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CNN Live At Daybreak
Israel Official: Killing Arafat is One Option
Aired September 15, 2003 - 06:08 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: Elsewhere in the Middle East, Israel is talking tough about getting rid of Yasser Arafat. A top government official says killing the Palestinian leader is an option.
Why such a drastic statement, and what's been the fallout? For that, let's take you live to Jerusalem and CNN's Jerrold Kessel.
Good morning -- Jerrold.
JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
It's certainly an explosive situation. And the question being asked, say what you mean when you mean -- when you say getting rid of, and that's what Israel has been trying to explain since its fairly explosive statement on Thursday evening, when the Security Cabinet said it wants to remove what it called the obstacles of peace, the obstacle Israel defines as Yasser Arafat, saying he is an obstacle in the way to peace, and saying that he is a terror leader.
Well, one thing I can tell you for sure Carol, the Israelis would like Yasser Arafat out of the way. Another thing for sure, they're not bending in the face of international criticism about that decision in principle.
But whether they'll go ahead and actually implement that decision and get rid of Yasser Arafat in one way or another, that's a dubious message, especially as we have heard Secretary of State Colin Powell underlining the U.S. position that the United States doesn't believe it will be at all helpful to have another very destabilizing factor plague the Middle East region if Yasser Arafat were to be pushed out of the way one way or another.
But one Israeli minister, the Vice Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, has been adding fuel to the fire by saying getting rid of Yasser Arafat might not mean only expelling him; it might mean killing him. And said Mr. Olmert, maybe that's a moral thing to do given Mr. Arafat's support of terror -- so said the Israeli vice prime minister.
Certainly an explosive situation. Israel slightly muddying the waters as to its policy, but that doesn't alleviate the very, very volatile situation -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Jerrold Kessel live from Jerusalem this morning.
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 15, 2003 - 06:08 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Elsewhere in the Middle East, Israel is talking tough about getting rid of Yasser Arafat. A top government official says killing the Palestinian leader is an option.
Why such a drastic statement, and what's been the fallout? For that, let's take you live to Jerusalem and CNN's Jerrold Kessel.
Good morning -- Jerrold.
JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
It's certainly an explosive situation. And the question being asked, say what you mean when you mean -- when you say getting rid of, and that's what Israel has been trying to explain since its fairly explosive statement on Thursday evening, when the Security Cabinet said it wants to remove what it called the obstacles of peace, the obstacle Israel defines as Yasser Arafat, saying he is an obstacle in the way to peace, and saying that he is a terror leader.
Well, one thing I can tell you for sure Carol, the Israelis would like Yasser Arafat out of the way. Another thing for sure, they're not bending in the face of international criticism about that decision in principle.
But whether they'll go ahead and actually implement that decision and get rid of Yasser Arafat in one way or another, that's a dubious message, especially as we have heard Secretary of State Colin Powell underlining the U.S. position that the United States doesn't believe it will be at all helpful to have another very destabilizing factor plague the Middle East region if Yasser Arafat were to be pushed out of the way one way or another.
But one Israeli minister, the Vice Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, has been adding fuel to the fire by saying getting rid of Yasser Arafat might not mean only expelling him; it might mean killing him. And said Mr. Olmert, maybe that's a moral thing to do given Mr. Arafat's support of terror -- so said the Israeli vice prime minister.
Certainly an explosive situation. Israel slightly muddying the waters as to its policy, but that doesn't alleviate the very, very volatile situation -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Jerrold Kessel live from Jerusalem this morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
