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Conflict in the Middle East: Israelis Arrest Key Palestinian
Aired April 15, 2002 - 12:38 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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Now to the latest from the Middle East, there's some diplomatic movement and the arrest of a key Palestinian by the Israelis. Bill Hemmer is in Jerusalem with the story from there.
Great to see you, Bill.
BILL HEMMER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Kyra. Thanks. Good to see you and hear you as well. Good evening from Jerusalem. We're going to up to Beirut in a moment here with Brent Sadler, but first the news from Jerusalem today.
The Israeli government announcing that its military has arrested Marwan Barghouti. This is a man closely linked to Yasser Arafat. They say he ran the Fatah movement. Israel accuses him of links to the military wing of Fatah and also the Al Aqsa Martyr Brigade. He's also said to be the chief coordinator of the Intifada now 18 months running. 1700 dead between both sides since that started a year and a half ago.
He was arrested at a home in Ramallah earlier on Monday. He is in his early 30s. He's married, four children. And we are told he speaks fluent Hebrew, a result of his years inside of Israeli prisons from years ago. In 1994 he was brought back from exile and has been living mainly in Ramallah ever since then.
Marwan Barghouti, we are told, through Israeli government sources that indeed they have arrested him earlier today in Ramallah. We'll get more on that an the fallout and the implications certainly, Kyra, as the day goes on here. But meanwhile, Secretary of State Colin Powell left Jerusalem earlier on Monday headed up to Beirut, Lebanon, first; then later to Damascus, Syria.
As we've been reporting now for two weeks, there is growing concern about a widening regional conflict. Secretary Powell trying to dampen that. To Beirut now and our bureau chief Brent Sadler who's watching it from his position there.
Brent, good evening to you.
BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good evening, Bill. Well Secretary Powell came to Beirut for about three hours, the first of two stop-overs in Lebanon and in neighboring Syria, which is about two hours drive away from the Lebanese capital here. He began at the presidential palace behind me there, meeting first of all with Lebanese President Emile Lahoud.
Now as you said, Bill, tension along the Lebanese-Israeli border has been building over the past couple of weeks. There's been an incremental escalation of violence along the border, related to Hezbollah guerrilla attacks against Israeli occupation troops on a parcel of land called the Shebaa Farms at the foot of the Golan Heights. Now these Hezbollah attacks have been taking place in violation of a United Nations drawn border line established almost two years ago after Israel withdrew its troops from the southern tip of south Lebanon.
Now Secretary Powell was trying to urge all parties, that means Lebanon, and Syria, and Iran to exercise restraint, to try and reign in Hezbollah attacks along that volatile border area. But Secretary Powell did not get any cooperation here from the Lebanese. President Emil Lahoud telling him that as far as Lebanon was concerned those attacks will continue against what's regarded here as legitimate resistance operations armed against the Israel occupation troops they say in that Golan Heights.
Nevertheless, Secretary Powell made it quite clear that he will be continuing with his mission, not only to try and calm the border area, but also to expand on what he's doing between the Israelis and the Palestinians to really looking -- addressing attention towards a comprehensive Middle East Peace process. That, he said, is what President George Bush wanted him to do.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: I know that he will say to you that he is committed to finding a political solution to bring peace to this region. And that is why he sent me here, to talk about ending terror and violence but with the clear understanding that that, in and of itself won't be enough. Just as you said, all the cease- fires in the world will not solve the problem until there is a political solution. And that is our commitment and we will devote all of our energies to it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SADLER: Now Secretary Powell also met with Lebanon's Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri before he left for Syria. In fact, Mr. Hariri had delayed a trip to the U.S. by 24 hours so that he could link up with Powell.
Mr. Hariri will actually be meeting with President Bush in the White House Wednesday, we understand. And indeed President -- Prime Minister Hariri was very clear that he was concerned that if there was not a comprehensive peace settlement in the Middle East and if the U.S. did not take a lead role in trying to effort that, then cease- fires alone would not stop the problems, would not stop the turmoil that's now going on to in the Middle East. This is what Mr. Hariri had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) RAFIQ HARIRI, LEBANESE PRIME MINISTER: I want to say, publicly, that what happened in the recent weeks in West Bank creates a sort of feeling among the Arab world, among the people in the Arab world, and among the leaders of Arab world and this is why we need a strong effort from the United States, and strong commitment from President Bush and the Secretary. And we believe strongly that security is important, very important, but it is not a replacement of the peaceful agreement.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SADLER: Despite Secretary Powell's calls for calm along the Lebanese-Israeli border, do not expect Hezbollah attacks to stop, according to officials and diplomats here, even if the Palestinian and Israelis can reach a cease-fire as part of a political solution.
Back to you, Bill Hemmer.
HEMMER: All right. Brent, thanks. Brent Sadler, our Beirut Bureau Chief, north of our location here in the Middle East.
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