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CNN Newsnight Aaron Brown

Israeli Tanks Move Toward Arafat Compound in Ramallah; Interview With Benjamin Netanyahu

Aired March 28, 2002 - 22:00   ET

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

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CONNIE CHUNG, CNN ANCHOR: More about apprehension. This evening, Israeli troops and tanks are moving into Ramallah and appear to be heading toward the headquarters of Yasser Arafat. So tonight, we will keep this short and get right to the latest news.

So we begin the whip with Christiane Amanpour in Netanya. Christiane.

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Connie, that's exactly what we are being told. The tanks are heading towards Yasser Arafat's headquarters, that there has been some exchange of gunfire and that there are casualties. Also, we've been told by the Israeli government spokesman, as the cabinet keeps meeting, it is still meeting, an extraordinary session, that Israel reserves its right to retaliate in self-defense.

CHUNG: Thank you, Christiane Amanpour. On to Brent Sadler in Beirut, the latest on the Saudi peace plan, adopted by the Arab League -- Brent.

We have a little problem with our communication there. We'll move on to the U.S. reaction to the situation in Israel, that coming tonight from Crawford, Texas where the President will spend the weekend. Major Garrett is there -- Major

MAJOR GARRETT, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good evening, Connie. The Bush Administration has adopted a studiously neutral position on Mr. Arafat's declaration about intention to implement a ceasefire, not saying it's good or bad, just saying it's reviewing Mr. Arafat's words and will have more later -- Connie.

CHUNG: Thank you, Major. And the mystery of American Flight 587 that went down last fall, some intriguing developments today. Kathleen Koch is covering the story -- Kathleen.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Connie, CNN has obtained from two different sources exclusive photos of damage to another Airbus A- 300, the same model that crashed in Queens, and some disturbing analysis from a source very close to that 587 investigation that the second plane was an accident waiting to happen -- Connie.

CHUNG: All right thank you, Kathleen. We'll be back with all of you in just a moment. A lot of the Middle East this evening, an unusual interview with a representative of Hamas and my talk with the former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Also, we'll have a little bit from one corner of the Caribbean.

It would seem like it would give a parent a migraine to look at what you're about to see, except the parents of these kids sent them on Spring Break, not college students, high school students, well under the age of 21. Jason Bellini has a rough assignment in Cancun.

We begin now with the fascinating developments in the Middle East. There's a ceasefire proposal on the table and tanks on the move. An Arab League peace plan and the Israelis are preparing for military action. The latest now from CNN's Christiane Amanpour in Netanya, and what is left after the Passover massacre -- Christiane.

AMANPOUR: Indeed, Connie, here we stand at the place where that suicide bombing happened just over 24 hours ago. It's 6:00 in the morning here in Israel, and the cabinet is still meeting. It's been meeting for several hours, as the Israeli government considers what it will do next.

At the same time, we're being told by sources in Ramallah that some 30 tanks have already moved in from various directions into that city and towards, we're told, Yasser Arafat's headquarters, where he's been confined for the last several months, this after he had called and declared that he was ready to implement an immediate and unconditional ceasefire along the Tenet Plan for the ceasefire. This is what the United States had wanted.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

YASSER ARAFAT, PALESTINIAN LEADER (through interpreter): I would like to reiterate our readiness to work for an immediate ceasefire. I have notified General Anthony Zinni and on this occasion I would like to express my deepest appreciation for the maximum efforts he's exerting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

AMANPOUR: Now, as I say, this cabinet is still meeting. It plans to hold a press conference afterwards. We simply don't know when that will be, but of course, we will be monitoring that and having any news that comes out of that.

Earlier this evening, Ra'anan Gissen, the Israeli government spokesman, told us live here on CNN that what the cabinet was discussing was obviously its next move, but that he implied very heavily that the next move could be a military one -- Connie.

CHUNG: Christiane, we'll bet back to you if we need to. On to Beirut now with the Saudi plan, last night a veteran observer called it an historic accomplishment, not for what it says but for the simple fact that the Arab states, which don't agree on much, could at least agree on something. Here is Brent Sadler.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) SADLER (voice over): In Beirut, Arab leaders launch what they hope will be a groundbreaking Saudi-inspired plan, offering Israel peace and security in exchange for a return of land occupied since 1967, the basis of a fair deal they insist, which could lead to negotiations, ending decades of conflict. The Summit made this appeal to the State of Israel.

MAHMOUD HAMMOUD, LEBANESE FOREIGN MINISTER (through interpreter): To accept that this initiative, which guarantees peace and puts an end to bloodshed and guarantees for Israel, a peaceful coexistence with the Arab states.

ADEL AL-JUHBAIR, ADVISER TO SAUDI CROWN PRINCE: What is needed now from everybody from the Arab world, from Israel, from the European community, from the U.S. and from other nations in the world is engagement.

SADLER: Earlier, Palestinians rejoined the summit after the previous day's walkout, when Yasser Arafat was blocked from making a live TV address. And, in a further show of fence mending, an embrace by Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince and Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's top envoy here. It created a ripple of satisfaction, the Summit rejecting a U.S. attack on Iraq and demanding the lifting of U.N. sanctions.

Arab leaders say they have provided new momentum for peace in the Middle East, but in the wake of the Passover terror attack in Northern Israel, further violence seems inevitable, even as Israel says it's view of the Saudi plan is favorable, eager to hear more details.

RAFIK HARIRI, LEBANESE PRIME MINISTER: So this is the scene. The Arabs are looking for peace and the Israelis are turning their cannons toward the Palestinians.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SADLER (on camera): And that, says Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, sums up the immense exasperation now being felt in the region towards Palestinian-Israeli violence, at a time he says when Arab leaders are offering an unprecedented proposal to make peace with the Israelis after more than 50 years of Arab-Israeli conflict. Back to you, Connie.

CHUNG: Brent, although this is unprecedented, indeed Egypt's Mubarak wasn't there and the Israelis have said they would not return to the borders after the '67 war.

SADLER: Indeed, you joined me in the middle of a thunderstorm here, Connie, so I hope you'll be hearing me if there are any more thunder claps like that. Indeed, well the Arab side did not show any surprise at Israel's first reactions to this Saudi initiative and the way it's been built on here at the summit.

But certainly, they're expecting it to be propelled here onto the international stage. Crown Prince Abdullah himself from Saudi Arabia expecting to take the plan and discuss it directly with U.S. President George W. Bush, when Crown Prince Abdullah pays a Texas - pays a visit to the U.S. President in Texas next month.

CHUNG: All right, thank you Brent Sadler. And now on to the White House view. It's safe to say the Bush Administration has been of two minds about its role in the crisis, not wanting to be distracted from efforts to build a coalition against Iraq. It's also clear things have become more than just a distraction. So where does that leave the Bush Administration? Back to CNN's Major Garrett, who is with the President in Crawford, Texas.

GARRETT: Good evening, Connie. The Bush Administration is deeply involved in this process between the Israelis and the Palestinians, and tonight it had basically three options in reacting to Mr. Arafat's call for an immediate ceasefire. It could have praised it, saying it was a step in the right direction. It could have echoed the Israelis saying no, it's not words but actions that are required. Or, it could have been noncommittal and it chose the latter for this reason.

This idea of an instantaneous implementation of a ceasefire on the Palestinian side was a part of heavy discussions a week ago when Vice President Cheney was in the region. It was part of intense negotiations with the U.S. as to whether or not Mr. Arafat and Mr. Cheney would ever meet, and at the time, there were indications from the Palestinian Authority that, in fact, a ceasefire would be implemented.

Well there's been a considerable amount of violence since then, so the administration does not want to openly embrace this. It wants to see if, in fact, there are some actions that follow up on this implementation of a ceasefire notion from Mr. Arafat before embracing it.

For his part, President Bush left his Crawford Ranch for a bit today. He went up to Dallas for a GOP fundraiser and while there, he said he and his administration would remain committed to the peace process even amid intense violence.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: My heart breaks for those who are celebrating Passover in a hotel, when a cold-blooded killer came in and destroyed innocent life, to derail the attempts of peaceful loving people for coming together. But, they're not going to stop us as a nation longing for peace, and working for peace, and the best way to achieve the peace is to be strong and steadfast against terror.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GARRETT: Connie, that's a key phrase right at the end of what the President said. The best way to achieve peace is to stand strong and steadfast against terror. That has been very much what the Israeli government has said in its dealings with the Palestinians after a particularly brutal terrorist attack of which the Passover massacre clearly qualifies.

And the Bush Administration has been absolutely silent in the last 24 hours about what signals, if any, it is sending to the Israeli government as it contemplates its own military reaction to that Passover massacre. So some in Israel might be hearing the President's words and finding within them a green light to heavy military action against the Palestinians. Connie.

CHUNG: Thank you, Major Garrett. In a moment, the Middle East crisis as seen by Israel's once and perhaps future prime minister, my talk with Benjamin Netanyahu when NEWSNIGHT continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHUNG: Israel is a very divided democracy, so much so that the Israeli government is a coalition. No one party is in control. Virtually any party can bring the government down, and they threaten to do it all the time. There are doves in Ariel Sharon's cabinet as well as hawks, and within Sharon's party, there are people even more hawkish than he is.

One of them, former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu takes an even dimmer view of the Palestinians. He is a skeptic among skeptics. He will probably be the next prime minister of Israel, if Sharon's government falls. I spoke with him earlier this evening.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHUNG (voice over): Thank you so much for being with us tonight. Mr. Netanyahu, Yasser Arafat has offered to agree to an unconditional ceasefire. I take it you don't take it seriously, but isn't a ceasefire necessary?

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, FORMER ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: It would be laughable to get any offer from Arafat at this point. He's violated 11 ceasefires that he's agreed to in the last year and a half.

CHUNG: But do you think he's just responding?

NETANYAHU: He's violated every single commitment.

CHUNG: Do you believe that he is offering this simply because he's fearful of what Israel will do in retaliation?

NETANYAHU: Of course. After fostering an unprecedented wave of terrorism, unprecedented in the annals of nations because this has now claimed over eight times the number of victims per capita in Israel as were killed in the World Trade Center.

After fostering such a massive, savage, set of massacres culminating in the Passover massacre, then he's trying to get out of it. But I think that, just as the Taliban tried to get out of American retribution and ask for ceasefire negotiations right before America took action, President Bush told them no way. That's not something we're going to do or stop.

I think the same way today the Israeli government today is not going to take this seriously. It has to take action. It's got to take out this regime if we're going to have an end to violence and the beginning of peace.

CHUNG: Mr. Prime Minister, then what happens though? You take Arafat out and then what?

NETANYAHU: I don't think necessarily we have to kill him. I think we can literally take him out, expel him from the area, bring down his terrorist regime, cleanse the area of weapons and fighting formations and allow for a different Palestinian leadership to emerge, one that would recognize that the price of waging terror against us is the loss of power.

It's the same thing as in Afghanistan. You and I can not say what will be the government in three years, but we can categorically say that whoever governs Afghanistan, they will not again launch terrorism against American, because they too will be thrown out of power.

CHUNG: Mr. Prime Minister, do you see the Saudi plan as an opportunity?

NETANYAHU: Well, I can't take it seriously when they talk about reducing Israel to indefensible, pre-1967 boundaries. Israel would be 10 miles wide. Arafat would have the hills above Tel Aviv and the walls of Jerusalem, and of course, he would then demand under the Saudi plan the flooding of Israel with millions of Palestinians, effectively bringing about its end as a Jewish state.

So that's hardly a peace plan. A serious Saudi plan would be to use the vast oil wells that they've been using to bankroll terrorism to fund, in fact, the rehabilitation of the remaining Palestinian refugees. That would get my attention. That would prove to me that they're finally serious about peace.

CHUNG: All right. Given that you probably will be the next prime minister in the matter of a few months, would you accept the concept, we'll get the heart of it, land for peace?

NETANYAHU: I think that it's inevitable that the leadership of the Palestinians who do not seek our destruction, that is unlike Arafat, and who do not use terror, again unlike Arafat, if we have such a leadership emerging after Arafat is expelled, I would gladly resume political negotiations with them, and of course, both sides will have to make compromises. That is something that we accept. That is something that I -

CHUNG: But do you accept land for peace? Do you accept the concept of land for peace?

NETANYAHU: I accept that there will be changes.

CHUNG: Changes meaning what?

NETANYAHU: I think that that is a concept that can work, that can work only if Israel is left with defensible boundaries. It is not a concept, and never has the United Nations Security Council actually said that Israel is to retreat or withdraw from all the land. Otherwise, it would have said so, but it didn't.

CHUNG: I understand that.

NETANYAHU: It say we should withdraw from land and not all the land for secure and recognized boundaries. That is an arrangement that any Israeli government would be prepared to follow, but of course, I will not negotiate with you now what those defense lines would be.

CHUNG: Well let me ask you this then.

NETANYAHU: I hope we would be able to negotiate that in the future.

CHUNG: Can you set aside Jerusalem and the Golan Heights? Would you accept land for peace if it comes to the Gaza Strip and the West Bank?

NETANYAHU: Well there are adjustments, territorial adjustments that one would make in either of those areas. But you're quite right to say that Jerusalem and getting off the Golan Heights is out of the question, as is the idea of returning to the indefensible six-day war lines. In fact, the Arabs were there. They attacked us from those boundaries precisely because Israel was such a ripe and tempting target being only 10 miles wide.

So we're not going to go back to those borders, but again I could only negotiate a future settlement with a Palestinian leadership that didn't seek to annihilate the State of Israel, as Arafat has daily in Arabic, never in English, never on CNN, but in Arabic daily telling his people he's out to do.

CHUNG: Very quickly, sir, do you think the United States is being helpful at this point?

NETANYAHU: I think on the whole, the U.S. has got it right. This is an administration that has said in President Bush's historic speeches, that terror is always illegitimate, whether it's Palestinian terror or Afghan terror, and he said that terror regimes have no place in our world.

And I think those principles are those that will guide us. I understand that the Americans now want to get rid of Saddam Hussein, but the only way to win the war of terror against Saddam and everyone else is to stick to those principles, which Israel is, in fact, following.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHUNG: Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The other side when NEWSNIGHT returns, we'll speak to a man who speaks for Hamas, the organization taking credit for the massacre at Netanya. NEWSNIGHT for a Thursday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) CHUNG: It's really quite unusual to speak to our next guest. His organization, Hamas, takes credit for the killing in Netanya. He told CNN shortly after the attack just that, and even defended it promising more to come. He's the spokesperson for an organization seen by most as a terrorist group, even though he would probably prefer the term freedom fighter.

We're joined by Hamas spokesman Usama Hamdan. Thank you so much for being with us, sir. Tell me, if Yasser Arafat -

USAMA HAMDAN, HAMAS SPOKESMAN: Thank you.

CHUNG: If Yasser Arafat told you to stop the suicide bombing attacks, would you stop?

HAMDAN: Let me explain first that what we are doing now is not a terrorist attack, as you said before. It is a kind of defense against Israel towards our people and our city's religion. Israeli tanks now, they are marching into Ramallah, surrounding -

CHUNG: Mr. Hamdan, call it what you may, but I must ask you, if Yasser Arafat asked you to stop, would you stop?

HAMDAN: He didn't ask until now and I want you to understand that when he asks that for two months, all the Palestinian groups agreed to that, but the one who break the ceasefire was Ariel Sharon when he killed more than seven leaders from Hamas and Jihad and such organizations which is led by Yasser Arafat. (CROSSTALK)

CHUNG: All right, but right now Yasser Arafat has offered a ceasefire and an unconditional ceasefire. That would mean that he would then ask you if you would stop these attacks now. Would you do that?

HAMDAN: This ceasefire is announced under the threat of Israeli tanks, so we are talking if we want to talk about a ceasefire, we want to talk about a ceasefire which is announced by the Palestinian choices, not by the threat of Israeli tanks, which is marching now as you know on Ramallah, close to the headquarters of Yasser Arafat.

CHUNG: Yes, then do you mean that you don't take Arafat seriously when he offers this unconditional ceasefire, because it is under the threat? Everyone knows that Israel is going to retaliate very soon. You don't take Arafat seriously?

HAMDAN: I believe we are taking the whole situation seriously. I believe in this situation, all the Palestinians have to cooperate, to defend their cities, their Palestinian Authority, their people. So we are in the situation of defense against what Israel is doing, and I believe Mr. Arafat will call sooner or later to fight against those Israeli troops.

CHUNG: What do you think of Yasser Arafat? Is he the political leader that you would trust to negotiate a peace?

HAMDAN: I believe he is one of the Palestinian leaders. Maybe we have differences between us, but he's still a Palestinian leader and we believe that where there is no problem between us and any Palestinian leader, all of us are sharing in our liberation's struggle against Israel.

CHUNG: I want to pin down exactly what you mean. You're saying that when Arafat and the Palestinians are there under the threat of these tanks that are rolling towards Arafat's headquarters, you can not talk about a ceasefire? When Arafat talked about a ceasefire he was not being genuine and sincere?

HAMDAN: You know, he was talking before a few hours about the ceasefire. (CROSSTALK)

CHUNG: But you were well aware that the Israelis would move.

HAMDAN: OK, there is no respect from Israel. They are supposed to show us that they respect this ceasefire, so we can deal with this ceasefire. But if Israel is not dealing with that, we are supposed to defend ourselves. So I'm telling you now, if they did not stop that, all the Palestinians, even Yasser Arafat will call for all the Palestinians to deal with that seriously and to defend themselves and their people. So now, Israel must take the move, the correct move, or it will be another circle of violence against the Palestinians and they will defend themselves.

CHUNG: Mr. Hamdan, would you agree that no one, neither side is promoting peace? Would you agree with that?

HAMDAN: I didn't hear you. There is a thunder sound here. I didn't hear you, please.

CHUNG: OK, once again. Would you agree that no side is promoting peace, neither side?

HAMDAN: I believe, I believe - no. No. I believe Israel is not looking forward for peace. The Arabs in their summit, they have a proposal for peace. Just a few hours after this proposal, Israel announced their refusal for this proposal. I believe they are not looking for the peace.

When they are offered from 22 Arab leaders to have a complete peace between them and Israel, if and only if they return some of the Palestinian rights, I mean withdrawal until the 4th of June borders, return of refugees, return back of the refugees, and building a new independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as a capitol. Israel refused that proposal.

CHUNG: Mr. Hamdan. Mr. Hamdan how can you criticize Israel for not accepting this Saudi plan when even you, the Hamas, do not accept it?

HAMDAN: No, we are telling that in such a way, if Israel accepts this proposal, we can talk about this proposal seriously. But we are waiting for Israel to say clearly that they accept this peace, according to this proposal, and then the whole world will hear our words clearly about the peace. Then now, after also an agreement was signed, Israel showed no interest in the peace process. They want just a Palestinian Authority to control their peace, to control the Palestinian and serve as the policemen for Israel and that's all.

CHUNG: Mr. Hamdan.

HAMDAN: The Palestinians will not accept that.

CHUNG: Mr. Hamdan, if the Arab community wants to present a united front, isn't it incumbent upon the Hamas -

HAMDAN: I can't hear you.

CHUNG: You can't hear me. Is that what you said?

HAMDAN: Yes, I can hear you.

CHUNG: All right. If the -

HAMDAN: I believe the Palestinians will not accept.

CHUNG: If the Arab community wants to present a united front, isn't it incumbent upon Hamas to agree that the Saudi plan is a good and useful plan?

HAMDAN: I believe the Arabs have their own step towards Israel where this initiative was sent as a letter to Israel, a peace (UNINTELLIGIBLE) to Israel. Now we are supposed to wait what Israel will answer for that. If they accept the idea, then it will be the Palestinian turn to say their word.

But we can't say a thing before we hear from Israel. I was saying that from -- for 10 years, the Palestinians took a lot of steps towards peace, but always Israel was rejecting this -- those steps. They want the peace to have their own security without security to the Palestinians. They want to give nothing for the Palestinians and take everything from them. I think this is not a fair peace, and this peace will not be accepted from any Palestinian, even Yasser Arafat himself.

CHUNG: All right. Thank you so much, Mr. Hamdan. We appreciate your joining us tonight.

Ahead on NEWSNIGHT, the options for Israel and the fate of Yasser Arafat. "Newsweek International" editor, Fareed Zakaria, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHUNG: When a plan for peace in the Middle East is described as an historic breakthrough, most would say it's worth a closer and perhaps tougher look. So we're grateful tonight to "Newsweek International" editor Fareed Zakaria. No, I just mispronounced that. I pronounced it correctly before, didn't I? Zakaria.

FAREED ZAKARIA, EDITOR, "NEWSWEEK INTERNATIONAL": You got it right.

CHUNG: Thank you. Who joins us to talk about what we just saw, these two interviews with Benjamin Netanyahu and the representative of Hamas. What struck me was that the representative of Hamas did not simply dismiss Arafat as his leader. But at the same time he said -- he almost didn't take the cease-fire offer seriously, because the Israelis were rolling tanks towards Arafat's headquarters.

How do you view Arafat's position with respect to Hamas and the other groups?

ZAKARIA: It's complicated. The simple answer is, Connie, that Arafat could shut these groups down, if he wanted to.

CHUNG: He could?

ZAKARIA: He could. But he would pay a very heavy price. And he doesn't want to do that because his own position is not as assured, as a lot of people think. Now that doesn't mean that he directs every terrorist attack.

For example, this most recent one clearly was not one that served Arafat's purposes. The Passover bombing took place while Arafat was giving what he saw as his historic peace to the Arab summit, albeit via teleconference.

CHUNG: About to?

ZAKARIA: Right. This was not when he would have liked -- this was not good timing from his point of view. But it is true that if Arafat were to decide that he was really going to shut these people down, he has the police forces that could shut them down.

CHUNG: But is it sort of a Catch-22 for Arafat because if he asks them to shut down, he's asked them to do something? And they will turn away from him? And then, he really can't control them?

ZAKARIA: Precisely. I mean, he's leading a coalition, which includes some very radical elements. And he's trying to balance between appearing to be the great peacemaker and moderator to the outside world, but maintaining a coalition that includes some very radical elements within.

CHUNG: Would you say that the United States has no standing in this particular dispute at this time? I mean, the United States is in such a difficult position with the war on terrorism?

ZAKARIA: Oh, no, I think that the United States has real standing and has a real role here. Because it's the only -- the only party that both sides trust and the only party that has leverage with both sides.

CHUNG: Honestly, you believe that?

ZAKARIA: Yes, absolutely. If the United States pushes the Israelis hard to do something, they will do it. If the United States pushes Arafat very hard to do something, he will do it. Now neither of them is going to do something that endangers their own survival, but I think the United States has to be involved. I mean, you don't negotiate in the Middle East out of hope for peace. You negotiate out of fear of war. You know, things -- it's not that things could get much better, but it could get a lot worse.

CHUNG: Well, but when Clinton was trying to negotiate a peace between Barak and Arafat, Barak offered a enormous amount on the table. And yet, Arafat rejected it. So in my mind, they were both working with Clinton and negotiating with Clinton, but not with each other.

ZAKARIA: Right, negotiations failed. The path -- now you can take two conclusions from that, which is to say, they will always fail and we should never try. Or you know, they didn't fail. They didn't work out.

But the alternative, which frankly Prime Minister Sharon has tried, isn't working so well either. More Israelis have died under Sharon than under any previous prime minister. So if -- what is the path? You know, in other words, you fall back on negotiations out of despair, because getting the violence down is useful, because it will at some point get them, the two parties talking again. Once the two parties are talking again, you have the glimmer of a prospect of peace.

CHUNG: Do you think that if Sharon's government falls, and Netanyahu is in place, will that be easier? Will that be more difficult?

ZAKARIA: Well, I think Netanyahu brings some real intelligence and kind of analytic sharpness to this debate, but there isn't really a position that is more hawkish than Sharon's. Sharon is doing what you can do militarily.

The idea that you could do more than this really would involve the re-occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. And then Israel has to be the day-to-day manager and governor of three million people who hate Israel's guts and are willing to -- many of them willing to die to oppose it.

That's not a situation any government, any democratic government certainly has ever won. And it's not one that most governments have ever won. You think of the French of Algeria. You think of the English in Ireland. You know, this doesn't work.

So I don't know what Netanyahu thinks he can do that is more hard line than Sharon. It strikes me he would face the same problem, which is you cannot permanently maintain the situation. You either have to cut them off or you have to drive them out.

CHUNG: And it also always changes once they get into office?

ZAKARIA: Of course.

CHUNG: I mean, they talk a big game ahead of time, but much later it's different. Thank you so much for being with us tonight.

ZAKARIA: My pleasure, Connie.

CHUNG: Next on NEWSNIGHT, the U.S. wants the accused 20th hijacker to face the death penalty. The story, coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHUNG: Prosecutors believe he was supposed to be the 20th hijacker on September 11. And now they think Zacarias Moussaoui should die for it. The Justice Department will seek the death penalty for Moussaoui, the first and only person charged in connection with the September 11 tragedy. He was indicted in December as being part of the conspiracy. Moussaoui was already in jail when the attacks occurred.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN ASHCROFT, ATTORNEY GENERAL: Following my instructions, the United States attorneys have filed a notice of intent to seek a sentence of death. In the notice, we have alleged numerous reasons, called aggravating factors which we believe indicate why the death penalty is appropriate. Among these reasons is the impact of the crime on thousands of victims.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHUNG: The Justice Department today continued interviewing the families of victims, trying to bolster the emotional case for the death penalty.

The trial of the man accused in the kidnap and murder of "Wall Street Journal" reporter Daniel Pearl begins in just a few hours in Pakistan. Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheik will go on trial in Karachi for Pearl's kidnapping in late January and subsequent killing. Pakistan accuses Saeed of being the mastermind behind Pearl's killing, but also says that three other men suspected of involvement are still at large.

On to the threat of bioterrorism, it's been awhile since we talked about that. And today, there's actually some good news. Scientists have found that the 15 million known doses of smallpox vaccine can be diluted and remain effective. That would allow the country to protect 75 million Americans. Add to that a report that as many as 90 million doses that had been forgotten have been found. This could buy the government time as it races to get a hold of enough vaccine to inoculate all Americans.

It was back in November that American flight 587 crashed just minutes after takeoff. The immediate mystery was consuming at the time. Was it terrorism? But in the weeks and months that followed, the terrorism scenario evaporated.

The mystery of what happened did not. Pilots are once again issuing warning about the Airbus A-300. And there's another American plane that seemed to have a problem disturbingly similar to that flight 587. The story from Kathleen Koch.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KOCH (voice-over): The damage was found earlier this month on another American Airlines Airbus A-300, whose tail fin in 1997 had been exposed to extremely high side to side forces it wasn't designed to handle.

The source directly involved in the flight 587 investigation tells CNN the delamination or weakening of the composite material in the second plane was so severe, the tail was "just a shade short of tearing off." CNN has obtained exclusive photos, where pencil sketches show the hidden damage found by ultrasound.

An FAA memo shown to CNN concluded that the stress was concentrated at the same points, three-o'clock and nine-o'clock, as NTSB investigators found in Queens, New York last November on flight 587's tail fin, seen in these crash photos.

Airbus insists there was no danger in the more than four years that the second plane flew after the incident, saying "the fail-safe design is made so that if there is a failure -- one of these points comes up weawk -- the plane can continue to fly."

Still, eight American Airlines pilots today joined Fedex and UPS pilots in asking that all tail fins of A-300's be examined by ultrasound immediately. And the union representing all of American's pilots wants more comprehensive testing of A-300s than is being done now.

SAM MAYER, CAPTAIN, ALLIED PILOTS ASSOCIATION: We would, however, like to see some improvements in the testing, to allow maybe for better testing on a more routine basis, to just to determine that these airplanes are holding up just fine.

KOCH: So far, the FAA has only ordered ultrasonic testing of A- 300s that have experienced unusual side to side forces on the tail section. It found five: two which checked out fine, three which haven't been tested. A former NTSB official says it's unlikely the government will require such tests for all A-300s, since the tail fin has to be removed.

BOB FRANCIS, FMR. NTSB VICE CHAIRMAN: What you get yourself into is a position of unintended consequences, that you may be well in taking that off and putting it back on to do your exam, do more damage than you're likely to find.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOCH: So investigators continue to look at the composite tail fin, but CNN has learned that they're also increasingly studying what it may be about the design and/or operation of the Airbus A-300 that apparently allows its tail fin to be stressed beyond its design limits, under what experts call "somewhat routine conditions like recovering from wake turbulence or a stall." Back to you.

CHUNG: Kathleen, what should potential passengers take away from this information of today?

KOCH: Well, Connie, it is obviously somewhat disturbing when the pilots, at least eight specifically of American Airlines say we really want these planes to have their tail fins examined ultrasonically before they continue to fly.

But basically, Airbus does very credibly make the point that even this damage, which we got the exclusive photos and which an investigator said he believed was very, very close to being part of an accident, perhaps causing an accident. They say the plane flew over four years after its initial incident in 1997. So it's very tough to say.

You cannot obviously say -- make any concrete conclusions, but because there are good cases being made on both sides. But just something, obviously, that passengers have to keep in mind.

CHUNG: All right, Kathleen, it's a tough one. Thank you so much.

Coming up on NEWSNIGHT, Jason Bellini reports from spring break in Cancun. Poor boy. A spring break story that you haven't seen.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHUNG: And now a look at a sacred rite of spring. Actually, there's nothing sacred about it unless you are a college student who thinks spring break is as much of an education as Psych 101. But our spring break story is a little different. It's about kids who haven't even graduated from high school, living it up with their parents' approval and apparently their money.

Jason Bellini reports from Cancun, where he's practically and elder statesman.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JASON BELLINI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Warning: what you're about to see in this story is probably exactly what you're expecting to see.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Cancun, baby.

BELLINI: Intoxicated teenagers, whooping and hollering on the beach.

This is high school spring break?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, high school spring break.

BELLINI: That's pretty cool.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ow!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: High school spring break is good.

BELLINI: And why did you decide to come?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because's the most beautiful place in the world.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've been drinking for a while now. We're still underage, though.

BELLINI: Can't do that too many places in the U.S.?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nope.

BELLINI: Some of you will find it shocking, if not surprising. Of course, high school students love Cancun. The drinking age in Mexico is 18, and even that's rarely enforced. What has been the most fun thing so far?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The most fun thing was probably the first night we got down here. And we got on the bus. They just started handing us beers on the bus.

BELLINI (on camera): The saying goes in Cancun, that as long as you can see over the bar, you're old enough to be served here. Word has gotten out to high school students that Cancun is one place you can go to have a hassle-free spring break, and to get an early taste of college party life.

(voice-over): And of course, their parents allow these children to go. It was around noon when I met this group of high school seniors from St. Louis. Jordan is one of them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My dad told me that this was like my rite of passage to come down to Cancun to like be a man and like realize that this is what college is going to be like, and get ready for the rest of my life.

BELLINI: What's the plan for tonight?

Jordan's parents are picking up the tab for his spring break experience, about $1,000 for seven days. Certainly, some people watching this story will want to know, what were Jordan's parents thinking? Tour groups tell us a growing number of high school students, some above 18, and some below, are signing on each year for package tours to Cancun that offer all-you-can-drink guarantees. Most of the kids we talked to say their parents saw those brochures.

Have you ever done this much drinking in your entire life?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No. No. This week has like surpassed any amount of my life. I don't even know. It's just - you have to, even if you don't feel like drinking, you're going to. No matter how sick you feel. BELLINI: 5:30 p.m, the beach-to-nightclub transition point is back at the hotel. Jordan's parents catch up with him at the room, tired of waiting for their son to call them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mom, what do you want me to do? I'm having too much fun. Like I said, I was going to call you today. My God. All right, OK, OK.

BELLINI: Mom and dad ask the most important question on their minds, "Is he being safe?"

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not getting like "drunk" drunk.

BELLINI: So they trust you?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah, completely.

Well, I think there's one thing that I find interesting, is that it seems like -- I think younger people today have much better relationships with their parents than people from other generations. Your parents are more like your friends. I think for a lot of young people, their parents are more like their friends than they are their parents.

I'm really good friends with my dad. And we talk about a lot of stuff. And he is more like a friend to me. And my mom, I love my mom.

BELLINI: You put on probably five different dresses in the time I've been here.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I know, because I can't decide what to wear. I just want to look perfect.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What did she say? Are we supposed to be in the lobby right now?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. We have to be there by 6:00.

BELLINI: The trip is filled with experiences and responsibilities they've never had before. It's their week. They make all the choices. They help each other through the consequences. Jordan's group stays tightly together.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've gotten a lot closer to a lot of my friends. It's probably been the best week of my entire life so far.

BELLINI: Those people who would judge your parents and say they're crazy for sending you to Cancun without any adult supervision. What do you say to them?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I say that parents should not send their kids if they don't trust them. But if they trust them to come out here, drink responsibly a little bit, and have some fun with their friends, then I say that that's all right.

BELLINI: Does drinking that starts at noon qualify as reckless or recreational?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We get free drinks constantly.

BELLINI: Jordan has an answer for that, too.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can drink responsible but it doesn't mean that I am responsible. Big difference.

BELLINI: What's the difference?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Being able to drink responsibly doesn't mean I'm not going to get so sick and enjoy my trip. But I'm going to drunk enough to have fun.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's party!

BELLINI: The standard for teen freedom used to be your own car. Now it's a trip to Cancun. Jason Bellini, CNN, Cancun, Mexico.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHUNG: Wow. Jason, get a tan, huh? It's NEWSNIGHT. That's NEWSNIGHT, I mean, for tonight. Thanks to all of you who sent me your fish stories. I mean, even Christiane Amanpour, so that she had one or two fish that leapt to their death. I'm glad to know that our six- year-old son is not the only one to lose a leaping fish.

I'm Connie Chung. I'll be back tomorrow night in for Aaron Brown. And for all of us at NEWSNIGHT, I want to thank you for joining us. Have a good night.

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