Israelis, Palestinians Must Successfully Implement Cease-Fire to Facilitate Further Talks
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: More now on the crisis in the Middle East, the agreement to end the violence -- more on that now, CNN State Department -- Andrea Koppel joining us from the State Department. Andrea, part of this very fragile agreement that they came to in Sharm el-Sheikh would be that, within the next couple weeks, negotiators for the Palestinians and Israelis are supposed to come here to the U.S. and talk about talking, basically it seems like all they could agree upon.</s>ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're not exactly sure, Daryn, if they're going to come here to the U.S. to resume peace talks. We're not even sure if, in fact, they will be able to resume peace talks. What they really need to see is whether or not what they agreed to, in principle at Sharm el-Sheikh -- that is, that there would be a cease-fire -- whether or not the two leaders, Ehud Barak and Yasser Arafat will be able to implement this cease-fire on the ground. There are a number of steps that either side agreed to do once they got home and they are home now. Among them, Mr. Barak has said that he would withdraw all of his tanks and troops from within the Palestinian territories to the positions they had before. Both leaders were going to call for an end to the violence. Yasser Arafat, for his part, was going to rearrest more than 350 prisoners that he let out from Hamas and Islamic Jihads. And so, if they're able to do that, Daryn, if they're able to implement that on the ground then, I think, they'll perhaps be able to start talking about peace.</s>KAGAN: One thing that's clear coming out of Sharm el-Sheikh today, whatever does happen, the Americans are going to be very much involved, both in terms of if these talks can get going against; also in terms of this fact-finding commission that the Palestinians were demanding. They wanted the commission, but it wasn't exactly an American- lead commission that they were looking for.</s>KOPPEL: Exactly, Daryn. Mr. Arafat had been pushing for this international fact-finding commission to look into the cause of what started the violence three weeks ago. And he had wanted it to be headed by the United Nations, wanted a very diverse representation on this commission. There was a compromise on that front and the way things stand right now, there will be this international fact-finding commission with the U.S. as, sort of, the head of it in consultation with the United Nations. They have yet to pick the members of the commission and that, presumably, will take place rather soon -- Daryn.</s>KAGAN: Andrea Koppel at the State Department; thanks, Andrea.