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CNN Live Today

Beirut Demonstrators Protest U.S. Support of Israel

Aired April 03, 2002 - 10:13   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.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: In fact, we are going to turn our attention right now to Beirut, where angry demonstrators spilled into the streets today. Their anger directed at the U.S. and its continued support of Israel.

Our Beirut bureau chief, Brent Sadler, joins us now by phone from the Lebanese capital.

Brent, hello.

If you can describe for us what took place outside the American Embassy earlier today.

BRENT SADLER, CNN BEIRUT BUREAU CHIEF: Thanks, Daryn.

Well, there has been a groundswell of anti-Israeli and anti- American sentiment spreading from Lebanon's Palestinian refugee camps and spilling on the streets of Beirut and its suburbs.

We saw as many as 2,000 protesters marching on the heavily protected U.S. Embassy compound, which is on the outskirts of the Lebanese capital. Protesters clashed with baton-wielding Lebanese security forces. As angry demonstrators surged toward the embassy, tear gas and water cannons were used to drive them back. Skirmishes broke out after demonstrators threw stones at a police barricade. No American diplomats were in the vicinity of the clashes.

It was the most violent protest in a series of demonstrations in Lebanon this week, denouncing Israel's invasion of Palestinian- controlled areas in the West Bank, the siege of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and the perceived U.S. bias here towards Israel.

There is growing anger, not only from the street, but also anger and frustration being expressed by Lebanon's political establishment. In parliament earlier, Prime Minister Rafic Hariri called on the international community to take action towards implementing international resolutions to force Israel to respect them, he said, and to prevent Israel from expanding the area of tension, which Bill Hemmer was then referring, to of course, with growing tension along the Lebanese-Israeli border after clashes between Hezbollah guerrillas and Israeli forces over a disputed patch of land at the foot of the Golan Heights called the Shebaa Farms.

But Mr. Hariri the Lebanese prime minister, speaking to reporters just a few hours ago said that Lebanon was very well aware of the situation in the south, and was not going to give, he said, the Israelis any pretext to take any action against Lebanon, and that Lebanon would, he said, help Israel extricate itself from the trap it had created for the Israelis in the military actions they were taking against the Palestinians -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Well, Brent, I can't help but think what a contrast this is to a week ago, when this was the same city that hosted the Arab summit in which it seemed like this was going to be the place that was in the next step toward peace in the Middle East.

SADLER: Absolutely, Daryn. It was real confidence and contentment among Lebanese leaders, not least Mr. Hariri himself here, that they were sending a genuine olive branch out to the Israelis in the Middle East. And that on the same day within hours of making this united Arab stand, often they said what was a reasonable comprehensive way to find peace with Israel, that we should have had the Passover suicide attack and heavy loss of Israeli life. And since then, the degeneration of the situation between the Palestinians and Israelis, and now, a real genuine -- I have been in this part of the world for 20 years.

I am seeing the streets of Beirut, almost daily protests, real anger and frustration is certainly clearly building here at what is perceived to be international failure. They believe perceived as U.S. failure really to get more actively involved in this and to be an even-handed broker between the two sides. And the continuing of what's happening in Bethlehem and also in Ramallah against Arafat, they perceive as really creating a situation which can really escalate far wider than what we are already seeing now between the Palestinians and Israelis in those Palestinian territories -- Daryn.

KAGAN: But as of this hour, despite the pictures we are looking at right now, Brent, things have calmed down outside the U.S. Embassy in Beirut?

SADLER: Yes, indeed. The security forces made sure that the protesters were kept at arms length, if you like. They have dispersed student protesters here, are certainly planning more protests possibly against U.S. interests in the days to come -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Brent Sadler reporting to us from Beirut -- Brent, thank you very much.

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