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CNN Live Today

Battle Rages in Israel

Aired April 04, 2002 - 10:20   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: Right now, we want to bring you more on the standoff in Bethlehem at the Church of the Nativity. Christians believe the church is built on the site in Bethlehem, where Jesus was born. Now, the church is surrounded by Israeli forces, who say that Palestinian terrorists are among the more than the 200 people, who have sought refuge inside.

Our Ben Wedeman is in Bethlehem, and he brings us the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): It is still not clear what exactly has happened at the Church of the Nativity here in Bethlehem this morning. The Palestinians and also people within the church itself are saying that a blast occurred -- several blasts occurred this morning in the area. One of them destroyed one of the church -- or rather one of the doors to the Church of the Nativity, which of course is historically believed to be the site of the birth of Christ.

Now, the Israeli army denies that any such event has occurred. We spoke to an Israeli army spokeswoman, who said that it is purely Palestinian propaganda. We spoke to soldiers on the scene who denied it as well. They say that they have no interest in going inside the church, and that they want to resolve the standoff peacefully.

However, when we tried to get to the church, we were told by the Israeli soldiers on the scene and also by a spokesman that we would not be allowed there. That it is dangerous, which it is. That it is a closed military area, and we were told to leave. So the controversy remains. No independent verification at this point what happened at the church.

Here in Bethlehem itself, it as ghost town, nobody out in the streets. It is the scene of some destruction, and you just heard that blast go off nearby. It sounded like a concussion grenade, another one going off as well. So, as you can tell, there's still some fighting, some danger here in Bethlehem, and that's where I am going to end it and leave this area.

I am Ben Wedeman, CNN, reporting from Bethlehem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Very good idea -- encouraging our Ben Wedeman to take cover and his crew as well in Bethlehem.

As we mentioned, we are expecting President Bush to make a statement at the top of the hour on the situation in the Middle East. We will bring that to you live. We are going to check in the at White House with our Kelly Wallace in just a bit to get a clue is to what the president may be talking about concerning those latest developments in the Middle East. Right now, we fit in a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: We expect at the top of the hour President Bush to come out from the White House and make a statement on the situation in the Middle East. Of course, we will bring you those comments live.

Let's check in at the White House right now -- our Kelly Wallace. Kelly, getting any clues or hints as to what the president may be saying?

KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, Daryn, Ari Fleischer, the president's spokesman, is the one who just announced just moments ago, and Fleischer would not answer any questions as we were grilling him to find out a little bit about what the president would be announcing. A couple of possibilities definitely, you know, there has been a lot of talk about sort of elevating the situation, getting Secretary of State Colin Powell more involved. Powell in interviews yesterday did indicate that his mind is open to meeting with Israeli and Palestinians leaders. He is going to Europe next week, so that could be one possibility.

Also definitely an indication we were getting from this White House yesterday is doing more, when it comes to political issues. More discussion of political issues, even before the violence comes down, even before a cease-fire takes hold. In fact, Powell really went out the farthest for this administration in interviews last night when he said, look, you really have to have a political discussion, discussion about issues such as a Palestinians state, borders, Palestinians refugees, in order to really get this violence coming down. He went out a bit farther than officials here at the White House were going, so it looks like that could be another possibility.

Daryn, as you know, this administration has come under heavy, heavy criticism that it needed to do something and do something more now. President Bush getting that from Arab allies that he was talking to, Secretary Powell meeting with Arab-American leaders in the United States yesterday. You have had calls from U.S. lawmakers to up the ante. You have had calls from former Clinton administration officials to get more involved. The message from the White House is that Mr. Bush wants to quote -- "seize the moment."

And when all of the reporters in that briefing room a short time ago asked him, "what's the moment?" Fleischer just said the president believes now the time is right to come forward with the statement that he believes the long-term outlook for peace is in jeopardy. That he has a vision for a Palestinian state and a vision for Israeli living without terrorism, and that he is going to come forward with a big statement just about a half hour from now -- Daryn. KAGAN: Well, Kelly, we are getting a little bit after clue here, and I don't mean to put you on the spot, because I know you are just coming from to us live here. But we are getting word from the Associated Press, they are reporting that, in fact, the president will announce that Secretary of State Powell will indeed go to the Middle East. Any indication of that from your end?

WALLACE: Yes. I was just hearing that from my colleague as well that that report is hitting the associated Press. Again, I have not been able to confirm that yet. But I think if you just look a little bit behind the scenes, if you look at what Secretary Powell was saying in those interviews yesterday, he was very, very strong in his interviews that that's a possibility, very much believing that they sort of need to get more discussion of political issues.

You look at the calls really coming from around the world that it really needs to be the secretary of state, because Anthony Zinni, Daryn, as you know, is he a former Marine Corps general, a retired Marine Corps general, that he has really been there focusing on the security arrangements, trying to get the two sides to bring the violence down, to agree to a series of measures, to get a cease-fire. He is he not someone with extensive experience on all of these political issues, borders, settlements, again, a Palestinian state. So you have heard even former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright taking an unusual move really criticizing Secretary Powell in a way, saying really he must be the one going to the region, doing the negotiating to up the ante based on what's happened on the ground.

So I don't have it confirmed, but if you sort of look a little bit behind scenes, it would really not be a surprise that this administration is deciding to make this move right now -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Well, just to review what we do know. We do know the president will be out at the top of the hour to make a statement, and we imagine it's a major announcement. We also know, as you mentioned, that Secretary Powell already had a planned trip for Europe, so it wouldn't that big of a deal to continue on or perhaps go first to the Middle East.

And we also know that a lot of people were saying that there should be no political discussion, until at least the Palestinians agree to the security issues and a cease-fire, but yesterday in Secretary Powell's comments, you did see some movement on that opinion, at least from him, and the State Department is saying, well, perhaps you do have to offer some political incentive to the Palestinians to get this going again.

WALLACE: Yes, it was interesting, because here at the White House, senior administration officials were saying there is no shift in U.S. policy here. That President Bush never said that a cease-fire was a prerequisite, before you could have any political discussions. But really all along, this administration has said the focus should be first on the security arrangements, on a cease-fire, to get into what our viewers probably now know is the Tenet plan, a security arrangement really and the architect of that, CIA Director George Tenet. Once the parties have achieved that, then you could have these broader discussions, a plan pushed by Senator George Mitchell, the Mitchell plan, a series of measures, building confidence on both sides, a freeze on Israeli settlements, and again, getting them to discussing a final political settlement.

It was very kind of frustrating for a reporter, I might say, yesterday, because on one hand, the officials are saying there is no change in policy. That still this administration believes you really have to bring the violence down, have a cease-fire take hold before you could really have these in-depth political discussions. But at the same time, by some officials here and the secretary of state putting that out there last night, it did appear to be somewhat of a shift and also really a way to kind of appeals Palestinians, who have felt this administration has a pro-Israeli bias. And, Daryn, as you know, many analysts believe unless you have discussions of a Palestinian state or other issues of concern to the Palestinians, the Palestinians are not going to be willing to agree to any security arrangements or a cease-fire -- Daryn.

KAGAN: All right. Kelly Wallace at the White House -- Kelly, I'll tell you what. We are going to cut you loose, see if you can go and confirm the news that we are hearing from Associated Press...

WALLACE: I will.

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