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Your World Today

Gaza Border Crossing Disputes; U.N. Joins Hariri Probe; China to Investigate Handling of Toxic Spill; Strikes in Italy Slow Down Country

Aired November 25, 2005 - 12:00   ET

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

ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Center, this is YOUR WORLD TODAY.
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: A gateway to the world. Palestinians take control of a key border crossing.

ZAIN VERJEE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Visiting one of the world's archaeological treasures. We'll walk you through Petra as we keep our eye on the Middle East.

HOLMES: Health concerns grow as a huge slick of toxins from a chemical spill slowly flow through a major Chinese city.

VERJEE: And the passing of a British football legend, George Best. Tributes pour in for the man many say he lived up to his name.

It's 7:00 p.m. in Gaza and in Petra, Jordan.

I'm Zain Verjee.

HOLMES: And I'm Michael Holmes.

Welcome to our viewers throughout the world. This is CNN International and YOUR WORLD TODAY.

Palestinians describe it as a crossing to freedom and an important step towards an independent state.

VERJEE: We begin with the ceremonial open of the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt. The opening marks the first time in decades the Palestinians will be able to travel freely abroad.

John Vause is in Gaza with more on the historic day.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN VAUSE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): For the president of the Palestinian Authority this was an historic journey. Mahmoud Abbas took just a few steps, but for the first time a Palestinian crossed the international border controlled by Palestinians.

"The opening of this border is important," he says, "because it means the Gaza strip will not be a big prison."

With Israel ending its 38-year occupation of Gaza, open and free borders are considered by most as crucial for the impoverished economy to grow. Israel has agreed to the building of a seaport but still no deal on reopening the Gaza airport.

And after almost a year in office for Abbas, the opening of the Rafah crossing is his first real success. It took months of negotiations with Israel and only happened with the direct mediation from the United States.

(on camera): While the Palestinians are now running the day-to- day operations here, they are still not totally in charge. The Israelis will be closely watching by security cameras who comes and who goes.

(voice over): For at least the next 12 months, dozens of monitors from the European Union will also be watching. They will have the final say in any dispute about who and what is allowed to cross.

MARK OTTE, EUROPEAN UNION ENVOY: It's a first step. It's a first step. And other steps will have to be taken. It's the responsibility, also, of the Palestinians.

VAUSE: The border opens for traffic Saturday just four hours a day at first. Eventually it will operate 24 hours a day. Already outside, Palestinians are waiting to leave, like Basma Ismael (ph), traveling to Jordan for medical treatment.

"It's a little bit of freedom," she says. "Most Palestinians have waited all their lives for this freedom. There's not long to go now."

John Vause, CNN, on the Gaza-Egypt border.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VERJEE: Now, Gaza is perhaps one of the least visited places, but later we're going to find out what Palestinians are doing to change that image -- Michael.

HOLMES: Zain, a compromise has been reached between the United Nations and Syria, perhaps an important development for the U.N. probing the assassination of the former Lebanon prime minister, Rafik Hariri. What has happened is that Syria says it will now allow investigators to quiz five of its officials in connection with the murder at the U.N. in Vienna. Syria's deputy foreign minister says the breakthrough came after Damascus was reassured that its sovereignty would be respected.

Hariri, you'll remember, was killed with 20 other people in a massive truck bombing in Beirut in February. The U.N. commission headed by the German prosecutor, Detlev Mehlis, issued an interim report last month. It implicated Syrian and Lebanese intelligence services in the assassination.

VERJEE: The U.N. has offered to help officials in China and Russia assess a toxic spill. The chemical benzene has polluted a river that serves as the main water supply for residents in the city of Harbin. So far, U.N. officials say they have not received a response from either government. Water supply to the northeast and Chinese cities have been shut off for three days now.

Our Beijing bureau chief, Jaime Florcruz, reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAIME FLORCRUZ, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF (voice over): Chinese soldiers upgrading Harbin's filtration system as the city of nine million people endures a third day without its water supply. They are waiting and watching as the slick of toxic benzene oozes down to partially frozen Songhua River, the city's main source of water.

The contamination follows an explosion at a chemical plant in a neighboring Jilin City 12 days ago. And the blame game has already begun.

ZHANG LIJUN, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (through translator): We will be very clear about who is responsible. It is the chemical plant of the China National Petroleum Corporation.

FLORCRUZ: For days, plant managers and Jilin officials covered up the river pollution. Now they have sent teams of workers to help drill deep water wells in Harbin and have issued a public apology. But there is anxiety about long-term ecological damage from the benzene.

The Harbin disaster, environmentalists say, is not an isolated story. China now faces an acute shortage of clean water.

JOHN MCALLISTER, CEO, AQUA BIOTRONIC: China cannot sustain economic growth with a current path of water use and water pollution. Seventy percent of the rivers and surface water are polluted.

FLORCRUZ: And that pollution, the price of a headlong rush for growth, makes its way into the soil and the food chain.

MCALLISTER: Far more people are being killed as a result of the pollution in this north China plane than will be eventually killed from the leukemia effects of the benzene in Harbin.

FLORCRUZ (on camera): Earlier this year, China's leadership had called for a new approach in economic growth that is less damaging on the environment. But as the Harbin disaster has shown, enforcing laws at industrial plants across this rapidly-modernizing country is often beyond even the might of the communist party.

Jaime Florcruz, CNN, Beijing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: British football legend George Best has died, aged 59. The former Manchester United star has been battling illness in hospital for the past two months or so. He was regarded as one of football's finest-ever players. He had battled alcohol abuse for a number of years.

Tim Lister with a look now at the highs and lows of the boy from Belfast.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TIM LISTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): George Best was on first-name terms with every football he met. His skill was simply outrageous.

He would mesmerize defenders, then leave them floundering in his wake. His close control with either foot was second to none.

Under the watchful eye of Manchester United manager Matt Busby, the boy from Belfast quickly became the prince of the club. He scored 180 goals for the team as it blazed a trail across Europe.

United became the first English club to win the European Cup in 1968. Best scored a stunning goal in the final.

He was voted European footballer of the year. Even the great Pele described him as his favorite player.

And he was more than a brilliant athletic talent. The boy from Belfast was good looking, with an impish sense of humor and a taste for fashion. More often than not, he was in the company of a fashion model. At one point, Miss Universe.

The swinging '60s could have be (INAUDIBLE) for the eligible George Best. He became known as the fifth Beatle.

In the words of another star of the era...

JIMMY GREAVES, FMR. ENGLAND FOOTBALLER: He was revered throughout football. He was revered by all the public no matter what team they supported. He was the true great footballer.

ALEX FERGUSON, MANCHESTER UNITED MANAGER: Well, it's a sad situation because he's a wonderful person, you know. I met him a few times over the years, and he's -- he's so likable. You know?

And his is the sad part. And of course he has a fantastic footballer. I think everyone at United all (INAUDIBLE) George is one of the greatest players of all time. And I think that's the way we should remember him, too.

LISTER: But when wasn't on the training ground, Best was often in a nightclub. Sometimes he was in a nightclub instead of at the training ground. And a bottle was never far away.

As one manager said ruefully, George was a fantastic player. He would have been even better if he would have been able to pass nightclubs the way he passed the ball.

George Best lasted just six years at the top of the game before his slide into alcoholism began. A sad sequence of divorces, bankruptcy and illness followed. As one of his ex-wives said, "I couldn't look after the two babies, so the older one had to go."

A self-confessed alcoholic, Best had a liver transplant in 2002. But there were drinking bouts even after that.

Yet, his sense of humor never left him. Asked about his advice for an up and coming football star...

GEORGE BEST, FMR. FOOTBALL STAR: As long as he stays away from me he'll be all right.

LISTER: George Best once said, "I spent a lot of money on booze, girls and fast cars. The rest I just squandered."

But he also left so much for fans around the world to savor as perhaps the most natural talent ever to emerge from the British Isles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: That has to be one of the world's greatest-ever goals, that one right there.

Tim is joining us now to talk a little more about George Best.

It's a major, major tragedy that he died, but also how he lived his life towards the end, even though he seem to enjoy it a lot.

Was he as good as he could have been?

LISTER: He was as good as he could have been for the years he was in the top flight, and that was precious too few years. Six years -- he scored 180 goals in just six years with Manchester United.

But at the age of 27 he started drinking, started going AWOL, started getting involved with a lot of high-profile models. And his football never recovered. And it was a tragedy. He was 27. He had another six, seven years at the top flight if he wanted it.

HOLMES: You know, it's interesting. We were chatting before. You actually saw him a couple of times.

LISTER: I did. I saw him play at Chelsea back in the '60s. And very rare when you go to a ground like that and the away team, one of the players, gets a standing ovation at the end of the game. Because everybody was in awe of his skill.

It was incredible. With a faint he could leave a defender on his back side. He could use both feet beautifully.

He could tackle. He could head the ball. He was the complete footballer.

And then 20 years later, just two miles away from the Chelsea ground, very sadly I saw him in a pub, on his own, drinking, clearly been there all day. And that's what he was. He was a loner by then. He really didn't have too many friends, and he drank himself to death. It's as simple as that. HOLMES: Did he die poor and destitute, or, I mean -- because he made and lost money all over the place.

LISTER: He made and lost money all over the place. He was a great gambler. He used to win money gambling and then fritter it away.

He spent a lot on drink, a lot of girlfriends. Of course fast cars.

In fact, he actually said once, "I spend most of my money on girls, fast cars and booze. The rest I just squandered." As you heard in that piece.

And he was bankrupt in '82, but then came back, wrote some very successful books, was a TV pundit, and looked to be recovering. Had the liver transplant, and everybody thought a new lease of life for George.

Unfortunately he started drinking again. And that was it, really.

HOLMES: He certainly lived his life, whichever way you look at it.

Tim Lister. Thanks.

LISTER: Pleasure.

HOLMES: All right. We're going to be right back. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VERJEE: Welcome back. This is YOUR WORLD TODAY.

HOLMES: An hour of world news on CNN International.

VERJEE: Now, all week long we've been focusing on the Middle East, looking at some of the changes that are sweeping across the region.

HOLMES: And today we're going to take you to Petra, the ancient Jordanian city where breathtaking architecture is literally carved into rose-colored sandstone cliffs.

VERJEE: And to guide us through this treasured city, CNN's Hala Gorani joins us live.

Hala, it's absolutely stunning.

HOLMES: How did you get that assignment? That's what I want to know.

VERJEE: Yes.

HALA GORANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'll hook you up. It is absolutely breathtaking. You know, this is not a sight you can ready yourself for with pictures or any kind of footage. When you see it, it's not -- it's better than you expected. It's grander than you expected. And sites like these are essential to the Jordanian economy.

Now, tourism represents 12 percent of total growth here. And after the bombings on November 9, there were fears that the violence here might have scared some tourists away. Well, it doesn't seem to have been the case. The main hotel here at the entrance of Petra, for instance, this morning told us they were fully booked.

Now, think as -- think of the movie "Indiana Jones." Think of all these incredible movies that take you into ancient cities like Petra. This is the kind of environment we're in.

We spoke to a renowned archaeologist a few hours ago. And he gave us a very interesting guided tour.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GORANI (voice over): One of the most breath taking sights in the world. A treasure of archaeology. The peek of the Nabatean civilization at the start of the first millennium. A civilization that became rich through the trade of frankincense.

This perhaps the most recognizable structure here, the treasury, carved directly into a stone mountain.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Nabatean, they used to create their tools from outside. And it's full of (INAUDIBLE) outside. If you look at the decorations outside, you see that it is full of (INAUDIBLE) poles (ph), and with a look of architectural elements.

GORANI (on camera): All right. It's absolutely gorgeous. But let's put this all into context, Dr. Farajad (ph), because what we're seeing here is one small portion of an outstanding city in the middle of a canyon.

Let's take a look up just to give people a sense of the scale.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. That's why the city is very unique, because the whole of the city is carved out of the rock. All of the tombs, all of the monuments, the facades, the other architectural buildings, most of the monuments are carved out of the rock here.

GORANI: You can only reach this place with a horse and carriage, which is part of the charm.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We don't want to destroy the site. That's why visitors are allowed to come to the site and to visit the site by walking or by actually riding the horses and carriages.

GORANI (voice over): Striking as well, the color of the rock, from rich yellows to burnt orange to bright red.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They were very skilled in stocking the water. And they carved it out of the rock many water systems and reservoirs.

GORANI: Above what is left of ancient water canals.

(on camera): Personally, I mean, you really are the head of this Petra Archaeological Park, and you live and breathe Petra all the time. What do you personally feel when you're here?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, you know, I'm coming here every day, sometimes more than one time. I feel that I'm coming here for the first time.

Believe me that when I walk through the (INAUDIBLE) to the treasury (ph), and when I continue down, I feel that I'm coming here for the first time. I have the same feeling that I have been here for the first time.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GORANI: Salayman Farajad (ph) there. And that's a look from Petra.

Back to you, Michael and Zain.

VERJEE: Hala, what was it like to film that? What was it like to come live to us? I mean, it must have been quite an engineering accomplishment.

HOLMES: No, it's not an easy place to film from.

VERJEE: Yes.

GORANI: All right. Now, I've written down some facts and figures here because I couldn't remember them all. This is the first time that any show has broadcast live on international television.

All right. Cars aren't allowed into the canyon, so all of our equipment had to be packed on to horse-drawn carriages. Almost a mile of fiberoptic cable, 900 yards of audio cables, 300 yards of video cables.

There are no landlines here. Keep that in mind. We're come to you via cell phones. All right? And this is not for the fainthearted.

Everything I'm saying to you now and everything I'm hearing back is coming through a wireless phone. All right.

And the wireless camera, as well, a satellite truck. And we, of course, built a platform in order to raise me to the level where you could see the treasury building behind me.

That gives you a small flavor. Of course there's been more stress and perhaps frayed nerves than we're showing on camera throughout the day. But altogether, I think it worked out pretty well. HOLMES: I don't know whether the cameraman can hear. I would love if he could pull back and show us, because I have seen the set-up there. And you're on like something about, what, 10 or 15 feet off the ground?

GORANI: Yes, let's try to do that.

HOLMES: Just see if you can just pull back, widen out the shot.

GORANI: Yes, we are 10 or 15 feet up.

HOLMES: We'll give away some television secrets.

GORANI: And Margaret Moth (ph), whom you know, Michael -- Margaret, let's try to show this setup here. Can you show the platform so the viewers can see how far off the ground we are?

HOLMES: Yes, be careful. Don't step too far backwards, all right? You're way off the ground there.

GORANI: Yes.

HOLMES: And...

GORANI: There's our tent where we have our staff and we have our engineer, J.J. there.

VERJEE: Where's Sham (ph)?

GORANI: And we have Ahmed Afad (ph) as well, who works for CNN here locally.

And there you go. There's the flavor. Of course the rest is dark. During the day you could definitely see more.

HOLMES: I hope -- I hope they tide Margaret Moth (ph) down to the podium there so she doesn't fall off backwards.

And hi to you all. And thanks so much for that little glimpse.

GORANI: We'll make sure.

VERJEE: You did a great job. You look like you had a lot of fun, too.

HOLMES: Yes, terrific.

VERJEE: Thanks, Hala.

Coming up on YOUR WORLD TODAY...

HOLMES: Yes. An amazing look at that, wasn't it?

VERJEE: Yes.

HOLMES: Our "Eye on the Middle East" coverage continues a little later. We're going to take a look at some ambitious and very serious plans for Gaza.

VERJEE: But first, lining up to load up. U.S. shoppers race to snap up some hot items. We're going to tell you why when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VERJEE: Crowds of shoppers have turned out to get early bird bargains during one of the busiest shopping days in the United States. The day after the Thanksgiving holiday is dubbed Black Friday. It marks the beginning of the Christmas shopping season when retailers hopefully turn of big profit and move into black.

Well, the deep discounts, then, set a positive tone for the holiday shopping season. For a little perspective on that, CNN's Mary Snow joins us from outside Macy's department store in New York City -- Mary.

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A lot of crowds here, Zain. And if you take a look in New York, one of the busiest shopping places there are, this is certainly one of them.

Here at Macy's, doors opened at 6:00 a.m. And there were over 1,000 people waiting outside to get in.

The store slashed prices on things like men's shirts up to 75 percent off. So early in the morning, a frenzy of shoppers trying to grab some bargains.

This as department stores like Macy's faces very stiff competition from big discounters like Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart this year saying that it will match its competitors low prices.

So this has really drawn out a lot of bargain hunters, including Allison Grant, who drove 300 miles to be here.

Allison, so many crowds. Why would you want to do this today?

ALLISON GRANT, HOLIDAY SHOPPER: Oh, just for the excitement of it all. It's been really exciting and fun.

SNOW: Have you found some good bargains?

GRANT: Yes. Yes. We had a good time at Macy's this morning.

SNOW: A lot of retailers are worried that because people have been paying so much more at the pump over the past year it's going to put a dent in their spending this holiday season. Is this going to factor into your budget?

GRANT: No, I don't think so. Not too much.

SNOW: Will you spend as much as you did last year?

GRANT: Probably, yes.

SNOW: All right. We don't want to keep you from your shopping.

Thank you, Allison.

GRANT: Thank you.

SNOW: And Zain, Macy's says it expects about 125,000 people in this store alone today. The National Retail Federation expects about 130 million shoppers across America to be out in the stores this weekend -- Zain.

VERJEE: Everyone there seemed to be smiling, in a good mood to go shopping. But did tempers fray at all with people getting irritated, irritable, argumentative?

SNOW: We haven't seen any so far. But certainly some moments of frenzied shoppers as they were trying to go grab some of those items that were on sale. So far, so good, though, out here, outside of Macy's.

VERJEE: Mary Snow. Thanks a lot.

SNOW: Sure.

HOLMES: All right. Time to check in now on the markets, which are in the midst of a quiet trading day. Allan Chernoff is in New York.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

HOLMES: Well, for several hours on Friday, public transport ground to a halt and banks and factories shut down as Italy's biggest trade unions staged a national strike. At issue, as our Rome Bureau Chief Alessio Vinci now reports, is the government's proposed budget.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALESSIO VINCI, CNN ROME BUREAU CHIEF (voice over): It's that time of the year again. The government proposes new spending cuts to reduce Italy's ballooning debt. And the trade unions promptly call a strike.

This is the sixth time the country has come to a near standstill since Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi came to power in 2001. There were disruptions throughout the day across the country, although services were suspended at different times in different regions.

Planes remain grounded from noon to 4:00 p.m., with a national airline forced to cancel 230 flights. And trains stopped running for most of the morning. But Italians were mostly unphased having been through the experience many times before.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We don't vote (ph) on this strike. It's a short strike. We are used to longer strikes. You understand?

VINCI: Union leaders say the nearly $20 billion proposed slashes in next year's budget will hurt public services, weaken the country's feeble economic growth, and further damage the poor south. Government supporters accuse trade unions of sabotaging the economy.

(on camera): But the trade unions are not the only ones that believe this government got it wrong. A detailed survey in one of the world's leading news magazines heralds the end of the good life that has long been associated with Italy.

(voice-over): "The Economist" says Italy is caught in an economic decline and singles out Prime Minister Berlusconi for failing to make good on his electoral promises of reforming the country and bringing Italians prosperity.

But the author of the survey acknowledges the country's troubles predate the current leadership.

JOHN PEET, EUROPEAN EDITOR, "THE ECONOMIST": What it requires is tough political leadership that's willing to take difficult decisions. And it has happened in other European countries. It happened in Britain under Margaret Thatcher. It's happened in Scandinavia. What Italy needs is strong politicians who will take on special interests and force through reforms. Unfortunately, this government seems unable to do it.

VINCI: Back in 2001, "The Economist" enraged Berlusconi by asserting he was unfit to rule Italy. Today, it seems the country itself is out of shape.

Alessio Vinci, CNN, Rome.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VERJEE: We'll bring you a round-up of all our main stories in just a moment.

HOLMES: Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VERJEE: Welcome back to YOUR WORLD TODAY on CNN International. I'm Zain Verjee.

HOLMES: And I'm Michael Holmes. We want to update you on the top stories to this hour.

With a snip of a ribbon, Palestinians have opened a new gateway to the world. President Mahmoud Abbas formally opening a border crossing between Gaza and Egypt. It's a crossing that will allow Palestinians to travel abroad freely for the first time in, well, decades. European monitors will help supervise the border, who goes in and out. Israel will also monitor it, but via a video link from several kilometers away. The crossing opens to travelers on Saturday.

China sent investigators to the city of Harbin to look into the handling of a mechanical spill that caused toxins to be released into a river. News of the spill was kept secret for days and water has been cut off to some nine million area residents since Tuesday. Meanwhile, some 6,000 people were evacuated following a second chemical plant explosion this week.

One of football's greatest ever players, George Best, has died at age 59. The former Manchester United star had been battling illnesses, many of them, actually, in the hospital for nearly two months. Part of the first British team to win the European Cup in 1968, Best battled alcohol abuse for a number of years. Hospital spokesman said he died of multiple organ failure.

The trial of Saddam Hussein and seven co-defendants reopens on Monday despite threats from the defense team to boycott the proceedings after two members were shot and killed. Security remains a big concern.

Senior international correspondent Nic Robertson sets the scene.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Lawyer Aqil al Kanani remembers his two brothers he says were killed by Saddam Hussein security forces in 1979. Last month, Kanani and his family watched the opening day of Hussein's trial on TV. Now he wants the trial over so he can get answers about why his brothers, Yassin (ph) and Taha (ph), were killed.

AQIL AL KANANI, LAWYER (through translator): I really care to hear his answer. No matter if he would go on trial for my case, or another case.

ROBERTSON: Beset by technical glitches last time the trail faltered in its opening hours. Hussein grandstanded, wasting time. Then his lawyers got a 41-day adjournment to study the charges that accuse Hussein and seven former regime allies of brutally repressing 1982 assassination attempt.

KANANI (through translator): Speaking to me as an Iraqi, not as a lawyer, I would denounce the delays of the trial and I would demand the court to execute him immediately. But as a lawyer, I see it as a legitimate process.

ROBERTSON: For a while, even the return to court next Monday seemed to be in doubt. Since appearing at the trial, two defense lawyers were killed and another wounded in targeted assassinations. Only U.S. assurances to help investigate and offers of protection appear to have convinced them to come back.

Still, in jail, awaiting trial, are other regime loyalists like Hussein's former deputy prime minister, Tariq Aziz. His lawyer is worrying about when his client will see trial.

BADIE AREF, TARIQ AZIZ'S DEFENSE LAWYER: When I saw him last time, he was very sick.

ROBERTSON: Aref has had death threats. His concern now is that the trial is unjust. Not just because defense lawyers are being killed, but because they lack training in cases like crimes against humanity. AREF: They must also send their lawyers also to -- to England, to America to learn them -- about this case.

ROBERTSON (on camera): When Hussein gets back in the dock, proceedings are expected to speed up. Witnesses could be called as early as the first day. But within days, the trial could be put on hold again to minimize tensions ahead of national elections.

Nic Robertson, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: If the December elections go well in Iraq and certain other conditions are met, U.S. military officials say they may reduce the number of troops in Iraq.

Earlier, I spoke with a Laith Kubba, spokesman for the Iraqi prime minister Ibrahim Al-Jafaari, on this and other issues.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LAITH KUBBA, SPOKESMAN FOR IRAQI PM: What I think Iraqi people would like to see is a clarity on that issue, which way it's heading. Everybody agrees that we need those troops out as soon as possible and everybody agrees that as soon as possible does not mean immediately.

The question is all about phases of withdrawal and whether or not these phases should be conditioned according to a clear timeline or with the time line for building at the capacity of the Iraqi troops and police and military. And I think that the tendency now is to have a timeline for building up the Iraqi army that ties up with the timeline for troops withdrawal.

HOLMES: That -- indeed that has to be the issue, doesn't it? The ability, the readiness of Iraqi troops to take over the role that the foreign troops are doing. But the reality is it's been a long time now of training, a couple of years of training, and the readiness of Iraqi security forces is, frankly, woefully low.

KUBBA: Well, the critics argue -- and there are many even within the government -- that we can put the building up of Iraqi army and police units on a much faster track than what we have at the moment by relying more on former officers who are trained and experienced, by relying more on the Iraqi world to develop police academies and training.

What we have currently, the plan for building up the Iraqi army, is very much based on guidelines that Bremer had set up when he was in Iraq and when he left Iraq. Some people argue time has come up to have our own plan that would lead up to a much faster build-up for Iraqi capabilities.

HOLMES: Paul Bremer left a long time ago. Why is this only now being realized that the system is not working? That Iraqi troops and police officers are not being trained to a good enough level quickly enough? KUBBA: Part of the problem is the divided will of the government being a coalition government that is not very decisive. You have to get agreements of so many political groups. You have to get agreements not only of the prime minister, but also of the presidency. And there are many political factors in the equation that makes it difficult to decide on these issues. I think the political system that we have is currently very slow, does not respond quickly to the country's needs.

HOLMES: You know, the readiness of Iraqi security force obviously is probably the major issue in terms of a pulldown of foreign troops.

The other thing is the strength of the insurgency. Often it's said that until the insurgency is beaten down to a certain level, there shouldn't a withdrawal. But how much does the very presence of foreign troop fuel the insurgency itself?

KUBBA: I personally do not believe it's the presence of foreign troops that are fueling the insurgency. I think there are two reasons fueling the insurgency.

One is the weakness of the state which basically invite others to move in. If we had strong intelligence, strong army, strong police, then there is very little room for these networks to grow.

The second reason is the management of the country. People would like to see much faster results. They would like to see more efficient and stronger management to the country.

People had high expectations after the downfall of Saddam Hussein. These expectations were not met. That creates some atmosphere of despair or expectations of an alternative.

Unfortunately, the former regime members are trying to make a comeback, taking advantage of the weakness of this state and the despair of the people.

HOLMES: You raised a very good point there.

I'm curious on your thoughts -- in all honesty now -- is day-to- day life better or worse for ordinary Iraqis since the war? Not will it be two years from now, but today?

KUBBA: Well, it's a mixed bag. I think on one hand people have benefited from the freedom in the country. There's more money circulating in the country. People have more consumer goods. They are getting more out of life. People outside Baghdad are enjoying better life than before.

However, having said that, people of Baghdad, the capital in particular, have suffered, because they have always been protected from the weaknesses, the poverty in the rest of the country.

For example, electricity, Baghdad always had a good share of electricity while the rest of the country suffered. Today, Baghdad suffers from lack of services and, of course, on security issues.

So it's a mixed bag. I think for people of Baghdad, they have mixed feelings. But for other parts of the corrupt they have benefited, indeed.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: That was Laith Kubba there, a spokesman for Iraq's prime minister.

VERJEE: Palestinians open their crossing to freedom.

HOLMES: Let's look at this story a little more after the break in our continuing "Eye on the Middle East" coverage. We're going to see Palestinian efforts to attract tourism. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Welcome back, everyone, this is your world today.

VERJEE: An hour of world news on CNN international. Palestinians describe it as a crossing to freedom and an important step toward an independent state. With the cutting of a ribbon, the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt ceremonially opened today.

HOLMES: A densely crowded strip of land many consider a violent breeding ground for militants and a breeding ground for suffering, Gaza is perhaps one of the least visited place in the world.

VERJEE: But in this edition of "Eye on the Middle East," John Vause reports Palestinians want to show the world a different image.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is how much of the world sees Gaza. A place of violence and death where gunmen rule the streets. A lawless place where kidnappings are now the number one threat to foreigners.

PROFESSOR MOAIN SADEQ, GAZA TOURISM AUTHORITY: We have here the remains of the monastery of Saint Hilarion. This is the first monastery erected in Palestine.

VAUSE: But Professor Sadeq, an archaeologist and head of Gaza's tourism office -- yes, they have a tourism office -- is hoping that one day soon foreigners will come here to visit the sites, like this one.

SADEQ: In this area we have the access of the crypt.

VAUSE: The ruins of the first monastery ever built in historic Palestine, or even perhaps he says to see the debris of the Israeli settlements.

SADEQ: Also the remains of the city remains. You can... VAUSE (on camera): The Jewish settlements you're talking about. You think that's a tourist attraction.

SADEQ: Yes, sure, why not? It's a good idea if we keep a part of them for visitors. As a memory for the occupation.

VAUSE (voice-over): The Jewish settlers also left behind pristine parkland and beaches; ideal, some say, for resorts. There's even talk of a casino.

BESSEL AL-AAWA, GAZA HOTELS ASSOCIATION: I would love to have Gaza as a tourist hub.

VAUSE: Bessel al-Aawa, the president of Gaza's hotel association hopes for the day when Gaza competes with Dubai or Turkey.

He's just opened Gaza's best restaurant, investing more than a million U.S. dollars, catering to a small number of middle class Palestinians. The oil-rich Gulf states, he says, are ready to invest serious money to build tourism.

AL-AAWA: By having resorts, resort areas, hotels, and having it close to the airport, you could market packages.

VAUSE: This is how many Palestinians would like the world to see Gaza, with miles and miles of relatively unspoiled features, a kind of fun in the sun holiday destination.

Right now, though, the tourism industry is practically nonexistent, so the good news is it can only get better.

But in Gaza, fun can sometimes have a very narrow definition especially according to the Islamic militant group Hamas.

MAHMOUD ZEHAR, HAMAS LEADER: It is not allowed. It is not allowed. We should not have a casino. This is gambling. It's not allowed in this land.

VAUSE: It could be awhile before Gaza sees a real live tourist. The Palestinian Authority has yet to print a single application for a tourist visa, and no one, it seems, has asked.

John Vause, CNN, Gaza.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VERJEE: There's more to come here on YOUR WORLD TODAY.

HOLMES: That's a great story, by the way. Gaza is a beautiful place along parts of that coastline.

Anyway, we're going to have after the break an update from Colombia on the Galeras volcano eruption. Much more on that. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) HOLMES: Galeras volcano in southeast Colombia continues to breathe life. It has dumped heaps of ash on the city of Pasto, about 20 kilometers away. Thousands of nearby residents are being told to leave.

VERJEE: Femi Oke has more on the volcano. She joins us now -- Femi.

HOLMES: Always spectacular things, aren't they?

FEMI OKE, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, they're amazing to look at. About 12 miles away is the nearest village. The villages have been asked to leave. The question is will they? Many of them are staying because they are farmers, they have livelihoods there. They don't want to leave their houses. They don't want to go into the tent shelters that have been set up.

Let me show you where that volcano is. It sits about here in that southwestern section of Colombia. Last erupted April 2000. No damage done there, but as you can see, the ash is pretty spectacular. And in 1993 there was a more serious eruption, and actually nine people died.

Now what is mayor is saying of Pasto, which is one of the nearby villages, he's saying that this evacuation order is mandatory. You can see how people are having to cope with that ash that is everywhere. And this is about 12 miles away from the volcano itself. The ash is really traveling a great distance.

People are being asked and helped by the military forces, the local officials, to leave and go and stay at a friend's house and relatives houses. And they will be compensated. But I was reading a transcript from one of the residents and they said we're going to stay here and why should we abandon our homes. And if something very severe happens then, of course, we will go for an immediate evacuation. But, in the meantime, they are sitting it out.

And this month, already they saw the volcano is becoming a little bit more active, and they ask people to leave ahead of that. So they really were preparing. Schools as you can see are out right now. The air is not very easy to breathe.

And this is the thing that made me very curious when I was looking at the seismologist reports. They're looking at what might happen next. And they say, the local seismologists, that the volcano could erupt again or it may stay dormant. That's a 50-50 chance of being right. It's a bit like being a weather forecasters.

Out here, down here, in that southwestern section of Colombia. So that's the latest news on that. So watching very carefully indeed, but gives you an idea of how disgusting the air is once you have got that plume of ash heading up there into the atmosphere.

And also in a couple of day's time I'm sure I'm going to have a great satellite picture showing that plume of ash going up there into the atmosphere. But for now, that's a wrap. I'm heading you back to Zain and Michael at the news desk.

HOLMES: Enjoy you. She goes out and gets those satellite pictures herself, too. Those sort of digital ...

OKE: That's why I'm away so often.

HOLMES: Yes, that's where she is. She's ...

OKE: That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

HOLMES: Good to see you.

OKE: Have a good weekend, take care.

VERJEE: You too, Femi. That's this edition of YOUR WORLD TODAY.

HOLMES: Who are you?

VERJEE: I don't know. Who are you?

HOLMES: Zain Verjee. I'm Michael Holmes. See you later.

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