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CNN Live Today

No Diplomatic Progress in Standoff at Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity

Aired April 11, 2002 - 10:07   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: There appears to be no diplomatic progress in the standoff at the Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity. Some 200 armed Palestinians and several dozen clergymen have been holed up inside the ancient (UNINTELLIGIBLE). It was built over the site, where tradition says Jesus was born. Israel troops today could be seen circling the church, one of Christianity's holiest shrines.

Early this morning, our Jerrold Kessel spoke with the Anglican envoy to the region about the complexities and sensitivities involved.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Why is it taking so you long to get involved in trying to mediate a way out of this dispute?

CANON ANDREW WHITE, ANGLICAN ENVOY TO MIDDLE EAST: Well, this we have been involved in negotiations since the beginning of this particular dispute in the Church of the Nativity, and as you can appreciate, it is extremely complex, because we are dealing with so much different factions and so many different parties. Only if we got the Israeli foreign ministry and the Israeli Defense Force (UNINTELLIGIBLE) three different Christian denominations. Then you've got political leaders like the governor of Bethlehem is holed up there, as well as Fatah Tanzims, Palestinian police, the Palestinian Authority. And what we are trying do is to work with all of these different parties.

KESSEL: Do you got a plan on the table now?

WHITE: Well, I wouldn't even say that we've got as far as that. What we are doing is talking, and all sides are trying their very best to try and bring a rapid resolution to this terrible problem, because the humanitarian crisis is going to grow very rapidly. And it can best be described as a volcano in the Church of the Nativity, which is waiting to erupt, and it will erupt at any moment.

KESSEL: Erupt unless you manage to mediate a way?

WHITE: Unless we can manage to mediate a way to meet the urgent humanitarian needs. There is a body which needs to be got out, food and water need to be got in. And the Israelis are saying that the religious leaders may leave the compound, but they are afraid to do so, because they want to maintain the sanctity of the holy place. And as you have said, it is one of the most holy places in Christendom.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Meanwhile, the Associated Press is reporting that an Armenian monk was seriously injured in the siege and was apparently shot by an Israeli soldier, not by one of the armed Palestinians as was first reported. The unnamed Israeli military official says the soldier had mistaken the clergyman for a gunman.

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