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CNN Live Today

Israelis Enter Hebron as Talks Make Progress on Arafat Detainment

Aired April 29, 2002 - 10:26   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.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Speaking of violence, we move on to the Mideast. The Israeli military is on the move even as progress is being made elsewhere to end the standoff at Yasser Arafat's Ramallah compound. Our Jerrold Kessel is monitoring all of the activity for us, and we go to him now -- Jerrold, hello.

JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Daryn. It's really not the kind of stability, not quite the kind of stability, not quite the kind of scenes that President Bush might have been hoping for with his deal brokered yesterday between the Israelis and Palestinians. As Israeli tanks and troops, backed by helicopter gunships, the troops and tanks thrusting into the Palestinian town of Hebron on the West Bank, and in a good deal of clashes there, were nine Palestinians reported killed. Israel reports no casualties. Also dozens of Palestinians suspected of being involved in terror activities, the Israelis say, have been rounded up for questioning.

Now, the Israelis say this will be a limited operation aimed at uprooting the sources of Palestinian terror in this town, they say. The Palestinians are saying though it is an act of bad faith that every time they try to open the door, show goodwill to go into a new arena of relations, Ariel Sharon shuts it and slams it in their faces. And they say he is trying to undermine what President Bush and the British have done by this intervention with regard to Yasser Arafat's situation in Ramallah.

But even despite this anger over the latest Israeli action in a Palestinian town, the Palestinian focus very much on when, just when, Yasser Arafat will be able to see that long siege. It has been over four months that he has been confined to Ramallah, a month that he has been confined to his headquarters, that compound, within the Palestinian town by Israel's prime minister.

And now with this deal brokered by President Bush, his proposal that British and U.S. jailers will stand guard over the six wanted Palestinians whom Israel wanted to try in another jail. We understand now it will be in Jericho on the West Bank, and once those procedures are in place, then the Palestinians say they expect it to be within just a day or two at that most at Yasser Arafat will be out from that siege.

And the big question, however, they know is that he has the onus on him. As President Bush made it absolutely plain yesterday that the onus is on him to show that he not only needs to talk against terror, but to act against terror. The Palestinians know that very much -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Jerrold, maybe as this is developing, you don't have the answers to this, because they are still figuring out as they go. But explain to me a little bit better how this warden thing is going to work as the British and the U.S. work at that. It just seems to me it has the potential to draw British and U.S. interests into this mess even more.

KESSEL: Draw into the mess or perhaps override it, and that's a key question. I think you are absolutely right, that there are some misgivings. But by and large, you could probably say it is more a welcoming and relief that this is taking place. What we understand will happen, but we are not absolutely sure, are the technicalities, and in fact British and American experts are due in Ramallah this afternoon to try to sort it out with the Palestinians.

But we understand that the six men, five of whom are with Mr. Arafat in his headquarters, will be transferred to an old British fort, which will function as a jail, has functioned as a jail under the Israelis when their occupation, also under the Palestinian Authority. They will be there. And the American and British will be stationed there to make sure that there is none of what the Israelis have always labeled on the Palestinian side, a revolving door policy in their jails once they have committed sentence, then there comes a time they are let out.

The Palestinians say it's equally good for them, because the Israelis have targeted so many jails of their jails in the past. This will mean they won't be able to target them with the Americans and British guards there. It remains to be seen if it will work out. It remains to be seen if it's the first foot in the door of a greater U.S. and British and other involvement in the West Bank. It could be a critical move -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Yes. Well, if nothing else, it seems like a step toward progress instead of what we have been witnessing in recent months. Jerrold Kessel, thank you so much.

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