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CNN SHOWDOWN: IRAQ
Bush Calls for New Palestinian State
Aired March 14, 2003 - 12:31 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Our Jerusalem bureau chief Mike Hanna standing by with reaction from the Israelis and the Palestinians.
Mike, how's it playing over there?
MIKE HANNA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, this road map, its implementation has been delayed for a long period of time. Finally up until after the Israeli election elections and the formation of a Israeli government.
Well, the additional reactions one of welcome, saying that the Israeli government sees eye to eye with president bush on the implementation of the road map. Now, the Palestinians, for a long period of time now, have been demanding the immediate introduction of this road map as a way, in their words, to stop ongoing Israeli aggression.
However, a more cautious welcome from the Palestinian side, saying they are hoping to see a road map introduced that makes clear the rights and duties of both parties in the negotiation process leading to a final status agreement. They don't want a document that is going to be discussed and moved from side to side. They want to see actual implementation of the negotiation process and an implementation of the series of steps that lead to a final status agreement, and of course sovereign Palestinian state.
Now as to the question of the prime minister, that is a process that's well under way. The Palestinian leadership has agreed to establish such a post. There has been legislation drafted to create such a post. And the confirmation of a prime minister could come in a matter of days, rather than weeks -- Wolf.
BLITZER: And there's actually a person who has emerged, a top Palestinian leader, who could get that position, right?
HANNA: Yes, indeed. The man that has been nominated or named by Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat is Mamu Abbas (ph), a man much respected by many Palestinians and also rejected by many Israelis for his constantly antiviolence stance and his criticism of attacks against Israeli civilians.
An important note to mention is although Mamu Abbas (ph) has been nominated by Yasser Arafat, he has not yet accepted the post. He, too, is waiting for a final draft of that legislation, to see what the powers of a prime minister would be very committing himself to accepting the position should he be given it. BLITZER: I'm sure you noticed, Mike, that at 10:00 a.m. Eastern here the United States, the president goes into the Rose Garden, with Colin Powell, makes the statement about the road map with Israeli- Palestinian peace. An hour later, Tony Blair has a news conference basically making the same point. All of this coming on the eve potentially of a new U.S.-led war against Iraq. What's the connection, at least seen from the Middle East? The timing of this new U.S./British initiative on the eve of a potential war with Iraq?
HANNA: Well, from the Palestinian side, there have been deep concern that the focus on Iraq was taking attention away from what Palestinians contended was intense Israeli action in the -- attention of the world was diverted against Palestinian targets.
Now, Prime Minister Blair made very clear that there is a linkage between efforts or the centering around the Iraq crisis and the introduction of the road map at this stage, saying that it is to demonstrate that the U.S. and Britain, its ally, are even handed in terms of dealing with issues in the Middle East. They had come under criticism that they were focusing on Iraq, where as not devoting enough attention on the ongoing Israeli/Palestinian conflict. Very clearly, this is linked, as the Prime Minister Blair himself said, is that it is a way to show both U.S. and Britain are evenhanded in their approach to the crisis in the Middle East, both in regard to Iraq and, of course, this Israeli/Palestinian conflict.
BLITZER: Mike Hanna, our Jerusalem bureau chief, who's going to be very busy in the coming days and weeks. Mike, thanks very much.
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