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CNN Live Saturday

U.S. Government Reacts to Escalation of Violence in Middle East

Aired May 19, 2001 - 16:00   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.
DONNA KELLEY, CNN ANCHOR: A second straight day of Israeli air strikes against Palestinian targets. About 30 Palestinians hurt in one of those helicopter strikes today. The Israeli shelling: retaliation for yesterday's suicide bombing at an Israeli shopping mall that killed five Israelis and wounded 100 people.

And now, a committee of Arab League foreign ministers is calling on League member states to halt political contacts with Israel until the Israeli attacks against the Palestinians end. Both President Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin are calling for an end to the violence.

To the White House now, and CNN's Kelly Wallace with more -- Kelly.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Donna, as you might expect, the White House certainly monitoring developments in the region very closely. Secretary of State Colin Powell was expected to be working the phones this weekend. He did speak yesterday with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. He also called yesterday for an end to the violence, calling on both sides to do everything that they possibly can to not only reduce the fighting, but to bring it to an end.

Now, as for that move by the Arab League committee recommending Arab nations to suspend political ties with Israel, the White House says it needs to study the exact language of that recommendation. One U.S. official saying, there may be less here than meets the eye. Nevertheless, the Bush administration saying now is not the time to sever political ties, it's the time to keep the dialogue going in order to bring the fighting to an end.

The Bush administration is saying it continues to be actively engaged, publicly and privately, to try to bring the violence to an end. President Bush on down, calling for the hostilities and Secretary Powell and U.S. ambassadors, aides say, talking to both sides almost every day. Still, some observers say that there is a perception in the region that the Bush administration is taking a hands-off approach, and that is why U.S. lawmakers are urging the Bush White House to become as active as possible in the Middle East.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) REP. RICHARD GEPHARDT (D-MO), MINORITY LEADER: Look, we're the leader in the world, this little-bitty world that we all live in. What happens in the Middle East unfortunately affects us ultimately here, or in Kosovo, or in North Korea. So, we need to be working with both sides to try to bring about a lessening of the violence.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: Powell, aides say, is looking at the release Monday of a U.S.-sponsored commission report as a possible starting point to reduce tensions. That commission, chaired by former Democratic senator George Mitchell, found both sides at fault for the now eight months of conflict and. The report will also recommend an immediate halt to the violence, confidence building measures and a freeze on all Israeli settlement activity, a move the Israelis strongly oppose.

The White House is looking for that release of that report on Monday. After that, the U.S. expected to announce how it feels the two sides could move forward. Also, Donna, apparently, talks are still under way about some possible meeting, possible meeting, between Secretary Powell and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. A senior State Department official saying talks are -- a meeting is still under consideration; the secretary leaving next week for Africa and Europe. Donna, back to you.

KELLEY: All right. From the White House, our Kelly Wallace, thanks.

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