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CNN Live At Daybreak

In Middle East Today, Israeli Forces Entered More West Bank Communities

Aired April 26, 2002 - 06:02   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.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: In the Middle East today, Israeli forces entered more West Bank communities and most of the young people who walked out of that besieged Church of the Nativity yesterday are expected to go home today.

CNN's John Vause joins us again from Bethlehem with more -- good morning to you again, John.

JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning again, Carol.

Well, no talks scheduled here in Bethlehem to try and end this stand-off here at the Church of the Nativity. A fourth round of discussions ended last night but both the Israelis and the Palestinians have agreed to a fifth round of negotiations. Those are yet to be scheduled.

What we're being told is that the Palestinians now want to meet with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and CNN has been told by a source close to these negotiations that the Israelis have actually given permission to release one delegate to go to Ramallah to see Yasser Arafat in his compound where he's been holed up since last month, since the incursions began.

Now, as we talked about those teenagers, those young Palestinians who walked from the church yesterday, well, as you said, eight of those are now at home with their families. But one is being held. A 19-year-old man is being questioned by the IDF. They believe that he may have some links to the Palestinian gunmen who remain inside the Church of the Nativity. A spokesman for the IDF told CNN that he will be questioned over the next few days and then he'll either be charged or he, too, will be released.

Now, one of those other teenagers who came out of the church confirmed all those reports that we have been hearing about the conditions inside. This teenager said that basically there is no food. They've been surviving on lemon peels and grass. He also said that everybody inside that church is, in fact, free to go, which certainly counters what the Israelis have been saying, that everybody inside that church is being held hostage.

Now, also this teenager said that those Palestinian gunmen inside are very, very determined not to give up and, in fact, he said they will reject any proposal which involves any Palestinians being deported or sent into exile to a third country.

Now, overnight the Israeli Army was, in fact, again on the move, this time into the West Bank town of Qalqilya as well as three other nearby villages. Witnesses counted about 15 tanks and APCs entering that town in a predawn raid. Thirteen Palestinians, at least 13 Palestinians were arrested as part of those predawn sweeps.

Now, also there's been some movement on the diplomatic front. This regarding that U.N. fact finding team to the Jenin refugee camp. The Israelis have been asking for a number of compromises in that fact finding team. They wanted two extra military advisers to go along on that fact finding mission. They got that.

Now those military advisers will look specifically at terrorism and also if, in fact, Jenin was, in fact, a base for terrorists. The Israelis say that Jenin is, in fact, the suicide bomb making capital of the world. The Israelis also want that fact finding mission to be limited specifically to Jenin and they also say that they want immunity for any Israeli who testifies to that fact finding team.

Also, the Israelis want a simple statement of fact at the end of this. They don't want any conclusions to be presented in any final report.

Now, that U.N. team will leave and will arrive in the region as scheduled. It should arrive here over the weekend -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right, John Vause reporting live from Bethlehem with an update, thank you very much.

President Bush says he and Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah forged a personal bond during their face to face talks. However, there are still a lot of differences over the Middle East violence.

As for the crown prince, he has a stern warning for Mr. Bush.

CNN's White House correspondent Major Garrett has that for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MAJOR GARRETT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The crown prince arrived in Crawford to deliver a blunt warning -- get Israel out of Palestinian territories or face what a top Saudi official described as "grave consequences." The Saudis say the U.S. can't expect Palestinians to negotiate security, peace or anything else while their leader remains under siege in Ramallah.

For his part, the president intensified his now repeated calls for complete Israeli withdrawals.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I made it clear to him that I expected Israel to withdraw, just like I've made it clear to Israel. And we expect them to be finished. He knows my position.

GARRETT: The president also told Abdullah suicide bomb attacks against Israel had to end.

BUSH: We discussed the need for Arab states to condemn terror, to stop incitement of violence and as part of a long-term peace to accept Israel as a nation and a neighbor.

GARRETT: The Saudis' chief complaint is that the U.S. doesn't use the leverage of more than $3 billion in annual aid to Israel to restrain its military.

PRINCE SAUD AL-FAISAL, SAUDI FOREIGN MINISTER: And if there is any frustration it is a frustration when they see that this influence is not being used.

GARRETT: Aside from the Middle East, the president also sought a guarantee from the Saudis that they would never withhold oil exports to change U.S. policy in the region. The president got it.

BUSH: Saudi Arabia made it clear and has made it clear publicly that they will not use oil as a weapon, and I appreciate that, respect that and expect that to be the case.

GARRETT (on camera): For the president, personal relationships define diplomatic possibilities. His first ever meeting with the crown prince lasted two hours longer than scheduled. There was even time for the crown prince to ride in the president's pickup truck surveying his ranch. And it's times like this, the president said, that can defuse tensions now and quite possibly pay diplomatic dividends later.

Major Garrett, CNN, Crawford, Texas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: If you want to know more, it's easy to find out. All you have to do is turn to our Web site for complete coverage of the Saudi prince's visit. You can also check out a video on the history of U.S.-Saudi relations. Go to cnn.com, AOL keyword, of course, CNN.

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