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CNN Live Saturday

When Will Israeli Pull-Out From West Bank Become Reality?

Aired April 20, 2002 - 18:03   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.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Israel has promised to withdraw its troops from a number of West Bank towns, but when will the pledge become an actual pullout? Well, CNN's Nic Robertson rode through Ramallah to check for signs of withdrawal there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Early Saturday, and Ramallah's streets are deserted. We're trying to substantiate rumors Israel army tanks are partially pulling out, easing the town's closure.

(on camera): What we're doing is driving around past the places like this location here, where we know the Israeli army are normally based, to see, in fact, if they have pulled out or not.

(voice-over): Downtown, it's clear: Soldiers are still in control. They say it's a closed military zone. We head, instead, for the market area. On the way, we see an ambulance, which apart from military traffic is the only vehicle we encounter.

This street was bustling with people one day earlier, as they stocked up at the market stores during a brief lifting of the curfew. Now, garbage rots at the roadside.

Nearby, laundry, flapping in the breeze; hints some people might have been moving around here this morning. As our search goes on, we do get an occasional glimpse of someone outside. For the most part, though, the streets remain eerily deserted.

(on camera): There's no sound of urban life. No sound of traffic in the background, no sound of children out playing. No sound of life at all. It's very, very strange to be in amongst the houses and not to hear those sounds of life.

(voice-over): Quiet, but no military. We decide to move closer to Yasser Arafat's compound. From a vantage point, we've been to before -- but new barricades have been put up, and old ones reinforced.

(on camera): We've tried all the side streets to get into Yasser Arafat's compound, and all the roads that we've been in on before. And this appears to be the main road into Yasser Arafat's compound, and there's a big checkpoint. We'll see what happens here. (voice-over): Bob, our producer, gets out to see if we can pass. All the soldiers we find are polite, but firm.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is not a closed military area, but at the same time, they are not allowing anybody through.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): We look for another route. After many twists and turns, Arafat's damaged compound comes into sight. It is in this building, along with Yasser Arafat, that the five men the Israeli government wants to try for killing one of their ministers, are being held. At first, the soldiers seem surprised to see us. Negotiations to stay and videotape the area don't work. And we're quickly told to leave.

(on camera): But what we were able to see is there are still tanks inside there, there's a high security presence, so the Israeli army don't want journalist's hanging around there at this time.

(voice-over): Back in town, soldiers are on the move. Patrolling, clearly not leaving. From what we could see on this tour of Ramallah, security remains tight. No apparent reduction in troop strength. The rumors seem to be wrong.

Nic Robertson, CNN, Ramallah.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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