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CNN Live At Daybreak
Israeli Threat and the Palestinian Reaction
Aired September 15, 2003 - 05:38 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: Secretary of State Colin Powell also is commenting on Israel's plans for Palestinian President Yasser Arafat. For the third straight day since Israel announced its intention to remove Arafat, his supporters are rallying around him. Now, a top Israeli official says Israel is considering the possibility of killing the Palestinian leader or expelling him.
Powell, appearing on CNN's "Late Edition With Wolf Blitzer," says either option could create more turmoil in the region.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: Right now, in order to keep the road map process moving forward, we believe that they should not take action to harm Mr. Arafat or exile Mr. Arafat.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: We want to take you live to the region now for more on the Israeli threat and the Palestinian reaction.
Jerrold Kessel live in Jerusalem -- good morning, Jerrold.
So, do you think that Israel really will go after Arafat?
JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
Not an easy question, that. I'll tell you one thing for certain, the Israelis would certainly like Yasser Arafat to go away one way or another. Another fact is the Israelis are not backing off in the face of this international criticism for their decision to, as they put it, remove the obstacle to peace, Yasser Arafat -- they described him as such -- to remove him in principle, they said.
But whether they will actually translate their ongoing war on terror, in which context they say this pointed attitude about Yasser Arafat is taken, whether they'll actually go after him, another matter, indeed. Especially given that kind of position adopted by Secretary of State Powell and Israel recognizing that the United States does not want another destabilizing element or factor in the whole region. So it seems highly unlikely that they'll actually implement that decision in principle.
But just to muddy the waters further, perhaps to create that kind of uncertainty which was deliberate on the Israelis' part, came the vice prime minister, Ehud Olmert, yesterday. And he was arguing that the options are not just about expulsion, but really about possibly killing Yasser Arafat. And he was even making the case when he spoke on CNN of the moral duty to do just that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EHUD OLMERT, ISRAELI VICE PRIME MINISTER: How many more civilians must be killed? How many more fathers and daughters who are going to get married the day after the killing are supposed to be killed in a coffee shop in Jerusalem before someone will come and say hey, let's stop the man who has been responsible for all of this? And that's what Israel says and that's what millions of people around the world ask.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KESSEL: Well, perhaps not millions of people asking necessarily, Carol, but certainly the Israelis have created this uncertainty about whether they will act and in what manner they will act, and it certainly is another element, an explosive element in an already explosive situation -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Jerrold Kessel reporting live from Jerusalem this morning.
And you can read up on Israel's threat against Arafat by clicking onto our Web site. The address, 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 September 15, 2003 - 05:38 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Secretary of State Colin Powell also is commenting on Israel's plans for Palestinian President Yasser Arafat. For the third straight day since Israel announced its intention to remove Arafat, his supporters are rallying around him. Now, a top Israeli official says Israel is considering the possibility of killing the Palestinian leader or expelling him.
Powell, appearing on CNN's "Late Edition With Wolf Blitzer," says either option could create more turmoil in the region.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: Right now, in order to keep the road map process moving forward, we believe that they should not take action to harm Mr. Arafat or exile Mr. Arafat.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: We want to take you live to the region now for more on the Israeli threat and the Palestinian reaction.
Jerrold Kessel live in Jerusalem -- good morning, Jerrold.
So, do you think that Israel really will go after Arafat?
JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
Not an easy question, that. I'll tell you one thing for certain, the Israelis would certainly like Yasser Arafat to go away one way or another. Another fact is the Israelis are not backing off in the face of this international criticism for their decision to, as they put it, remove the obstacle to peace, Yasser Arafat -- they described him as such -- to remove him in principle, they said.
But whether they will actually translate their ongoing war on terror, in which context they say this pointed attitude about Yasser Arafat is taken, whether they'll actually go after him, another matter, indeed. Especially given that kind of position adopted by Secretary of State Powell and Israel recognizing that the United States does not want another destabilizing element or factor in the whole region. So it seems highly unlikely that they'll actually implement that decision in principle.
But just to muddy the waters further, perhaps to create that kind of uncertainty which was deliberate on the Israelis' part, came the vice prime minister, Ehud Olmert, yesterday. And he was arguing that the options are not just about expulsion, but really about possibly killing Yasser Arafat. And he was even making the case when he spoke on CNN of the moral duty to do just that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EHUD OLMERT, ISRAELI VICE PRIME MINISTER: How many more civilians must be killed? How many more fathers and daughters who are going to get married the day after the killing are supposed to be killed in a coffee shop in Jerusalem before someone will come and say hey, let's stop the man who has been responsible for all of this? And that's what Israel says and that's what millions of people around the world ask.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KESSEL: Well, perhaps not millions of people asking necessarily, Carol, but certainly the Israelis have created this uncertainty about whether they will act and in what manner they will act, and it certainly is another element, an explosive element in an already explosive situation -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Jerrold Kessel reporting live from Jerusalem this morning.
And you can read up on Israel's threat against Arafat by clicking onto our Web site. The address, 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
