J$P Instant Transcript! Centanni/Wiig commentary from Bill Kristol, Ambassador Dennis Ross, P.J. Crowley, and Marvin Kalb.

From Fox News Live, August 23 2006:

P.J. CROWLEY [CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS]: It's going to be less a matter of what the United States does, and more a matter of what the Hamas government, the Hamas-led government does in Palestine. We sometimes suspect, we did with Yassar Arafat, that he had far more control over extremist elements within the Palestinian territories than he actually did. That said, certainly this is an opportunity for the authorities in Palestine to show what they can do.... They have to act responsibly. They have to get control of their territories.... If this is a sophisticated group, and I suspect they are, then Steve and Olaf have greater value to them as leverage points than they would if they were killed, for example.

BILL KRISTOL [FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR]: Steve is really a good reporter, really a professional workhorse, not a show horse.... These things are so hard to interpret, and I don't even want to speculate on it. It's probably safer just to say that we look forward to his safe return. Obviously, he's done nothing wrong, and Olaf's done nothing wrong, and we really look forward to having them back in Washington. I think what's impressive about an awful lot of reporters is they go out there and they call it as they see it. They try to tell the truth, they try to be fair to all sides. I really think Steve is always that way.

AMBASSADOR DENNIS ROSS [FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR]: There is a clear understanding that this is, more than anything else, an embarrassment to them--Hamas officials I'm not talking to them, but I'm talking to people who are, and I'm talking to a lot of the Fata people. They clearly understand this is in their interests to resolve. I also understand that others in the area are also working on it now. I think the Egyptians are trying to be helpful as well.... This is a new group, maybe it's trying to make itself known. But if you're going to become effective among Palestinians, one way to become effective is to serve the Palestinian cause, not to harm it.... The mothers of prisoners among the Palestinians are out there with a statement now. So in a sense, all the kinds of symbols of the Palestinian society that give it legitimacy are saying this is wrong. And they're trying, actually, to exert I think influence on the Hamas part of the government to do what they can to insure this is resolved. I think you have everyone saying the right things. What's important is to see them do the right things.

MARVIN KALB [FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR]: What they say is "release what you have and we will release what we have". That's very vague. There are any number of Muslim religious people held in US jails. Who do they have in mind, somebody held for a ticket or somebody held for a murder? How many do they have in mind? I think it's very tricky language, and so vague that anything can happen.... It is an embarrassment to the [Palestinian] government, both parts of the government. Both parts of the government have appealed for the release of these two Fox reporters. And yet these people come in with a statement today which indicates they're not listening to the Palestinian leadership. They're listening to Allah, they're listening to their leaders, and they have set such vague terms that I am not sure at this point what the US can do other than the usual, just public statements saying "please release these people".... I think this is vague, and in the very vagueness there is danger.

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