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CNN Live Today

Palestinian Leader Remains Confined to Compound

Aired April 03, 2002 - 13:45   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 LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Bill Hemmer, live in Jerusalem. That was an interesting conversation that I just had with Tamara Wittes in just describing the influence that Yasser Arafat still has over these militant groups. But he is still surrounded and he is still in his compound, isn't he?

BILL HEMMER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that he is now, day six and quickly, Carol, moving into day seven. In fact, earlier today, we were told the Israeli army put a ring of barbed wire around that compound too. He is going nowhere, at least at this point, in the West Bank town of Ramallah.

He did an interview last night, flatly rejecting the offer from Ariel Sharon about a one-way ticket out. So, again, Arafat's situation has not changed much in Ramallah. In Bethlehem now, the situation has changed considerably in the past 24 hours. If have you been with us throughout the day, you now know that upwards of 200 Palestinian gunmen now holed up inside of two churches, one being the Church of the Nativity, where the bible says that Jesus was born. Israeli troops have ringed that area, about a thousand strong, and at this point, that situation is still tense and no mediation just yet on that standoff.

Journalists have made a number of efforts to get inside that town. One of them today is CNN's Ben Wedeman, who now joins me live here in Jerusalem, who has made his way back, which is a good thing and he is safe. What did you see? What did you find?

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Basically, Bill, what we saw was Bethlehem as a ghost town. There is nobody on the street. Everybody is staying inside. The Israelis have imposed a 24-hour curfew. We heard some firing to the north and the south of our position. We were most of the day outside the Beit Jalla hospital, which is the main hospital in Bethlehem.

Now, we are hearing reports for instance from hospital sources there that there are bodies. And, in fact, we have seen bodies of people killed in the fighting who the ambulances can't get to take out. This also applies to injured people as well. There is a good deal of fear among the Palestinian ambulance drivers that they could be shot, and it has happened in the past.

Now, adjacent to Bethlehem is the town of Beit Jalla, which was under a curfew, is under Israeli occupation but they lifted the curfew for a couple of hours today. People rushed out, went to the few stores that are still open, went to the bakeries. They found that the bakeries had bread, but it was old bread, but they bought it nonetheless. People are really suffering in this situation. At the meantime, the Israelis are still very much present throughout the city. We saw convoys of APCs, armored personnel carriers, going through the street. But there wasn't the kind of intense gun battles on the main north/south highway that runs through Bethlehem.

HEMMER: Did you get into Manger Square? Did you get anywhere close to that area where it is said that is essentially the frontline of the current conflict?

WEDEMAN: Well, that is definitely the frontlines, but you really cannot get close to it. At the moment, there is a shortage of armored cars in the area. Without an armored car to get anywhere near Manger Square, you are really risking your life. And I spoke to several journalists today who got closer than I did and they were fired upon. Whether they were warning shots or straight bullets, it is hard to say, but it is a very dangerous spot of that city.

HEMMER: Now back in Atlanta, I think Carol Lin has a question too about your experience today. Carol, if can you hear us, go ahead and fire away. Ben is all yours.

LIN: Yes, I can. In fact, part of your interview with Ben, I was listening to some instructions. We may be getting someone on the telephone who is in Bethlehem right now.

But, Ben, I'm wondering, the situation there, it seems kind of murky because we don't have much video to illustrate it, but where exactly are the -- where is the street fighting actually taking place? Because the streets of Bethlehem are so narrow and then it widens into Manger Square. So I'm just wondering, logistically, where are the players in all of this, if you can paint a picture?

WEDEMAN: Well, basically, the fighting is going on around Manger Square, which is in sort of the southern edge of the city, and in the old city itself where there has been a good deal of fighting. One of the reasons why it is in the old city is that the streets are very narrow and it is hard for tanks. In fact, tanks and armored personnel carriers can't get inside. So there's good reason to believe that many of the Palestinian gunmen have retreated into the old city.

They have been pursued by Israeli troops who apparently are, in some areas, destroying houses to allow better access for that Israeli armor. But the problem is that in the process of doing so, in the process of both sides essentially turning a very crowded area into a battlefield, there have been some civilian casualties.

LIN: Ben, would you say that because of those logistics that you described in Bethlehem, that it is a far more deadly situation there, more likely to have civilian casualties because it is such a tight space in which this incursion is taking place?

WEDEMAN: Yes, definitely far more, for instance, than Ramallah, which is sort of a spread-out town. There really is no old section of Ramallah. So there isn't the concentration of buildings, of people, of other things that you have in the old city of Bethlehem, which is an ancient, ancient city. And, therefore, it is far more dangerous in many respects because also in affords the Palestinian gunmen a better place in which to operate. So it is really not a good situation to be in. And it is very dangerous.

HEMMER: You know, Carol, Ben is our Cairo bureau chief. He spends a lot of his time in Egypt. And I think, quickly, I want your perspective on what we heard from the Egyptian government, cutting off some ties anyway with Israel at this point, not in the diplomatic sense but in some connection today.

WEDEMAN: Well, basically, Bill, the problem is that the Egyptian government is really between a rock and a hard place. On the one hand, they have got these huge demonstrations on the street calling for harder action against Israel. On the other, they have to maintain good relations with the United States. And therefore, they have to maintain relations with Israel. So they don't really know what to do. These are symbolic things that might not really make a difference.

(CROSSTALK)

LIN: Ben and Bill, I hate to interrupt you. I'm terribly sorry to interrupt you. We are going to get right back to you guys.

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