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CNN Live Sunday
Rice Promotes Peace in Middle East
Aired June 29, 2003 - 18:27 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: Today's developments in Gaza of course, being closely followed at the White House and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice has been in the Middle East this weekend for talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders.
Here's our White House correspondent Dana Bash -- Dana.
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Marty.
Well, because this ceasefire agreement from the Palestinian groups does mean a potential end to the violence, the White House is applauding it and they're cautiously optimistic about what it means. But they're being very clear that what they want is for these groups to be dismantled. The White House spokesman saying -- quote -- "Anything that reduces violence is a step in the right direction. Under the road map, parties have an obligation to dismantle terrorist infrastructures. There is still more work to be done."
Now President Bush himself was quite blunt earlier in the week. He, when asked about the potential for a cease-fire, he made it very clear that what he wants is for Hamas and other what he called terrorist organizations to be dismantled because said they were going to -- quote -- "blow up the process" if they weren't dismantled.
As a matter of fact, he and his adviser have been working the phones and talking face-to-face with both Arab and European leaders trying to get them to crack down on funding for these groups because they believe that even though groups like Hamas do have good work and they have provided some social services in the areas, they believe that their support for terrorism certainly cancels those out.
Now, President Bush's national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice, has been -- she had a very busy weekend in the region. She met today with the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and some of his top deputies. Yesterday she met with Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas and some of those top leaders and what she is trying to do there is first of all to keep things moving on the road map, make sure that the process does start, the process that has been quite tenuous and has had a rocky start. But also it is a signal -- almost a symbol of what President Bush promised in June 4 when he was in the region and that is for the U.S. to stay involved.
Condoleezza Rice is, of course, one of President Bush's top and closest advisers. Her presence there is important because it shows that the U.S. does want to stay involved and keep the process moving. That is according to White House officials.
And Marty, one last thing the Palestinians were saying last night that Condoleezza Rice invited Mahmoud Abbas to the White House. What the White House is saying that today, yes, she did, but she was reiterating an invitation that President Bush himself extended earlier in the June and that there is still no date set for that meeting here in Washington.
SAVIDGE: Dana, I've got a question for you. You mentioned the pressure that may be placed upon the Palestinians to try to disarm groups like Hamas, Islamic Jihad. What pressure, though, is going to be placed on Israel to, say, stop the targeting assassinations of those leaders?
BASH: Well, the White House is also working the Israelis. For example, you saw the first pullout of some Israeli forces from key areas -- key Palestinian areas. That is something that the White House officials say the U.S. was integral in making happen. On Friday, some of President Bush's top advisers were meeting with Israeli leaders in order to make that happen and this is something that the White House is also applauding a s a good first step for them to start the process on their side. It is something that is -- it's always been kind of a chicken or the egg process, to see which side goes first. So that is why the White House does see it certainly as a very complicated issue, to get these -- both of these sides working toward making the road map happen, which is not easy.
SAVIDGE: No, it is not. Dana Bash reporting from Crawford, Texas. Thanks very much for that update.
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 29, 2003 - 18:27 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: Today's developments in Gaza of course, being closely followed at the White House and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice has been in the Middle East this weekend for talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders.
Here's our White House correspondent Dana Bash -- Dana.
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Marty.
Well, because this ceasefire agreement from the Palestinian groups does mean a potential end to the violence, the White House is applauding it and they're cautiously optimistic about what it means. But they're being very clear that what they want is for these groups to be dismantled. The White House spokesman saying -- quote -- "Anything that reduces violence is a step in the right direction. Under the road map, parties have an obligation to dismantle terrorist infrastructures. There is still more work to be done."
Now President Bush himself was quite blunt earlier in the week. He, when asked about the potential for a cease-fire, he made it very clear that what he wants is for Hamas and other what he called terrorist organizations to be dismantled because said they were going to -- quote -- "blow up the process" if they weren't dismantled.
As a matter of fact, he and his adviser have been working the phones and talking face-to-face with both Arab and European leaders trying to get them to crack down on funding for these groups because they believe that even though groups like Hamas do have good work and they have provided some social services in the areas, they believe that their support for terrorism certainly cancels those out.
Now, President Bush's national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice, has been -- she had a very busy weekend in the region. She met today with the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and some of his top deputies. Yesterday she met with Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas and some of those top leaders and what she is trying to do there is first of all to keep things moving on the road map, make sure that the process does start, the process that has been quite tenuous and has had a rocky start. But also it is a signal -- almost a symbol of what President Bush promised in June 4 when he was in the region and that is for the U.S. to stay involved.
Condoleezza Rice is, of course, one of President Bush's top and closest advisers. Her presence there is important because it shows that the U.S. does want to stay involved and keep the process moving. That is according to White House officials.
And Marty, one last thing the Palestinians were saying last night that Condoleezza Rice invited Mahmoud Abbas to the White House. What the White House is saying that today, yes, she did, but she was reiterating an invitation that President Bush himself extended earlier in the June and that there is still no date set for that meeting here in Washington.
SAVIDGE: Dana, I've got a question for you. You mentioned the pressure that may be placed upon the Palestinians to try to disarm groups like Hamas, Islamic Jihad. What pressure, though, is going to be placed on Israel to, say, stop the targeting assassinations of those leaders?
BASH: Well, the White House is also working the Israelis. For example, you saw the first pullout of some Israeli forces from key areas -- key Palestinian areas. That is something that the White House officials say the U.S. was integral in making happen. On Friday, some of President Bush's top advisers were meeting with Israeli leaders in order to make that happen and this is something that the White House is also applauding a s a good first step for them to start the process on their side. It is something that is -- it's always been kind of a chicken or the egg process, to see which side goes first. So that is why the White House does see it certainly as a very complicated issue, to get these -- both of these sides working toward making the road map happen, which is not easy.
SAVIDGE: No, it is not. Dana Bash reporting from Crawford, Texas. Thanks very much for that update.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
