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CNN Live Today

Violence Continues Despite Talks

Aired April 29, 2002 - 12:01   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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: First though today, on a Monday, let's start in the Middle East. More violence, despite the fact that there is continued talk of hope and today there's also talk about the eventual end of two major standoffs, and for the first time since December, Yasser Arafat may be able to leave that town of Ramallah. At last word, he was still inside that compound. Let's get to Ramallah now and Matthew Chance tracking it all from there in the West Bank. Matthew, good evening.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Bill. Good evening to you too. A lot of anticipation around the region, and of course, around the world about the possibility, as you say, of Yasser Arafat emerging from that besieged compound. He's been actually holed up inside since the end of March, although you're right, he's been confined to Ramallah since back in December.

What we already know, of course, is that both the Israeli leadership and the Palestinian leadership have already signed up for the U.S. initiative to effectively bring to an end that siege by placing a team of U.S. and/or British personnel to guard the six wanted Palestinians currently holed up inside that presidential compound, along with Yasser Arafat.

What we don't know at this stage, of course, is the nuts and bolts of exactly how this process is going to work, how the team is going to be made up from the United States and Britain, whether they're going to be a military team of a civilian one, whether they're going to have the kind of responsibility of standing guard over those six individuals for 24 hours, or whether they're simply going to have some kind of means of verification that they're still under guard in a Palestinian Authority jail.

Of course, we have been told by Palestinian officials that they're demanding the prisoners be kept in areas under the control of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank town of Jericho is the place that's being talked about right now.

From Israel's point of view, of course, they're concern is this doesn't turn into some kind of revolving door situation, where as soon as their soldiers leave the outskirts of Yasser Arafat's compound, those six wanted Palestinians are allowed to simply walk free. That is another of the issues. That's exactly why these security talks between Palestinian officials and their British and American counterparts are scheduled to get underway anytime now in fact. They're scheduled for about a half an hour from now. We haven't had any word about them actually beginning yet, but they're getting together to try and work out other things, the nuts and bolts of that agreement after which, of course, when the Israeli troops have left the outskirts of the compound, then we'll be seeing Yasser Arafat probably emerge, of course, into Ramallah for the first time for some time. Bill.

HEMMER: All right, Matthew thanks. Matthew Chance again, live in the West Bank town of Ramallah.

On the U.S. side now, more quiet diplomacy that might be paying off as well; John King, traveling with the President at this hour in Albuquerque, New Mexico, standing by for a speech there. Is the diplomacy working? I guess in some corners, it appears to be anyway. John, good afternoon.

JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon to you, Bill. The White House certainly hopes though, the top priority now, even as they implement this breakthrough to end the Ramallah standoff, trying to end the Bethlehem standoff. Senior administration officials back in Washington say some progress being made on that front. They're hoping for a breakthrough, and they are hoping it comes as early as today. No indications as yet, though, whether that will come.

Now to follow up on what Matthew Chance was just saying, Ari Fleischer, the White House Press Secretary, telling reporters on the way here to Albuquerque from Crawford, Texas that the President views the Ramallah breakthrough as a real note of hope and a breakthrough in the region, still saying a lot of work is to be done.

Now as to the nuts and bolts, Ari Fleischer saying he believes this transfer, the prisoner transfer will take place in the next day or so. The prisoners will be transferred, all six of them, to a facility in the Palestinian territories. They will be guarded by Palestinians, but there will be U.S. and British security experts, and we're told a CIA contingent among them, guarding those prisoners.

That reassurance, of course, to Israel; Israel will pull out and Ari Fleischer saying that Yasser Arafat should be free to travel within the Palestinian territories simultaneous with that prisoner transfer, the White House hoping that this is a positive step that leads to additional positive steps.

Obviously they want to resolve the situation in Bethlehem. They also are hoping to get some formal agreement on a cease fire and, under pressure from Saudi Arabia and others, hoping to at least have conversations about a broader political dialog.

Some believe that's too optimistic, though right now given the tension and the continuing distrust, mainly for the next 24 to 48 hours, the top priority will be implementing this agreement, ending the standoff in Ramallah, and then putting pressure on Yasser Arafat as he is free to travel, as you heard the President say directly yesterday to do more to crack down on terrorism and violence. Bill. HEMMER: John, what are we to make of two fronts here, the Crown Prince extending his stay on the one hand; on the second hand, knowing the Prime Minister of Israel should be in Washington possibly in about two weeks' time to sit down face-to-face with President Bush? Is there a reference here possibly that after the two men have talked, President Bush wants to go to the Israeli Prime Minister and say, OK, here's what we think we can work toward. What do you think about this plan?

KING: Certainly by the time Prime Minister Sharon reaches Washington, the White House is hoping for additional progress, hopes the Ramallah agreement is working well, hopes the Bethlehem standoff has been resolved and then you put to the test Mr. Sharon's own stated commitment that he is willing to have some sort of a peace conference, that he is willing to enter into comprehensive peace with his neighbors. Of course, the bit obstacle there is Mr. Sharon has said so far he is not willing to deal with Yasser Arafat. It may take even more high stakes intervention from President Bush to overcome that hurdle.

As for the Saudi Crown Prince staying, this administration's strategy is based on keeping Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan involved every step of the way. They believe a critical failure of the Clinton Administration at Camp David was that President Clinton tried to negotiate directly with the Israelis and the Palestinians, and then at the very end, begged for help from the Arab states to sell Yasser Arafat on that agreement. Those states at the time said, we've had no part in these negotiations. We don't know the details. We don't know what is going on. How can you ask us to help?

The Bush Administration wants the Arabs in lock step from this point forward hoping, and some say perhaps too optimistically, that if you can resolve the immediate security situation on the ground, then you can explore a dialog for some sort of a peace agreement. Bill.

HEMMER: John, let me hit you on another thing too. I want to go back to your previous answer about these U.S. monitors working possibly in the town of Jericho to guard at least a half dozen Palestinian inmates of sorts. How strong is the suggestion right now for any lasting peace to settle in the region? Will U.S. monitors, or possibly even peacekeepers, soldiers, be essentially sent to the ground in the West Bank and possibly in Gaza?

KING: Well, that is an interesting debate, not only in the context of the international discussions, but also in the context of domestic politics. President Bush has said consistently, he is fine with monitors, unarmed or lightly armed U.S. officials providing security, watching if there is a cease fire or any type of border agreements, watching to see if there are violations.

The President has said he does not want to put U.S. military personnel, armed troops, on the ground in the Middle East. The Saudis have said he should. Many of the Europeans believe there needs to be an international peacekeeping force. The President has not yielded in his opposition to that yet, although he is under some pressure and here, domestically, that is a debate now gaining some steam if you will.

The Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle said on Sunday that he was open to the idea of peacekeepers. His Republican counterpart, Trent Lott, said no way. There should not be armed U.S. military personnel on the ground between two parties, who still clearly don't like each other, amid continuing violence.

So as this debate continues, if there is progress, with that progress will come equally difficult and very controversial debates, like peacekeepers.

HEMMER: If is a big word. It can be used quite often in the Middle East. Thank you, John, John King again traveling with the President in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

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