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CNN Live Today

Sharon Says Operations Will Continue

Aired April 11, 2002 - 13:02   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.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Let's catch up on all the day's developments with CNN's John Vause in Jerusalem. Hello, once, again, John.

JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Leon. A difficult job awaits Colin Powell when he gets here. A lot of speculation whether or not the secretary of state can pull out some kind of cease-fire between the two sides, the Palestinians and the Israelis, both almost at the abyss, both going further out on a limb than every before. The fighting continuing. Incursions overnight.

And a very defiant Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon saying this job is not over. They will continue with the incursions on Palestinian territory. They will continue with the sweep. They will continue dismantling what Ariel Sharon says is a terrorist infrastructure. A short time ago he was very defiant. Let's hear some of what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARIEL SHARON, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): I said that the operation will continue and it will continue. We are not intending to pull out, not from Jenin. Not from Nablus. Not from Ramallah and not from other places where we are now, like Bethlehem. Although we have accomplished the task there. We are not intending to pull out until the terrorist who are still in there agree to surrender.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Now, those terrorist that Ariel Sharon was talking about, in fact, 200 Palestinians the Israelis say some of those on their most-wanted list for terrorism, they say they are armed and holed up in the Church of the Nativity along with 40 other clergy workers. The Israelis call those clergy workers hostages, however there's a different spin being put on that by the church saying that many of those workers just don't want to leave the church because they are afraid of what may happen if in fact they do leave.

They are charged with the protection of that most holy site. Also, the Israelis there, has been some fighting around Bethlehem. Those tanks are there, even though Ariel Sharon says the job there is done. But they will stay there while the stand off continues. It is now into its ninth day. A very grim scene indeed inside the Church of the Nativity.

The humanitarian groups have been negotiating for some time to try and remove body of a dead Palestinian policemen. He was shot a number of days ago trying to put out a fire. Also shot, an Armenian monk. He was operated last night, said to be in stable position. So all this still going on, a very volatile situation here, Leon, as Secretary of State Colin Powell makes his way towards the region.

HARRIS: You know, John, what I am wondering about right now, as Secretary Powell makes his way to the region, as you say here, Ariel Sharon just said that the troops will remain in these areas until the terrorist are rooted out.

Is he also saying that these operations will continue and that the shootings and perhaps killing as will continue while Secretary Powell is there on the ground?

VAUSE: Yes. That's basically what he is saying, that this is a job, and we have heard it over and over again, this is a job which is only half done. They will do in their own time and their own way. There's been pleas from the Israeli prime minister to the United States to back off. They said don't pressure us. You know we respected your rights in Afghanistan. We supported you. Our flags were at half mast on September 11, give us the chance that we need to dismantle what they say is a terrorist infrastructure.

To pull out now, they say, would be a tragic mistake, something which would seriously hamper their ability to crackdown on the suicide bombers which have caused so many deaths in Israel, especially in the week before the incursions in the Palestinian territories began.

So there's no leeway there from the Israelis, certainly not by any indication that we getting over the last 48 hours from the Israeli prime minister or anybody within the Israeli security cabinet, Leon.

HARRIS: It will be -- all that notwithstanding, John. It will be interesting to see -- how this falls out if there is a large body count while Secretary Powell is there on the ground trying to talk these sides into some peace. We will see how these all play out later on. John Vause in Jerusalem. Thank you.

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