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CNN Live At Daybreak

Potential Progress in Israel as Cheney Arrives

Aired March 18, 2002 - 06:01   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: As we have said, there are signs of progress towards peace in the Middle East ahead of Vice President Dick Cheney's visit to Israel. CNN Jerusalem bureau chief Mike Hanna joins us live with an update -- good morning, Mike.

MIKE HANNA, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: Good morning, Carol. Well, at the moment, an absolutely critical security meeting is taking place, this at the highest level. It includes Palestinian security chiefs from the West Bank and from Gaza, as well as very senior Israeli military leaders, as well as a representative of the head of Israel's Shin Bet, its internal security organization.

Being discussed at this meeting: how to implement a cease-fire plan drawn up by CIA Director George Tenet, drawn up last year but never implemented. This meeting, in turn, follows a lower-level meeting held Sunday between security commanders on the ground, and this is absolutely critical if, indeed, a truce is going to be put in place.

The major stumbling block, say Palestinians at this stage, is the continued presence of Israeli forces in Palestinian-controlled areas.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SAEB ERAKAT, CHIEF PALESTINIAN NEGOTIATOR: General Zinni's mission is very delicate and very difficult. Last night, there were two meetings on the level of the local commanders in the West Bank and Gaza. I really hope that in the next few hours, we will see the Israelis withdrawing from areas Area A in the West Bank and Gaza. And I hope that this will facilitate for a trilateral high-level security meeting with the presence of General Zinni in order to initiate the limitation of the Tenet plan linked to Mitchell linked to the political horizon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNA: Israeli leaders, among them Defense Force Chief Benjamin Ben-Eliezer, have insisted that Israeli troops can only withdraw from these areas when there are sufficient security guarantees given by the Palestinian Authority that their security forces will police and enforce control in those areas and prevent militant elements from moving out of those areas to carry out attacks against Israeli targets. So still very tense negotiations continuing, but the fact of the matter is that the most high-level security meeting held in a long period of time is now taking place. Those hoping that a true will work, those hoping that Vice President Dick Cheney will arrive to the region to be greeted by news of an imminent cease-fire are encouraged, at least in this -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right. Thank you -- Mike Hanna reporting live from for us from Jerusalem this morning. And he mentioned Vice President Dick Cheney does have talks scheduled with U.S. Envoy Anthony Zinni and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, but CNN's John King, who is traveling with the vice president, says the door is being left open for another possible meeting.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): ... at a news conference here in Kuwait city, the vice president saying he will do anything General Zinni thinks is necessary to try to help these very difficult negotiations, even as White House aides say this is a remote possibility -- a very remote possibility that the vice president is even meeting with the Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat, if that is necessary.

So far, Secretary of State Powell, the highest-ranking Bush administration official to meet with Mr. Arafat, because of the administration's displeasure with him. The administration not thinking Mr. Arafat has done enough to stop the violence.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Aides say Cheney may extend his Middle East trip a little if it would help speed up Israeli-Palestinian cease-fire.

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