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CNN Live At Daybreak

Israel Turning to New Policy to Prevent Future Terror Attacks

Aired June 19, 2002 - 06:02   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.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Now, the latest live from the Middle East. While Israel buries the dead from a bus bombing, it's now turning to a new policy to try to prevent future terror attacks. CNN's Jerrold Kessel joins us from Jerusalem with that part of the story.

Good morning, Jerrold.

JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

And the big question this morning, has this Middle East, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict again moved into a different dimension? This as Israel, as you say, continuing to bury its dead from the deadly bus bombing in Jerusalem yesterday, and announces -- Israel announcing that it has a new policy of trying to combat the Palestinian suicide bombers.

Well, at the site of yesterday's bus bombing, people went there this morning, many Israelis, to lay wreaths or to light candles, some said prayers, a somber mood there. And this as more than 20 people remain in the hospital of injuries from yesterday's attack, five of them in serious condition.

But Israel at the same time announcing that it is changing its tactics in trying to thwart the bombers. Overnight, Israeli tanks and other armor went into two Palestinian towns, also went into other villages there, to arrest suspected militants. But in the two towns of Jenin and Qalqilya, the Israeli troops went in there after Israel's prime minister's broad Security Cabinet announced that it has a new policy to try to combat the bombers. This would involve remaining in Palestinian Authority areas for a protracted time until the statement of Ariel Sharon's office declares the terror stops. And the statement adds that if there is more terror, then more territory will be taken.

But whether the tanks that are going into Jenin and Qalqilya amount to the implementation of this new policy is not yet sure, or whether this is still a continuation of the policy that Israel has continued for the last month or so of going in, in regular but short forays, into Palestinian towns to try to thwart the bomber's source.

We have view of one leading Israeli political analyst.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) CHEMI SHALEV, ISRAELI POLITICAL ANALYST: I think from Sharon's point of view, this was a shot across the bough. It was meant to send the warning to the Palestinians and also to Washington that we are on the verge -- the Israeli government is on the verge of taking drastic, irreversible decisions, such as the complete reoccupation of Palestinian towns and cities, and the expulsion of Yasser Arafat.

But given the fact that President Bush has yet to make his speech, and Prime Minister Sharon did not want to adversely affect his speech, from Israeli's point of view, they have now take this sort of halfway measure. And it's not clear how it will be implemented. I doubt very much, for example, whether Israel will take over complete Palestinian towns.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KESSEL: The Palestinian Authority is condemning out of hand this new declared Israeli policy, saying it is simply an invitation to more violence and designed to thwart the U.S.-led move to move the situation back to negotiations. Either way, both sides remain on tenderhooks in advance of the still-anticipated statement of U.S. policy on the Middle East by President Bush himself -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Yes, President Bush has put the plans on hold to announce his peace plan. Another thing I wanted to ask you about, Jerrold, you know, Israel is building this fence to keep the terrorists out of its territory, I guess you could say. And the workers building the fence were fired upon. Do you know anything about that?

KESSEL: Yes, absolutely. In fact, Prime Minister Sharon went to various parts of the area, where Israel is building this combination of obstacles, fences, walls, electronic devices that they have begun putting more or less along the Old Israel-West Bank border, but mostly within -- just within the West Bank. Mr. Sharon and his defense minister touring various areas this morning to inspect how the work has been going.

But in one of the areas where ground was broken just on Sunday for the building of the fence, there were indeed shots fired by Palestinians at the workers who were engaged in that enterprise there. Israeli border guards, who were on hand, shot back, the Israeli army says. There were no casualties, but the Israeli border guard went into the West Bank in pursuit of the Palestinians who had opened fire. No word yet of whether there has been any further engagement other than that exchange of fire, but no casualties reported there.

Certainly it does underline the fact that the Palestinians continue to object strongly, strenuously to this Israeli building -- the unilateral Israeli move of building this fence along the border between the West Bank and Israel -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Man, so things are getting more tense there again. Thank you. Jerrold Kessel reporting live for us from Jerusalem this morning.

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