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CNN Live At Daybreak

Agreement on U.S. Plan to Break Siege of Ramallah Came Quickly

Aired April 29, 2002 - 05:07   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.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Turning our attention now to the Middle East, we want to get more on the attack on Hebron and efforts to end the siege at Yasser Arafat's headquarters in Ramallah.

CNN's Rula Amin is covering the story in Jerusalem. She joins us now live -- good morning.

RULA AMIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

Just before sunrise today, Israeli tanks moved in the Palestinian town of Hebron, where 400 Jewish settlers live among 120,000 Palestinians. The Palestinian security sources we spoke to say that the army went into the town, imposed a curfew, conducted house to house arrests, that more than 60 Palestinians were arrested. And they're telling us that seven Palestinians were killed during this incursion and the clashes that followed the incursion between the Israeli soldiers and the Palestinians.

This incursion comes just four, two days after Palestinian gunmen went into the settlement of Adora, just a few miles away from Hebron. They killed four Jewish settlers there as they, when they went from one house to another in a shooting spree, including a 5-year-old girl was killed. The army says it's looking for militants who have carried out this attack. They're saying that they intelligence that more attacks are planned and they're trying to intercept it and they have -- that they have arrested suspected militants and collected weapons and explosives.

However, in Ramallah, we are expecting Israeli tanks to start moving away from that town. The stand-off there around Yasser Arafat's compound seems to be coming to an end after Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon accepted Mr. Bush's proposal for a compromise.

Earlier, Mr. Sharon had said he was not going to move his army away from that compound until Yasser Arafat hands over four Palestinians -- six Palestinians, four of them convicted of killing an Israeli cabinet minister. However, Mr. Bush's compromise was that British and U.S. guards would come to Ramallah or to anywhere else in the Palestinian Authority to supervise those suspects who have been convicted in a Palestinian court be imprisoned under their supervision.

We are expecting U.S. and British experts to arrive in Ramallah today to have talks with the Palestinians, to try to sort out the logistics on where those people will be held. They will be held under Palestinian custody, but under the supervision of the U.S. and British guards. We think they may be held in Jericho or Gaza. This is still to be determined. And following that, we are expecting a pullout from the Israeli Army from that town. Palestinian officials are hoping that that move would even come as early as tonight or tomorrow morning -- Carol.

COSTELLO: And, Rula, one more thing that what we want you to fill us in on. The U.N. and its plans to go to Jenin, is that going to happen anytime soon? Where does that stand now?

AMIN: Well, not today, that's for sure, because Israel has not agreed yet to have this mission here. What the Israeli cabinet ministers said yesterday were that the conditions are not right yet to allow this commission to come and to go to Jenin refugee camp. They say they still have concerns that they will continue their contacts with the U.N. officials, trying to work out more details. For example, Israel is concerned about the composition of the team. They want more military experts. They are concerned about Israelis, especially soldiers who will testify for this commission. They want to make sure there is immunity for them.

And so they say they are not allowing this team to come here yet. The Palestinians are very disappointed. They are urging Kofi Annan and the U.N. to send this fact finding mission as soon as possible. They are charging that Israel has committed war crimes in that camp and they want the commission to come here as soon as possible.

Israel says it has nothing to hide. It will cooperate, but when the conditions are ripe and when they see that the commission, the way it's composed is going to bring the truth out -- Carol.

COSTELLO: We'll see what happens.

Thank you.

Rula Amin reporting live for us from Jerusalem this morning.

Agreement on that U.S. plan to break the siege of Ramallah came quickly, as Mideast pacts go.

CNN senior White House correspondent John King has the details for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Finally, a breakthrough, a U.S. brokered deal to end the stand-off in Ramallah. But even in celebration, a blunt challenge to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Chairman Arafat should now seize this opportunity to act decisively in word and in deed against terror directed at Israeli citizens. KING: The month long Israeli siege at Arafat's Ramallah compound has been the flash point of this latest Middle East crisis. Mr. Arafat accuses Israel of trying to cripple his ability to govern. Israel counters that Mr. Arafat is giving refuge to five Palestinians accused of killing an Israeli cabinet minister and a sixth man accused of masterminding a giant arms shipment.

The administration says the compromise gives both sides what they most want. For Israel, assurances the six suspects will be jailed under U.S. and British supervision. And for the Palestinians, a quick Israeli pullback from Ramallah and permission from Mr. Arafat to travel freely within the Palestinian territories.

BUSH: He hasn't earned my respect yet. He must earn my respect by leading.

KING: The American monitors will be security experts, not U.S. troops, and administration sources say the CIA will take the lead in the arrangements. Mr. Bush was in seclusion at his ranch Saturday morning when he secretly called Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to push the new initiative. Secretary of State Powell called Mr. Arafat and U.S. officials say Saudi Arabia also helped sell the deal to the Palestinian leader.

PRINCE SAUD AL-FAISAL, SAUDI FOREIGN MINISTER: This breaking of the impasse presents us with the opportunity to move forward forthwith and expeditiously toward negotiating for a permanent political settlement.

KING: Mr. Bush made the point that much hard work remains and his team is cautious, wary of raising expectations of a return to peace negotiations when there is still a stand-off in Bethlehem and no formal cease-fire in place.

(on camera): Still, the president hailed the Ramallah breakthrough as an important step. And if all goes well, a big if, Mr. Bush will get the chance to test the prospects for even more progress when Prime Minister Sharon visits the White House the week after next.

John King, CNN, Crawford, Texas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And we'll have more live coverage on the crisis in the Middle East a little later on on DAYBREAK.

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