• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Albright Interview on ABC'S Good Morning America October 17, 2000

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
(Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt)
INTERVIEW OF SECRETARY OF STATE MADELEINE K. ALBRIGHT ON ABC'S GOOD
MORNING AMERICA
October 17, 2000
MR. CHARLES GIBSON: Madame Secretary, what turned this around?
Pessimistic last night; all of a sudden an agreement this morning.
SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: I think the need to arrive at an agreement because
of the terrible situation that has been taking place in the region,
and the driving force of President Clinton, who got the parties
together and really pushed very hard for an understanding of the need
to restore the situation to before the crisis. So what we have agreed
to, they all agreed to -- the President spoke on their behalf -- was
to try to restore calmness, end incitement, get back to a rule of law,
try to make sure that certain concrete steps are carried out.
What I also think is very important is there was agreement on a
fact-finding committee, and then a desire by both parties to return to
the peace process.
MR. GIBSON: How confident are you that this will work, that it will
stop the violence?
SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: The peace process has been through many ups and
downs and highs and lows. This clearly was one of the lowest points,
and what we have done here is to help provide a vehicle; now the
leaders are the ones that have to drive it. While I think we have no
illusions about this, we do all have hope, because the need is so
great. I think that they saw the other future of violence and of
tragedy, and I think that is one of the things that makes me have some
hope that they want to get out of that hole.
MR. GIBSON: You say "some hope," though. That doesn't sound too
confident. Just within the last few moments, Prime Minister Barak
quoted as saying, "If the violence doesn't end, the Israelis know what
to do." That a Reuters quote.
That sounds like everybody's still not too certain.
SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: Well, they have to carry out certain steps, and
those were outlined. I think they both know what they need to do to
reestablish the situation before the violence. I think that, as I
said, they have been provided the tools by this meeting, but
ultimately they are the only ones that can make it work and make the
decisions work. I think we have to have hope that it will work.
Again, I don't think anybody has illusions, Charlie, but we hit pretty
much of a low point here in terms of what was happening on the ground,
and I think we have now provided a way for them to return to some
calmness of the pre-crisis situation.
MR. GIBSON: Everyone shares the hope, Madame Secretary, and I
appreciate your joining us. Thank you very much.
SECRETARY ALBRIGHT:  Thanks, Charlie.