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American Morning

Israeli Forces Trying to Evacuate Two West Bank Settlements

Aired August 23, 2005 - 08:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: A developing story -- right now in the Middle East, Israeli forces are trying to evacuate two more settlements, this time in the West Bank. They're running into some stiff resistance this morning. We're live in the West Bank with more.
Is Iraq on the verge of a constitutional crisis? Negotiators are bitterly divided over dividing power in the government.

And for years, environmentalists have called for higher fuel standards for SUVs and trucks and vans. Now the Bush administration may be ready to act, on this AMERICAN MORNING.

ANNOUNCER: From the CNN broadcast center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Soledad O'Brien and Miles O'Brien.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you.

Glad you're with us this morning.

S. O'BRIEN: Let's begin in the West Bank. We've been seeing some of the pictures this morning. A lot happening there and, of course, you know, tension running very high.

M. O'BRIEN: A lot of tension. Down to the last few settlements. We've been talking about Gaza. This morning our focus is on the West Bank, where a few of those settlements are being shut down.

Residents and protesters remain in the Sanur and Homesh settlements. Soldiers are trying to remove dozens of people from the community center in Sanur.

That's where we find Guy Raz with the latest -- Guy, what's going on?

GUY RAZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Miles, indeed, a last stand here in the Sanur settlement in the northern West Bank.

Just behind us, police and soldiers have started to lift containers on cranes in an attempt to hoist those containers up to the top of this building, to remove the remaining residents and the remaining activists, if you will, from that roof.

Now, what you can see are two cranes, both -- two containers. Both of those containers are filled with police and soldiers inside. In one of those cranes, we understand, there's also a ruling leader, a rabbi, perhaps, to help if any negotiations need to take place. Meanwhile, right in the center is a fire crane and we understand that that fire crane is outfitted with some kind of hose. That, of course, would make it easier for those containers to then be gently placed on top of that roof around the police to begin rounding up those on top of the roof.

Now, as those containers were -- as attempts were made to bring those containers to the top of that roof, many of those activists on the roof held out ladders, large sticks, began to pound on those containers, trying, in vain, trying any effort they could to prevent those containers from landing on top of these roofs to begin removing these last remaining holdouts. About 50 are believed to be here in Sanur still. Most of this community is now evacuated. And when this process ends, we can say with a fair amount of confidence that the disengagement process has now come to an end, as well -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: Well, Guy, as we watch this and see these containers as they're -- they make their way, certainly we can attest to a rather novel, non-violent approach to this. And certainly a testament to the fact that the Israelis had a long time to think about how they would handle this tactically.

RAZ: Miles, they have been training for this for the last six months. None of the soldiers, none of the police armed. You can see they're using water cannon, for example...

M. O'BRIEN: There goes the fire hose, yes.

RAZ: ... in an attempt to try to bring those demonstrators back, to push them back away from the edge of that building, to allow those containers to enter. But you can see some of those demonstrators using sticks, using ladders, anything they can to prevent that container from landing on top of that building.

Now, this is a similar tactic that police used in some of the Gaza settlements, particularly in Kharderom. So that eventually, of course, is successful.

We now see some kind of smoke coming out from one of the -- perhaps tear gas -- coming out from one of the containers, perhaps an attempt, really now to make sure that these -- we can now see police have arrived on the roof. Soldiers and police are now on the roof and they will begin, we can presume, they will begin removing those who remain by force, now, Miles.

They've just arrived on the roof. The first container landed. The second one is now coming down, also packed with police, with riot gear, with batons, prepared to begin removing those remaining settlers and activists by force. They'll bring them onto those containers and bring them down.

Just a few seconds ago, they arrived there on that roof and you can now see them fanning out throughout. They will begin to remove those last holdouts from this roof of this building in this settlement -- Miles. M. O'BRIEN: Well, Guy, what we're seeing here is a clear ratcheting up in the force used in what we witnessed last week. For example, just looking at the forces there, they're wearing helmets and sort of riot gear protection, having to use the fire hoses. I don't recall seeing tear gas being used in some of the coverage of last week.

Is this the strongest pocket of resistance?

RAZ: Well, that was the presumption under which they were operating. And it's a very accurate observation, because essentially this is a small, tiny settlement. Only about 600 people were here, yet 7,000 Israeli soldiers and police were sent here to evacuate this settlement. There was a lot of concern that the real hard-liners, the real extremists, were holed up here and could be holed up here and could potentially use weapons, for example.

Now, the police know that some of these people are armed. The question, of course, is whether they will use those weapons.

But you're absolutely right, we're seeing a completely different tactic being used here -- tear gas, for example, something that hasn't been used in the Gaza evacuations, for example, up to this point -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: Guy Raz is on the West Bank watching things for us and we will stay in close contact with him all throughout the morning.

In the meantime, let's check the headlines.

Carol Costello with that -- good morning, Carol.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.

Good morning to all of you.

Now in the news, Iraqi leaders have three days to hammer out details before voting on a new constitution. The chamber broke into applause Monday when a draft constitution was submitted just minutes before the deadline. There are still some major sticking points, including whether ousted leader Saddam Hussein and his Baath Party should be mentioned. We'll have much more on this with Iraq's ambassador to the United Nations.

Al Qaeda in Iraq is claiming responsibility for rocket attacks on two U.S. war ships in Jordan. Friday's rockets missed the ships, but killed one Jordanian soldier. The al Qaeda claim comes just hours after Jordanian authorities said they'd arrested the prime suspect in the attack.

And conservative Christian broadcaster Pat Robertson is calling for the United States to "take out" Venezuelan President Jugo Chavez. During Roberts' Monday broadcast of "The 700 Club," the televangelist called Chavez a "terrific danger bent on exporting communism and Islamic extremism across the Americas." Chavez has said he believes the United States is trying to assassinate him and has vowed to shut off Venezuela's oil flow if that happens.

S. O'BRIEN: What is it, about 10 percent of the U.S. oil comes from Venezuela, which would obviously be a huge -- if, indeed, that threat of cutting off the flow to the U.S. that would be a huge impact here in this country.

COSTELLO: Yes. And Pat Robertson is only inflaming that.

S. O'BRIEN: Yes, well, just a little.

M. O'BRIEN: I think there's a commandment he's violating there, but that's just a thought. Anyway...

S. O'BRIEN: Carol, thanks.

COSTELLO: Sure.

S. O'BRIEN: Well, coming up in just about an hour, Transportation Secretary Norm Mineta is expected to announce a major overhaul of fuel economy standards. It's a plan that would require U.S. manufactured SUVs and light trucks and minivans to get better gas mileage.

Gary Tuchman live in Atlanta this morning, which is where Secretary Mineta is going to be making that announcement -- Gary, good morning to you.

This is something, as you well know, environmentalists have long been asking for.

Why now?

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Soledad, one of the reasons the secretary of transportation will make the announcement today is because of the problem we're having in this country with the high gas prices. But the Transportation Department says this has been worked on for the last year, culminating with today's announcement.

Right now we're in one of those areas of a city where you see, everywhere you go, any big city in the United States, a place you want to avoid during morning and afternoon rush hour. This in Atlanta. It's called the connector. It's the intersection of Interstates 75 and 85. And this is the backdrop for the secretary of transportation because he wants people to see all the traffic, all the cars and the relief that people may have when this is put into effort.

The plan is right now to raise the amount of miles per gallon that SUVs, that minivans, that light trucks have. Right now it's 21.0 miles per gallon, the average that manufacturers have to have. That will go up. The number will go up to -- we don't know at this point. That will be announced about an hour from now. We are told that it will take effect in the 2008 model year.

Right now, we're talking about gas prices in the United States of an average of $2.61 a gallon. That is an all time record, breaking the record from last week, which was $2.55 a gallon. Now, in all fairness, it was more painful on your wallet back in 1980. The prices were a little over $1 a gallon. But in today's money, it was about $3 a gallon, plus there were long lines because of the Arab oil embargo. Things are not that bad yet, but the secretary of transportation and the Bush administration want to cut things off at the pass.

A lot of complaints about the high gas prices. A poll was just released ABC News. The question asked in that poll was how have gas prices affected your driving compared to last year?

Well, 50 percent of people say they're driving the same amount. But 32 percent, almost one third of American drivers, say they are driving less because of the current prices of gas. Only 14 percent say they're driving more.

We will tell you that if the gas prices reach $3 per gallon, about two thirds of drivers say they will cut back on their driving.

So the announcement will be made today, an hour from now. When it comes to the big vehicles, the SUVs, the minivans, the light trucks, the gas mileage will have to go up for the manufacturers here in the United States -- Soledad, back to you.

S. O'BRIEN: The impact not necessarily felt for a couple of years, though.

Gary Tuchman for us this morning.

Gary, thanks -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: Let's check back on the weather now.

Chad Myers at the CNN Center with the latest on the forecast -- good morning, Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Miles.

(WEATHER REPORT)

M. O'BRIEN: Hey, Chad, are we having a little lull on the hurricanes and tropical storms right now, or is that my imagination?

MYERS: No, we certainly did, because we were all the way up to Irene, waiting and waiting and waiting for Jose. And now that thing down there by the Bahamas easily could be Katrina in 24 hours.

M. O'BRIEN: OK, so it's picking up.

MYERS: Right.

M. O'BRIEN: Thank you, Chad.

MYERS: OK.

S. O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, our special week-long series, "School Days."

Today, some tips to keep your kids from getting burned out by their busy schedule.

M. O'BRIEN: It's hard to do, isn't it?

Also, one airline deals with a strike. Others on the brink of bankruptcy. Some flying in bankruptcy. We'll look at the potential impact on passengers and the economy.

S. O'BRIEN: And Iraqi officials applauded the new draft constitution. But deep divisions remain. Could they eventually lead to a civil war? A closer look at that is up next on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

M. O'BRIEN: Negotiators have three more days to work out details of Iraq's constitution. They submitted a draft minutes before the midnight deadline last night, but were granted more time to deal with outstanding issues, and there are quite a few of them.

Among them are federalism, de-Baathification and how to form provinces.

Sunni negotiators have been vocal in their dissatisfaction with the current version, warning it could lead ultimately to civil war.

Some insight now from Samir Sumaida'ie, who is Iraq's ambassador to the U.N.

Good to have you with us, Mr. Ambassador.

SAMIR SUMAIDA'IE, IRAQI AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: Good to be here.

M. O'BRIEN: You are a Sunni and -- but you don't consider yourself necessarily a secular Sunni in the sense that you are standing by those Sunni positions in lockstep.

But nevertheless, many Sunnis are feeling left out of this process.

Why?

SUMAIDA'IE: Well, this is really the leftover of many years of misrule. Iraq, over the last three-and-a-half decades, was ruled in such a way as to polarize society, make society fragmented and every fragment feels it's got to defend itself.

And what we've got to do now is to bring back a feeling of one country. And this is the big challenge.

M. O'BRIEN: Let's take a look at a map for just a moment and talk about this notion of one country. To the north, Kurds.

SUMAIDA'IE: Yes. M. O'BRIEN: And in the center part of the country, Sunnis; to the south, Shiites. And this is a map that was drawn after World War 1, somewhat arbitrarily, lines in the sand, really, by the British, creating modern day Iraq.

Is it possible this is a dysfunctional set of borders?

SUMAIDA'IE: Well, these lines are not as hard as you portray them to be. Iraq has been a land in which many different societies have lived side by side for centuries, indeed, for thousands of years. And although you parcel it out very tidily -- Kurds in the north, Sunnis in the south -- Sunnis in the middle and Shiites in the south, it's not nearly as tidy as that. There is a lot of inter-mixing and these borders are very broad.

So I come back to the point that this, although the outer boundaries of Iraq were, as you said, rather arbitrary, but the -- this area which is called Iraq now has a society which has lived together for thousands of years.

M. O'BRIEN: One of the key issues in this constitution that's being discussed is so-called de-Baathification, which means removing from places of power people who had associations to Saddam Hussein. Of course, that is predominantly Sunnis. So, in a sense, it's dee- Sunnification.

And is that a rubbing point among Sunnis, that this is a focus?

SUMAIDA'IE: It is a rubbing point and although you said a lot of them are Sunnis, but there are a lot of Shiites in the Baath Party, or there were. This, in fact, had more of an economic impact than a political one. It was purely -- it was clearly assumed that the Baathists were not going to hold positions of political power. But we're talking about the army officers, we are talking about the middle management level. And the de-Baathification affected only the most senior segments of the Baath Party.

Yes, it's painful, but this is one of the painful aspects of transition.

M. O'BRIEN: Let me share with you a couple of comments from Sunnis there who are part of this process directly. One of them says: "If it passes as it is" -- the draft -- "there will be an uprising in the street."

Another one says: "We will campaign to tell both Sunnis and Shiites to reject the constitution, which has elements that would lead to the breakup of Iraq and the civil war."

Is this a document that lays the groundwork for civil war?

SUMAIDA'IE: Let's not read too much into these comments. Unfortunately, these so-called Sunni representatives were picked up in such a way that was not completely representative, in my view. In fact, some of them were associated directly with the previous regime. One particular member who is very vocal now was very close to Odeh, Saddam's son.

So let's not read too much into this. And I don't think they truly represent the general feeling of the Sunni communities in the street.

I anticipate that once this is agreed, even by a broad majority, not by total agreement, then we have an opportunity, between now and the 15th of October, for all parties to put their views to the public and then the public to make up its mind. And I don't think we should pre-judge that.

M. O'BRIEN: Will Sunnis participate in that effort?

SUMAIDA'IE: The Sunnis are keen to participate and I believe -- I am optimistic that they will take a pragmatic and realistic position and they will come on board.

M. O'BRIEN: Samir Sumaida'ie is Iraq's ambassador to the United Nations.

Thank you for your time.

SUMAIDA'IE: Thank you.

M. O'BRIEN: Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, after the reading and the writing and the arithmetic come after school sports and the music lessons and all that homework, and much, much more. Are we burning our kids out? We'll get into that in our special series called "School Days." That's just ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

S. O'BRIEN: Our special series now, "School Days." Homework and sports and tutors and music lessons -- summer vacation is already over for some kids. It's about to end for other kids. Kids are going to all have to adjust to some pretty busy schedules.

How much is too much?

Miriam Arond is the editor-in-chief of "Child" magazine.

Nice to see you.

Thanks for being with us.

Is there a reason why parents today seem to be pushing their kids to do so much at such a young age?

MIRIAM AROND, EDITOR, "CHILD" MAGAZINE: Parents today feel that there's a very competitive culture and they want to give their children a leg up right from the beginning. So they are trying to enrich their children and they're signing them up for lots of structured classes and tutoring in the hope that their child, in the future, where there'll be a global economy, they will be able to succeed.

So they're putting some pressure on their kids.

S. O'BRIEN: When you say the beginning, you mean the beginning.

AROND: That's right.

S. O'BRIEN: I mean your cover story in "Child" magazine this month talks about tutoring for 3-year-olds.

AROND: Right.

S. O'BRIEN: What were the reasons given by some of those parents who were trying to get their 3-year-olds tutored?

AROND: Well, the tutoring craze is one of the biggest trends we're seeing in education. And these parents, first of all, they are concerned about...

S. O'BRIEN: Tutored for what?

AROND: They -- whether it's reading, whether it's writing, whether it's math, they're concerned about standardized tests. That's certainly something that's had a very big impact on this country. There are also even parents who are high achieving parents. They want to make sure their children are going to be high achieving.

But there are also children who their parents have seen a down economy and some of them have been laid off and there are concerns that they're raising their children in kind of a more insecure environment. They want to make sure that their children will do well.

I think one of the things that's most striking is that Caplan's, which offers -- is known for it's college preparation courses -- now has a division called Score that offers programs for pre-schoolers. So that whole college anxiety has seeped down to 3- and 4- and 5-year- olds.

S. O'BRIEN: Are kids three and four and five behind where you and I were when we were that age? Or are the standards just so much higher now and the bar has sort of been raised, do you think?

AROND: I think the expectations are higher and there's just much more stress. We were really allowed to have a childhood when we were young. I think now kids are -- kids are talking about college in third grade. They're feeling their parents' stress.

I think what parents need to realize is that stress is contagious. And so that if you're going to have some anxiety -- is my child doing well enough, is my child doing well enough, that's sending a message to your child.

S. O'BRIEN: Suddenly your 3-year-old is asking, "Am I doing well enough? Am I doing well enough?" That's actually one of your tips. You say parents need to really remember that stress is contagious and kids can pick it up.

Another one is that you have to over schedule -- you have to figure out why -- whether you're just over scheduling them or if they need to be encouraged.

AROND: Well, why are you doing this? Whenever you sign your child up, is this something for -- if it is tutoring, for instance, is it something that a teacher is recommending? If a child needs remediation, it's a wonderful thing to do, and in that case it's good that there's no more taboo about tutoring.

But am I doing this because all the other parents are signing their kids up?

S. O'BRIEN: Well, when all the other parents do sign their kids up, that has an impact. Because, for example, your kid is suddenly behind.

AROND: Right. And...

S. O'BRIEN: And so now you really do need the tutoring because your child is not getting it. You're forced to do it. So you can't not do it.

AROND: Well, you can, but you have to sort of go against the peer pressure. You have to realize that actually time you have with your child at home is also a rich time and you don't necessarily have to put your child in a structured class after school to have enrichment. There's a lot of enrichment at home that you can offer your child.

S. O'BRIEN: Are you seeing burnout in little kids 9, 10, 12?

AROND: Well, I think psychologists are seeing some burnout and they are seeing stress. And you want to make sure that the end result is really that children love to learn, that they are curious, that they have imagination. Also, some time alone is very, very important, that they begin to explore.

S. O'BRIEN: I remember being bored a lot of my childhood, you know, like ugh, I'm just sitting outside doing nothing.

You say that's a good thing.

AROND: Well, look how well you've done. I actually think that having, you know parents...

S. O'BRIEN: I'm not sure it's because I was bored as much as in childhood.

AROND: Well, you know, child's actually -- "Child" magazine actually ran an articled called "The Benefits of Boredom" and that is because there's a lot to be learned. When a child is left alone, you know, they have nothing to do, there's a car, and suddenly they turn that car into a train or into a store or they start (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...

S. O'BRIEN: They're forced to have imagination.

AROND: And that's -- there's a lot that is learned during that time.

S. O'BRIEN: Well, it's a great article.

Mary Arond, nice to see you.

Thanks for coming in.

AROND: Good to see you.

S. O'BRIEN: From "Child" magazine, obviously -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: Or they light the house on fire. There is that option, too. Anyway...

S. O'BRIEN: That's for the bad bored kids.

M. O'BRIEN: No too much boredom, right?

All right, still to come on the program, people say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But that was probably before they saw Sam, the world's ugliest dog. And isn't that such an ugly dog? Wow! But cute in its own way, right?

That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

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