Interview on CBS's Face the Nation with Bob Schieffer and Gloria Borger

DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE:  Good morning, Mr. Schieffer.  Yes, I've had several conversations with the Secretary.  In addition to "constructive and useful." he indicated that the staffs of both Secretary Powell and Chairman Arafat would meet tomorrow to find a way forward, to realize the words that Chairman Arafat uttered yesterday in Arabic.  He also indicated that he delivered a tough message of the need for leadership, just as called for by President Bush.

MR. SCHIEFFER:  What does he want Mr. Arafat to do at this point, sir? 

DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE:  The first thing that Mr. Arafat must do is to use the bully pulpit of his leadership.  He has 80 percent, or over 80 percent, popularity in the Palestinian community.  He has to use that and exert his moral force, his moral authority, to make it clear to all that violence and suicide bombings for political ends is not a way forward.

MS. BORGER:  Well, what does that specifically mean?  Do you want Mr. Arafat to go on television, speaking in Arabic, talking to people?  What specifically are you suggesting here?

DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE:  Well, I'm specifically suggesting all of that.  He's got to make it clear through every organ of the Palestinian Authority that he means what he says, that we have to eschew violence as a way to accomplish political means, we've got to get into Tenet and Mitchell.  The first thing we'll have to have is a cease-fire, and that's what the Secretary's staff is looking to try to work out tomorrow.

MS. BORGER:  Well, there are also reports that Secretary Powell is going to meet with Mr. Sharon, and is he going to tell Mr. Sharon that he has to withdraw again?

DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE:  Well, it's not a report that he's going to meet with Mr. Sharon; he is going to meet with Prime Minister Sharon at 7:00 p.m. Israel time tonight.  He'll certainly inform the Prime Minister of the results of the discussions with Chairman Arafat, and certainly he'll continue the call for withdraw without delay of Israeli forces.

MR. SCHIEFFER:  Well, now, yesterday Mr. Arafat, when he issued the statement, said, yes, he would try to curb violence, but only after the Israelis pulled their forces back.  Is there any assurance that any of that is going to happen, Mr. Secretary?

DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE:  Mr. Schieffer, it's the Middle East; I don't think there's an assurance of anything.  However, I would note that you are correct; Mr. Arafat has said he has to have withdrawal in order to accomplish the things that we want him to do.  By the same token, I would note news ticker reports today of an Israeli decision to open up some areas of the West Bank.  They have withdrawn from substantial areas and towns in the West Bank, so there is some addressing of the President's call for all parties to live up to their responsibilities.

MR. SCHIEFFER:  Well, at this point, then, you are pleased with what Israel has done in the last 24 hours?

DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE:  No, I wouldn't characterize myself as pleased or displeased; I'm a realist.  We're looking at a very difficult situation.  If it wasn't very difficult, then they'd have sent someone else other than Secretary Powell to try to manage it.  I just take at face value what we're seeing.  We're seeing some substantial withdrawals.  Clearly there are other areas that have to be addressed, and we hope the Israelis will do it without delay.

MR. SCHIEFFER:  Well, you know the Israelis have been rather dismissive thus far of what Arafat said.  They've been dismissive of his statement.  They've basically said, "So what?"  Do we have any indication that they're going to take this seriously?

DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE:  Well, there have been, as no one knows better than our Israeli friends, calls or words in the past that talked about eschewing violence, so I think there is a good deal of skepticism on Israel's part.  For our part, Mr. Arafat has done what the President called for when he specifically required him to denounce the suicide bombing of two days ago, and we're going to try to use that as a basis to move forward.

MS. BORGER:  Are US monitors, or even troops, part of any cease-fire proposal? 

DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE:  Well, monitors generally, whether US or otherwise, have been part of the conversations surrounding Tenet and Mitchell.  There have been no discussions, to my knowledge, of the use of US troops.

MS. BORGER:  Is that something that you could envision down the road, perhaps?

DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE:  Well, I wouldn't rule anything in or out, but I don't think necessarily that US troops are the most effective monitors.  We're involved in a global war on terrorism, and I find our men and women in the uniformed services to be very well occupied in that.

MS. BORGER:  But some kind of multinational force, perhaps?

DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE:  I wouldn't want to put a label on it in advance of having something in hand, but the idea or the concept of monitors is one that has been discussed.

MR. SCHIEFFER:  The whole idea of this becoming a regional conflict, how concerned are you about that, Mr. Secretary? 

DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE:  We're quite concerned, Mr. Schieffer.  That is why Secretary Powell went to the Northern Command headquarters to see firsthand the shelling from Hezbollah into northern Israel.  We are doing our best to get friends to exert pressure on Iran to restrain Hezbollah.  We have sent messages.  Vice President Cheney has contacted the Syrians about the absolute need to use their influence to restrain Hezbollah and not have this break out into a two-front conflict.

MS. BORGER:  What about reports of atrocities in the Palestinian camp of Jenin?  What do you know about those reports?

DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE:  Well, I know that Jenin, as a general matter, is assuming almost mythical proportions.  It's why Secretary Powell called on Israel to allow international humanitarian workers into the region as quickly as possible, and into Jenin, so that we can put to rest hopefully this growing controversy.

MS. BORGER:  Well, are you saying that it has assumed mythical proportions; therefore, the stories about atrocities are not true?

DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE:  No, I'm not saying they're true or not.  Until the international community can get in there and find out what did or did not happen, then this thing continues to grow.

MR. SCHIEFFER:  Time Magazine reports this morning that one of the things in the Secretary's briefcase, as he went in today to talk to Mr. Arafat, was some sort of proposal to perhaps extend recognition.  I mean, we all know the United States, this administration, has said it is for a Palestinian state, but to extend recognition to a Palestinian state sooner rather than later.  Can you tell us anything about that?

DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE:  Well, although I didn't pack the Secretary's briefcase, I generally know what's in it.  And what's in it is the President's vision of a Palestinian state living in peace, side by side with an Israeli state, secure in their own borders.  And in order to get that, we have to have a cease-fire and we've got to get to Tenet-Mitchell.  And that's what the Secretary is carrying.

MR. SCHIEFFER:  All right.  Mr. Secretary, thank you so much for joining us this morning.