Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Today

Israelis Produce Documents Tying Arafat to Terrorists

Aired April 04, 2002 - 13:35   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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: And now we want to continue our discussions about the Middle East. We want to bring in now Bill Hemmer, who is in Jerusalem with the latest there. Still no official reaction coming from the Israeli government, Bill?

BILL HEMMER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, but we are standing by and waiting for that. It could happen at any minute, Fredricka. And we also want to remind our viewers, in the last hour we were talking with a colonel from the Israeli defense force. Throughout the week, in fact, on two different occasions, the Israeli government has released what it says is essentially a strong piece of evidence that directly implicates, they say, Yasser Arafat to funding certain terrorist groups here in the Middle East. They say they found these papers and documents in what they described as boxes. Today it went to truck loads and truck loads of documents taken out of that compound in Ramallah.

And today they released a document that they say has Yasser Arafat's signature on it directing certain moneys to be paid out to certain terrorist groups here in the West Bank. That was last hour. This hour, the Palestinian perspective on all this, and with us now is Diana Buttu, a Palestinian legal adviser here to join us with the perspective on the other side. And you haven't seen the actual paperwork is my understanding, but you do know about the story. And your response to it at this point is what?

DIANA BUTTU, LEGAL ADVISER, PALESTINIAN LIBERATION ORG.: Well, we certainly question the authenticity of these documents. The Israeli government over the past week has denied freedom of the press. Israeli journalists themselves are saying that they are unable to verify any of the claims made by the Israeli government or investigate any of the claims made by the Israeli government.

HEMMER: The Palestinians have said for three days now that all these papers are fake. Can you prove that they are?

BUTTU: Well, I think it's up to Israel to prove that they are real. Certainly if have you a document simply saying that there is a signature on such a document doesn't necessarily mean that it came from the Palestinian Authority itself.

HEMMER: You mentioned freedom of press and lack thereof. Two days ago and again today the Israeli government invited journalists in to come and look at the documents themselves. To me, that doesn't look like any term of, let's say, of blocking of the press and the access to these documents.

BUTTU: Well, it has blocked access for Israeli journalists to go in and investigate these documents themselves. As well, even if these documents are viewed as somewhat authentic by the Israelis, that doesn't necessarily mean that there is any link between the authenticity of these documents and terrorist organizations.

HEMMER: Is the Palestinian position then that Yasser Arafat has no connection to any of these groups?

BUTTU: Absolutely. And Yasser Arafat himself has said that he's never financed any of these terrorist organizations. He most recently said it in his op-ed piece in the "New York Times" on February the 3rd.

HEMMER: So the Israeli government in your estimation is lying?

BUTTU: Well, it certainly leaves it up to the Israeli claims. It comes at a very convenient time, when Israel is trying to prove that its operations in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip are to weed out terrorists. It comes at a very convenient time for Israel to release these documents.

HEMMER: Ms. Buttu, here seems to be the problem, though, they say they have a lot more. And two days ago, they said that they were going to release more, and in fact, they have today. And it is quite likely that this will continue to dribble out in the coming days and possibly in the coming weeks ahead. Are the Palestinians ready to deny all of this?

BUTTU: Well, I think these documents need to be verified independently. At this point, we're just getting the Israeli point of view on these documents and we haven't had any verification from any independent source. I can tell you as a lawyer that these documents would not be accepted in any court of law because they haven't been corroborated, and therefore they should not be accepted by the public.

HEMMER: All right, thanks for your time. Diana Buttu, Palestinian legal adviser again here in Jerusalem.

The world coming earlier today in a press briefing here in Jerusalem, they showed us part of the documents, photo copies anyway. We have not seen the originals ourselves. But again, they say and insist that more shall be coming out in the weeks ahead and possibly the days ahead as well. So we will keep an eye on all that. Fredricka, back to you now quickly in Atlanta.

WHITFIELD: Thanks a lot, Bill. We will be checking back with you a bit later.

Joining us now from Washington is Farid Abboud, Lebanon's ambassador to the United States, for your perspective on the Bush administration's policy and announcement now to ask Israel to withdraw as well as giving the green light to Secretary of State Colin Powell to head abroad. How encouraged are you by this news? FARID ABBOUD, LEBANESE AMBASSADOR TO U.S.: I think it is a step in the right direction. The U.S. administration has indicated by that that it is not buying the Israeli argument that the whole problem is simply a law and order problem, that there are a few terrorists to catch or infrastructure to destroy, but it is a political problem to be solved, and the political problem to be solved is the occupation of the Palestinians and the end of this occupation.

And the president has referred to the parameters of the solution, which he (UNINTELLIGIBLE), and that is the principles as announced by the Arab leaders who convened in Lebanon -- Beirut, Lebanon -- last week, and which clearly stipulated that they are ready for peace with Israel in exchange for the withdrawal to the 1967 border and the establishment of a viable and free Palestinian state.

WHITFIELD: Secretary of State Colin Powell is heading to the Middle East, planned now for next week. With a few days' time, almost a week now's time in which to plan on the agenda, what are you hoping will be on Powell's agenda once he arrives here in the Middle East?

ABBOUD: Just what I said, that the political issues at stake would be put on the table and would be dealt with.

WHITFIELD: More specifically, what?

ABBOUD: Meaning what are the mechanisms to end the present onslaught of the Israeli army against Palestinians, Palestinian Authority and Palestinian civilians, because most of the targets are actually Palestinian civilians and it is not true the civilians that have been shot or killed are simply the collateral of the going military action. And then, after that, the withdrawal of the Israeli army from all the areas which it has occupied recently, and then sitting down seriously to visit a very quick resumption of negotiation in order to reach a viable peace settlement, a settlement which will be perceived by both sides as addressing their concerns and their grievances.

WHITFIELD: You would want Powell to meet with whom specifically?

ABBOUD: Obviously he has to meet with both sides, Arafat and others -- and the Israeli leaders. It is not acceptable that yesterday, for example, the Israelis have not allowed Mr. General Zinni to meet with Arafat or any other leaders of the European envoy. I mean, Arafat is the recognized leader of his people and he should be allowed to play the normal role.

I mean, what other criticism that the Israelis have on him? And may I add that the Arabs have also have a lot of criticism on Sharon, and many Arabs -- many in the Arab world do not consider him as a very peace-loving person, and rather some of them consider him as guilty of terrible acts against the Arabs.

WHITFIELD: Followed Bush's remarks, it was released that the Israeli government, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon specifically said, yes, to special envoy Zinni meeting with Arafat. That could take place as early as today, perhaps even tomorrow. How do you see Powell's visit as either a underscoring that meeting to take place or adding to that expected meeting?

ABBOUD: I don't know what the content and what the results of the meeting will be. The main thing is that we should not be bogged down into the formalities and the timing and whether to allow General Zinni or not to meet with Arafat or not. There are urgent -- there is an urgent need to take immediate action to stop the Israeli onslaught, to allow food and water to all the people who are living in the civilian areas in Ramallah and all of the Palestinian cities, and then to have quick withdrawal of the Israeli army and then resumption of the negotiations with a very clear cut political agenda on it, meaning the end of the occupation and the establishment of a Palestinian state.

What has happened in Lebanon recently is a unique occasion, unique historical occasion. The Arabs for the first time have proposed very concretely, very -- and openly a deed which is balanced and clear cut. On the one hand, withdrawal of the occupied territories to 1967, in exchange for a form of a normal relationship and peace with Israel. And that should not be (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

WHITFIELD: And quickly, Mr. Abboud, quickly, Mr. Abboud, I spoke with the Israeli counsel general to the United States just moments ago, and he said that he didn't see Bush's remarks as an about-face at all but a continuation of the existing Bush administration policy. In five seconds or less, do you see this as a Bush about-face?

ABBOUD: It's not an about-face. It's the fact that we are moving now from the logic of simple retaliation or simple law and order measure or military measure to a political solution. The administration is accepting now the fact that the problem is political and not military, and that the military operation will lead nowhere. Actually, one of the officials in this administration has told Arab diplomats that at the end of all these operations, most probably there will be another bomb if there is no political solution.

WHITFIELD: All right, Farid Abboud, Lebanon's ambassador to the United States, thanks very much for joining us from Washington this afternoon.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com