Palestinians-Israeli Leadership May Initiate Cease-Fire
BLITZER: Welcome back to the news from CNN. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. Before leaving the Middle East, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice named Lieutenant General William "Kip" Ward to serve as the U.S. security coordinator to the Palestinian security forces. Our pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr, is standing by live at the pentagon to tell us a little bit about this general, what this means -- Barbara?</s>BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, this general -- Lieutenant General William Ward now tapped for one of the most sensitive security positions in the Bush administration. Lieutenant General Ward will be the Palestinian security coordinator for Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. She spelled out his duties earlier today at a press conference.</s>CONDOLEEZZA RICE, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: General Ward will also work with Egypt, Jordan and others to coordinate assistance to the P.A. as it rebuilds its security capacity to end violence and terror and restore law and order. General Ward will travel to the region to make an initial assessment in the next few weeks.</s>STARR: And it is generally understood that General Ward will then be monitoring compliance with security requirements on both sides, both the Israelis and the Palestinians. But this coming as a bit of a surprise to some of General Ward's friends in the U.S. Army, who didn't know anything about it. They say it just emerged over the last couple of days -- in fact, General Ward, at his office with the Army in Heidelberg, Germany, earlier today. General Ward has long experience in peacekeeping. Right now, if we look at his biography, he is the deputy commander, the number two man for the U.S. Army in Europe. But he also served as the chief of the U.S. military mission in Egypt, where he worked on regional security issues, further implementation of Israeli-Egyptian peace agreements. He also served as the head of the peacekeeping effort with the stabilization force in Bosnia, in the Balkans, so a lot of experience in noncombat environments, if you will, in very tough, very sensitive security positions. He now will take that on for Condoleezza Rice -- Wolf?</s>BLITZER: And it shouldn't be a huge surprise, Barbara, that they went to the European command for this, since the European command is in charge of not only Europe, Turkey, but Israel, Syria, Lebanon, as opposed to the central command which deals with the rest of the Middle East and the Persian Gulf. Barbara Starr reporting for us at the pentagon. That was Wolf showing off a little bit with his knowledge about the difference between the European command and the central command, former pentagon correspondent. Thanks, Barbara, very much. A full-court press by the United States in the Middle East, where Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has wrapped up separate talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders. She says the time is right for significant progress. Joining us, now, to talk about the chance for peace, three guests: Saida Hamad is the Jerusalem bureau chief for an "Al-Hayat," an Arabic language newspaper based in London. She's joining us now live from Ramallah on the West Bank. Hirsh Goodman is with the Jaffe Center for Strategic Studies at Tel Aviv University. He's in Jerusalem along with Aaron David Miller. He's a former, top state department official who spent some two decades deeply involved in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. He's now the president of Seeds of Peace. Thanks to all of you for joining us. Saida, let me begin with you. We're getting word confirmed here to CNN there will be a formal declaration of a cease-fire tomorrow at Sharm el Sheikh, when the Israeli and Palestinian leaders meet, a cease-fire going into effect. Tell us what you -- what you've heard about this.</s>SAIDA HAMAD, AL-HAYAT: OK. Actually, Wolf, the information that I got, it would be more a declaration of principles. There is still -- the Israelis are still a little bit reluctant to announce a joint, or participate in a joint statement for a cease-fire. This is what -- I was told by this by some Egyptian diplomats only a few minutes ago. But the Palestinian stand remains still. The Palestinians are sticking to the road map, saying that the first article of the road map says that there should be a declaration, a joint declaration, by the Israelis and the Palestinians for a mutual cease-fire.</s>BLITZER: All right.</s>HAMAD: So, Wolf, we have to wait and see tomorrow who will win on this matter exactly.</s>BLITZER: All right, we'll see how far they're willing to go. Hirsh Goodman, in Jerusalem, what are you hearing, specifically, on some sort of joint declaration that Mahmoud Abbas and Ariel Sharon might make at Sharm el Sheikh tomorrow?</s>HIRSH GOODMAN, TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY: Yes, I think -- we think -- that Mahmoud Abbas is an excellent prime minister. He's been elected by the Palestinian people. We're just not sure he's going to be able to enforce a cease-fire. And therefore, if there is terrorism, if there are mortars, if there are more rockets, and Hamas and the other militant wings don't tow the line, if he doesn't yet have the security forces to impose a cease-fire, it would be very silly to declare one then have it broken, formally broken, and have it break down. Rather leave things OK. Let's declare our intention to end the fighting and to work for a better future. But I think a formal declaration would make any aberration a formal problem, and I think it would be better to do these things opaque (ph).</s>BLITZER: What do you think, Aaron Miller? You spent a long time dealing with Israelis and Palestinians when you worked at the state department.</s>AARON DAVID MILLER, FMR. MIDEAST NEGOTIATOR: Well, Wolf, nobody ever lost money betting against Arab-Israeli peace. But the reality is, for the first time in four years, you have a genuine opportunity. You have a Palestinian president who really does believe that the arms struggle, the Intifada, has been a disaster for his people. You've got an Israeli prime minister who's extremely serious about, in a very bold and historic proposition, by July he's going to dismantle and remove Israeli settlements from Gaza. And you've got the makings, it seems to me, of very practical, pragmatic security cooperation on the ground. For the first time, it seems to me, Israelis and Palestinians are thinking realistically. Their expectations are not sky high. And if you ask me, what is the best evidence, the best sign of that, it seems to me, you've got a very practical agenda. And I think that's going to be in the interest of both sides. `</s>BLITZER: The last time around, Aaron Miller, as you well know, George Tenet was sort of the security coordinator. And he was then the CIA director. Now they've gone to the U.S. military and have invited Lieutenant General William Ward to take over, on a day-to-day basis, deal with Palestinian security forces. From your understanding, what specifically will be his mission?</s>MILLER: I think he's going to be -- he'll have at least three. Number one is to make an assessment of the needs and requirements of Palestinian security services. You know, during the '90s, we provided material forensic support, vehicles, communications, equipment. And if Palestinian security services are going to centralize and fight terror and counter violence, they're going to need the capability to do it. Number two, it seems to me the Egyptians and the Jordanians will have a meaningful role to play here, both in terms of training and political support. And Kip Ward has experience in Egypt. And it seems to me he'll run interference there. And finally, I don't know whether or not he's going to head up the trilateral security committee that was also a product of the '90s in which Israelis, Palestinians and Americans worked very practically on the kinds of problems on the ground that they're going to encounter. But he's certainly going to have to play a key liaison role in working with both sides. He's got an ambitious agenda. But it seems to me he's going to have an enormous amount of support for both the Israeli and the Palestinian side.</s>BLITZER: Let's bring back Saida Hamad in Ramallah. What is your understanding now of the U.S. role, the U.S. role not only with Condoleezza Rice in charge of the diplomacy, now there's a Lieutenant General who's going to be working with the Palestinian security forces, plus a promise of $350 million U.S. assistance to the Palestinians to encourage the Palestinians to develop the West Bank and Gaza, to get going towards democracy, if you will? Is this what the Palestinian leadership wants?</s>HAMAD: Well, actually, Wolf, I just wanted to say first that Dr. Rice's visit is considered very -- and viewed -- very positively by the Palestinian leadership. That's for sure. It's the first visit since three years. Dr. Rice also, her language was absolutely different than the other American representatives who visited the country, the Palestinian representatives, for a long time. There is a change of language, that's for sure. But I'm really just a bit skeptical about the way that the Americans are going to turn this into reality, meaning for example, the appointment of General Ward. The Palestinians would like this person, this appointed personality, to really have an active role in determining who is -- the minute that there is a cease-fire, the minute there is some kind of declaration between the Palestinians and the Israelis, the Palestinians really would like to have monitors on the ground. Who is really breaking the cease-fire? Who is doing what on the ground? Putting that aside, and this is a very important point for the Palestinians also, the Palestinians they would like (ph) what the Americans want to also monitor their position, their activities. As President Mahmoud Abbas stated it today, he's very clear. He says, the road map is the only way to achieve the Palestinian aspiration.</s>BLITZER: All right.</s>HAMAD: So he's very clear on that. He's ready to cooperate with the Americans. But the problem is, is the -- are the Americans going to change their strategy of policy?</s>BLITZER: All right.</s>HAMAD: I have to say, Wolf, that Dr. -- just one second, please. Dr. Rice, today she said that America is -- Israelis, I'm sorry -- have to take difficult decisions. This statement was used by the ex -- the ex-American foreign minister, Madeleine Albright. But she used it with the Palestinians. There is a change on the ground. The Palestinians are hopeful. But economy was, regarding your question, economy is important.</s>BLITZER: All right.</s>HAMAD: As long as there's a siege, as long as the war is being felt, it won't matter how much money you pour into the Palestinian territories...</s>BLITZER: All right, Saida, stand by...</s>HAMAD: ... because you can have freedom of movement.</s>BLITZER: We're going to get back to you...</s>HAMAD: ... of movement.</s>BLITZER: We're going to get back to you. Hirsh Goodman, briefly, before we take a quick break -- we'll continue this conversation. On a practical level, at least in the last few weeks, there have been discussions going on between Israeli and Palestinian security officials. The defense minister of Israel has met with Palestinian security officials. What is your understanding? How is this process coming along?</s>GOODMAN: Well, I think the appointment of General Ward is very, very important because he's not a mediator. And for the first time, the Americans are not negotiators. There's no big daddy here, there's no big uncle here. He's been appointed to help the Palestinian prime minister collect the legal arms, put up a security force, get a decent police force in place, get rid of the horrible security mess that Arafat left behind, paying people out of paper bags, playing one against the other, and mainly to collect the weapons and create a sort of society in which democracy can flourish. That's his job. He's not coming here as a Middle East negotiator. And I think that's a very welcome change because it means the sides have now matured to a point after four years of bloody conflict, where they see they can't defeat each other, to a point where they have to look eyeball to eyeball to negotiate a better future without big daddy there.</s>BLITZER: All right.</s>GOODMAN: And I think it's a good sign of maturity and a good sign for the future.</s>BLITZER: Hirsh Goodman, stand by. Aaron Miller, stand by. Saida Hamad, we're going to get back to all of you. Much more on the latest effort to try to restart Israeli- Palestinian negotiations. And now there's word of an unprecedented effort to start Syrian-Israeli negotiations. We'll share that with you, as well.