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CNN Live Saturday
Israel Plans To Expel Yasser Arafat, World Condemns Move
Aired September 13, 2003 - 14:19 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.
FREDERICKA WHITFIELD, CN ANCHOR: Palestinians are rallying behind their embattled leader, Yasser Arafat. Two days ago the Israeli security cabinet announced its intention to expel the Palestinian leader. There has been vocal protests against it ever since. In the latest demonstration hundreds of school children converged at Yasser Arafat's headquarters in Ramallah to show solidarity.
There has also been international condemnation of the Israeli move. The United States has been among those nations discouraging Israel's call for exile warning it would not help the peace process.
The Israeli decision came after two suicide bombings left 15 Israelis dead. Joining us now to discuss these latest developments and the road ahead is Richard Wolf of "Newsweek" magazine and he's in the CNN Washington Bureau. Good to see you, Richard.
RICHARD WOLF, "NEWSWEEK": Good to be with you, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Well, is it your feeling that Israel is bluffing or it wants to be taken rather seriously?
WOLF: It's a serious bluff. This is clearly an attempt to up the stakes to -- to put pressure on the Palestinians. But I think, frankly, the Bush Administration is right here. This is very counterproductive. All we've seen is a rise in popularity for Yasser Arafat. And if anyone wanted to prove that he remained powerful and still had control over the Palestinian people, the Israelis have done so.
WHITFIELD: And counterproductive because wouldn't this mean that extremist groups such as Fatah or even Hamas might feel kind of galvanized by this push from Israel that there may be an inciting of more potential violence?
WOLF: Absolutely. I mean, if the Israelis go ahead with this, if they really do try to expel him or take some action against his headquarters there's no question this would trigger a huge amount of violence and would radicalize yet more people in the Palestinian cause.
This is the problem for the Israelis. And you've got to have a lot of sympathy for them. They're the only ones who are willing to take the serious action here in terms of tackling terrorism. But every time they do, every step they make backfires.
WHITFIELD: So why would Israel feel so emboldened, why take this kind of step without consulting with the U.S?
WOLF: I think there has been a lot of consultation and a lot of communication going back and forth all the time. But there is this weird kind of language that goes back and forth between the Israelis and the Americans at very different levels.
They don't necessarily look for a green light for actions, including assassination attempts on terrorist leaders. What they look for is not a red light. Maybe a yellow light, if you like. And that kind of tiptoeing around each other is what's happened with Yasser Arafat. Obviously Secretary of State Colin Powell has been very clear on that. You know, they're trying to look for that mixed message to allow them to go forward.
WHITFIELD: We're looking at a live picture right now in Ramallah outside the compound of Yasser Arafat. Perhaps it's not as crowded right now as it was earlier, but of course there's been a lot of concern that as these groups get larger, feeling like they're encouraging Yasser Arafat, that perhaps it might provoke something that others might -- that many might regret.
WOLF: Yeah, absolutely. You know, this is where the Bush Administration and many observers have said are the Israelis really serious about this because it's such a stupid idea. Expelling Arafat, of course, would weaken him to some extent. But modern-day communications means that he could manage his operation from anywhere in the world and also Yasser Arafat could go around the world's capitals gaining the kind of international recognition he can't do in Ramallah.
WHITFIELD: So just because he may not physically be there you're saying there is the fear that he still would be in some part in control, Richard?
WOLF: Yes.
WHITFIELD: Richard Wolf of "Newsweek," thank you very much for joining us, we appreciate it, from Washington.
WOLF: Thank you.
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 13, 2003 - 14:19 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDERICKA WHITFIELD, CN ANCHOR: Palestinians are rallying behind their embattled leader, Yasser Arafat. Two days ago the Israeli security cabinet announced its intention to expel the Palestinian leader. There has been vocal protests against it ever since. In the latest demonstration hundreds of school children converged at Yasser Arafat's headquarters in Ramallah to show solidarity.
There has also been international condemnation of the Israeli move. The United States has been among those nations discouraging Israel's call for exile warning it would not help the peace process.
The Israeli decision came after two suicide bombings left 15 Israelis dead. Joining us now to discuss these latest developments and the road ahead is Richard Wolf of "Newsweek" magazine and he's in the CNN Washington Bureau. Good to see you, Richard.
RICHARD WOLF, "NEWSWEEK": Good to be with you, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Well, is it your feeling that Israel is bluffing or it wants to be taken rather seriously?
WOLF: It's a serious bluff. This is clearly an attempt to up the stakes to -- to put pressure on the Palestinians. But I think, frankly, the Bush Administration is right here. This is very counterproductive. All we've seen is a rise in popularity for Yasser Arafat. And if anyone wanted to prove that he remained powerful and still had control over the Palestinian people, the Israelis have done so.
WHITFIELD: And counterproductive because wouldn't this mean that extremist groups such as Fatah or even Hamas might feel kind of galvanized by this push from Israel that there may be an inciting of more potential violence?
WOLF: Absolutely. I mean, if the Israelis go ahead with this, if they really do try to expel him or take some action against his headquarters there's no question this would trigger a huge amount of violence and would radicalize yet more people in the Palestinian cause.
This is the problem for the Israelis. And you've got to have a lot of sympathy for them. They're the only ones who are willing to take the serious action here in terms of tackling terrorism. But every time they do, every step they make backfires.
WHITFIELD: So why would Israel feel so emboldened, why take this kind of step without consulting with the U.S?
WOLF: I think there has been a lot of consultation and a lot of communication going back and forth all the time. But there is this weird kind of language that goes back and forth between the Israelis and the Americans at very different levels.
They don't necessarily look for a green light for actions, including assassination attempts on terrorist leaders. What they look for is not a red light. Maybe a yellow light, if you like. And that kind of tiptoeing around each other is what's happened with Yasser Arafat. Obviously Secretary of State Colin Powell has been very clear on that. You know, they're trying to look for that mixed message to allow them to go forward.
WHITFIELD: We're looking at a live picture right now in Ramallah outside the compound of Yasser Arafat. Perhaps it's not as crowded right now as it was earlier, but of course there's been a lot of concern that as these groups get larger, feeling like they're encouraging Yasser Arafat, that perhaps it might provoke something that others might -- that many might regret.
WOLF: Yeah, absolutely. You know, this is where the Bush Administration and many observers have said are the Israelis really serious about this because it's such a stupid idea. Expelling Arafat, of course, would weaken him to some extent. But modern-day communications means that he could manage his operation from anywhere in the world and also Yasser Arafat could go around the world's capitals gaining the kind of international recognition he can't do in Ramallah.
WHITFIELD: So just because he may not physically be there you're saying there is the fear that he still would be in some part in control, Richard?
WOLF: Yes.
WHITFIELD: Richard Wolf of "Newsweek," thank you very much for joining us, we appreciate it, from Washington.
WOLF: Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
