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CNN Live Today

United Nations to Send Investigators to Jenin

Aired April 22, 2002 - 14:25   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: The Mideast is the focus today of the United Nations, also. Last hour Secretary-General Kofi Annan announced who he's sending to the region to investigate Palestinian claims of a massacre during the Israeli incursion into the Jenin refugee camp. CNN senior U.N. correspondent Richard Roth now, joining us live with details once again -- Richard.

RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Kyra. A very experienced team of diplomats will head up a U.N. effort to determine exactly what happened in the Palestinian refugee camp in Jenin in the West Bank. The team will organize itself in Geneva this week and then head right to Jenin. The team was led by former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari. Also, Sadako Ogata, former U.N. high commissioner for refugees, and the former Swiss leader of the international committee of the Red Cross.

In response to one question, Kofi Annan, the U.N. secretary- general said this team was going there to establish some facts. It's not going to make a broad judgment whether a war crime was committed.

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KOFI ANNAN, U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL: I'm not sending a team of prosecutors or criminal investigators. And they are not going to be dealing with the legal issue that you have raised. They are going to establish the facts.

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NASSER AL-KIDWA, PALESTINIAN U.N. OBSERVER: We are pleased with the composition of the team. I think those are people with high integrity and credibility. The Palestinian side, at the highest level, and that means President Yasser Arafat, welcomes them and expresses the readiness to cooperate fully.

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ROTH: Israel says it has nothing to hide and will also welcome this am. Richard Roth, CNN, reporting live at the United Nations.

PHILLIPS: Thanks, Richard.

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