahmed Qureia's choice, a man called Nasser Yousef, will be one of four deputy prime ministers. So that's the compromise under discussion. When we have word from that meeting, which is taking place now, we'll bring it to -- Thomas.
ROBERTS: And Fionnuala, what does this concession by Qureia mean and the power that Arafat still holds?
SWEENEY: Well, I think it really means that Yasser Arafat is still master of his political house. There is a school of thought here that says he wants to show not only the Palestinian people, but also America and Israel, that he is the symbol of Palestinian national aspirations and he is the man who can bring peace. And that has been the reason that the government or the formation of a new government has been delayed in recent weeks, because Yasser Arafat wants to show the world that he is the man who is in charge and that he's the only man that can bring peace.
ROBERTS: Well, we'll continue to watch to see what happens with this proposal.
Fionnuala Sweeney joining us on the telephone from Ramallah.
Fionnuala, thank you 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
Differnces>
Aired November 8, 2003 - 07:31 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THOMAS ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: We turn our attention now to the Middle East. And it looks like Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia are close to resolving some of their differences over a new cabinet.
CNN's Fionnuala Sweeney joins us now on the phone from Ramallah, where Arafat is meeting to consider a new proposal from the prime minister -- and, Fionnuala, is this slow progress or possibly something else?
FIONNUALA SWEENEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, there are signs of real progress here, Thomas. There has been an impasse over the previous week as to who will assume the crucial role of interior minister, that is with responsibility for security in the West Bank and Gaza. Yasser Arafat wanted to see his choice in. The Palestinian prime minister, Ahmed Qureia, also wanted to see his own choice in. And Washington and Israel very interested in who assumes this role because they say they want to see an empowered security minister who will be able to crack down on Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
They have dismissed Yasser Arafat at this time as irrelevant to the peace process.
Now, in a meeting with CNN, the Palestinian prime minister told us a couple of hours ago that the proposal now under consideration is that Yasser Arafat will get his way in the choice of minister, but that Ahmed Qureia's choice, a man called Nasser Yousef, will be one of four deputy prime ministers. So that's the compromise under discussion. When we have word from that meeting, which is taking place now, we'll bring it to -- Thomas.
ROBERTS: And Fionnuala, what does this concession by Qureia mean and the power that Arafat still holds?
SWEENEY: Well, I think it really means that Yasser Arafat is still master of his political house. There is a school of thought here that says he wants to show not only the Palestinian people, but also America and Israel, that he is the symbol of Palestinian national aspirations and he is the man who can bring peace. And that has been the reason that the government or the formation of a new government has been delayed in recent weeks, because Yasser Arafat wants to show the world that he is the man who is in charge and that he's the only man that can bring peace.
ROBERTS: Well, we'll continue to watch to see what happens with this proposal.
Fionnuala Sweeney joining us on the telephone from Ramallah.
Fionnuala, thank you 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
Differnces>
