President Bush to Meet With Ariel Sharon; Secretary Powell Set to Depart for Mideast
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush meets later today with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. It is the second meeting in three months for the two leaders. Senior White House correspondent John King joins us this morning with a preview. Good morning, John.</s>JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, to you, Carol. The second meeting between President Bush and the Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon, and the beginning of a week of what U.S. officials describe as intense U.S. diplomacy -- the goal: trying to keep in place what all parties would agree is a very fragile cease- fire right now between the Israelis and the Palestinians. There has been continued violence in the region despite that cease-fire agreement -- each side accusing the other of violating the agreement to bring calm to the region, to have at least a fragile cease-fire. The goal of the talks today here at the White House between Mr. Bush and Mr. Sharon, we're told, Mr. Bush will appeal to Mr. Sharon for Israel to do all it can to keep the cease-fire in place. But U.S. officials also say the much more important meetings will be on a trip by Secretary of State Colin Powell to the region later this week. Mr. Powell leaves tonight. He will meet with Mr. Sharon in the region. He will meet with the Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat as well, as well as the Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak. Mr. Powell's goal, we are told, is to try to take this to the next step. The Mitchell Commission -- the recent commission report on the violence in the region -- suggests first a cease-fire, then a formal cooling-off period, during which both sides would have to show their commitment to keeping calm in the region -- Secretary Powell, we're told, seeking an agreement on a cooling-off period of about five to six weeks. During that period, additional steps could be discussed, what the diplomats call confidence-building measures: more security cooperation, perhaps more economic cooperation. But given the obvious tensions in the regions in recent days -- evidenced by the interviews you had just a few minutes ago with Israeli and Palestinian representatives -- not a great deal of optimism, not as Mr. Bush prepares to meet with Prime Minister Sharon here at the White House, nor as Secretary Powell prepares to travel to the region himself -- Carol.</s>LIN: That's right, John. Of course, there could be a big difference between what's said in public and what's said in private, indeed. It is a busy day at the White House for the president. He is also hosting another world leader. What's up with that?</s>KING: He is, indeed -- the South African president, Thabo Mbeki, coming in this morning to see Mr. Bush as well -- Mr. Mbeki in the United States for that United Nations conference on AIDS yesterday. That will be one of the major topics of discussion in this meeting here at the White House. Mr. Bush will promise continued U.S. support for South Africa's effort and the effort on -- the continent- wide effort in Africa to combat the AIDS dispute -- also a chance for the two leaders to get to know each other, a White House official says, and for Mr. Bush to put in a plug for Mr. Mbeki to continue South Africa's democratic reforms -- Carol.</s>LIN: All right. Thank you very much. Good to see you -- John King, at the White House. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com