10/6/96: Secretary Christopher Interview on CNN

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QUESTION: Let me start by asking you this. You said on your way over, on the flight over that you would stress with both Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Arafat the importance of, in your words, "significant progress" in these talks that are about to begin. What will constitute in your mind "significant progress," and over what timeframe?

SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: I think some tangible efforts to implement the agreements that have been reached, and obviously the sooner the better. As I arrive here, it is clear that the Washington meetings broke the cycle of violence. Things are somewhat improved here, somewhat calmer. The closure is being eased somewhat, so I think the parties have an opportunity and they ought to use this time that has been bought by the Washington meetings in the most effective possible way. That is what I will be urging on them when I meet with them today.

QUESTION: Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator, says the discussions that are going to be taking place should be dealing with implementing, not negotiating, the accords. And I'm quoting now. He says, "He will not agree to reopen, modify or renegotiate the accords." In your view, are these talks about implementation, or are they about renegotiation?

SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: Well, I think it is common ground here about implementation. The Prime Minister has indicated that Israel will carry out the agreements that have been reached. That is what the Palestinians hope to achieve. Of course, there is some room for discussion within the implementation context to take into account the new facts that exist on the ground. But I think it is important for both sides to understand that we go from here to implement the existing agreements, but as I say, taking into account the security requirements that can be envisioned within the four corners of the present agreements.

QUESTION: But Israel is insisting on a number of security guarantees that in the view of some, Palestinians in particular, could well be construed as a renegotiation?

SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: Well, the discussions here are just beginning. I think the parties will work on that in good faith. They both want to get back to the table. The Prime Minister has pledged himself to go about it in that way. So I think a good deal is possible as they approach it with the somewhat better atmosphere, somewhat closer relationship than they had before the Washington meeting.

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, the Israelis point out that the guns held by Palestinian police have been turned against them, and they feel that a number of security steps must be taken to assure that that does not happen again, one of which reportedly is the right of pursuit, where the Israelis would be able to pursue Palestinians, if such a thing transpires in the future, into Palestinian-controlled areas? How do you feel about that?

SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: You know it has been my policy not to get into the details of the negotiations. Certainly, this would be just the wrong time to do that. The United States will play a facilitating role, but these continue to be bilateral negotiations in which we are trying to help the parties. That is the kind of thing that can be discussed between the parties, now that they are back into negotiations; you know a week ago they were so estranged they were not talking to each other. Now they have got an opportunity to talk to each other with the somewhat greater knowledge of each other's needs that was developed in the Washington meetings.

QUESTION: You say the U.S. is prepared to play a facilitating role, but it seems that some would have the U.S. go beyond that. I was talking to one Palestinian official this morning here who said that the United States is the only superpower and is the only power in the region capable of exercising pressure on both sides, should be prepared to exercise pressure on both sides. Obviously he had the Israelis in mind principally. But is that what the United States is going to be doing?

SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: No, that is not our business here. Our business is to help them. I think that the past history indicates that we do have a special relationship, in a sense, with these negotiations. We know the agreements well; we know where the tense points are, and I think we are in a position to help the parties, but that is in a facilitating role. It would be very counter-productive for us to try to bring pressure on either of the parties in this situation. After all, they are the ones that have reached the agreements; they are the ones that have to live with them. But we are here to do our very best to help them.

QUESTION: But why wouldn't the United States -- I mean the world is watching and looking to the United States. You have hosted this summit in Washington recently. You're there, your negotiator Dennis Ross is there. Why would the United States not exert pressure at a key moment to try to overcome difficulties? It's done it in the past.

SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: I think that would be counter-productive in our relationship with the Israeli government. We have a long-standing and enduring relationship, we have worked on a good working relationship with the new Israeli government. I think that it would be quite self-defeating for us, and it would not be productive in the negotiations, if we try to act in that way. I think we can be helpful by probing, perhaps asking some questions, serving as an intermediary between the parties, helping them understand each other, making sure that they do not over-react to comments or suggestions of the other. There are ways in which we can be helpful using our status in the world and in this region to be helpful, but pressure tactics would not work.

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, is it an overreaction then on the part of the Israelis to suggest that there should be buffer zones around Israeli settlements, even when they're in areas that are part of the Palestinian Authority, to protect those Israelis who are there?

SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: I am sorry to disappoint you, but that is one of those important negotiating details, one of those important things that will be discussed between the parties, and it certainly would not serve our purpose -- indeed it would disserve our purpose -- if I were to reflect a view on that at this early stage before the parties have really sat down at the table. This is what will happen today. I will meet with the Prime Minister in about a half an hour, then I will drive down to Gaza to meet with Chairman Arafat and shortly after I talk with him the negotiations will begin at 8 p.m. tonight. So, it really would be, I think, not helpful at all to try to foreshadow particular items in the negotiations, at least the United States should not do so.

QUESTION: Nearby President Mubarak is not very pleased about what he's seeing, and today he's warning that Israeli efforts to reopen the negotiations, in his word, are dangerous. And he says of the existing agreement, one must respect them or there will be a catastrophe -- a catastrophe, his words. You agree with that?

SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: I think it is certainly true that the parties ought to respect the existing agreements, but of course the Prime Minister has been clear that he intends to do that. I would say that although the situation is somewhat better now, it is eased somewhat, it still is a very dangerous situation. No one should underestimate the potential for violence in this region. That is why it is so important for the parties to make tangible progress, to do so on an urgent basis, and one of the points that I am going to be making to the leaders is to talk to them about the commitment they made in Washington to intervene personally in these negotiations, if a stalemate of any kind is reached.

QUESTION: At this moment -- at this moment right now, how tenuous is the Middle East peace process?

SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: Well, I think I can answer that best by saying that I am going to be stressing the urgency of making some progress. I cannot tell how long the cycle of violence has been broken, how long the better circumstances will exist. I do not think anybody can answer that question for sure. There is an improvement right now and the parties need to use this moment, they need to take this opportunity to make real progress.

SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: Well, I always try to be optimistic about this situation. I urge the parties to take these steps. They have some time now and I hope that they will recognize that this is a critical moment. This is a crossroads for them.

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, if I may, I know you're in Israel right now and moving around, but I'd like to change gears on you just for a brief moment here and ask you about a recent development in Bosnia, where at the inauguration of the new Bosnian Parliament over the weekend, the Serbs decided to stay away. They were not there. Then, more recently, Bosnian Croats walked out of a session of the assembly, demanding protection from the Muslim party. It would seem that this very delicate Bosnian democracy isn't much of a democracy at all right now, at least not yet. What do you make of what's going on over there?

SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: Well, we were naturally disappointed that the Bosnian Serbs did not participate in that ceremony. I think it is important to remember that the three presidents did get together and inaugurate the Presidency themselves, but we were disappointed by this. I think it is a reflection of how difficult that situation is, how hard it is to bring parties together who have been fighting a bloody war for four years. We expect Krajisnik to be present at subsequent meetings, but there will have to be a situation where the United States, the other parties there, and IFOR will have to be involved in a day-to-day basis as this new national government begins to take hold. No one should be disappointed if there are some ups and downs in this situation. But I think if we look back over the last several months, we have been marching through a series of milestones, making steady progress.

SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: Not about to come unraveled. I think the parties each committed themselves again to go forward to form this national government. It will not be easy, but if you think of the number of milestones we passed with the deployment of IFOR, the separation of the forces, the holding of the elections that so many people said could not be held without violence, the fact there have been almost no attacks on IFOR during this period. Let us take it step by step and this is another important difficult step, but I think it can be done.

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, I want to thank you very, very much for taking some time today to join us. I know you've got a very busy schedule, an important one, and we appreciate your time.

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