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Your World Today
Baghdad Security Crackdown Begins; President Bush's Visit to Iraq; On Patrol in Afghanistan; Chaos in Palestinian Parliament; Zarqawi Successor Named
Aired June 14, 2006 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Don't count on us leaving before the mission is complete. Don't bet on it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HALA GORANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Accentuating the positive. President Bush returns from Iraq with an upbeat message, but some protesters in Iraq have a message of their own for Mr. Bush.
JIM CLANCY, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Unleashing an offensive. U.S.-led Afghan forces pushing onward and upward against the Taliban in southern Afghanistan.
GORANI: And releasing a controversial captive. Adulation and outrage as a militant cleric walks free from jail.
CLANCY: Right now it's noon in Washington, 11:00 in the evening in Jakarta.
I'm Jim Clancy.
GORANI: I'm Hala Gorani.
Welcome to our viewers throughout the world and North America.
This is YOUR WORLD TODAY.
U.S. President George Bush is vowing to do whatever it takes to help Iraq succeed. His comments came just hours after he returned from a surprise visit to Baghdad, a capital in the middle of a massive security crackdown.
We'll go to the White House in a moment, but we begin with John Vause, who is in Baghdad.
John, are we seeing any difference on the streets of the Iraqi capital in terms of security?
JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Hala, this security operation began just after dawn, but even as the Iraqi government was putting into motion Operation Forward Together, the insurgents managed to strike.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE (voice over): Even a widespread security sweep wasn't enough to stop this car bomb which left two civilians dead in northern Baghdad. "One of the terrorists left his car here and detonated it by remote control," said this policeman.
A police patrol was also targeted not far from here by a road side bomb. But no one was hurt. And Iraqi soldiers came under fire from insurgents in a Sunni neighborhood. No injuries were reported despite a 30-minute shootout.
The government called this Operation Forward Together. Hundreds of checkpoints were manned on roads into the capital, vehicles were searched. Police say they found Katyusha rockets and diffused roadside bombs.
Many Iraqis welcomed the extra security despite long lines of traffic in the searing heat of the Baghdad summer.
"We're getting late to work because of the checkpoint," says this man. "But this is good to arrest terrorists and seize car bombs."
For now, there has been no all-out offensive in the most violence-prone areas, neighborhoods controlled by militias and insurgents.
And a day after the visit by the U.S. president, more than 2,000 protested the American-led occupation. Most are followers of the radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, a powerful Shiite leader who in the past has led bloody uprisings against U.S. forces.
"We condemn the ill-fated visit by the leader of the occupation, Bush. We tell him, no. No America," said one of al-Sadr aides. But for many others, the president's brief five-hour visit left behind a rare sense of optimism.
"Bush came to boost the morale of the Iraqi government and give assurances of support," says this man. "We hope it will end the problems of the militias and put an end to the kidnappings and mass killings."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: No one here is expecting quiet overnight, but the Iraqi government has now made a start and says Operation Forward Together will be escalated in coming days -- Hala.
GORANI: All right. John Vause live in Baghdad -- Jim.
CLANCY: Meantime, let's cross over now to the White House, where we find Elaine Quijano. She listened as U.S. President George W. Bush emerged there at the White House. Two words: confident and determined -- Elaine.
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well that's exactly right, Jim. President Bush had high praise, first of all, for Iraq's new prime minister. At the same time, though, he again appealed to the American people for patience when it comes to Iraq.
In that wide-ranging news conference in the Rose Garden, the president made clear that he feels the new Iraqi prime minister, Nuri al-Maliki, and his cabinet are leaders that the United States can work with in helping Iraq to succeed. But a fundamental component, of course, is security. And today, Mr. Bush talked about that crackdown in Baghdad to help address those concerns.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: The policy of the United States' government is to stand with this new government and help them succeed. And we will do what it takes to help them succeed.
The prime minister has taken immediate action to implement a plan to improve security, and his top priority is around Baghdad. Operation Together Forward started this morning. This operation is a joint effort to restore security and rule of law to high-risk areas in the capital city.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUIJANO: And the president's comments coming just one day, of course, after he met face to face with Iraq's new prime minister. The president today acknowledged that he does not expect the violence in Iraq to go away for good.
He laid out, though, once again, his definition of success in Iraq. He sees it as a government that can one day sustain itself, govern itself, and defend itself. And for that, really, the message to the Iraq's leaders is that the U.S. will keep its troops in place for as long as is needed, and that the United States is ready and willing to help the new government.
But also, this president is very clearly trying to shift the responsibility, saying that these Iraqi leaders must seize the moment. Also, another message there to the international community, as well. The president saying that those countries which pledged billions of dollars must come through on those pledges for Iraq.
And finally, Jim, the message to the American people, that despite the fact there are difficult days ahead, ultimately these sacrifices and these efforts will be worth it -- Jim.
CLANCY: All right. Elaine Quijano reporting live from the White House.
Elaine, as always, thank you.
A reminder to viewers. In just a matter of minutes we're going to have a three-tier look at this from the national, the political and the military affairs standpoint. We'll be looking at President Bush's trip to Iraq -- Hala.
GORANI: All right. And from Iraq to Afghanistan, a major combat operation is under way in the southern part of that country. Some 11,000 coalition troops and Afghan forces are involved in the offensive.
The campaign is being waged in four provinces where Taliban rebels recently have been regrouping and launching attacks. A spokesman for the coalition says the operation is trying to do more than just target rebels.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MASTER SGT. CHRIS MILLER, COALITION SPOKESMAN: Well, I tell you what, this operation is not just about killing or capturing any of those extremists. What we are trying to do is establish conditions where the government of Afghanistan can extend its authority into the areas it doesn't have a strong presence right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: The offensive comes as NATO forces prepare to join coalition and Afghan troops in the region -- Jim.
CLANCY: All right.
Hala, all of this is about much more, as we heard there, than just going after the Taliban. To rebuild a nation, to rebuild the authority of the government, has to be the ultimate goal. How's it working?
Brent Sadler takes us there.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): In lawless southern Afghanistan a battle is under way for the future of this country. A fledgling army learns how to fight for the distant government in Kabul.
A police force starts from scratch. American trainers teach Afghans how to kill Taliban insurgents. Some recruits are past their prime. The instructors are patient.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good job. Thank you.
SADLER: Their work is cutout.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The first thing you are going to do is get something over the wound to stop the bleeding.
SADLER: British troops are also here, more than 3,000 of them. They have suffered their own casualties in the mean streets of Helmand Province.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Coming through!
SADLER: This primitive beat is home to Taliban fighters, opium smugglers and ruthless warlords.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're here to help the government build its institutions. We're here to give confidence and brig security, help the people bring their own security.
SADLER: As NATO takes over command from U.S. forces in this volatile region it knows it must build trust.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How are you? Good to see you.
SADLER: British Defense Minister Des Browne says he's here to do just that.
DES BROWNE, BRITISH DEFENSE SECRETARY: I don't think ever again can we let these people down in the way which we have in the past, the way which the world has in the past, and not can we allow this country to become a training ground for terrorists again.
SADLER: A new fleet of police trucks has arrived at provincial headquarters, where a newly appointed police chief has replaced the notorious warlord. He tells American and British advisers he's determined to defeat the enemy. And that, he says, includes al Qaeda.
"The shadow of Osama bin Laden looms large here," says police chief Nabi Malakil (ph), "over a deadly network of anti-government insurgents. "Bin Laden wants to shed innocent Afghan blood," explains the chief. "He'll get punished sooner or later.
(on camera): Last week's killing of al Qaeda's terror chief in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, resonates here in the Afghan battlefield.
(voice over): Helmand has a new governor, too. The struggle, he says, goes way beyond Afghanistan.
ENGINEER DAUD, GOVERNOR, HELMAND PROVINCE: The enemies of the Afghan government is not only the enemy of Afghan government. This is the enemy of the international community as well.
SADLER: Success against that enemy will depend on whether the unusual alliance taking shape can begin to win control of some of Afghanistan's toughest territory.
Brent Sadler, CNN, Helmand Province, southern Afghanistan.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: A lot more ahead here on YOUR WORLD TODAY.
A behind-the-scenes glimpse of President Bush's flying visit to Iraq.
CLANCY: And then, how this figure is igniting fury in Australia after walking free from a Jakarta jail.
We'll have his story coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CLANCY: Welcome back to YOUR WORLD TODAY.
We want to investigate more on President Bush's Iraq trip. Now, Republicans hoping that the visit, coupled with the death of Iraq's top insurgent, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, are going to in one way or another turn his political fortunes around this election year.
Joining us now for a reality check, Chief U.S. Correspondent John King, and Michael Gordon, chief military correspondent for "The New York Times." He's also the author of "Cobra II," an account of the invasion and occupation of Iraq.
John King, you were on this trip. You traveled with the president aboard Air Force One. Tell us a little bit about it, the perspective, the image you got of what the president was trying to achieve.
JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think he's trying to achieve two things. One of them is -- and let's make no bones about it -- there's a domestic political audience back here in the United States that is increasingly skeptical, if not increasingly opposed, to the war in Iraq, and increasingly of the belief that the president doesn't have a plan for victory.
And so part of the reason he decided to go off to Baghdad for a dramatic secret visit is to try to show the American people that, for all the setbacks and all the disappointments, that he's on top of things. And he believes that perhaps now, perhaps, Iraq is nearing a turning point.
You see the president seated there. The prime minister, Mr. Maliki, just to his left. The Iraqi cabinet assembled on one end of this table, some of the president's delegation on his end. They were linked up by Camp David, as well.
So the president trying to send a message to the American people back home, yes, there have been disappointments, yes this might be taking longer than you thought it would to get up and running, but that he believes this new government actually will have legitimacy with the Iraqi people. And he told us on the way back he believes it has a plan to start improving security, start improving delivery of services.
Now, this is a president whose political situation back here in the United States is defined almost singularly by Iraq. And essentially, if he is to get out of this political ditch, if you will, his fate is very much in the hands of this new prime minister. And the president says he was very impressed, but the president himself says, prove it.
CLANCY: All right. It didn't have to be that way.
Michael Gordon, of "The New York Times," I want to ask you, it was obvious to anybody that was there going on four years ago, more than three years ago, when the U.S. troops landed there they did not have a plan, or the administration didn't seem to have a plan at all for post-war, post-invasion Iraq.
Have things really changed?
MICHAEL GORDON, "NEW YORK TIMES": Well, things have changed a great deal, in part because they didn't have an effective plan at the outset. What we have now is a very difficult security situation.
The killing of Zarqawi was an important step forward, but, you know, he only represented a small portion of the insurgency, which is largely Sunni based. So the insurgency is going to continue the IEDs, the roadside bombs. They're going to continue their areas of the country, like Ramadi, which are effectively beyond U.S. control.
So there's still -- there's still a difficult security situation. The U.S. goal is to get the Iraqis to assume more responsibility for dealing with this situation, and I believe that was one purpose of President Bush's visit.
CLANCY: All right. The president obviously was very confident, but let's take a look back at when he was talking with reporters a little bit earlier today and was challenged on that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: One of the reasons I went to Iraq was to be able to sit down with the Iraqi government to determine whether or not they have the will to succeed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CLANCY: All right. "Whether or not they have the will to succeed."
Now, when we look at that, John King, he's leaving a lot to the Iraqi government. If he really had a lot of confidence in it, wouldn't Prime Minister al-Maliki have been given more than five minutes' notice that he was coming to Iraq?
KING: Well, there's security concerns, Jim, that the White House says are legitimate. That they did not want to tip off anybody.
Their concern was not that they don't trust Prime Minister Maliki, but that he would tell an aide, who would tell an aide, and somebody would get on a cell phone. And as you know, there is rampant corruption in some of the Iraqi police forces that they're trying to get out. So the White House says it needed to do it this way.
And when we were on the ground, we were in a very isolated situation, just at the temporary U.S. Embassy. But the Iraqi officials we spoke to seemed to think that they understood the reasons for that.
But back to -- back to Michael's point, which is the key thing, they do need the Iraqi government to deliver. The president told us on the way back about this operation launched in Baghdad today. He said the prime minister also was sending 15,000 Iraqi troops into Basra, which is another very tense and questionable security situation.
And the president conceded that when it comes to Ramadi, the other big challenge, that that one would fall to the United States. He likened it to Falluja. He said the United States needed to do a better job, but he voiced some optimism in the near future it would do a better job on that front.
So there's no question the president is optimistic, but he also -- his optimism is tempered a bit by the lessons, the disappointments of the past.
CLANCY: Well, his optimism isn't going to only be measured by the events in Iraq. It's really going to be measured by the polls in the United States.
Let's bring in political analyst Bill Schneider now and ask you whether you think the president succeeded here in accomplishing at least some of those political goals, reassuring the American public, showing that his determination, that they should follow him, trust him for another year, more.
WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, he certainly seized the moment. The elimination of al-Zarqawi did not produce the huge effect that you might have expected on public support for the war.
There was slight gains in the view that the United States was doing well in Iraq, although a majority continued to believe that U.S. forces are not doing very well there. But there were some small gains in the view that they are.
And as for U.S. withdrawal from Iraq, a month ago most Americans said the U.S. should withdraw within a year. Now Americans are divided about that.
The president wanted to take this moment of good news and really milk it for its political opportunity to try to present this as a turning point, that with a new government in place, all the cabinet positions filled, and with the elimination of Zarqawi, things are beginning to turn around in Iraq. I don't think we'll see any immediate results in the polls, but he expects the polls to start moving in a different direction.
CLANCY: Michael Gordon, reality check here. This is an insurgency. They don't have to do all that much to unhinge U.S. plans and Iraqi plans, do they?
GORDON: You know, the attacks are still at very high levels and really haven't diminished in terms of the number of attacks. You know, the U.S. has shifted its goal. The goal is no longer to defeat the insurgency and then leave. The goal is to hand over responsibility increasingly to the Iraqis, with the recognition that the insurgency is going to continue.
So, a great deal depends on the success of the U.S. in enabling the Iraqis to take over these tasks militarily, and also politically. You know, they have to make an accommodation with the Sunnis, and that's going to require some hard choices by this new Maliki government.
CLANCY: All right.
Let's go back for a quick thought from everybody, really in looking at the way that things are developing on the ground in Iraq, the way the president trying to turn it around, and, for that matter, the Iraqi prime minister trying to turn it around.
John King , from the U.S. side, what do they see the Iraqis have to do in order to make this success? The president talked a lot about unity.
KING: He talked about unity. He talked about putting the bitterness behind. He said he was convinced the prime minister and his cabinet are not going to dwell on their differences, on their history, but are trying to work well together.
The president essentially has laid out the prime minister's job as to be a good mayor. He said he needs to improve security on the streets so that people have a basic quality of life, they're not afraid to walk to the market. They need to improve the number of hours in a day the Iraqi people, especially in Baghdad, have electricity.
Essentially, that was it, give them better security, give them better services, like electricity, and a school system, and they will begin to feel invested in the new government. The president said this was -- right now, the biggest test was psychology. The Iraqi people needed to commit to this new government.
CLANCY: Michael Gordon, is the strategy of turning it over to the Iraqis going to yield the result that the insurgency dies out after a departure by the Americans, or does it divide into that civil war people have been talking about, perhaps even a push towards an Islamic republic?
GORDON: First of all, there is not going to be a departure by the Americans in the near term. I mean, the Pentagon is still projecting a fairly sizable force level in Iraq in excess of 100,000 by the end of the year.
So, this is a -- sort of a slow, gradual force reduction. The United States is going to be there for some time. So I think it would be -- I know Senator Kerry's calling for a deadline, but that's not the Bush administration's plan at this point.
CLANCY: All right.
Bill Schneider, to wrap it all up, what will be the political fallout? As a troop presence there, a massive troop presence continues on through the Bush administration, how will the Republicans, how will the president pay the political price?
SCHNEIDER: Well, first of all, the Republicans are taking the offensive on this. He talked about unity in Iraq, but he's not pursuing unity in the United States.
Karl Rove went to New Hampshire and laid a scathing attack out on the Democrats. There's going to be a debate in the House and Senate this week about a date certain for withdrawal, trying to embarrass the Democrats to show their divisions. The administration is seizing a political initiative here to try to throw the Democrats on the defensive because they don't want to be on the defensive anymore on the Iraq issue.
CLANCY: All right.
Political Analyst Bill Schneider.
I want to thank Michael Gordon of "The New York Times," and, of course, our own chief national correspondent, John King -- all three of you for being with us.
GORANI: All right. We are going to take a short break.
You're with YOUR WORLD TODAY on CNN International.
A check of the U.S. headlines is up next for our audience in America.
CLANCY: And for our international viewers, we'll have the latest from the World Cup. A live report from Berlin straight ahead.
Plus, two (INAUDIBLE) biggest rivals facing off. We'll have a look at Polish pride just ahead.
This is YOUR WORLD TODAY.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Daryn Kagan at CNN Center in Atlanta. More of YOUR WORLD TODAY in just a few minutes. First, though, let's check on stories making headlines here in the U.S.
Firefighters in suburban Chicago have contained a huge fire that broke out this morning at an industrial plant. At least four injuries are reported.
The five-alarm fire in Bellwood, Illinois, followed an explosion at the plant which makes products used in concrete work. Firefighters from more than a dozen communities were called out to fight that blaze.
President Bush says U.S. forces will stay in Iraq until the Iraqi forces can do the job themselves. The president spoke with reporters this morning, just hours after returning from Baghdad. He says violence in Iraq won't be eliminated altogether, but he says Iraqi and coalition forces are on offensive against insurgents.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: The United States' government is to stand with this new government and help them succeed. And we will do what it takes to help them succeed.
The prime minister has taken immediate action to implement a plan to improve security, and his top priority is around Baghdad. Operation Together Forward started this morning. This operation is a joint effort to restore security and rule of law to high-risk areas in the capital city.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: The president says he'll dispatch a team of U.S. officials to rally financial support for the new Iraqi government.
Tensions are on the rise on the Korean peninsula. At issue, reports that North Korea is planning to test a long-range ballistic missile.
The U.S. envoy to South Korea says that If Pyongyang goes through with that test, Washington will respond with its own countermeasures. And it's not clear what those measures would be.
International concerns have been simmering for years over North Korea's nuclear ambitions. It so far shrugged off diplomatic incentives to abandon its weapons program.
There's been a rash of subway stabbings in New York City. Four attacks in all. And they all happened in less than 24 hours.
In the latest incident, police say two Canadian women were wounded outside the trendy W Hotel in Times Square early this morning. They're both hospitalized in stable condition.
A hotel bouncer led police to a 25-year-old man. Authorities are trying to determine if the man was involved in two earlier subway stabbings, one at Rockefeller Center, the other on Manhattan's upper west side.
So, are you sitting down for this one? Good, because this one just might knock you for a loop.
At least a billion dollars in assistance paid to hurricane victims for bogus reasons. Government watchdogs say it's FEMA's fault. A House committee hearing is taking place about that today. An audit by the GAO found that some outrageous things took place.
Remember those debit cards that were handed out to hurricane victims? Well, they paid for a trip to the Caribbean, season football tickets, diamond jewelry, "Girls Gone Wild" videos, and some fancy champagne. FEMA says it has revamped its procedures and it's ready for this year's storm season.
For the U.S. Gulf Coast, a tune-up for what could be ahead. The storm that slammed ashore yesterday as Alberto no longer packing much of a punch. It's now a tropical depression lingering over South Carolina.
This was the scene as the storm made landfall near Adams Beach, Florida. It brought high winds, heavy rain, and rough surf from the Tampa area to near Tallahassee
And then it swept into Georgia and South Carolina. Trees and power lines blown down in both states. But so far, there are no reports of any serious injuries.
What is happening with today's weather? Jacqui Jeras is here for that.
Hi, Jacqui.
JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hi, Daryn.
(WEATHER REPORT)
KAGAN: All right, Jacqui. Thank you.
A woman in Tennessee accused of killing her minister husband enters a not guilty plea. Mary Winkler's trial is now scheduled to begin on October 30th. She's been charged with first-degree murder and the shooting death of Matthew Winkler. Church members found him dead in his bedroom on March 22nd. Authorities say Winkler confessed to planning her husband's murder and shooting him. They have not released a motive.
Pastors' wives face stress on a daily basis. There is a ministry that can help. We'll talk with the founder on CNN "LIVE FROM," beginning at 1:00 Eastern.
I'm Daryn Kagan. YOUR WORLD TODAY continues after a quick break. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CLANCY: Well, no matter where you are around the globe, welcome back to YOUR WORLD TODAY. I'm Jim Clancy.
GORANI: I'm Hala Gorani, and here are the headlines we're following for you this hour.
A day after making a surprise trip to Baghdad, U.S. President George W. Bush sounded upbeat about the ability of Iraqis to establish peace and security. He acknowledged that insurgent violence will not be completely eliminated, and he declined to suggest a timetable for bringing home some 130,000 U.S. troops.
CLANCY: The man regarded by many as the spiritual head of the militant network Jemaah Islamiya walks free from jail in Jakarta. Militant cleric Abu Bakar Ba'asyir 26 months for condoning the 2002 Bali bombings, in which 202 people, many of them foreigners, were killed. Eighty-eight of those were Australian tourists. His release is sharply criticized by Australia's Prime Minister John Howard.
GORANI: In southern Afghanistan, a major military offensive under way. The operation involves some 11,000 coalition troops and Afghan forces. It is targeting Taliban rebels who recently have regrouped in the area and launched attacks. The offensive comes as NATO forces prepare to join coalition and Afghan troops in the region.
CLANCY: Well, it's certainly not checked baggage, but the kind of luggage that you'd rather carry on. A Hamas source says Palestinian foreign minister Mahmoud al-Zahar crossed the border from Egypt into Gaza carrying -- get this -- $20 million in cash. It was contained in suitcases. We see him here voting. That was in January's elections that Hamas triumphed in. The source didn't disclose where the cash came from. Al-Zahar had been abroad raising money for the Hamas-led Palestinian government after most Western nations cut off all aid.
Fionnuala Sweeney reports from Jerusalem on the Palestinian cash crunch.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FIONNUALA SWEENEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Chaos in the Palestinian parliament. Proceedings interrupted by angry and frustrated civil servants who haven't received a paycheck in months. Hamas legislators reduced to mere spectators as public workers, most of them from Fatah, make their stand; demanding money and food; carrying aloft a picture of their hero Marwan Barghuti, serving life in an Israeli jail for murder.
The session suspended. Si Barakat (ph) of Fatah tries to calm the protesters. Outside, in the center of Ramallah, the tables are turned. Several hundred Hamas supporters demonstrate against the parliamentary demonstration. Since Hamas surprised everybody by its landslide victory in the Palestinian elections last January, few funds have been reaching Gaza and the West Bank from the international donor community. The sanctions, intended to remain in place as long as Hamas espouses violence and refuses to recognize Israel.
The political stalemate between Hamas and Fatah playing out on the streets of Gaza. In Hanunes (ph), a Hamas gunman was shot dead as he and others ambushed a car carry a senior Fatah security figure. Rafet Kulab (ph) was wounded in both legs. Hours later, his house was set on fire.
In an attempt to quell the gun battles, Hamas and Fatah announced an agreement to withdraw from the streets, and the plan to merge the militia and the security forces under one roof.
ISMAIL HANIYA, PALESTINIAN PRIME MINISTER (through translator): Thank God the dialogue was positive. And we are trying to find solutions for most of the problems we are facing on the ground.
SWEENEY: A show of solidarity. Putting it into practice will be infinitely more challenging.
(on camera): Meanwhile, talks on the proposed referendum on the Palestinian National Consensus continue, both sides hoping that enough progress made on the political front to avert a complete breakdown of law and order in the streets. Time is not on their side.
Fionnuala Sweeney, CNN, Jerusalem. (END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: All right. Let's get more on what's happening in the Palestinian territories, as well as the future of Palestinian security forces and the clashes that we've seen in those areas.
We're joined by the Hamas government's spokesperson, Ghazi Hamad. Thank you for joining us.
First, influential think tanks are coming out, saying one single act of violence in the entire Palestinian territory of Gaza and the West Bank could tilt into chaos and civil war. Do you agree with that assessment?
GHAZI HAMAD, HAMAS GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN: First, I think, yes, there is some accidents in diplomacy and territory (ph), but we think we will not reach a point of civil war. These things happen from individuals, not from the orders from the Hamas or Fatah leader troops. Because all the time, they (INAUDIBLE), the leaders of Hamas and Fatah. They sit together. Yesterday, they sit together. They have negotiations. They have talked to each other.
And we are trying. We are trying to put end for all these painful clashes between Hamas and Fatah. And I think what has happened yesterday and today is that positive atmosphere and (INAUDIBLE) of encouragement in order to achieve a final compromise for the whole situation.
GORANI: Let's talk about President Mahmoud Abbas' proposed referendum and this so-called prisoners' document, implicitly recognizing Israel. Because it proposes a two-state solution, will Hamas accept the document? Will Hamas sign on to this and recognize the state of Israel, yes or no?
HAMAD: First of all, Hamas has said that most of this document, 90 percent of this document, is accepted. But we have some notes and I think yesterday they sit together and in order to discuss all these notes with Fatah and all the Palestinian faction. And I think in a couple of -- one week, we will finish the dialogue and negotiation and we will approve this document with some amendments and with some small changes.
GORANI: What will the amendment be?
HAMAD: Well, I think the position of -- let me say that all the policy (INAUDIBLE) until now say we are not ready to recognize Israel because Israel is against our mission in life. They don't recognize the Palestinian government. They don't recognize the right (INAUDIBLE). They don't recognize there should be a state in the Palestinian -- in Palestinian territory, including the West Bank and Gaza and Jerusalem. I think the problem is not in the Palestinian side. I think this question should be directed to Israel if they are ready to withdraw from the Palestinian territory or not. This is our problem.
GORANI: I need to interrupt you, because we have limited time right now. But what you are saying -- just so I am clear on what you're saying -- is that Hamas will sign on to the document, that amendments will be made. And those amendments, presumably, since you say Hamas will not recognize the state of Israel, will include -- the amendments will take out the provision that implicitly recognizes the state of Israel? Is that what you are saying?
HAMAD: Our demands are very clear. We are as a Palestinian people. We want to live like any people in the world. Like Americans, like Brazilians, we want to establish a Palestinian independent state in the '67 borders. In this part, the whole Palestinian believe about the history of Palestine, but we gave big concessions. We say we want a state and '67 borders, but the same time, Olmert and the Israeli government say no for the Palestinian state. They want to keep the big settlements. They want to continue building the war.
GORANI: Ghazi Hamad, that is not the question I was asking you. I apologize for interrupting again. But will you or will not sign on to a document that promotes two-state solution and implicitly recognizes Israel? will you, yes or no?
HAMAD: This document is talking about the Palestinian state. It does not talk about two-state solution.
GORANI: So you will sign on to a document that does not refer to a two-state solution. Is that the official position of Hamas at this juncture?
HAMAD: Yes, we are talking about the Palestinian state only.
GORANI: All right. Ghazi Hamad, Hamas government spokesperson, thank you so much for being on YOUR WORLD TODAY on CNN.
CLANCY: All right, still ahead right here on YOUR WORLD TODAY.
GORANI: How a radical Muslim cleric is fueling more fury in Australia after walking free from a Jakarta jail.
Stay with us.
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CLANCY: Welcome back to our viewers in the U.S. and around the world. He was a man who walked out of a jail in Jakarta into a barrage of acclaim and, yes, some outrage. Militant cleric Abu Bakar Ba'asyir served 26 months for his part in condoning the 2002 Bali bombings; 202 people were killed in those bombings, 88 of them Australian tourists visiting Bali. His release has his supporters celebrating and holding welcoming ceremonies for him. But Australian Prime Minister John Howard is concerned.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN HOWARD, AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER: I want them to understand from me on behalf of the government how extremely disappointed, even distressed, millions of Australians will be at the release of Abu Bakar Ba'asyir, Mr. Speaker. Many Australians will see that particular outcome, although a product of the Indonesian justice system, will see that as an extremely disappointing result, Mr. Speaker.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Well, Ba'asyir is regarded by many in the West as a spiritual head of the militant network Jemaah Islamiya, but it's a group he claims doesn't even exist.
Dan Rivers takes a closer look at the man that inspires both adulation and disgust.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAN RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Emerging from prison to a hero's welcome, this is the man the authorities think inspired and morally justified the Bali bombings. Abu Bakar Ba'asyir is an unlikely looking jihadist leader. But this frail, avuncular, 68-year- old cleric is accused of being the spiritual leader of the shadowy Jemaah Islamiya terror network. And now, he's free again to radicalize young men, to carry out attacks like this.
The devastating Bali bombings in 2002 is Jemaah Islamiya's most spectacular and deadly attack, incinerating a packed bar of Westerners on the holiday island of Bali that left 202 people dead and 300 injured. Many were Australian. This has been likened to their September 11th. It put J.I. on the map as a major terrorist force in the region, and Ba'asyir became a wanted man.
But prosecutors couldn't find direct evidence linking him to the attack. They tried to charge him with treason, but he was acquitted in 2003. The only charges which stuck were minor immigration offenses. But J.I.'s violent bombing campaign had continued during his trial with this attack on the Marriott Hotel in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta.
In early 2004, Ba'asyir's supporters clashed with the police on news the cleric had been rearrested. He was tried for the Marriott bombing and was acquitted. But the police did finally put him behind bars for his part in the Bali bombing conspiracy.
Like al Qaeda, Jemaah Islamiya has operated secret terror training camps, instructing young men in the art of combat, kidnapping and bombmaking. Ba'asyir has always denied running these. His critics, though, says he provides the religious justification for these men to kill in the name of Islam.
(on camera): So after just a couple of years in prison, Abu Bakar Ba'asyir is free to preach once again at his school. He wants to create a panregional Islamic state uniting more than 420 million Muslims across Southeast Asia. It's a cause for which Jemaah Islamiya is prepared to bomb and kill innocent people.
Dan Rivers, CNN, Maruki, Indonesia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CLANCY: All right, we're going to take a short break here...
GORANI: ... on YOUR WORLD TODAY. And we'll be right back.
Stay with us. You're with CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CLANCY: Exactly one week ago today Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq, spent his dying moments looking up at U.S. troops who had arrived on the scene of the hideout where he had been that was blown up by two 500-pound bombs. Very quickly, al Qaeda in Iraq named a replacement. But how much do we really know about him?
Let's go to the Pentagon now and Barbara Starr -- Barbara?
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jim, CNN has learned that the world might -- just might -- be about to find out an awful lot more information about Zarqawi's successor. As we speak, we are told by multiple sources that the Bush administration, the U.S. military and the intelligence community, is now urgently trying to declassify and put out information to the public about a man, Abu Ayub al-Masri, an Egyptian who the U.S. firmly believes is, in fact, the designated successor to Zarqawi.
So far, there has been very little information about this man and no known photograph, but sources now tell us that there is photography of him, that there is information they are trying to put out. And you might realize it's for a very practical reason. They want the U.S. troops in Iraq to be able to recognize this man immediately if they come across him.
And they're convinced, we are told, he is Zarqawi's successor, based on what we are told is recent intelligence and interrogations gathered over the last several days -- Jim.
CLANCY: Barbara, then we shouldn't be believing every Web site. They've come out with different names.
STARR: Ah, let me clarify that one for you. In fact, what our sources are telling us is that Islamic Web site that had a name on it Abu Hamza, a man claiming to the successor to this Egyptian, that in fact -- this is the second part of it -- they believe that man, Abu Hamza and al-Masri are one and the same, in fact. Based on interrogations, based on intelligence they have collected, they say they are convinced they have every reason to believe at this point that Abu Hamza and this Egyptian they've identified as Zarqawi's successor are, in fact, the same man.
CLANCY: All right, Barbara Starr, as always, our thanks to you. We'll be checking in with Barbara Starr in the minutes and the hours ahead here for more on this story.
GORANI: Welcome again to the fan zone, World Cup 2006. We've been asking you to e-mail us at worldcup@CNN.com. CLANCY: That's right. We want to show you now some of the photos that other people have sent in. We don't why you've been waiting. Look at these. Jason Snyder (ph) sent us this one from the U.S. match against the Czech Republic, which I would like to forget, where Elvis, the king, was seen rooting for his home team. Didn't help.
GORANI: Oh dear.
CLANCY: They were dead on the field, too.
GORANI: That image ingrained in my mind. Augustin (ph) sent us these pictures of her children, Juliana and Kevin. Look at the cuties dressed up to support their Spanish team who did so well today.
And only in Trinidad and Tobago will you find donuts like these.
CLANCY: Yes, I'm sure.
GORANI: At least that's what fan Nancy claims. They don't really look like donuts.
CLANCY: Those team colors. No, it doesn't matter. It's the team colors. Now, with Tropical Storm...
GORANI: Rectangular donuts.
CLANCY: ... Alberto making landfall in Florida, our thoughts are now turning to the warm waters of Earth.
GORANI: Now, Guillermo Arduino is here with our "Changing Earth" segment on global warming and why a former United States vice president is heating up the debate. Guillermo Arduino, what can you tell us?
GUILLERMO ARDUINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hala, Jim.
You know that Al Gore's new movie, "An Inconvenient Truth," recently opened in theaters and it's bringing a strong message.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AL GORE, "AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH": If you look at the ten hottest years ever measured, they've all occurred in the last 14 years and the hottest of all was 2005.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ARDUINO: Over the past century, the Earth's surface temperature has risen one degree Fahrenheit. And even the slightest increase has caused the Earth's climate to change. There's research suggesting that some islands in the South Pacific could ultimately disappear due to the rising sea levels. And some other parts of the world are concerned, as well. You know that.
Melting glaciers and icecaps causing water levels to rise and that has an implication all over the world; in this case, by a tenth of an inch -- and that's a quarter of a millimeter every year. Also on the rise are the number of deadly storms forming and the probability that humans will be affected.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GORE: Temperature increases are taking place all over the world and that's causing stronger storms.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ARDUINO: So, what is the truth behind global warming? And is modern civilization really to blame for what Gore calls a global crisis? Well, scientists continue to disagree over whether global warming is human-induced phenomena or a natural cycle. We see that all the time. We expect the debate, though, to continue long in the future.
GORANI: Guillermo, we have 30 seconds, but Al Gore was on "LARRY KING LIVE" yesterday and he talked about a timetable.
ARDUINO: Yes. He says ten years. We have ten years to fix this problem. And both in Washington, politicians need to change their minds; and people in America, or in the world, need to address this issue very seriously because...
CLANCY: Should it be the scientists or the politicians that decide that, to make that determination?
ARDUINO: Well, he's saying that the debate is over for scientists. But we hear scientists say all the time that this is a natural cycle. So it is very confusing.
GORANI: It's how politicians use the science.
ARDUINO: Well...
CLANCY: They're needed. Both are needed.
ARDUINO: The important thing is that he says we're heading to catastrophe in ten years.
CLANCY: All right.
GORANI: Guillermo Arduino with "Changing Earth," thanks very much.
ARDUINO: Thank you.
GORANI: And that's it for this hour.
CLANCY: That's right. "LIVE FROM" is coming up next for our viewers in the United States with Kyra Phillips.
GORANI: For viewers elsewhere, another hour of YOUR WORLD TODAY is next. Stay tuned. I'm Hala Gorani. CLANCY: I'm Jim Clancy, and this is CNN.
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