Jesse Jackson explains his offer to intervene in the U.S.-China standoff

Jackson

"The difference between apology, regrets and I'm sorry is not a good enough distinction to leave the American soldiers there."

CHICAGO, Illinois (CNN) -- Civil rights activist Jesse Jackson offered Tuesday to travel to China to help secure the release of the 24 crew members of the Navy spy plane.

Jackson went to Yugoslavia in 1999 to secure the release of three American soldiers captured during the conflict over Kosovo. In September 1990, he won the release of 47 American civilians in Baghdad, seized after Iraq invaded Kuwait. And in 1984, he intervened to bring Navy pilot Robert Goodman out of Syria after he was shot down over Lebanon.

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CNN's Daryn Kagan interviewed Jackson Tuesday by telephone.

Kagan: How do you think that you could help in this situation, Reverend?

Jackson: Well, there is a government, the government standoff and the tensions are mounting. I think that President Bush and Secretary Powell are doing their best. But there must be some bridge to break the impasse. We must prioritize gaining the release of the American soldiers who, in fact, are held hostage.

The difference between apology, regrets and I'm sorry is not a good enough distinction to leave the American soldiers there. We should be able to say that if there is an offense, unintentional, a mistake, we apologize.

Kagan: So, you have no problem with the Americans saying -- giving an apology and saying they're sorry? You have no problem with that?

Jackson: Of course not. As a matter of fact, you know, the Chinese culturally, they want to hear the word apology. Culturally, we will not apologize even for slavery. We're hung up on that with a kind of cultural war.

Kagan: But Reverend, in this situation...

Jackson: The bridge can be built.

Kagan: In this situation, what exactly should the Americans apologize for that they haven't already expressed their regrets for?

Jackson: Well, if it, maybe it is the word in Chinese that reflects sincere and genuine sorrow. You know, we just had the tension with Japan. We were slow to say our apology for the submarine killing the Japanese. And now we have the matter of the Chinese pilot being killed so close to China that, in fact, we now have soldiers in captivity in China.

So, the governments now are ratcheting up the diplomatic machinations. If we were to apologize, we would lose nothing politically, diplomatically, militarily, economically. We have nothing to lose and our soldiers to regain.

Kagan: Clearly, the Bush...

Jackson: If our governments cannot take that step then maybe an ecumenical body of religious leaders, in fact, can close that gap and save face for both governments and not take honor from either.

Kagan: Reverend, clearly, though, those within the Bush administration think the U.S. does have much to lose by offering an apology. Have you talked with the Bush administration about taking this trip?

Jackson: Well, only to -- out of respect I called the office of Condoleezza Rice and she is quite busy. She didn't return my call. But Secretary Colin Powell did. And we communicated back and forth when we went to Baghdad to bring the Americans out of Kuwait and Iraq back in 1990. And so it is our respect for our government.

Our going there, if we are allowed to get in, is to cover their efforts to bring them back, not to contradict our government, not to attack our government, but maybe to do that which they cannot do gracefully and maybe the religious leaders and prayer can do...

Kagan: Can you tell me more about...

Jackson: ... to try to set the captives free.

Kagan: I'm sorry, Reverend. Can you tell us more about your conversation with the secretary of state? Did he say he thinks it would be a good idea for you to go or better if you stay home?

Jackson: I choose not to discuss what we discussed today. Suffice it to say, I respect what Secretary Colin Powell is doing and what President Bush is doing. But there is this government-to-government impasse and now we have left the whole world on speculation.

There are some people who want to misuse the situation to confront China. This, confronting China is not confronting Grenada or Panama. China is one fourth of the human race. We cannot take the Americans out of China with some quick raid and if, in fact, some prevail in getting more arms to Taiwan -- arming Taiwan will not be a deterrent to China or an irritant. We must pursue our basic U.S.-China policy. We must figure out some way to get rid of the tension here now and build a bridge and not resurrect the wall. If we can do something to achieve that, we will do that for our government and for all of the soldiers who are involved.

Kagan: I appreciate that you think that you can do some good as somebody who is a religious leader and somebody who is outside of government. But would you go without the blessing of the Bush administration? If they told you not to go, would you go anyway?

Jackson: Well, that's a difference. There would be no basis to tell us not to go because as Americans, we have the right to go to China.

Kagan: But if they're saying to you, we really don't think it's a good idea that you get involved, would you still go?

Jackson: We need not engage in that speculation because they have not been hostile toward the idea of someone going. And after all, I have done this before.

Kagan: That you have.

Jackson: And I kind of know how to do it. And, in fact, if I were to get in, I am convinced that we could bring our troops back home and with honor and build a bridge between both governments, whether it was Iraq or Syria or Cuba or Yugoslavia. We have established the pattern. And so we know that thin line between governments and people diplomacy. If it is -- if there is a chance of reasonable success, we would they, in fact, take the risk.

Kagan: So right now you're waiting to just hear if you can get a visa?

Jackson: That's the real dilemma. If the Chinese will allow us in we would be willing to take that step. Again, let us not underestimate the ramifications of growing U.S.-China tensions, U.S.-Asian tensions. It's impacted upon our budget priorities, upon our defense budget, upon trade policy, upon economic policy at home. This tension would have worldwide ramifications and with each day it only gets -- it only gets worst. We must, in fact, turn the curve for the better.

Kagan: And, finally, Reverend, you have been in the news lately with the news of the birth of your daughter and an extramarital affair. They're are going to be those among your critics that say you are just taking advantage of this situation in order to try to rehabilitate your image. What would you say to those critics?

Jackson: No, I had nothing to do with the soldiers being down in China. I would like to do something to help bring them out. So there are those that have always raised the question by what authority do I speak. The fact is that there are some who are so hateful they would rather see the soldiers remain there than me bring them out. But of course that would be irrational.

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