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CNN Live At Daybreak

Zinni Wades Back Into Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Aired March 15, 2002 - 05:06   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Let's talk about the Middle East now. A U.S. peace mission to the Middle East is now in its second day.

CNN's Senior International Correspondent Sheila MacVicar joins us live from Jerusalem with an update -- Sheila?

SHEILA MACVICAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

President Bush's envoy has arrived. He has wasted no time in starting right in on those meetings. He met last night with Israel's prime minister, Ariel Sharon, and echoing statements we heard yesterday from the U.S. State Department, General Zinni told Mr. Sharon that Israel must immediately withdraw al of its forces from the heart of Palestinian cities. Mr. Sharon has told him he is not yet ready to do that and that will make any additional progress more difficult.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MACVICAR (voice-over): President Bush's envoy wades back into the morass of the Middle East. This is a quagmire General Zinni knows well. He has left in frustration in the past, his mission overwhelmed by violence. This time his orders are to fight to the finish. He may be the only hopeful person in all of Israel and the Palestinian territories.

In the week since President Bush decided to send the general back here, at least 136 people have died. Israelis dead at a cafe in Jerusalem, Palestinians killed in helicopter strikes in Khan Younis, Israeli teenagers murdered in a Gaza study hall, Palestinians dead in Javalayiah (ph), Israeli motorists shot dead behind the wheels of their cars, Palestinians shot dead in firefights in Ramallah. The violence has gone on and on.

The paradox is also the best hope. It may be that there has now been so much violence, so much death that the two sides are now so close to all out war that maybe, just maybe, they are ready to stop.

LESLIE SUSSER, ISRAELI POLITICAL ANALYST: Both sides are now so close to going over the edge and getting involved in some massive conflagration which neither of them wants that this is something that Zinni could use, perhaps, to gain some kind of momentum.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MACVICAR: Now, in the last few hours, we have seen the Israeli forces pull back their tanks from a number of Palestinian cities, most notably Ramallah, where for 72 hours they were in that city in force.

Now, it is important, under the terms of the Oslo Accord signed in 1993, Carol, these are areas that are called Area A, areas that are supposed to be under complete Palestinian control. The Palestinians have said that until the Israelis fully withdraw from Area A, there can be no meetings take place between Israelis and Palestinians.

Now, they've left Ramallah. They've left a number of other key cities. The tanks remain on the outskirts of the cities, but -- and here's the important part -- they are still in three key Palestinian cities, most notably the city of Bethlehem this morning.

Now, already today General Zinni has, after his meeting last night with the prime minister, he's seeing Israel's defense minister this morning, he is meeting the foreign minister right about now, as a matter of fact. And tomorrow he will begin a series of meetings with the Palestinians.

The Palestinians have told us that they have a plan that they will present to the general tomorrow that they say they believe will help reduce the level of violence, further reduce the tension and help get everybody back on track with luck towards a cease-fire and eventually even towards negotiations -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Well, it'll be interesting to see what that plan entails.

Thank you.

Sheila MacVicar reporting live for us from Jerusalem this morning.

Hey, hit our Web site to stay on top of the latest developments in the Middle East. We also have an in depth special on the struggle for peace. Our address, of course, cnn.com. The America Online keyword, CNN.

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