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Conflict in the Middle East: Israel Pounds Palestinian Targets
Aired December 03, 2001 - 16:33 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.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Israel pounded Palestinian targets in Gaza and the West Bank today in retaliation for suicide bombing attacks that killed 28 people this weekend. At least 15 people reportedly were injured when Israeli helicopters struck a security compound near the Gaza headquarters of Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat. Israeli Prime Minister Sharon says his country has been forced to launch a new war on terrorism. And he says Arafat is to blame.
Palestinian officials are condemning the Israeli attacks, saying they will only lead to more violence.
Well, our senior political analyst Bill Schneider is here now to talk about Yasser Arafat's dilemma.
And, as we go to you, Bill, I want to warn that we are expecting a statement any minute now from the homeland security director on a new security alert for the nation.
So much of this now focused on Yasser Arafat himself -- you have been talking to a lot of people today. Do they believe he has the ability to stop these terror attacks?
WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: They are not convinced that he has the ability to stop them. Their belief is -- the people I spoke to -- and these are sources well informed in the Middle East -- is that Hamas has really declared war on Arafat and they are testing him.
And he didn't instigate this, but does he have the ability to stop it? He has 40,000 or 50,000 men with arms at his disposal and 12 difficult security agencies who are reportable to him. All the administration says, the Bush administration says: We expect 100 percent effort from Arafat. They didn't say success. They said effort.
He has never done that before.
WOODRUFF: How do they expect him to wage war on a militant group, an extremist group inside his own Palestinian community and, at the same time, cooperate with Israel and the United States?
SCHNEIDER: Well, he is obviously going to have to use his authority to put these people under arrest, because he is the only legitimate force in the Palestinian area. And, by doing that, he has to make a choice. It's a choice that Arafat has never made before.
He has to say: Look, I am going to have to pick between Hamas and Israel and the United States. And the United States and Israel are forcing him to make that choice. He has never done it before. He has to act. He can't just say: We're going to stop the violence, arrest people temporarily, let them go.
This is the moment of truth, Colin Powell said. But we say that all the time. This time, apparently, we're serious and we are going to demand that he take that kind of action.
WOODRUFF: But, Bill, I know -- I have talked to Palestinians just within this hour and earlier in the day. One of the points they make is that Israel has -- is occupying their territory, that Israel has come after their civilians, their children, and that what is happening is because of the anger, the genuine, legitimate anger inside the Palestinian community.
SCHNEIDER: And the anger is certainly there. But the question is which path will it take: the path towards a peace settlement or the path towards destruction? That is the choice that Arafat is being presented with.
He has to go -- Israel is presenting one option. They are saying: If you choose not to take care of these terrorists, you will have destruction, even more of what you just described. And the United States is saying: There is another option.
They are not offering a complete peace deal, the way Clinton outlined it, because that doesn't seem to be likely right now. But they're saying: We want to reestablish the pathway to peace, relegitimize the process. And that is the alternative. Arafat has to choose.
WOODRUFF: Bill, what is the "or else"? The U.S. is saying to Yasser Arafat: Do this, fix this, cooperate, or else.
What is the "or else"?
SCHNEIDER: Or else the United States will suspend its dialogue with the Palestinians. And that is something that is very valuable to Mr. Arafat. He wants to continue to have a relationship with the United States.
And we are saying: If you don't make that 100 percent effort -- we are not saying 100 percent success -- if you don't make that effort, then your dialogue with the United States, the peace process, will be suspended. And you are at the mercy of the Israeli army.
Now, the Israeli army is showing him right now what their mercy really means. So it is a very tough choice he has to make that he has never made before.
WOODRUFF: All right, Bill Schneider, our senior political analyst, and who has been talking to a lot of people in both communities, both Palestinian and Israeli communities today -- thank you, Bill.
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