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CNN Live At Daybreak
Demolition of Arafat Compound Stopped
Aired September 23, 2002 - 06:33 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.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: After a three-day onslaught, Israeli forces have stopped destroying buildings in Ramallah. They have sent food and water to people inside.
CNN's Ben Wedeman now covering that situation and joining us live from Ramallah.
Ben -- what's the latest there?
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Catherine, that demolition has ended. It ended about -- last night around sunset when the Israelis stopped, pulled out their bulldozers and jackhammers from the site of Yasser Arafat's compound.
Now, Israeli officials have made it clear, however, that despite the fact they have stopped the demolition, their encirclement of the compound, or rather the building within the compound where the Palestinian leader is housed, will continue.
Now, there are efforts to somehow diffuse this situation. And in fact, just a little while ago, the car of Saeb Erakat -- the gray Mercedes that you can see in the background -- has driven up. He has come here. He told us that for the last three days, he's been trying to get permission from the Israeli authorities to let him enter the compound, to go speak to the Palestinian officials inside to somehow diffuse the situation. However, it doesn't look like that may make much headway.
What Israel is demanding is the surrender of 50 people they say are inside the building. These 50 people, they say, are on their wanted list of individuals involved in terrorist attacks against Israel. But a senior Palestinian official just a little while ago told us that the Palestinian leadership has no intention whatsoever to work out any sort of arrangement to surrender anybody at this point.
Now, as you mentioned, before the Israeli army brought in a very large shipment of food to the compound. Earlier, Palestinian officials had complained that they were running out of food and medicine.
Now, it's a fairly long shopping list that was brought to the Palestinians. It included bread, water, rice, chicken soup powder, coffee, sugar, chick peas, eggs, tea, milk, kidney beans, cigarettes and three cartons of underwear of all sizes. So, at least that problem has been resolved.
There's just some Israeli armor driving up behind us. That's what that clatter is.
Now, despite this operation, there appears to be a good deal of difference of opinion among the Israelis themselves about the wisdom of this operation. Some senior Israeli officials would like to see the Palestinian leader expelled altogether.
But there seems to be a good deal of difference among the Israelis regarding that. They say -- some Israelis say that really the Israeli prime minister has saved Arafat by sparking this large outpouring we've seen in the cities of the West Bank in support of the Palestinian leader.
Back to you -- Catherine.
CALLAWAY: All right, thank you. That's Ben Wedeman in Ramallah.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Aired September 23, 2002 - 06:33 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: After a three-day onslaught, Israeli forces have stopped destroying buildings in Ramallah. They have sent food and water to people inside.
CNN's Ben Wedeman now covering that situation and joining us live from Ramallah.
Ben -- what's the latest there?
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Catherine, that demolition has ended. It ended about -- last night around sunset when the Israelis stopped, pulled out their bulldozers and jackhammers from the site of Yasser Arafat's compound.
Now, Israeli officials have made it clear, however, that despite the fact they have stopped the demolition, their encirclement of the compound, or rather the building within the compound where the Palestinian leader is housed, will continue.
Now, there are efforts to somehow diffuse this situation. And in fact, just a little while ago, the car of Saeb Erakat -- the gray Mercedes that you can see in the background -- has driven up. He has come here. He told us that for the last three days, he's been trying to get permission from the Israeli authorities to let him enter the compound, to go speak to the Palestinian officials inside to somehow diffuse the situation. However, it doesn't look like that may make much headway.
What Israel is demanding is the surrender of 50 people they say are inside the building. These 50 people, they say, are on their wanted list of individuals involved in terrorist attacks against Israel. But a senior Palestinian official just a little while ago told us that the Palestinian leadership has no intention whatsoever to work out any sort of arrangement to surrender anybody at this point.
Now, as you mentioned, before the Israeli army brought in a very large shipment of food to the compound. Earlier, Palestinian officials had complained that they were running out of food and medicine.
Now, it's a fairly long shopping list that was brought to the Palestinians. It included bread, water, rice, chicken soup powder, coffee, sugar, chick peas, eggs, tea, milk, kidney beans, cigarettes and three cartons of underwear of all sizes. So, at least that problem has been resolved.
There's just some Israeli armor driving up behind us. That's what that clatter is.
Now, despite this operation, there appears to be a good deal of difference of opinion among the Israelis themselves about the wisdom of this operation. Some senior Israeli officials would like to see the Palestinian leader expelled altogether.
But there seems to be a good deal of difference among the Israelis regarding that. They say -- some Israelis say that really the Israeli prime minister has saved Arafat by sparking this large outpouring we've seen in the cities of the West Bank in support of the Palestinian leader.
Back to you -- Catherine.
CALLAWAY: All right, thank you. That's Ben Wedeman in Ramallah.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.