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Interview With William Cohen

Aired May 04, 2004 - 12:35   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.


MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Back now to our top story, the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) road map for Middle East peace. For perspective on that and other issues, we're joined now by former U.S. Defense Secretary William Cohen for our regular weekly discussion of events in the news.
Sir, thanks for being with us. First of all, let's talk for a moment about this letter that's being sent to the White House by 50 former diplomats. A fairly critical letter. It does say, your unqualified support of Sharon's extra-judicial assassinations, Israel's Berlin Wall- like barrier, that sort of language. What is your reaction to that?

WILLIAM COHEN, FORMER DEFENSE SECRETARY: Well, there is certainly a good deal of opposition to President Bush's embracing Ariel Sharon's plan, and I think that's reflected in the sentiments of the letter itself. Is it likely to change President Bush's policy or likely to change anything before the election? I think the answer is probably not.

Nonetheless, the surfacing of these sentiments does send a very clear signal that this great division that will have to be somehow joined as we move forward in this process if the road map is to have any hope for survival in the future.

HOLMES: What damage has been done to the Bush administration by having such a fulsome embrace of Ariel Sharon's disengagement plan, and then have it essentially fall flat on its face?

COHEN: Well, I think the damage has been done to people like King Abdullah of Jordan, who certainly has been on the frontline of support for the Bush administration's Middle East policies. Certainly President Mubarak of Egypt, I think also is still reacting to this...

HOLMES: I don't want to do this, but we do have to interrupt you there.

END

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Aired May 4, 2004 - 12:35:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Back now to our top story, the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) road map for Middle East peace. For perspective on that and other issues, we're joined now by former U.S. Defense Secretary William Cohen for our regular weekly discussion of events in the news.
Sir, thanks for being with us. First of all, let's talk for a moment about this letter that's being sent to the White House by 50 former diplomats. A fairly critical letter. It does say, your unqualified support of Sharon's extra-judicial assassinations, Israel's Berlin Wall- like barrier, that sort of language. What is your reaction to that?

WILLIAM COHEN, FORMER DEFENSE SECRETARY: Well, there is certainly a good deal of opposition to President Bush's embracing Ariel Sharon's plan, and I think that's reflected in the sentiments of the letter itself. Is it likely to change President Bush's policy or likely to change anything before the election? I think the answer is probably not.

Nonetheless, the surfacing of these sentiments does send a very clear signal that this great division that will have to be somehow joined as we move forward in this process if the road map is to have any hope for survival in the future.

HOLMES: What damage has been done to the Bush administration by having such a fulsome embrace of Ariel Sharon's disengagement plan, and then have it essentially fall flat on its face?

COHEN: Well, I think the damage has been done to people like King Abdullah of Jordan, who certainly has been on the frontline of support for the Bush administration's Middle East policies. Certainly President Mubarak of Egypt, I think also is still reacting to this...

HOLMES: I don't want to do this, but we do have to interrupt you there.

END

TO ORDER VIDEOTAPES AND TRANSCRIPTS OF CNN INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMMING, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE THE SECURE ONLINE ORDER FROM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com