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CNN Live Today
Holy Land Holy Days
Aired April 18, 2003 - 11:22 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, CNN ANCHOR: You're looking at live pictures from The Vatican, where they are celebrating the Passion of the Lord. The pope is there as well. You can't see him right now. This, of course, Good Friday, just one of the many events going on marking this Good Friday, the holy day that marks the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
But in Jerusalem, the crowd was much smaller this year than in past years.
CNN's Kelly Wallace joins us to explain some of the reasons why -- Kelly.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Anderson, the crowd's smaller, because the ongoing violence, the now 30-month old current conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians keeping many Christians away, but not all. You can see hundreds of Christian pilgrims turned out for the annual Good Friday procession, this walking along the Viadelarosa (ph) in the old city in Jerusalem, following the 14 stations of the cross. This tradition retracing the original route Jesus Christ is believed to have taken before thinks crucifixion, this coming as Christians here in Jerusalem and around the world prepare to celebrate Easter on Sunday.
Now this is also a holy time for Jews, as they continue to celebrate the weeklong holiday of Passover under very tight security. Access into Israel from the Palestine territories is restricted. You can see Israeli police officers throughout the city, this because Israeli officials have received multiple intelligence warnings that Palestinian militants could be planning to carry out suicide attacks during the Passover holiday, and everyone remembers what happened last year. It was the deadliest suicide bombing during this current Palestinian uprising against Israel, a suicide bomber blowing himself up inside a hotel in northern Israel, killing 29 Israelis sitting down for Passover, Sader (ph) dinner.
Now at the same time, there is a sense that there could be some movement when it comes to the Middle East peace process. Israeli officials are saying once the newly appointed Palestinian prime minister, who's commonly known as Abu Massan (ph) gets his cabinet together, sworn in and approved, well, then the Israelis say they will take some steps, easing travel restrictions on the Palestinians, which the Palestinians say amount to collective punishment, possibly also withdrawing from some Palestinian territories. These are moves the Americans very much want to see Israel take to try to improve the atmosphere after that so-called road map for Middle East peace is expected to be presented to both sides in the next week or two -- Anderson. COOPER: Kelly, I've seen Saeb Erakat making a statement about the Palestinian terrorist Abu Abbas, who is now in U.S. custody. Have we heard anything more from the Palestinian Authority about what they want done with Abu Abbas?
WALLACE: Their position remains the same, Anderson. They believe the arrest by U.S. forces of Abu Abbas, a member of the Palestinian Liberation organization, violates an amnesty agreement between the Israelis and the Palestinians, cosigned, according to Palestinians, by the United States, part of the Oslo Peace Accords. The agreement is any member of the PLO could not be arrested for any violent acts committed before 1993. Abu Abbas, as we know, taken noon custody for the Achille Lauro and the killing of American Jew Leon Klinghoffer. The position, though, of the Americans is they are not a party to the agreement. That was between the Israelis and the Palestinians, so the United States is not bound by it, and of course, they say it was taking place, the arrest, in a third country, in this case in Baghdad, Iraq.
COOPER: Of course, it seems likely he will end up in Italy, where he has already been convicted in absentia. Kelly Wallace, thanks very much for that report.
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 April 18, 2003 - 11:22 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON, CNN ANCHOR: You're looking at live pictures from The Vatican, where they are celebrating the Passion of the Lord. The pope is there as well. You can't see him right now. This, of course, Good Friday, just one of the many events going on marking this Good Friday, the holy day that marks the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
But in Jerusalem, the crowd was much smaller this year than in past years.
CNN's Kelly Wallace joins us to explain some of the reasons why -- Kelly.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Anderson, the crowd's smaller, because the ongoing violence, the now 30-month old current conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians keeping many Christians away, but not all. You can see hundreds of Christian pilgrims turned out for the annual Good Friday procession, this walking along the Viadelarosa (ph) in the old city in Jerusalem, following the 14 stations of the cross. This tradition retracing the original route Jesus Christ is believed to have taken before thinks crucifixion, this coming as Christians here in Jerusalem and around the world prepare to celebrate Easter on Sunday.
Now this is also a holy time for Jews, as they continue to celebrate the weeklong holiday of Passover under very tight security. Access into Israel from the Palestine territories is restricted. You can see Israeli police officers throughout the city, this because Israeli officials have received multiple intelligence warnings that Palestinian militants could be planning to carry out suicide attacks during the Passover holiday, and everyone remembers what happened last year. It was the deadliest suicide bombing during this current Palestinian uprising against Israel, a suicide bomber blowing himself up inside a hotel in northern Israel, killing 29 Israelis sitting down for Passover, Sader (ph) dinner.
Now at the same time, there is a sense that there could be some movement when it comes to the Middle East peace process. Israeli officials are saying once the newly appointed Palestinian prime minister, who's commonly known as Abu Massan (ph) gets his cabinet together, sworn in and approved, well, then the Israelis say they will take some steps, easing travel restrictions on the Palestinians, which the Palestinians say amount to collective punishment, possibly also withdrawing from some Palestinian territories. These are moves the Americans very much want to see Israel take to try to improve the atmosphere after that so-called road map for Middle East peace is expected to be presented to both sides in the next week or two -- Anderson. COOPER: Kelly, I've seen Saeb Erakat making a statement about the Palestinian terrorist Abu Abbas, who is now in U.S. custody. Have we heard anything more from the Palestinian Authority about what they want done with Abu Abbas?
WALLACE: Their position remains the same, Anderson. They believe the arrest by U.S. forces of Abu Abbas, a member of the Palestinian Liberation organization, violates an amnesty agreement between the Israelis and the Palestinians, cosigned, according to Palestinians, by the United States, part of the Oslo Peace Accords. The agreement is any member of the PLO could not be arrested for any violent acts committed before 1993. Abu Abbas, as we know, taken noon custody for the Achille Lauro and the killing of American Jew Leon Klinghoffer. The position, though, of the Americans is they are not a party to the agreement. That was between the Israelis and the Palestinians, so the United States is not bound by it, and of course, they say it was taking place, the arrest, in a third country, in this case in Baghdad, Iraq.
COOPER: Of course, it seems likely he will end up in Italy, where he has already been convicted in absentia. Kelly Wallace, thanks very much for that report.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com