Richard Murphy: 'Arafat is isolated'

Richard Murphy

(CNN) -- The ongoing violence in the Middle East has created a diplomatic dilemma for the Bush administration, which is working to put more pressure on Yasser Arafat. The White House is exploring an array of diplomatic options, including cutting ties outright with the Palestinian leader.

CNN's Miles O'Brien spoke Sunday to former Assistant Secretary of State Richard Murphy, now a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, about how the United States should deal with Arafat.

CNN: There was a lot of talk this past week about the Bush administration trying to come up with ways to respond. And one of the things that is apparently at least on the agenda for action items is to sever ties outright with the PLO between the U.S. Does that seem like a likely scenario to you?

RICHARD MURPHY: I would hope not. I don't think it's a likely scenario, because I don't see how anyone could argue that that will be a plus. Arafat is isolated; the administration has kept its distance from him ever since it came into office last January. You recall the decision by the president not to meet with Arafat, not even to shake his hand or acknowledge his presence at the United Nations last fall. So cutting ties, you know, just doesn't make sense.

Powell has been on the telephone, in contact with Arafat these last few days, and has made it very plain he wants to see more action against terrorism. But staying at least in that degree of touch, I think, is absolutely essential.

CNN: Is it accurate to say that Israel would actually prefer to have Arafat where he is right now, in a weakened position, quite literally under house arrest in Ramallah?

MURPHY: Personally, I think that is the position of General [Ariel] Sharon, the Israeli prime minister. He doesn't want to make any more of a martyr out of Arafat. Killing him, forcing him out of the country, putting him in exile -- this happened after Beirut in '82. He has blown up his radio station, he's destroyed a number of symbolic targets, such as the Gaza Airport and seaport. I think ... his aim appears to be humiliation that will so weaken him that perhaps some of the Palestinians will be brought forward by the Palestine community.

CNN: It's sort of a gambit, isn't it? Because if it fails, it creates the atmosphere which you just described, where Palestinians are simply emboldened against the Israelis.

MURPHY: So far, it's simply uniting the Palestinians. They have their reservations about Arafat as a leader, but there's no one of them apparently that's come up and said, "I'm the replacement. Let me do the job. He's no longer capable of doing it." They're united behind him.

CNN: Well, there is talk of people who could step into his shoes. These aren't really what you would consider bona fide potential successors?

MURPHY: I think he's arranged the stage in such a way that there is no one of stature pushing to step into his shoes. If he is pushed out of the country, if he is liquidated, assassinated, there will be a successor. An interim successor has been designated, but no one of any charisma, of any authority, has come up from the ranks ready to step into his shoes.

CNN: Clearly, the Israelis have proven they can target just about everything around Yasser Arafat -- his helicopters, his guards, his airports. Could you conjure up a scenario where the Israelis would actually target Arafat himself?

MURPHY: Well, I don't think so. I believe that the preference is to keep him there and to show him up as unable to do anything, and yet, at the same time, hold him responsible for doing everything, for allowing everything to happen in the way of violence and terrorism.

CNN: Is it fair for the Israelis to hold Arafat responsible for every suicide bomber who goes down to Jaffa Street and blows himself up?

MURPHY: No. I think what's happened is that the authority of Arafat, his ability to do much of anything about this, has been greatly diminished. And a feeling has grown in the Palestinian community that it's reached such a terrible point, why not sacrifice, why not make yourself a martyr? There's no shortage of martyrs out there.

CNN: On that bleak note, can you give us a shred of optimism? Where would you head if you were advising, say, the Bush administration right now?

MURPHY: Well, I would -- I would drop this -- or deal with story that's been circulating the last several days that the United States is about to sever all ties with the Palestine authority. We remain ready. Make that clear, that we remain ready to engage when and if there's a prospect of some gain in engaging. To have General Zinni still ready to move, but saying there's nothing positive that he can accomplish at this point in time. But get the message across the United States wants to engage, wants to work, to help bring the peace that both sides basically need and want.