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CNN Live At Daybreak
Another Funeral Amid Efforts at a Cease-Fire
Aired June 16, 2003 - 05:32 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.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: To the Middle East crisis now, another funeral amid efforts at a cease-fire. Hundreds of Palestinians attended the funeral of a man the Israelis said was a militant. He was killed earlier Sunday in a battle with Israeli troops.
The funeral comes as Egyptian security officials are meeting with Palestinian militant groups. They're trying to coax Hamas and others into resuming cease-fire talks with Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas. Hamas backed out of cease-fire talks after Abbas pledged earlier this month to crack down on terrorists.
We want to get the picture right now in the Middle East, so let's go live to Jerusalem and Jerrold Kessel -- good morning, Jerrold.
What's happening there now?
JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
And the fact that the NBA championship was decided last night means it should be appropriate to use some basketball terminology. What we've seen seeing is a full court press on Hamas, on the Islamic militant group to get on board a cease-fire, a truce, and to stop its attacks on Israelis. And it seems to be working. Only a few days ago, we were hearing about the possibility of all out war between Hamas and Israel, both sides talking in that tone. But now it's all talk about the possibility of a cease-fire.
And leading the full court press, the United States. We heard President Bush yesterday saying that there must be a crackdown on Hamas alongside the efforts to get that peace initiative under way, and that seems to be making an impact.
On the ground, it's the Egyptians who are making the running. Their -- a top level delegation has been meeting with all the Palestinian militant factions, also with the Palestinian Authority, and telling Hamas in no uncertain terms they must go on board with a cease-fire.
And the indications are moving in that direction.
Israel, of course, over the last week, was mounting its own pressure by targeting Hamas leaders and senior Hamas operatives down in Gaza. And now we have from the Palestinian Authority of Mahmoud Abbas, top Palestinian cabinet officials saying that there's a prospect within the 48 hours to come that there will be a cease-fire and Hamas will sign onto it. The attempt is being made to work this into an agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, whereby the Israeli forces will be withdrawn from some of the areas they have reoccupied, first in northern Gaza, and that those areas will be taken over, responsibility for security in those areas to go with the Palestinian security forces of Mahmoud Abbas, the new Palestinian prime minister.
A sudden degree of hope that perhaps that peace initiative launched 10 days ago that nearly seemed to collapse in the welter of violence of last week may now just be salvaged -- Carol.
COSTELLO: All right, Jerrold Kessel live from Jerusalem this morning.
How do you enforce what Jerrold was talking about? Would there be U.S. troops in the Middle East to do just that?
Well, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee says it might be a good idea. Richard Lugar says an international force, including U.S. troops, could be used to fight Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. RICHARD LUGAR (R-IA), FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE: I would not rule out entirely United States participation, because I believe success is very important. I think the president has staked American credibility on that and we must be successful.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Israel's vice prime minister says he doesn't think U.S. troops in the region would be a good idea.
We're going to get more on the Bush administration's stance regarding the Middle East in the next hour of DAYBREAK when we are joined live by our Senior White House Correspondent John King.
And you can review the background to the crisis in the Middle East and learn all the key players by go onto our Web site. It is easy. Just click onto cnn.com, AOL keyword CNN.
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 16, 2003 - 05:32 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: To the Middle East crisis now, another funeral amid efforts at a cease-fire. Hundreds of Palestinians attended the funeral of a man the Israelis said was a militant. He was killed earlier Sunday in a battle with Israeli troops.
The funeral comes as Egyptian security officials are meeting with Palestinian militant groups. They're trying to coax Hamas and others into resuming cease-fire talks with Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas. Hamas backed out of cease-fire talks after Abbas pledged earlier this month to crack down on terrorists.
We want to get the picture right now in the Middle East, so let's go live to Jerusalem and Jerrold Kessel -- good morning, Jerrold.
What's happening there now?
JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
And the fact that the NBA championship was decided last night means it should be appropriate to use some basketball terminology. What we've seen seeing is a full court press on Hamas, on the Islamic militant group to get on board a cease-fire, a truce, and to stop its attacks on Israelis. And it seems to be working. Only a few days ago, we were hearing about the possibility of all out war between Hamas and Israel, both sides talking in that tone. But now it's all talk about the possibility of a cease-fire.
And leading the full court press, the United States. We heard President Bush yesterday saying that there must be a crackdown on Hamas alongside the efforts to get that peace initiative under way, and that seems to be making an impact.
On the ground, it's the Egyptians who are making the running. Their -- a top level delegation has been meeting with all the Palestinian militant factions, also with the Palestinian Authority, and telling Hamas in no uncertain terms they must go on board with a cease-fire.
And the indications are moving in that direction.
Israel, of course, over the last week, was mounting its own pressure by targeting Hamas leaders and senior Hamas operatives down in Gaza. And now we have from the Palestinian Authority of Mahmoud Abbas, top Palestinian cabinet officials saying that there's a prospect within the 48 hours to come that there will be a cease-fire and Hamas will sign onto it. The attempt is being made to work this into an agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, whereby the Israeli forces will be withdrawn from some of the areas they have reoccupied, first in northern Gaza, and that those areas will be taken over, responsibility for security in those areas to go with the Palestinian security forces of Mahmoud Abbas, the new Palestinian prime minister.
A sudden degree of hope that perhaps that peace initiative launched 10 days ago that nearly seemed to collapse in the welter of violence of last week may now just be salvaged -- Carol.
COSTELLO: All right, Jerrold Kessel live from Jerusalem this morning.
How do you enforce what Jerrold was talking about? Would there be U.S. troops in the Middle East to do just that?
Well, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee says it might be a good idea. Richard Lugar says an international force, including U.S. troops, could be used to fight Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. RICHARD LUGAR (R-IA), FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE: I would not rule out entirely United States participation, because I believe success is very important. I think the president has staked American credibility on that and we must be successful.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Israel's vice prime minister says he doesn't think U.S. troops in the region would be a good idea.
We're going to get more on the Bush administration's stance regarding the Middle East in the next hour of DAYBREAK when we are joined live by our Senior White House Correspondent John King.
And you can review the background to the crisis in the Middle East and learn all the key players by go onto our Web site. It is easy. Just click onto cnn.com, AOL keyword CNN.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
