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CNN Live At Daybreak

New Violence in Hebron Today Comes After Weekend of Mideast Diplomacy by Bush Administration

Aired April 29, 2002 - 07:01   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.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Up front this morning, though, the new violence in Hebron today comes after a weekend of Mideast diplomacy by the Bush administration. Those efforts helped to bring about an agreement to end the standoff at the Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's West Bank compound in Ramallah.

Arafat and the Israeli cabinet agreed on the plan involving six Palestinian prisoners, who will be monitored by unarmed American and British officials. Arafat has been trapped in this compound since March. And joining us now with more on the agreement is CNN's White House correspondent, Kelly Wallace -- good morning, Kelly.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Paula. Well, Paula, this is really the first major breakthrough for the Bush administration since it stepped up its engagement in the Middle East over the past month. President Bush clearly wanted to come out and tout this achievement yesterday, making a statement.

He got on the phone on Saturday with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to convince Israel to accept this U.S. compromise, and Secretary of State Colin Powell spoke with Yasser Arafat yesterday. White House officials, though, did not reveal those phone calls until both leaders accepted the plan.

Paula, as you said, Yasser Arafat is agreeing to allow U.S. and British monitors to oversee the imprisonment of those six Palestinian militants who remain inside Yasser Arafat's Ramallah headquarters. Israel, for its part, agreed to pull its troops out of Ramallah and also allow Yasser Arafat to move freely around.

Now, President Bush touted this development as a hopeful sign, but he also put the onus on Yasser Arafat, who has said that he can't really crack down on terror while he is confined to his Ramallah headquarters.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Mr. Arafat must perform. Mr. Arafat must do his job. I have called upon Mr. Arafat in the past. I will continue to call upon Mr. Arafat to lead. Somebody asked me one time a while ago, they said, has he disappointed you? Has he lost your respect? I said, well, he hasn't earned my respect yet. (END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: Now, it is believed that the Saudis also put some pressure on Yasser Arafat. President Bush spoke yesterday with Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. This development should help U.S. credibility in the Arab world, because many Arab leaders have questioned whether the United States was using its influence to convince Israel to withdraw.

Paula, though, big obstacles remain. That is resolving the standoff in Bethlehem and getting Israel to withdraw from other West Bank towns. More discussions to continue when the Israeli prime minister is expected to come to Washington and meet with Mr. Bush probably sometime next week -- Paula.

ZAHN: Well, let's talk about U.S. pressure now on Israel to withdraw its forces from the occupied territories, because overnight we know that the Israelis rolled into Hebron. Any reaction by the White House about that latest incursion?

WALLACE: I was just talking with a senior official about that, who said, no reaction just yet. The administration is trying to ascertain the facts on the ground, but of course, this coming after the agreement that the president was touting yesterday. And, Paula, you will recall President Bush on Friday, he was saying it is time for the military offensive by Israel to end now.

So clearly, there will be more pressure to get Israel to withdraw its troops from Bethlehem, from Hebron and from other West Bank towns. U.S. officials clearly believe the only way to get the two sides to start talking about security issues and then somehow -- somehow start talking about political issues is for the offensive to come to an end. So expect more pressure, more diplomacy, and that should be a subject of conversation during the meeting with the prime minister next week.

ZAHN: And we'll be counting on you to keep us posted.

WALLACE: I'll do that.

ZAHN: Thanks, Kelly Wallace.

WALLACE: OK. Sure.

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