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CNN Live Today

Cycle of Violence in Middle East

Aired June 12, 2003 - 11:06   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.


LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: A short time ago, as we said, Israel launched another helicopter attack in Gaza, and the militant group, Hamas, has now issued new threats against Israelis, promises to retaliate.
CNN's Jerusalem bureau chief, Mike Hanna, checks in now live with the very latest -- Mike.

MIKE HANNA, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: Well, Leon, another Israeli operation in Gaza, seven Palestinians killed when an Israeli helicopter fired missiles at a target it says were members of the militant Hamas movement. Well over 30 people have been wounded in this attack.

Among those killed: two known activists of the militant Hamas organization; also killed to be a wife and two daughters of one of these militants.

Israel insists that it will continue to wipe out Hamas and all of those planning or carrying out terror attacks against Israeli targets.

Hamas claimed responsibility for the suicide bomb attack in Jerusalem Wednesday in which 16 people were killed, well over 70 injured. But Israel says this is a strategic decision to take on Hamas. It says it's not necessarily connected to that bus bombing in Jerusalem. It is intent now on stamping out the organization.

Here, the difference in strategy, Ariel Sharon sees no divergence between his acceptance of the U.S.-backed road map and his continued operations against the militants. He says that in order for the road map to be implemented, then those who are planning acts of terror have got to be neutralized. Not the view of the Palestinian Authority, which sees these ongoing Israeli military operations as absolutely sabotaging and undermining any attempt to get that U.S.-backed road map in place.

Both parties now looking for an adjudicator in this ongoing argument. That adjudicator, both parties believe, is the U.S. administration looking for direct intervention from them -- Leon.

HARRIS: Mike, one question that I have for you about all of this is we have yet to see anything in the reports from the press from that region coming from Yasser Arafat, and the suspicion among many has been, the experts, that is, who have been watching this from afar, have been that he has been actually condoning in some way or in some form these acts of terrorism. Has anything been said from his office, anything directly from him in the media there? HANNA: Well, indeed, yes. Yasser Arafat has been very much playing a part behind the scenes, particularly in the whole process of implementing that road map. His prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas, insists that acceptance of the road map was with the backing of Yasser Arafat.

And a short while after that bomb attack in Jerusalem Wednesday, Yasser Arafat was very quick to sharply condemn that bombing attack, as well at the same time as condemning the Israeli military operations, but also calling for an immediate cease-fire, calling as well for international agents to move in and monitor such a cease-fire to ensure that it's enforced.

So, in terms of his public statements, Leon, he is putting himself very firmly behind moves to get some kind of truce or some kind of cessation of violence in place. That is his public position. No evidence whatsoever that there is any other movement behind, although Israelis continue to insist that Yasser Arafat very much behind and encouraging quietly ongoing acts of violence. No evidence to this particular end.

What we do have is Yasser Arafat's public statements, which is a very strong call for a cease-fire and a very strong call for an end to violence on all sides -- Leon.

HARRIS: Understood. Thanks, Mike -- Mike Hanna, CNN's Jerusalem bureau chief, reporting live.

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 June 12, 2003 - 11:06   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: A short time ago, as we said, Israel launched another helicopter attack in Gaza, and the militant group, Hamas, has now issued new threats against Israelis, promises to retaliate.
CNN's Jerusalem bureau chief, Mike Hanna, checks in now live with the very latest -- Mike.

MIKE HANNA, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: Well, Leon, another Israeli operation in Gaza, seven Palestinians killed when an Israeli helicopter fired missiles at a target it says were members of the militant Hamas movement. Well over 30 people have been wounded in this attack.

Among those killed: two known activists of the militant Hamas organization; also killed to be a wife and two daughters of one of these militants.

Israel insists that it will continue to wipe out Hamas and all of those planning or carrying out terror attacks against Israeli targets.

Hamas claimed responsibility for the suicide bomb attack in Jerusalem Wednesday in which 16 people were killed, well over 70 injured. But Israel says this is a strategic decision to take on Hamas. It says it's not necessarily connected to that bus bombing in Jerusalem. It is intent now on stamping out the organization.

Here, the difference in strategy, Ariel Sharon sees no divergence between his acceptance of the U.S.-backed road map and his continued operations against the militants. He says that in order for the road map to be implemented, then those who are planning acts of terror have got to be neutralized. Not the view of the Palestinian Authority, which sees these ongoing Israeli military operations as absolutely sabotaging and undermining any attempt to get that U.S.-backed road map in place.

Both parties now looking for an adjudicator in this ongoing argument. That adjudicator, both parties believe, is the U.S. administration looking for direct intervention from them -- Leon.

HARRIS: Mike, one question that I have for you about all of this is we have yet to see anything in the reports from the press from that region coming from Yasser Arafat, and the suspicion among many has been, the experts, that is, who have been watching this from afar, have been that he has been actually condoning in some way or in some form these acts of terrorism. Has anything been said from his office, anything directly from him in the media there? HANNA: Well, indeed, yes. Yasser Arafat has been very much playing a part behind the scenes, particularly in the whole process of implementing that road map. His prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas, insists that acceptance of the road map was with the backing of Yasser Arafat.

And a short while after that bomb attack in Jerusalem Wednesday, Yasser Arafat was very quick to sharply condemn that bombing attack, as well at the same time as condemning the Israeli military operations, but also calling for an immediate cease-fire, calling as well for international agents to move in and monitor such a cease-fire to ensure that it's enforced.

So, in terms of his public statements, Leon, he is putting himself very firmly behind moves to get some kind of truce or some kind of cessation of violence in place. That is his public position. No evidence whatsoever that there is any other movement behind, although Israelis continue to insist that Yasser Arafat very much behind and encouraging quietly ongoing acts of violence. No evidence to this particular end.

What we do have is Yasser Arafat's public statements, which is a very strong call for a cease-fire and a very strong call for an end to violence on all sides -- Leon.

HARRIS: Understood. Thanks, Mike -- Mike Hanna, CNN's Jerusalem bureau chief, reporting live.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.