Summary

PRESIDENT BUSH SAYS ISRAEL'S EXPULSION OF NEARLY 400 PALESTINIANS CAN'T HELP THE MIDEAST PEACE PROCESS. IN A STATEMENT AFTER MEETINGS WITH MIDEAST PEACE NEGOTIATORS, BUSH SAID ALL SIDES MUST KEEP TALKING AND AVOID ACTIONS SUCH AS EXPULSIONS.HE DIDN'T MENTION ISRAEL BY NAME, BUT HIS COMMENTS WERE CLEARLY AIMED AT ISRAEL'S MOVE TODAY TO SEND SUSPECTED MUSLIM ACTIVISTS TO LEBANON.BUSH SAID A SETTLEMENT IN THE LONG ARAB-ISRAELI CONFLICT IS CLOSE. AND HE SAID HE'S CONFIDENT THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION WILL WANT TO KEEP THE TALKS GOING.AUDIO TRACK ATHE WEATHER MATCHED THE MOOD OF THE PARTICIPANTS AS THE PEACE TALKS CAME TO AN END, AT LEAST FOR THE REST OF THE BUSH PRESIDENCY. AT THE WHITE HOUSE, ISRAEL'S PLANNED DEPORTATION OF 400 PALESTINIANS CAST A PALL OVER A SERIES OF FAREWELL COURTESY CALLS ON THE MAN WHO STARTED THE PEACE PROCESS:SOUHEIL CHAMMAS/OVAL OFFICE 1/10:11:12/RUNS :06 "IN ITSELF, DEPORTATION IS BAD. AND UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES IT WILL ADVERSELY AFFECT THE PEACE PROCESS, I REGRET TO SAY."AUDIO TRACK B THE PRESIDENT APPARENTLY AGREES. EXPRESSING HIS STRONG OBJECTIONS TO THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT. AND AFTER THE MEETINGS, ISSUING A STATEMENT UGING ALL SIDES "AVOID REACTIONS SUCH AS DEPORTATIONS THAT RISK COMPLICATING THE SEARCH FOR PEACE." BUT THE ISRAELI NEGOTIATORS INSISTED THE DEPORTEES ARE THE OBSTACLES TO PEACE:ELYAKIM RUBENSTEIN/ISRAELI STAKEOUT/11:54:04/RUNS :14 "IT IS NOT A STEP THAT WE WOULD HAVE LIKE TO TAKE. ITS A STEP THAT WE HAD TO TAKE. THESE TERRORISTS ARE NOT JUST AFTER THIS OR THAT PART OF THE PEACE PROCESS, THEY ARE AFTER THE EXISTANCE OF ISRAEL."AUDIO TRACK C THAT ATTITUDE IS A SYMBOL OF HOW FAR APART THE TWO SIDES REMAIN. THIRTEEN MONTHS AFTER PRESIDENT BUSH AND THEN-RUSSIAN PRESIDENT GORBACHEV OPENED THE TALKS IN MADRID, THE PARTICIPANTS STILL DON'T TRUST EACH OTHER. AND LITTLE SUBSTANTIVE HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED:JOYCE STARR/INTERVIEW/14:44:12/RUNS :06 "THEY'VE BEEN TALKING FOR OVER A YEAR AND THEY'RE GETTING MORE AND MORE ANGRY AT EACH OTHER, ACTUALLY. YOU DON'T SEE ANY SPURT OF GOOD WILL AMONGST THE PLAYERS."AUDIO TRACK D GIVEN THAT, THE END OF THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION IS A CONCERN TO ALL. THE FEAR IS THAT WHATEVER PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE WILL BE LOST WITHOUT CONTINUED STRONG AMERICAN INVOLVEMENT. WITH OR WITHOUT HIM, THE PRESIDENT URGED THEM TO KEEP TALKING:GEORGE BUSH/OVAL OFFICE 2/10:57:04/RUNS :15 "I WANT TO ASSURE YOU OF OUR DETERMINATION TO TRY TO BRING THESE TO, AS FAR ALONG AS WE CAN WHILE WE'RE HERE. AND I'M CONFIDENT THAT OUR SUCCESSORS WILL WANT TO SEE THIS PROCESS ACTIVELY AND VIGOROUSLY CONTINUE."AUDIO TRACK E IN LITTLE ROCK, PRESIDENT-ELECT CLINTON PLEDGED THAT HE DOES:BILL CLINTON/LITTLE ROCK/ " I'M GOING TO DO EVERYTHING I CAN WITH THE NEW SECRETARY OF STATE AND WITH OTHERS TO KEEP THIS PROCESS GOING."AUDIO TRACK F BUT ITS UNCLEAR HOW MUCH TIME MR. CLINTON, PLEDGED TO CONCENTRATE ON DOMESTIC AFFAIRS, WILL HAVE TO SPEND ON A PROCESS WITH LITTLE HOPE OF IMMEDIATE REWARD.STANDUPPER AND GIVEN THE HISTORY OF MIDDLE EAST PEACE EFFORTS, IT DOESN'T APPEAR THE PARTIES WILL MAKE MUCH PROGRESS UNLESS THE U-S IS INVOLVED. MIKE MCKEE, AT THE WHITE HOUSE.