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CNN Live At Daybreak

Sharon Lays Siege On Arafat's Headquarters

Aired March 29, 2002 - 05:02   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: And now for more on the escalating crisis in the Middle East. Israel Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is vowing an extended military operation against what he calls Palestinian terrorism everywhere it exists and he's taking it to the top, laying siege to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's headquarters.

Our Ben Wedeman is live in Jerusalem this morning. He has the latest on the operation -- is it still going on, Ben?

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it certainly is, Carol. That following an all night cabinet session by the Israeli government. It ended with a declaration by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in which he said that Yasser Arafat, the Palestinian leader, is now Israel's enemy. Israel has now launched what they're calling an extended military operation against what they're calling Palestinian terrorism.

This morning Israeli tanks, armed personnel carriers and bulldozers went into the Palestinian city of Ramallah on the West Bank just north of Jerusalem. They surrounded the headquarters of the Palestinian leader. They've battered down the walls around the headquarters and according to Israeli Radio, have, in fact, entered the compound. They have not, however, entered the offices of the Palestinian leader.

Earlier, apparently, Israeli forces were calling through megaphones on the Palestinian armed elements within the compound to surrender. However, no sign that that is about to happen.

Now on the latest, the casualty figures, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, five Palestinians have been killed and at least 25 injured in today's operation. One Israeli soldier, an officer, was also killed, as well as four wounded.

Now, this morning during that press conference, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon explained some of the reasons for this unprecedented operation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARIEL SHARON, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: Arafat has established a coalition of terrorism against Israel. He is an enemy and at this stage he will be isolated. The government has approved a call up of reservists in order to carry out this operation in order to allow the IDF to carry out continuous operations over a period of time and at the location of additional foci of terrorism.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WEDEMAN: Now, that total call up at this point looks like about 20,000 combat reservists. Now, Mr. Arafat this morning spoke with the Al Jazeera satellite news network in which he conveyed a message of defiance.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

YASSER ARAFAT, PRESIDENT, PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY: They either want to kill me or capture me or expel me. But I say no. I will be a martyr. I hope I'll be a martyr in the Holy Land. I have chosen this path and if I fall, one day a Palestinian child will raise the Palestinian flag above our mosques and churches.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WEDEMAN: Now, despite this grave situation on the ground, the U.S. special envoy for the Middle East, Anthony Zinni, remains here, according to U.S. officials. He is going to continue to try to maintain contacts with both sides to work out a cease-fire. But at this point, Carol, that task is obviously going to be ever more difficult.

COSTELLO: Boy, you're not kidding. Israel says it wants to isolate Yasser Arafat. What would be the end result of that, do you think?

WEDEMAN: Well, it's difficult to say at this point. In fact, it's difficult to say what Israel means by isolation. Reporters at the press conference this morning asked the prime minister what he meant. He said isolation means isolation, and that's, and you know what that means. Well, frankly, it's not clear what that means. There has been some disagreement within the Israeli cabinet, which is made up of a coalition of parties. Some of the member of Mr. Sharon's Likud Party saying they would like to see Mr. Arafat expelled from the West Bank and Gaza. On the other hand, some of the Labor ministers don't want to see such drastic action taken.

So at this point the Israelis are saying they have no intention to injure or harm Mr. Arafat, but the question remains, what does isolation mean -- Carol.

COSTELLO: I guess we'll just have to wait and see, right?

All right, Ben Wedeman reporting live for us this morning.

And we want to go to Ramallah now, where the action is taking place right now.

Our Michael Holmes is in that West Bank town. He joins us live by phone -- what does the situation look like from your perspective?

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, after a morning of gunfire and tank shells and a lot of military activity in this West Bank city, I can report that things have quieted down somewhat, quiet being a relative term here. There still is the occasional burst of automatic gunfire and quite a sustained burst of it just a short time ago.

The latest figures we have from Palestinian sources are that three Palestinians have been killed here today, including a woman who was in her car, according to Palestinian sources, trying to get out of town.

Also, a security forces soldier inside Yasser Arafat's compound reportedly dead. There are 25 other security officers inside the compound wounded, four of them critically.

There was also a report from a source inside the compound that a tank shell struck the building where Yasser Arafat is. No major damage done, no harm done to Yasser Arafat.

There are reports also from inside the compound that Israeli snipers are firing into the area and in the words of one senior Palestinian source, he said that they are shooting at anyone who goes in the open.

Having said that, it was about an hour ago that about a dozen APCs rumbled through Ramallah on their way to the El Amari refugee camp. As they stopped short of the refugee camp, we heard a couple of sustained bursts of automatic gunfire and just a couple of minutes ago they rumbled back from that area and into the center of Ramallah.

The Israeli forces are not just around the compound of the Palestinian Authority, the Palestinian Authority headquarters in the West Bank. They are also in the center of Ramallah, right in the heart of the city. The city is deserted at the moment apart from Palestinian gunmen and Israeli troops -- Carol.

COSTELLO: You can certainly understand that with all those tanks rolling through.

Thank you.

Michael Holmes reporting from Ramallah this morning.

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