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CNN Live Saturday
Sharon to Meet With Abbas Later Today
Aired May 17, 2003 - 14:00 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.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: We begin this hour with a landmark summit in the Middle East and a violent attempt to derail that meeting. Any moment now, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is expected to meet Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, the first such meeting in two and a half years. But just before the meeting, another suicide bombing. Kelly Wallace is joining us now live from Jerusalem with the very latest on that. Hello, Kelly.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Hello again, Heidi. Well, this is something Israelis and many Palestinians feared might happen, an attack, they believe, timed to try and derail this Israeli- Palestinian summit.
Here's the latest of what we know, what happened in Hebron on the West Bank. Israeli military forces say that the suicide bomber, they believe, was on his way it one of the holiest sites to Jews, what they call the Tomb of the Patriarchs. They say this man was dressed as a Jewish settler. When they noticed him, they called on him to stop, and then he started running. People started chasing him, and that he exploded himself near a couple. An Israeli man, a Jewish settler from a settlement not too far from the area was killed, and a woman was badly wounded.
This attack showing the tremendous challenges ahead for the two men who will be meeting just about 30 minutes from now. Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian community and Ariel Sharon of Israel. For Mahmoud Abbas, he has called on radical Palestinian groups responsible for terror attacks against Israel to stop these attacks and to disarm. But these groups have said they will not do that, that they will continue what they call a military resistance against Israel.
He's also going to call on Israel to implement the so-called road map for Middle East peace, saying until Israel does that, Palestinians cannot really rein in these radical Palestinian groups.
The Palestinians will also call on the Israelis to freeze settlement activity, settlements a very contentious issue. But for Prime Minister Sharon, Israeli officials say he will focus on security. And a spokesman for Prime Minister Sharon we just talked to said this attack tonight, he said is, quote, "another grim reminder of the steps the Palestinian Authority must take." The Israeli position is it needs to see the Palestinians taking steps right now before Israel can take other steps, such as pulling its forces out of Palestinian towns. So, Heidi, no breakthrough was expected in this meeting, but again, the violence of this night likely to harden the positions of the two sides as they go into this meeting a short time from now -- Heidi.
COLLINS: That I'm sure is certain. Kelly Wallace live from Jerusalem today. Thanks so much, Kelly.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired May 17, 2003 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: We begin this hour with a landmark summit in the Middle East and a violent attempt to derail that meeting. Any moment now, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is expected to meet Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, the first such meeting in two and a half years. But just before the meeting, another suicide bombing. Kelly Wallace is joining us now live from Jerusalem with the very latest on that. Hello, Kelly.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Hello again, Heidi. Well, this is something Israelis and many Palestinians feared might happen, an attack, they believe, timed to try and derail this Israeli- Palestinian summit.
Here's the latest of what we know, what happened in Hebron on the West Bank. Israeli military forces say that the suicide bomber, they believe, was on his way it one of the holiest sites to Jews, what they call the Tomb of the Patriarchs. They say this man was dressed as a Jewish settler. When they noticed him, they called on him to stop, and then he started running. People started chasing him, and that he exploded himself near a couple. An Israeli man, a Jewish settler from a settlement not too far from the area was killed, and a woman was badly wounded.
This attack showing the tremendous challenges ahead for the two men who will be meeting just about 30 minutes from now. Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian community and Ariel Sharon of Israel. For Mahmoud Abbas, he has called on radical Palestinian groups responsible for terror attacks against Israel to stop these attacks and to disarm. But these groups have said they will not do that, that they will continue what they call a military resistance against Israel.
He's also going to call on Israel to implement the so-called road map for Middle East peace, saying until Israel does that, Palestinians cannot really rein in these radical Palestinian groups.
The Palestinians will also call on the Israelis to freeze settlement activity, settlements a very contentious issue. But for Prime Minister Sharon, Israeli officials say he will focus on security. And a spokesman for Prime Minister Sharon we just talked to said this attack tonight, he said is, quote, "another grim reminder of the steps the Palestinian Authority must take." The Israeli position is it needs to see the Palestinians taking steps right now before Israel can take other steps, such as pulling its forces out of Palestinian towns. So, Heidi, no breakthrough was expected in this meeting, but again, the violence of this night likely to harden the positions of the two sides as they go into this meeting a short time from now -- Heidi.
COLLINS: That I'm sure is certain. Kelly Wallace live from Jerusalem today. Thanks so much, Kelly.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
