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U.S. Plan to End Middle East Siege To Be Implemented Today

Aired April 29, 2002 - 06:11   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: A U.S. plan to end a month-long siege at Yasser Arafat's headquarters in Ramallah is being implemented today.

CNN's Elaine Quijano joins us live from Washington to explain how this plan evolved -- Elaine.

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

British and U.S. security experts are set to arrive in the Middle East today as part of an agreement to turn over Palestinians wanted by Israel.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

QUIJANO (voice-over): For more than four weeks, Israeli soldiers have surrounded Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's West Bank headquarters in Ramallah, now a step towards an end to the standoff.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We hope to conclude it as soon as possible. And I don't see any reason why the siege on President Arafat should continue for any minute.

QUIJANO: This weekend, Palestinian leaders accepted a proposal by President Bush calling for U.S. and British security forces to guard six Palestinians wanted by Israel. Those six are to be held in a jail in the Palestinian territories. At least five of those wanted are in Arafat's Ramallah compound.

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. As we work to improve the security situation in the region, all of us must step up our efforts to bring humanitarian relief and economic assistance to the Palestinian people.

QUIJANO: Israel has endorsed the plan, which allows Yasser Arafat to travel freely in the West Bank and Gaza. He had been confined to his headquarters since March 29 when Israeli forces moved in on his compound. Under the agreement, Israel would also withdrawal its troops from Ramallah.

(END VIDEOTAPE) QUIJANO: Now it's not clear exactly when Israeli forces would withdrawal from Yasser Arafat's compound. Meanwhile, White House officials say Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is set to meet with President Bush in a couple of weeks.

We're live in Washington. I'm Elaine Quijano. Carol, back to you.

COSTELLO: Ariel Sharon will be coming to Washington, correct?

QUIJANO: That is what we understand at this point those are his plans to come here to the Washington, D.C. area the week after next -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right, Elaine Quijano reporting live for us from Washington.

One more note on this, this report from the Associated Press. Those six men inside Arafat's besieged compound on the West Bank town of Ramallah, they will be moved to Jericho within the next day or so. This is according to the Palestinian Information Minister Yasser Abib Rabo (ph). He talked to the Associated Press. And as soon as those six men have left Arafat's headquarters, the Palestinian leader will be free to move. So we'll see what happens and continue to follow the events.

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