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CNN Live Today

Negotiators Rethink Bethlehem Solution

Aired May 08, 2002 - 12:08   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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Turning now to today's major developments in the Middle East. First, negotiators are rethinking their plan to bring the Bethlehem standoff to an end. The strategy fell apart when no country would step up to take 13 Palestinians as exiles. The accused terrorists have been holed up in the Church of the Nativity now for five weeks. A new proposal would disarm the group and leave them in the church until exile can be arranged.

The region is bracing for Israel's response to the latest suicide bombing attacks. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon used the word "rage" repeatedly in describing his feelings about the terrorism. CNN's Wolf Blitzer heads our special live coverage of the Middle East crisis. He joins us now from Jerusalem. Wolf.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thank you very much, Kyra. There is a sense, an anticipation that's going on here in Israel. The Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is expected to arrive at Ben Gurion Airport shortly. He cut short his visit to the United States, upon hearing the news of that suicide bombing in Rishon Letzion last night.

In anticipation of what the Israel government might authorize the military to do next, the Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat only a short while ago went on Palestinian television and issued a strong statement, warning Palestinians not to engage in these kinds of terrorist attacks. Here's a quick excerpt of what Arafat had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

YASSER ARAFAT, PALESTINIAN LEADER (through translator): I have issued my orders to the Palestinian National Security Forces to confront and to prevent any terror attacks on Israeli civilians no matter which Palestinian factions stand behind us.

At the same time, parallel to this, also to confront any aggression on Palestinian civilians handed out by the Israeli Army or the settlers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: A strong statement from Yasser Arafat, issued in Arabic, on Palestinian television warning against further terrorist actions against Israeli civilians. Other Palestinian groups, militant Palestinian groups, aren't so happy about that. Hamas, the group that claimed credit responsibility for the bombing in Rishon Letzion saying that it is going to continue these efforts as long as Israel continues its occupation.

Carol Lin is standing by in Rishon Letzion. She has an eyewitness account of what is going on over there -- Carol.

CAROL LIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, right now what's going on behind me, as you can see the building itself. This was a third-story gambling parlor. We're going to pan up right now to show you the scene of where it actually happened. Fifteen people died. More than 60 people were wounded.

Some of those people are still clinging to life. And, Wolf, what we understand, the latest casualty in the suicide bombing is the building itself. It is going to have to be torn down. We were evacuated from this building earlier, but we were inside and managed to see the devastation, the blood stains as you walk up the stairs, and you can see how some of the victims had tried to escape some of the devastation.

Charred remains of pool tables and slot machines, it was really a mess and several crews still coming in, some of the Jewish religious community coming in to pick up some of the remains so that there could be a proper burial.

What we understand, Wolf, is that the suicide bomber managed to make it up three flights of stairs carrying a suitcase and he made it to the center of this room where the devastation took place. He opened up a suitcase and the explosion was so massive that investigators are saying it may have been from ten to 15 kilograms of explosives.

We also learned this afternoon that not only did he have the explosives in a suitcase, but he was wearing a belt of explosives as well. Metal shrapnel flew out from the suitcase, flying around the room like bullets.

Again, 15 people killed in this attack, including two parents, a set of parents, where now two children have been left orphans. A cook from a boarding school locally, a beloved cook, as well as a man actually who managed to survive remarkably, Wolf, because one of the tables had overturned during the blast of the explosion and protected him. So, Wolf, what we're seeing right now is the investigators actually preparing the scene for the demolition of this building -- Wolf.

BLITZER: CNN's Carol Lin on the scene in Rishon Letzion, where burials have already begun according to the Jewish tradition to bury the dead as quickly as possible. The Israeli government is holding the Palestinian Authority of Yasser Arafat directly responsible for that attack in Rishon Letzion.

No doubt officials of the White House are standing by, bracing for some sort of Israeli military response. That's where we find out CNN Senior White House Correspondent John King. What's the mood at the White House in anticipation of this Israeli cabinet meeting, which is expected to start immediately upon Sharon's return to Israel -- John.

JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, just moments ago Secretary of Powell out in public talking to reporters. He said, obviously he commented on yesterday's tragic violence, also said that he anticipated others to act in self defense as a result of it.

That a direct reference there to anticipation here at the White House and throughout the administration that Israel will take some strong steps in response to the suicide bombing yesterday, and the question for the administration as it waits the details, waits to see what happens when Prime Minister Sharon returns home is, how will this affect this recent push by the Bush Administration, a very high-level push, including the President himself, to try to nudge the parties toward peace?

In his public comments just a few moments ago, Secretary Powell making clear that the administration is well aware this will very much complicate already delicate diplomacy.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: Yesterday's events were troubling and every time one of these events happen, it takes us off a course that we were on for a while, but I think it's a course that ultimately we have to get back to because no matter how many military operations one conducts or how many suicide bombs are delivered, at the end of the day we have to find a political solution.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KING (voice over): Now President Bush was with Prime Minister Sharon in the Oval Office when word of the bombing came. They knew only little about it when you see them here speaking to reporters. Right after reporters left the room, Prime Minister Sharon was told by a traveling aide that it was a suicide bombing, that there had been a number of deaths and other injuries.

The Prime Minister obviously cut short his trip to rush home. The President offered his condolences. The President echoing the Prime Minister's view that there need to be immediate reforms in the Palestinian Authority, where there is a disagreement as the Israelis are saying, reform the Palestinian Authority before you can have any peace talks. The administration would like to see those two things go hand-in-hand.

KING (on camera): As to what happens next, that will be a subject of discussion here at the White House this afternoon, Jordan's King Abdullah coming in to see President Bush. He was on Capitol Hill a short time ago, meeting with congressional leaders. King Abdullah making clear that in his view, the one way to stop the suicide bombings is to get into peace negotiations.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KING ABDULLAH II, JORDAN: Were we to let suicide bombers or extremists win the day, that means there's no hope for any of us, including the United States, to have peace and stability for ourselves and for our children. So, as awful as these setbacks are, we have to continue to move forward and we have to find a solution, which I think is attainable in the near future.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KING: But given what the Prime Minister of Israel himself called his rage, the expected Israeli military response, no optimism here at all at the White House that there are any peace talks, any political dialog in the near future. The urgent priority for this White House is working with the Palestinian Authority to improve security.

The CIA Director George Tenet will be making his way to the region in the days ahead. His goal, the White House says, to directly pressure Arafat to reform the Palestinian security forces and put them under one unified command -- Wolf.

BLITZER: On that note, John, the Secretary of State, as you heard, saying that George Tenet probably will be back here in the region next week. That may be too late as far as this Israeli government is concerned, in terms of responding. There's widespread anticipation that the Israeli military will move quickly.

Even before the most recent suicide attack in Rishon Letzion, the chief of staff of the Israeli army, Lieutenant General Shaod Mofaz (ph), was saying that if there's more suicide attacks, the next Israeli military response will even be more wide scale than the previous one, which was very, very severe. The administration must be very nervous about that, yet we didn't hear Secretary of State Powell call on Israel to exercise restraint.

KING: That has been tradition in the past, where you have heard either publicly or privately the administration urge the Israeli government to respond with what the diplomats call proportionate force.

You're right. They will watch very closely. Mr. Tenet's schedule likely to be affected by any Israeli military response, but the administration saying Israel has a right to act in self defense, the White House taking pains to note that Mr. Bush himself offered condolences to Mr. Sharon. No pressure, no advice at all on how he should respond, the administration now watching and waiting.

BLITZER: John King at the White House, thank you very much. On top of all of this, there was another terrorist incident in the northern part of Israel in Afula, just south of the Israeli city of Haifa. That's where a suicide bomber apparently had his explosives detonate prematurely.

Look at this video, this robotic tractor, if you will, the arm of this robotic tractor dragging the suicide bomber after those explosives went off, the left leg of the suicide bomber. He's alive. He's in relatively stable condition in an Israeli hospital. Two passersby were lightly injured. Obviously, if that bomb had exploded at the Afula bus station, that's where Israeli police believe the suicide bomber was headed, it could have been a huge, huge disaster.

We're going to continue to follow all of these developments here in the Middle East, everyone bracing for some major decisions by the Israeli cabinet shortly after the Prime Minister returns. That's expected within the next few hours, back to you, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, Wolf Blitzer, thank you so much.

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