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White House Cautious in Assessment of Powell Meeting

Aired April 14, 2002 - 09:07   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.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Major Garret, our White House Correspondent is joining us once again. He's over at the White House. Have you got some new information, based on what you're hearing from top U.S. officials, Major?

MAJOR GARRET, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Basically, the same reaction we've had for about the last hour. White House officials very cautious in their assessment of Secretary of State Powell's meeting with Yasser Arafat, going very far to echo exactly, almost his precise words, exactly what has happened in that three-hour meeting at Mr. Arafat's besieged compound in Ramallah. A Senior White House aide I talked to a little while ago gave us this quote: "We echo the Secretary's sentiments, that the meeting was useful and constructive. But we don't want to go much beyond that. The Secretary has maximum flexibility to create an environment of peace."

And Wolf, that is really the broad mandate for the Secretary of State. Not even a cease-fire, though clearly the White House would be very pleased if that were achieved. A couple of things worth pointing out: you were talking in good detail there about monitors versus peace-keeping forces -- the administration said in the person of President Bush in Genoa last year, that it would commit itself to putting civilian monitors on the ground, but going beyond that, the Bush administration simply is not prepared to do.

And anyway, envisioning active duty U.S. military personnel on the ground as part of an international peacekeeping force. And earlier this week, Wolf, several top Congressional Republican leaders were here, and they shared with the president their very strong anxiety, and their deep resistance to the idea of putting U.S. ground forces in between the Israelis and Palestinians. They were open to the idea of civilian monitors that work in ways to sort of verify that security forces with the Israelis and the Palestinians were doing what they said they were attempting to do, to maintain and hold a ceasefire, but anything beyond that would encounter significant resistance within the Republicans in Congress. Possibly also Democrats as well.

So I think it's very safe to assume that the Bush administration would move very carefully, if at all, in that direction, as far as they're willing to say right now...civilian monitors, but nothing more. Wolf.

BLITZER: Major Garret at the White House, thanks very much for that update.

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