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CNN Live Sunday

Bush Calls Bombings 'Horrific Acts of Murder'

Aired December 02, 2001 - 17:02   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.
DONNA KELLEY, CNN ANCHOR: More now on the bumped up and abbreviated meeting between President Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. CNN's senior White House correspondent John king joins us with a live report and details on what the two leaders discussed -- John.

JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Donna, once again an enormous sense of frustration right here at the White House when it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Mr. Bush rushed back early from Camp David today for that meeting with the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon here at the White House.

Just before the meeting, the president spoke briefly with reporters. He called the deadly bombings in Israel this weekend, horrific acts of murder. And Mr. Bush made clear, that in his view, the Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat faces a critical and immediate test.

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GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This is a moment where advocates for peace in the Middle East must rise up and fight terror. Chairman Arafat must do everything in his power to find those who murdered innocent Israelis and bring them to justice.

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KING (voice-over): A meeting with Israeli's prime minister was moved from Monday to Sunday, and the agenda changed as well. Mr Bush had hoped to nudge Prime Minister Sharon to relax his demand for seven days of quiet before embracing a cease-fire with the Palestinians. Instead, Mr. Bush used the one hour meeting to voice condolences and promised solidarity, and the traditional calls for Israeli restraint were absent from the administration's public statements.

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: Mr. Sharon is a freely elected leader of a Democratic nation, and he will respond in a way that he thinks is appropriate.

KING: The prime minister cut short his U.S. visit to rush home for an emergency cabinet meeting. Advisers suggest a firm response is certain.

DORE GOLD, SHARON ADVISER: Israel will have to do what is necessary to protect the people of Israel from the escalating violence emanating from areas under the jurisdiction of Yasser Arafat.

KING: Secretary of state Powell openly questioned Mr. Arafat's authority and credibility, and said in a phone conversation with the Palestinian leader, he warned him promises to crackdown on groups like Hamas and Islamic jihad are not enough.

POWELL: Bring them to justice, arrest them and keep them in jail, not just arrest them and then they disappear, and back in the street in a few days time. But more than that, he has to go after future perpetrators.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KING: The president's new special Middle East envoy. General Anthony Zinny will remain in the region for now, but these deadly bombings dealing a serious blow to the administration's new diplomatic efforts. One official putting it this way, quote, "We weren't optimistic to begin with, and now this." This same official saying, the window of time for Mr. Arafat to take decisive action is "tiny" -- Donna.

KELLEY: John King, at the White House. Thanks very much. Our senior White House correspondent.

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