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U.S. Department of State
93/09/13 Interview on ABC's Good Morning America/Middle East Peace
Office of the Spokesman
INTERVIEW OF
SECRETARY OF STATE WARREN CHRISTOPHER
ON
ABC-TV - CHARLES GIBSON
"GOOD MORNING AMERICA"
Washington, D.C.
September 13, 1993
MR. CHARLES GIBSON: Just a few moments before we went on the air this
morning, I had a chance to talk to the U.S. Secretary of State, Warren
Christopher. I began by asking him, if he, in his own heart, honestly,
honestly believed that something like this -- this signing agreement --
would take place.
SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: I certainly didn't expect to see it this soon.
It came on with a rush at the end.
QUESTION: Your feelings about it?
SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: Of course, I don't use the word "historic"
lightly, but this is a genuinely historic moment. I think we are all
kind of batting our eyes about it and trying to adjust to the new
reality, but it's a tremendous thing for the people of the region. It's
also a tremendous thing for the people of the United States.
This has been a region that's been torn by violence and conflict for
such a long time. When there's conflict there, the United States
inevitably is drawn in, in one way or the other. So when you ease
tensions there, when you diminish the terror there, it's good for the
whole world and it's good for the people of the United States.
QUESTION: In your mind, the key factor to make this declaration, this
agreement, work?
SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: The key factor is continuing cooperation between
the Israelis and the Palestinians. I think if the Palestinians are able
to make progress in the West Bank, if they're able to establish this
early empowerment that's been offered to them, if they're able to
control the violence, I think then it will work.
QUESTION: Underlining that -- controlling the violence -- can the PLO,
in your mind, deliver that? Can they make that happen?
SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: Of course, that's the key question. That's why
this is an interim agreement. It will test for the future. But I think
there are good signs now. There is support coming from the
Palestinians. No doubt, Charlie, there are a lot of people out there
who are enemies of this process that will try to disrupt it. But I
think the way the supporters are coming together behind Chairman Arafat
is quite impressive. The whole world has got a big stake in making this
thing work.
QUESTION: Already, on the eve of this, Prime Minister Rabin saying the
Palestinian flag will never fly over Jerusalem; also talking somewhat
discouragingly, I think, in tone about an eventual Palestinian state,
does this bode well for future negotiations between these two sides?
SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: Well, they've come a long way. You know, these
are not just adversaries, they have been enemies. The fact that they're
here to sign together, that they've made this step, I think bodes well
for the future.
QUESTION: Do you think there are equal concessions on both sides in
this, or do you think that the PLO have given a lot more than the
Israelis?
SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: Well, that's not for me to judge, Charlie. I
will have to say there were compromises on both sides. I know that
Prime Minister Rabin thought he made some very important concessions to
make this final agreement possible. Certainly, there are major
concessions by the PLO. A number of the most difficult problems are
postponed until the final status; but this is a tremendous step.
QUESTION: Two years of public negotiation under U.S. supervision since
Madrid and yet they've reached private agreement here. Do you expect,
number one, that there will be agreement with the Jordanians and the
Syrians? And do you expect the best progress in the long run for those
negotiations are private?
SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: Well, certainly, it's best when the parties get
together and discuss it between themselves. There's no substitute for
that. Different tracks will have different modalities and different
solutions. I wouldn't want to predict that. But, here, the parties
came together. They are able to resolve things in private that they
were not able to resolve in public.
QUESTION: Can the U.S. play a larger role in those other negotiations,
particularly with the Syrians?
SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: We'll just have to wait and see. We're prepared
to be an intermediary. But there's no subject, there's no thing better
than to have the parties themselves able to sit down and negotiate. So,
we will do our part. If they want to negotiate face to face, that's
certainly the best way.
# # #
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE Office of the Spokesman
INTERVIEW OF SECRETARY OF STATE
WARREN CHRISTOPHER ON
CBS-TV - PAULA ZAHN "CBS THIS MORNING"
Monday, September 13, 1993
MS. PAULA ZAHN: Secretary of State Warren Christopher joins me live
now. Good morning.
SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: Good morning, Paula.
QUESTION: How are you feeling this morning?
SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: I'm feeling wonderful.
QUESTION: Let's talk about the specific promises that the United States
has made to Israel in order to bring about this agreement. What have we
promised monetarily?
SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: We haven't promised anything monetarily with
respect to this particular agreement. Of course, we give very
substantial aid to Israel every year. We're going to continue that.
Even in this year of a very stringent budget, we're continuing our aid
to Israel.
But with respect to this agreement, they haven't asked for any monetary
support, and we haven't pledged any. But I would say that we feel a
commitment to help raise some funds so the Palestinians will be able to
carry out their early empowerment in the West Bank. We'll be trying to
raise those funds from countries all around the world.
QUESTION: When the President said over the weekend our involvement in
that financially would be modest, exactly what did he mean by that?
SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: We really don't know how much money would be
required overall. But I think that there are a number of countries
around the world, especially the Gulf states -- including Saudi Arabia
and others in the Middle East -- that will probably carry the lion's
share of this. The Europeans are interested. The Nordic countries,
which have played such an important role here, are going to be helpful.
QUESTION: Japan, we're told, will contribute?
SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: Japan. I met yesterday with the Japanese
Foreign Minister, Mr. Hata, and he indicated that Japan would be
helpful.
QUESTION: Let's talk about some numbers. The World Bank, yesterday,
came out and then showed its plan for what it would take to rebuild the
infrastructure in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. They were throwing
out a $3 billion figure. Is it realistic? These are loan guarantees
and other ways of raising the money.
SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: It no doubt will be expensive because conditions
in the West Bank are very bad at the present time. It's been run down
over the years with all the violence. There's a lot of rebuilding to be
done there.
But one of the things that's created under this agreement is an economic
committee between the Palestinians and Israel. One of the things
they'll first be doing is planning for the reconstruction of the West
Bank.
QUESTION: Let's talk about what our military commitment might be. I
know that yesterday you talked about the possibility, if necessary, of
stationing American troops in the Golan Heights if an agreement is
eventually worked out with Syria. Do you have an expectation that might
happen?
SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: Let's distinguish two things carefully, Paula.
This agreement today is between the Palestinians and the Israelis.
QUESTION: Absolutely.
SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: They've not asked for any military support from
the United States to carry out that agreement. What I was talking about
yesterday was the possibility of an agreement between Syrians and the
Israelis. That's down the road a ways. If that comes about, it's
conceivable the United States would be asked to provide some security in
the Golan Heights area.
The United States has taken the position that Israel is prepared to take
risks for peace, which will mean so much to the world as a whole. The
United States is prepared to do its part by way of helping to provide
security.
You know, peace in the Middle East means a lot to the people in the
region, but also a great deal to the people of the United States. If
things blow up there, we're inevitably involved. It really would be
very costly to us if things blow up there, so it's worth a lot to us to
try to ensure the peace in the Middle East.
QUESTION: What can you tell us about the state of negotiations between
Syria and Israel at the moment? We know that President Assad said over
the weekend this agreement between the PLO and Israel cannot stand
alone, that there must be a breakthrough between the Syrians and the
Israelis. What do you plan to do and where are those talks right now?
SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: Well, we hope that this agreement will be a
catalyst for further progress. The parties are talking substantively.
They've got a long ways to go. There's a question as to how much Prime
Minister Rabin can take or can stand in Israel at the present time. But
I would expect those negotiations will move forward as we move into the
fall, and the United States will be available to serve as an
intermediary between the parties, to carry messages back and forth, to
be an honest broker.
President Clinton has instructed me to be available to the parties
whenever they want me to be there, and I will be.
QUESTION: Let's talk about another deal in the works. We hear this
morning that there could be a deal -- that we will see by the end of the
week -- between Jordan and Israel. What can you tell us about that?
SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: I expect, Paula, that before the end of the
week, and probably tomorrow, Israel and the Jordanians will sign an
agreement on the agenda. It's a fairly full agenda. It's not a final
agreement and it does not have the complexity of the Declaration of
Principles, but it will be an important step.
Whenever countries in the Middle East -- Israel and the Arab countries -
- sign an agreement, it's an historic day because they've not had that
kind of a relationship in the past.
QUESTION: How long do you think it will be before an agreement is
finalized, then, if that's just a start?
SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: I would expect that that can move rather
quickly. I would say within the course of the next several months, or
maybe within the next year, there can be an agreement between Jordan and
Israel comparable to the agreement today.
QUESTION: How much credit can either you or the President take for the
signing of this accord today?
SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: Credit isn't important. The real credit belongs
to the parties, the Palestinians and the Israelis. We did help launch
the process. We were the sponsors. Two or three times in the last
seven or eight months when it seemed to veer off track, we've gotten it
back on track. But the important thing is the agreement and not who
gets credit for it.
QUESTION: And as you look behind you this morning, you think that
Yasser Arafat will be here in several hours, perhaps shaking hands with
Yitzhak Rabin, what goes through your mind?
SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: Well, I think it deserves the word "historic."
We use that pretty carefully, but it's really quite a moment. You know,
the parties have broken through decades of fear and hatred to be here.
We're all blinking our eyes. It's a wonderful day for us.
MS. PAULA ZAHN: Secretary of State Warren Christopher, thank you so
much for joining us this morning.
SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: Thank you, Paula.
MS. PAULA ZAHN: Nice to have you with us.
# # #
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE Office of the Spokesman
INTERVIEW OF SECRETARY OF STATE
WARREN CHRISTOPHER BY
NBC-TV, KATIE COURIC "TODAY" SHOW
Washington, D.C.
September 13, 1993
MS. KATIE COURIC: For this peace plan to work, it's clear that it must
be closely monitored. That is a job that falls under the watchful eye
of Secretary of State Warren Christopher.
Mr. Secretary, good morning. Welcome to "Today."
SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: Good morning, Katie. Thank you.
QUESTION: This is a good morning, isn't it?
SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: It's a wonderful morning.
QUESTION: It was a difficult weekend, though, in terms of violence in
the occupied territories as you, I'm sure, know. Are you expecting Mr.
Arafat to condemn the killings that took place? Will you demand that he
do so?
SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: I think he ought to do so. The enemies of peace
are still operating in the Middle East, and I think we all must work to
make sure that they don't prevail, and that the proponents of peace do
prevail. I think Mr. Arafat will want to join in that.
He's coming here today. He is witnessing the agreement. I think that
puts him on the line, and he'll want to make sure it succeeds.
QUESTION: Will you ask him to condemn the killings if he does not step
forward to do so himself?
SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: I'm going to be meeting with him this afternoon,
and that's one of the things we're going to discuss. I know he will
want to end the violence as well to make this agreement work.
QUESTION: How concerned are you that violence by radical Palestinians
or right-wing Israelis will derail this whole process?
SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: Well, I think it's something we all have to be
concerned about, but we must work against it. There is a new hope here.
The parties have broken through decades of fear and hatred. I think we
must get behind the step they've taken.
QUESTION: We just heard Shimon Peres talking about a double celebration
-- today the Palestinians, tomorrow peace with Jordan -- but the real
stumbling block or the sticking point might be peace with the Syrians.
I understand that talks with that country will resume in October. What
will the U.S. role be there?
SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: Well, we'll be playing the role of an
intermediary. The parties have asked us in effect to carry messages
back and forth between them. At some point, perhaps, they'll get
together for direct negotiations. At this point, we're serving as an
honest broker or an intermediary for them.
QUESTION: Do you think that Mr. Rabin is politically strong enough to
handle peace accords with both the Palestinians and the Syrians?
SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: That will be a judgment for him, but he is a
very strong man. His background, his whole history, gives him a sense
of strength. And, of course, Foreign Minister Peres has been a very
good colleague and companion on this. Working together, they're a very
strong team.
QUESTION: Would the United States be willing to commit troops and
provide security guarantees if Israel, say, or if Syria demands that
Israel give up the Golan Heights?
SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: Well, that's quite a long ways down the road,
but the United States --
QUESTION: Do you see that happening?
SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: Well, I see the United States being prepared to
be helpful. If Israel is prepared to take risks for peace, the United
States should be supportive, just as we have been in the peace between
Egypt and Israel.
QUESTION: Apparently, Israel may not want that. Prime Minister Rabin
said yesterday on "Meet the Press," "First and foremost, forget about
U.N. troops. No U.N. troops, no foreign troops, will be included in
this agreement."
SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: Well, we have to separate the things we're
talking about. We're talking about the agreement today between the
Palestinians and the Israelis, and I think there are no foreign troops
contemplated in that.
As to whether or not there might be some United States troops involved
if there's an agreement between Syria and Israel, that's something for
tomorrow. Today we ought to celebrate today's event.
QUESTION: What do you see as a major role for the United States in
making sure today's event becomes a reality?
SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: We'll be working on the implementation of the
agreement, once again providing our help as an intermediary. We'll also
be trying to collect some funds so that the Palestinians are able to
accept the early empowerment that's permitted to them under the
agreement.
QUESTION: Where are you going to get those funds? SECRETARY
CHRISTOPHER: Well, I think we'll be particularly going to the countries
in the Middle East who have such a stake in it -- the Gulf countries,
including Saudi Arabia -- but I think around the entire world. For
example, the Europeans are very supportive, the Nordic countries. You
talked to Foreign Minister Holst, who deserves lots of credit for what
went on here. They want to be supportive. The Japanese -- I met with
Foreign Minister Hata last night. They want to help, so it will be a --
QUESTION: What about the U.S.?
SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: The United States will be involved as well. We
always do our share.
QUESTION: What or how much credit, if any, should the U.S. get for
this?
SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: I think the credit really belongs to the parties
themselves who took the chances for peace. The United States is a
sponsor of this. We've gotten the negotiations back on track a couple
of times when they were about to go off track, but the credit belongs to
the parties themselves.
I think all of us would say that credit is not what is important. It's
the accomplishment itself, Katie.
MS. KATIE COURIC: All right, Secretary of State Warren Christopher,
thanks very much. Good to see you.
SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: Thanks very much, Katie. Thank you.
# # #
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE Office of the Spokesman
INTERVIEW OF SECRETARY OF STATE
WARREN CHRISTOPHER ON
CNN - TV - WOLF BLITZER
September 13, 1993
RALPH BEGLEITER: Earlier this morning, Secretary of State Warren
Christopher talked with Senior White House correspondent, Wolf Blitzer.
And Blitzer asked him, why -- what is it about this agreement that is
going to convince the parties -- the Israelis and the Arabs -- that this
is just the beginning of the peace settlement, not the end of a process?
SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: Well, I would think the most important thing we
can do, with respect to the Israelis, is to underscore our commitment to
their security. This in no way diminishes our commitment to Israel.
Indeed, when Israel is going to take risks for peace, I think the United
States is willing to put its prestige and its resources on the line to
be helpful.
Throughout the Arab world, I think what we can do is to show that we
want to help the parties implement this agreement. We can lead the way
in trying to arrange some funds for the Palestinians so they can accept
the early empowerment that's called for in the agreement. I think those
are the kind of things the United States can do with its power and
prestige around the world.
WOLF BLITZER: Have you already started raising funds for Palestinian
economic development among the Europeans, the Japanese, the Arab Gulf
States?
SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: Yes. we've been talking to a number of them. I
met with Foreign Minister Hata of Japan last night -- the new Foreign
Minister -- and we discussed this at length. And he assured me that
Japan would be helpful in this way. We have certainly been talking with
the Gulf States, including Saudi Arabia, about this and they will be
helpful as well.
MR. BLITZER: Are the Saudis, the Kuwaitis ready to forget about PLO
support for Saddam Hussein during the Gulf War, and leave that aside,
and now go ahead and contribute presumably billions of dollars that will
be necessary to develop the West Bank and Gaza? SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER:
Well, memories do linger and I couldn't say they would forget about it.
But, as you know, King Fahd indicated to President Clinton over the
weekend that they would be supportive. And I think putting it behind
them is the right phrase to use, as you did, Wolf. They're willing to
put it to one side and to recognize this new reality and be supportive
of this new reality.
MR. BLITZER: When can we expect Secretary of State Warren Christopher
to return to the Middle East or go elsewhere to do something to get the
ball rolling?
SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: That really depends upon the parties. I'm ready
to do it again, if the parties want me to be there. If the Palestinians
-- I'm sorry, if the Syrians or the Lebanese or the Israelis ask me to
come back to the region, I certainly will. Our rule is to facilitate
the process. We're not going to be volunteers in the matter, except to
tell them we're ready whenever they want us.
MR. BLITZER: Today's event -- diplomatically, it must have been a
protocol nightmare. I take it there's not going to be any flags here,
no national anthems -- why?
SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: Well, we've had a busy weekend with that. You
know, we didn't know until last Friday that this event was going to take
place. And so, we've been making a lot of adjustments, making a lot of
last minute preparations. The reason there won't be any flags or any
national anthems is because the Palestinians, the PLO, is not a state at
this point. And so, I think the best way to resolve that problem is
simply to have no flags and no national anthems.
But don't misunderstand, this is going to be a serious, historic
ceremony. And the fact that Mr. Arafat is here and Prime Minister Rabin
is here, I think, gives it a good deal of concreteness. It cements the
commitments of both parties. It puts Mr. Arafat on the line to carry
out the parties -- and to go forward with his commitment to end terror
in the Middle East and discipline the PLO. And that's very important to
all of the world.
MR. BLITZER: Do you anticipate that if there are terrorist incidents in
the West Bank and Gaza that Yassir Arafat will publicly condemn them?
SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: Yes, I think he should. I expect that he will.
He's got a great stake in this agreement. You know, all of the world
will be seeing him in here today committing himself to carry out both
the Declaration of Principles as well as the Agreement of Mutual
Recognition. And so, his being here, I think, gives him a stake in
making sure it's successful.
MR. BLITZER: Can you believe you're here? Did you ever believe you
would witness this kind of an event?
SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: We're all just blinking our eyes about it. It's
come on so rapidly. It's really a moment that takes your breath away.
MR. BEGLEITER: Actually, right now, is probably another moment that's
taking the U.S. Secretary of State's breath away. He's back at the
White House now, and in a few moments will be having a meeting that
involves Presidents Carter, Clinton, and Bush; Prime Minister Rabin; and
the PLO leader, Yassir Arafat -- all in one room at the same time. We
won't see any pictures of that right away, but it is going to take place
-- and that would be an historic moment.
(# # #)