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CNN Live At Daybreak

Concerns Raised Over U.S. Aid to Israel

Aired July 25, 2002 - 06:36   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.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: In Jerusalem, there is new concern this morning that American money is funding Israel's attack on Palestinians.

We're going to go right now to CNN's Chris Burns, who joins us from Jerusalem with that story -- Chris.

CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Anderson, first of all, tensions overnight. There was an attack in the West Bank against an Israeli settler near one of the Jewish settlements on the West Bank. His car was raked by gunfire. He was killed. He was a Jewish rabbi, who was on his way to a Shiva school that he runs inside Israel Proper. In his car, also, a passenger who was seriously wounded.

This, of course, comes all amid tensions in the last few days, ever since Monday night's killing by the Israelis of a leading Hamas militant, the leader of the militant side of the Hamas group, inside Gaza. That attack killing him, but also 14 civilians, mainly children, injuring 150 others.

Now, Hamas and other militant groups are promising revenge, and this, as Israel now is focusing on how to prevent those attacks from happening.

At the same time, though, there is a talk of money. Now, the United States is planning to give the Israelis some $200 million.

Let's go to this headline that we've got here in one of today's papers, "Ha'aretz," where the United States is planning to give Israel $200 million in aid linked to a $29 billion anti-terrorism package that is making its way through Congress.

Now, also, the Palestinians are going to get some $50 million, but only for humanitarian aid. The $200 million aid to the Israelis was promised some two years ago when Israel pulled out of south Lebanon.

Now, this money doesn't have any explicit strings attached. However, the Arab lobby in the United States is demanding that President Bush look into -- investigate the possibility that Israel has violated the Arms Export Limitation law that prevents a country from using weapons for aggression and for attacking civilians.

Now, this, of course, was pitched to the State Department yesterday. The spokesman there, Boucher -- Richard Boucher, came back and answered with this answer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICHARD BOUCHER, STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN: There are provisions of the Arms Export Control Act that require us to make a report to Congress anytime there might have been a substantial violation of the terms of sale of such weapons. We have not made a report like this since the current violence began, but we have made it quite clear we are seriously concerned about some of the Israeli tactics, some of the Israeli actions, concluding targeted killings and actions like this that endanger civilians.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNS: So U.S. pressure, implicit pressure in that regard. Also pressure by the U.S. on the Israelis to release funds without any kind of limitations or monitoring to the Palestinians so they can get on with their work, and perhaps relieve the situation in the territories so that perhaps the Israelis might be able to start pulling out their troops in that region -- Anderson.

COOPER: All right, Chris, thanks very much for joining us live from Jerusalem this morning.

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