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Yasser Arafat Funeral Proceedings Begin, New Leaders Sworn In; Families Who Have Lost Soldiers Struggling Financially
Aired November 11, 2004 - 13:00 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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CO-HOST: Solemn sendoff for Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. His body on the way to Cairo. What will his death mean for Middle East peace?
DREW GRIFFIN, CO-HOST: Assault on insurgents, fierce fighting in Falluja. This hour, we'll hear from one of our embedded reporters, covering the battle from the inside.
PHILLIPS: Caught on tape, a brazen abduction outside a California mall. Police officers need your help to solve it.
From the CNN Center in Atlanta, hello, everyone, I'm Kyra Phillips.
GRIFFIN: I'm Drew Griffin, in for Miles O'Brien today. CNN's LIVE FROM starts right now.
PHILLIPS: He was revered by millions and reviled by millions. A warrior who won the Nobel Peace Prize, a leader without a country.
Yasser Arafat's vast and varied life and times are in the forefront today after his peaceful and long-expected passing in a Paris hospital. The Palestinian icon's remains are en route to Cairo, where tomorrow he'll receive a military funeral, attended by dozens of dignitaries and several heads of state, from Algeria to Yemen.
In the West Bank, meanwhile, tears flowed, bullets rang, and tires burned today, while work continued on a gravesite the Palestinians hope to some day move to Jerusalem. Israel says that will never happen.
The funeral site was chosen not only for personal significance. Arafat was born in Cairo in 1929. But for the convenience of the Arab VIPs, few would eagerly set foot in Israeli occupied territory.
Even swifter than the burial rites are the political successions, at least in the near term. Arafat's replacements are already in place, in the Palestinian Authority, the Fatah Party and the PLO. But this is the Middle East, and nothing is ever as simple as that.
CNN's Michael Holmes knows. He's our man in Ramallah, back once again.
Hi, Michael.
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra. Yes, back once again, this time with Yasser Arafat coming back here to be buried tomorrow. It's going to happen at 3 p.m. local time.
We're told what's going to happen is he's going to be flown in in one of three Egyptian military helicopters. That will land in the Palestinian Authority headquarters, literally right behind me there.
And work has been going on there all day, Kyra, cleaning up the mess from the last three years of -- of battles and incursions by Israeli forces. And they are actually constructing his burial site right now. We're going to take a look at it for you very quickly.
Now, in there, this area, I can tell you two days ago, was absolutely full of rubble and debris and crushed cars and the like. Now it's all being cleaned up there. Helicopter landing pads are being mapped out.
And what you can see going on there, Kyra, is the construction of the monument where Yasser Arafat will be laid to rest. We can see it clearly from here. Work's been going on for some hours there or now, 20 or 30 people at a time in there working.
It's about six or seven feet deep. There is a ramp running in from the right of your screen, down underground. Now, it comes up above the ground, maybe two feet or less. And I don't know what's going to go on top of it. Nobody does. But we are told that there will be a headstone of sorts.
We, in fact, spoke with the man who was building it. And he confirmed to us that he was building a headstone.
This work been going on, as I said, Kyra, all day. And it follows an day of decision making, as you pointed out. This is a day when Rawhi Fattuh, the speaker of the Palestinian legislative council, was sworn in as the interim president for the next 60 days. There's meant to be elections after that. We shall see.
And also, we saw Mahmoud Abbas, Abu Mazen, as he's known, former prime minister. He was sworn in as the head of the PLO, probably the more powerful position in the entire Palestinian political spectrum.
I don't know if you can hear now. A band is striking up behind me, all sorts of rehearsals going on here. A military band is starting to play back there. We've seen soldiers marching, rehearsing some of their movements for tomorrow's ceremonies here, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Michael, not only have you covered this story, but you got a chance to know Yasser Arafat pretty well. I'm just curious. I think you knew this day was coming. Memories of Yasser Arafat. What will you remember most from covering his life and also covering the struggle behind the Israelis and Palestinians?
HOLMES: I'll tell you, Kyra, the first time I met Yasser Arafat was not all that long ago. It was back in April 2002. And it was under the most unusual of circumstances. We went in with a group of supporters who basically marched past Israeli troops as they encircled his compound and were, in fact, inside the compound. We had warning shots fired on the road in front of us. We went in there. We saw Yasser Arafat and did the first interview he'd done since he'd been put under siege there in the Muqataa.
Since then, I've seen him probably five or six times. We've had off the record luncheons and the like.
He's a complex man. It depends entirely on his mood of the day. He can be feisty, not aggressive but forceful. At other times, he can be jocular, laughing.
The second to last time I saw him, Kyra, he had a real look of illness about him. His skin was almost translucent from the lack of light and the unhealthy lifestyle in there, being basically kept in there for three years, on the inside. And then I saw him a few months later; he looked fine. He looked fit. He looked well.
Quite a man of contradiction. But certainly a man that will go down in history as having put his people's struggles very firmly on the world's stage. That is for sure.
You mentioned the point earlier that there are many Palestinians who'd like to see him buried in Jerusalem. That was his wish, in fact. That's not likely to happen anytime soon.
But we're told that this monument being built behind us where he will be laid to rest, it's movable. He will be able to be moved from there to Jerusalem if, one day, sometime down the track, there is a Palestinian state and east Jerusalem is its capital. That's what Yasser Arafat wanted. Whether it will happen, of course, is a long way down the line -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Michael Holmes, live from Ramallah, thank you -- Drew.
GRIFFIN: The United States will send an assistant secretary of state to Arafat's funeral, not a top level official. President Bush has never met with Arafat while president and has called on the Palestinian people to get rid of him.
CNN State Department correspondent Andrea Koppel joins us now with more.
And Andrea, change now coming. The question is, will it be the change the president and Israel want, or could this be an even more militant Palestinian leadership emerging?
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The quick answer, Drew, is they don't know. And that is why there are governments like that of Tony Blair's -- there are Arab governments that have already begun to impress upon the Bush administration that it will need to move quickly in the window of opportunity that is open now that Yasser Arafat has passed from the scene and try to empower those Palestinians, who are, right now, holding the reins of power. We don't know for how long. As Michael Holmes outlined there, we're talking about Mahmoud Abbas, who was the first Palestinian prime minister until a year ago, and Ahmed Qorei, who is the current Palestinian prime minister. Both men viewed as moderates, both viewed as people that the U.S. and Israel could do business with.
But the big question right now is, can they deliver on what really will be the litmus test for the Palestinian people and to appeal to the Palestinians to not move towards the more extremist, the more Islamic militants, and that is to end the violence. And that is why these governments, the British and others are saying to the United States, use your influence to empower these men -- Drew.
GRIFFIN: What can the administration do, though, to support a moderate leadership without getting in the way or becoming a detriment to those moderate candidates?
KOPPEL: What some believe is that the U.S. could use its clout with Israel to, for instance, take a variety of steps, confidence- building measures, like releasing Palestinian prisoners who are in Israeli jails, something that Israel did for Hezbollah not that long ago.
They could release Palestinian funds that Israel controls right now from taxes that it's collected. They could also ease closures in the West Bank and Gaza.
So those are three quick steps that -- quick points, that the Israelis could take to, again, empower people like Mahmoud Abbas and Abu Mazen, and Ahmed Qorei.
GRIFFIN: The fact that an assistant secretary of state is going, not a secretary of state as other countries are sending, is that a snub to the Palestinian people?
KOPPEL: Certainly, some Palestinians could see it that way. The best way that I would describe it that the Bush administration checked the box. They did just enough that they are showing their respect for the Palestinian people, what they are going through right now with the loss of Mr. Arafat. And, also, out of respect to Mr. Arafat's family.
But not actually going so far as to send somebody who is so senior that it really flies in the face of the last two and a half years of this administration, when President Bush made very clear that Yasser Arafat was someone who was a primary obstacle to peace.
How could they be seen as paying homage to a man who is responsible for what the U.S. and Israel believes are countless acts of terrorism?
GRIFFIN: Andrea Koppel, live at the State Department. Thank, Andrea -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Day four of New Dawn. Day four of New Dawn" brings phase two of the fight for Falluja. U.S. and Iraqi forces drove south of that city's primary east-west highway, having blazed a trail with warplanes and distant artillery.
A U.S. commander says 18 Americans and five Iraqi soldiers are dead, along with an estimated 600 insurgents.
At a briefing from the site called Camp Falluja a short time ago, the commander of the 1st U.S. Marine Division talked about a suspected hostage slaughterhouse we first heard about from Iraqi commanders yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAJ. GEN. RICHARD MITONSKI, U.S. MARINE CORPS: It was small. There were no windows, just one door. Inside it, the flag was on the wall. There were two thin mattresses and straw mats covered in blood.
There was a computer and many computer discs found inside the ruins. There was also a wheelchair, which we believed was used to move the prisoners around. We believe they were bound and moved around the complex in a wheelchair.
There were several plastic chairs, we believe, belonged to the guards.
And we have currently -- exploring the material that was found in this room, to see and confirm whether this was in fact, a room that was used for the execution by the insurgents of innocent Iraqis and foreigners.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRIFFIN: Trouble in other parts of Iraq. The northern city of Mosul, almost a mini Falluja today, after a series of overnight attacks on police stations and a scorching response.
That from U.S. and Iraqi troops, who at least report were still engaged in firefights there. Expecting to be there for some time. The extent of casualties and damage not yet clear.
And it's another brutal day in Baghdad, as well. Site of another suicide car bombing, killing at least 19 people and devastating 20 shops and buildings.
PHILLIPS: Straight ahead, 9/11 conspiracy theory commercials. Have you seen one of these ads? Ahead, more on the millionaire behind the media message.
Honoring America's veterans. What it's like to come home with a life-changing injury. Is enough being done to help families on the home front? You'll hear from two soldiers.
And what do you think, does this look like a fascinating reading to you? Well, A.J. Jacobs went on a quest to be a "know it all." Forty-four million words, 10 billion years of history. Did he really read the entire encyclopedia?
ANNOUNCER: You're watching LIVE FROM on CNN, the most trusted name in news.
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PHILLIPS: Live pictures now, via our affiliate, WJTV, from Camp Shelby, Mississippi. What you're seeing is about 7,000 to 10,000 soldiers, family members also there, national state and local leaders, honoring the 278th Regimental Combat Team of the Tennessee Army National Guard in a special Veterans Day sendoff ceremony.
The team represents seven states: Tennessee, Wisconsin, Texas, New Jersey, New York, Vermont and Massachusetts. These soldiers getting ready to head to Iraq next week.
GRIFFIN: It is Veterans Day. President Bush, spending part of the morning saluting America's veterans.
The ceremony took place just a couple of hours ago at Arlington National Cemetery, the commander in chief laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns and then addressing those who gathered to pay tribute.
He said of the estimated 25 million living veterans, quote, "our nation thanks them all."
Across the Potomac, an equally solemn ceremony took place this morning at the World War II Memorial. The 82nd Airborne Association held its own wreath-laying ceremony at the new monument.
And just a stone's throw away, veterans and other Smithsonian visitors winding their way through a brand-new exhibit. It is called "The Price of Freedom: Americans at War," chronicling the human cost of every U.S. conflict from the Revolutionary War to the current war on terror.
PHILLIPS: Wartime inevitably means there will be casualties of war, leaving behind families forced to mourn loved ones and make end meet with less income.
Are these families being taken care of? CNN's Thomas Roberts has been probing that question this Veterans Day. He joins us now, live from Washington.
Hi, Thomas.
THOMAS ROBERTS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, good afternoon to you.
You know, the financial realities especially hard for families left behind when a loved one is killed in battle.
Thirty-three-year-old Chelle Pokorney's husband, Marine Lieutenant Fred Pokorney, was killed during a battle in Nasiriyah. It was four days after the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Chelle and daughter Taylor are spending their second Veterans Day at the Arlington National Cemetery, where Fred is buried.
Since his death, Chelle received Fred's maximum G.I. benefits. However, Chelle had six months after his death to relocate her family off base, then spent ten months being told that Taylor wasn't in the system to receive dental health benefits.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHELLE POKORNEY, HUSBAND KILLED IN IRAQ: It's been a roller coaster. To lose your breadwinner. I was a stay at home mom. I stayed home with Taylor when we lost him. And to have your paycheck stop the day that your husband's killed, and then get asked to give back whatever they paid you because your husband died, it's very -- it can be traumatic.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Now on average, the active duty death benefit is a one- time payout, $12,000. Monthly, surviving spouses, they're going to receive $967. Each dependent child receives $241. That is up until the age of 18.
Now if a spouse remarries, benefits cease.
Chelle and hundreds of other families have found financial help privately. The Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, that gives, without any strings attached, a gift of $10,000 to dependent families, with each child receiving $5,000.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL WHITE, INTREPID FALLEN HEROES FUND: Absolutely. It's -- it's a difficult spot. We would not like to be in business as a foundation. And it's our mission to show the American people that is our duty to help these families.
We don't consider ourselves a charitable organization. The military isn't charity. It's our duty, and it's what we owe these families: nothing less than our gratitude and support.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: It really is a catch-22 for them, but they're doing some excellent work. So far, the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund has given military families roughly $8 million, which on Veterans Day, families like the Pokorneys, they're just grateful to be remembered -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Thomas Roberts, thanks so much -- Drew.
GRIFFIN: Back to one of the day's international stories, the death, of course, of Yasser Arafat.
President Bush made no mention of Arafat during his only public remarks this morning. But some say Arafat's death puts the onus back on the U.S. to redouble peace efforts in the Middle East.
Mark Perry is a Washington-based correspondent for "The Palestine Report." He also wrote the book "Fire in Zion: The Israeli- Palestinian Search for Peace." He joins us live.
And I wonder, Mr. Perry, if you could reflect on Mr. Arafat and what he leaves behind for the Palestinian people. Many saying his life was basically an opportunity that was lost.
MARK PERRY, AUTHOR, "FIRE IN ZION": That's what the Israeli minister of justice said. I think that we're going to have to await the judgment of history to really determine the full impact of his life.
I'm quite convinced, after having known him for 15 years and seen him work, that this was a man of extraordinary abilities, an extraordinary ability to concentrate on political problems. He lived, ate and breathed the Palestinian revolution.
I think that history will show that without him, certainly, the Palestinian national movement would not be where it is today.
When I talked to him a couple of years ago and expressed sorrow that he was surrounded in the Muqataa, he said, "It's fine. I'm amongst my people, and I'm eight miles from Jerusalem." And he considered that a victory.
GRIFFIN: But what -- what is the future now? There appears to be this power vacuum. Who will lead the Palestinian cause? You know, there was no groundwork at least laid out for who will succeed him.
PERRY: There was no groundwork laid out, and some people have found that disturbing. But the Palestinians have a clear law of succession, where the Palestinian -- speaker of the Palestinian parliament becomes president.
Mahmoud Abbas has moved up a chair. He's now the chairman of the PLO. And the prime minister is Ahmed Qorei.
I think that the Palestinian leadership is actually quite talented. They have a very strong cadre of leaders. Mahmoud Abbas is a very strong leader. Abu Alaa is a very strong leader. They are both aging, but they're certainly capable of carrying on Mr. Arafat's legacy.
And I think people who now assume that they have a softer, more compromising leadership, will be very surprised. These people believe in the same principles that Mr. Arafat did for a solution to this -- to this conflict. We're going to have some very difficult days ahead, still, if, negotiations begin on this conflict.
GRIFFIN: Is it your feeling that the next leader of the Palestinian people will be able to negotiate with Israel and the U.S.?
PERRY: I think that's dependent on a number of factors: their legitimacy inside the Palestinian Authority. There have to be elections. In 60 days there will be, I trust, elections. That's how they gain legitimacy in Palestinian -- among the Palestinian people.
I think the United States has to play a bigger role. I think if the United States does not show the Palestinians that they will be even-handed, that they will pressure Israel as much as they pressure the Palestinian Authority, this is going to be a nonstarter, and the talks will fail, even before they begin.
GRIFFIN: Whom do you think would be a better negotiator, in terms of bringing peace and bringing a Palestinian state? Is it Mahmoud Abbas?
PERRY: He's a very good negotiator. Abu Alaa has been a diplomat for 20 years, put together the Oslo agreement. Very -- they're both very talented men in diplomatic circles.
I think that Mahmoud Abbas has shown his ability to meet with Israeli leaders, talk to them very bluntly. So has Abu Alaa. I think they'll make a very good team.
But I think probably the lead on this is going to be taken by Mahmoud Abbas. He's the chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization now, and that is clearly a premier spot in the leadership.
GRIFFIN: Having followed this so closely, do you have any fears that there could be chaos reigning, that this power vacuum could lead to even more disintegration in the Palestinian leadership and, in fact no one will have control over the Palestinian people?
PERRY: I suppose that's a worry. I keep hearing that. And I'm watching very closely to see if that's a real worry.
So far, I haven't sensed anything inside the leadership that is divisive. I'm certain that there are contentious arguments behind closed doors about next steps and how they begin.
But this is a leadership that has known each other quite well. These men know each other -- and women -- know each other quite well, and have worked together for, in some cases, for three or four decade. And they have shown a united front so far. And I don't think that there's any reason to believe that somehow that would end.
They've even approached Hamas in Gaza and talked to them about the possibility of a united leadership, and those talks, as far as I know, are ongoing.
So I don't think we're going to see a dissolution into chaos or violence. This is really run more like a family. Arguments behind closed doors, but in public, real unity.
GRIFFIN: Mark Perry, we thank you for joining us on the future of the Palestinian state. Of course, the president saying this moment is significant in the history of the Palestinian people.
We'll be back with more LIVE FROM after this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS (voice-over): Next on LIVE FROM... UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's pretty brazen, in public, to kidnap somebody and actually stuff them in the trunk of a car.
PHILLIPS: Caught on tape: a woman kidnapped while mall shoppers stand there, stunned.
Later on LIVE FROM, not ready for prime time? Some ABC stations won't be showing "Saving Private Ryan" tonight. The reason? They're afraid it could cost them.
And tomorrow on LIVE FROM, a tribute to everyone's favorite neighbor. The widow of Fred Rogers does the LIVE FROM interview.
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Aired November 11, 2004 - 13:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CO-HOST: Solemn sendoff for Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. His body on the way to Cairo. What will his death mean for Middle East peace?
DREW GRIFFIN, CO-HOST: Assault on insurgents, fierce fighting in Falluja. This hour, we'll hear from one of our embedded reporters, covering the battle from the inside.
PHILLIPS: Caught on tape, a brazen abduction outside a California mall. Police officers need your help to solve it.
From the CNN Center in Atlanta, hello, everyone, I'm Kyra Phillips.
GRIFFIN: I'm Drew Griffin, in for Miles O'Brien today. CNN's LIVE FROM starts right now.
PHILLIPS: He was revered by millions and reviled by millions. A warrior who won the Nobel Peace Prize, a leader without a country.
Yasser Arafat's vast and varied life and times are in the forefront today after his peaceful and long-expected passing in a Paris hospital. The Palestinian icon's remains are en route to Cairo, where tomorrow he'll receive a military funeral, attended by dozens of dignitaries and several heads of state, from Algeria to Yemen.
In the West Bank, meanwhile, tears flowed, bullets rang, and tires burned today, while work continued on a gravesite the Palestinians hope to some day move to Jerusalem. Israel says that will never happen.
The funeral site was chosen not only for personal significance. Arafat was born in Cairo in 1929. But for the convenience of the Arab VIPs, few would eagerly set foot in Israeli occupied territory.
Even swifter than the burial rites are the political successions, at least in the near term. Arafat's replacements are already in place, in the Palestinian Authority, the Fatah Party and the PLO. But this is the Middle East, and nothing is ever as simple as that.
CNN's Michael Holmes knows. He's our man in Ramallah, back once again.
Hi, Michael.
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra. Yes, back once again, this time with Yasser Arafat coming back here to be buried tomorrow. It's going to happen at 3 p.m. local time.
We're told what's going to happen is he's going to be flown in in one of three Egyptian military helicopters. That will land in the Palestinian Authority headquarters, literally right behind me there.
And work has been going on there all day, Kyra, cleaning up the mess from the last three years of -- of battles and incursions by Israeli forces. And they are actually constructing his burial site right now. We're going to take a look at it for you very quickly.
Now, in there, this area, I can tell you two days ago, was absolutely full of rubble and debris and crushed cars and the like. Now it's all being cleaned up there. Helicopter landing pads are being mapped out.
And what you can see going on there, Kyra, is the construction of the monument where Yasser Arafat will be laid to rest. We can see it clearly from here. Work's been going on for some hours there or now, 20 or 30 people at a time in there working.
It's about six or seven feet deep. There is a ramp running in from the right of your screen, down underground. Now, it comes up above the ground, maybe two feet or less. And I don't know what's going to go on top of it. Nobody does. But we are told that there will be a headstone of sorts.
We, in fact, spoke with the man who was building it. And he confirmed to us that he was building a headstone.
This work been going on, as I said, Kyra, all day. And it follows an day of decision making, as you pointed out. This is a day when Rawhi Fattuh, the speaker of the Palestinian legislative council, was sworn in as the interim president for the next 60 days. There's meant to be elections after that. We shall see.
And also, we saw Mahmoud Abbas, Abu Mazen, as he's known, former prime minister. He was sworn in as the head of the PLO, probably the more powerful position in the entire Palestinian political spectrum.
I don't know if you can hear now. A band is striking up behind me, all sorts of rehearsals going on here. A military band is starting to play back there. We've seen soldiers marching, rehearsing some of their movements for tomorrow's ceremonies here, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Michael, not only have you covered this story, but you got a chance to know Yasser Arafat pretty well. I'm just curious. I think you knew this day was coming. Memories of Yasser Arafat. What will you remember most from covering his life and also covering the struggle behind the Israelis and Palestinians?
HOLMES: I'll tell you, Kyra, the first time I met Yasser Arafat was not all that long ago. It was back in April 2002. And it was under the most unusual of circumstances. We went in with a group of supporters who basically marched past Israeli troops as they encircled his compound and were, in fact, inside the compound. We had warning shots fired on the road in front of us. We went in there. We saw Yasser Arafat and did the first interview he'd done since he'd been put under siege there in the Muqataa.
Since then, I've seen him probably five or six times. We've had off the record luncheons and the like.
He's a complex man. It depends entirely on his mood of the day. He can be feisty, not aggressive but forceful. At other times, he can be jocular, laughing.
The second to last time I saw him, Kyra, he had a real look of illness about him. His skin was almost translucent from the lack of light and the unhealthy lifestyle in there, being basically kept in there for three years, on the inside. And then I saw him a few months later; he looked fine. He looked fit. He looked well.
Quite a man of contradiction. But certainly a man that will go down in history as having put his people's struggles very firmly on the world's stage. That is for sure.
You mentioned the point earlier that there are many Palestinians who'd like to see him buried in Jerusalem. That was his wish, in fact. That's not likely to happen anytime soon.
But we're told that this monument being built behind us where he will be laid to rest, it's movable. He will be able to be moved from there to Jerusalem if, one day, sometime down the track, there is a Palestinian state and east Jerusalem is its capital. That's what Yasser Arafat wanted. Whether it will happen, of course, is a long way down the line -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Michael Holmes, live from Ramallah, thank you -- Drew.
GRIFFIN: The United States will send an assistant secretary of state to Arafat's funeral, not a top level official. President Bush has never met with Arafat while president and has called on the Palestinian people to get rid of him.
CNN State Department correspondent Andrea Koppel joins us now with more.
And Andrea, change now coming. The question is, will it be the change the president and Israel want, or could this be an even more militant Palestinian leadership emerging?
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The quick answer, Drew, is they don't know. And that is why there are governments like that of Tony Blair's -- there are Arab governments that have already begun to impress upon the Bush administration that it will need to move quickly in the window of opportunity that is open now that Yasser Arafat has passed from the scene and try to empower those Palestinians, who are, right now, holding the reins of power. We don't know for how long. As Michael Holmes outlined there, we're talking about Mahmoud Abbas, who was the first Palestinian prime minister until a year ago, and Ahmed Qorei, who is the current Palestinian prime minister. Both men viewed as moderates, both viewed as people that the U.S. and Israel could do business with.
But the big question right now is, can they deliver on what really will be the litmus test for the Palestinian people and to appeal to the Palestinians to not move towards the more extremist, the more Islamic militants, and that is to end the violence. And that is why these governments, the British and others are saying to the United States, use your influence to empower these men -- Drew.
GRIFFIN: What can the administration do, though, to support a moderate leadership without getting in the way or becoming a detriment to those moderate candidates?
KOPPEL: What some believe is that the U.S. could use its clout with Israel to, for instance, take a variety of steps, confidence- building measures, like releasing Palestinian prisoners who are in Israeli jails, something that Israel did for Hezbollah not that long ago.
They could release Palestinian funds that Israel controls right now from taxes that it's collected. They could also ease closures in the West Bank and Gaza.
So those are three quick steps that -- quick points, that the Israelis could take to, again, empower people like Mahmoud Abbas and Abu Mazen, and Ahmed Qorei.
GRIFFIN: The fact that an assistant secretary of state is going, not a secretary of state as other countries are sending, is that a snub to the Palestinian people?
KOPPEL: Certainly, some Palestinians could see it that way. The best way that I would describe it that the Bush administration checked the box. They did just enough that they are showing their respect for the Palestinian people, what they are going through right now with the loss of Mr. Arafat. And, also, out of respect to Mr. Arafat's family.
But not actually going so far as to send somebody who is so senior that it really flies in the face of the last two and a half years of this administration, when President Bush made very clear that Yasser Arafat was someone who was a primary obstacle to peace.
How could they be seen as paying homage to a man who is responsible for what the U.S. and Israel believes are countless acts of terrorism?
GRIFFIN: Andrea Koppel, live at the State Department. Thank, Andrea -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Day four of New Dawn. Day four of New Dawn" brings phase two of the fight for Falluja. U.S. and Iraqi forces drove south of that city's primary east-west highway, having blazed a trail with warplanes and distant artillery.
A U.S. commander says 18 Americans and five Iraqi soldiers are dead, along with an estimated 600 insurgents.
At a briefing from the site called Camp Falluja a short time ago, the commander of the 1st U.S. Marine Division talked about a suspected hostage slaughterhouse we first heard about from Iraqi commanders yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAJ. GEN. RICHARD MITONSKI, U.S. MARINE CORPS: It was small. There were no windows, just one door. Inside it, the flag was on the wall. There were two thin mattresses and straw mats covered in blood.
There was a computer and many computer discs found inside the ruins. There was also a wheelchair, which we believed was used to move the prisoners around. We believe they were bound and moved around the complex in a wheelchair.
There were several plastic chairs, we believe, belonged to the guards.
And we have currently -- exploring the material that was found in this room, to see and confirm whether this was in fact, a room that was used for the execution by the insurgents of innocent Iraqis and foreigners.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRIFFIN: Trouble in other parts of Iraq. The northern city of Mosul, almost a mini Falluja today, after a series of overnight attacks on police stations and a scorching response.
That from U.S. and Iraqi troops, who at least report were still engaged in firefights there. Expecting to be there for some time. The extent of casualties and damage not yet clear.
And it's another brutal day in Baghdad, as well. Site of another suicide car bombing, killing at least 19 people and devastating 20 shops and buildings.
PHILLIPS: Straight ahead, 9/11 conspiracy theory commercials. Have you seen one of these ads? Ahead, more on the millionaire behind the media message.
Honoring America's veterans. What it's like to come home with a life-changing injury. Is enough being done to help families on the home front? You'll hear from two soldiers.
And what do you think, does this look like a fascinating reading to you? Well, A.J. Jacobs went on a quest to be a "know it all." Forty-four million words, 10 billion years of history. Did he really read the entire encyclopedia?
ANNOUNCER: You're watching LIVE FROM on CNN, the most trusted name in news.
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PHILLIPS: Live pictures now, via our affiliate, WJTV, from Camp Shelby, Mississippi. What you're seeing is about 7,000 to 10,000 soldiers, family members also there, national state and local leaders, honoring the 278th Regimental Combat Team of the Tennessee Army National Guard in a special Veterans Day sendoff ceremony.
The team represents seven states: Tennessee, Wisconsin, Texas, New Jersey, New York, Vermont and Massachusetts. These soldiers getting ready to head to Iraq next week.
GRIFFIN: It is Veterans Day. President Bush, spending part of the morning saluting America's veterans.
The ceremony took place just a couple of hours ago at Arlington National Cemetery, the commander in chief laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns and then addressing those who gathered to pay tribute.
He said of the estimated 25 million living veterans, quote, "our nation thanks them all."
Across the Potomac, an equally solemn ceremony took place this morning at the World War II Memorial. The 82nd Airborne Association held its own wreath-laying ceremony at the new monument.
And just a stone's throw away, veterans and other Smithsonian visitors winding their way through a brand-new exhibit. It is called "The Price of Freedom: Americans at War," chronicling the human cost of every U.S. conflict from the Revolutionary War to the current war on terror.
PHILLIPS: Wartime inevitably means there will be casualties of war, leaving behind families forced to mourn loved ones and make end meet with less income.
Are these families being taken care of? CNN's Thomas Roberts has been probing that question this Veterans Day. He joins us now, live from Washington.
Hi, Thomas.
THOMAS ROBERTS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, good afternoon to you.
You know, the financial realities especially hard for families left behind when a loved one is killed in battle.
Thirty-three-year-old Chelle Pokorney's husband, Marine Lieutenant Fred Pokorney, was killed during a battle in Nasiriyah. It was four days after the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Chelle and daughter Taylor are spending their second Veterans Day at the Arlington National Cemetery, where Fred is buried.
Since his death, Chelle received Fred's maximum G.I. benefits. However, Chelle had six months after his death to relocate her family off base, then spent ten months being told that Taylor wasn't in the system to receive dental health benefits.
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CHELLE POKORNEY, HUSBAND KILLED IN IRAQ: It's been a roller coaster. To lose your breadwinner. I was a stay at home mom. I stayed home with Taylor when we lost him. And to have your paycheck stop the day that your husband's killed, and then get asked to give back whatever they paid you because your husband died, it's very -- it can be traumatic.
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ROBERTS: Now on average, the active duty death benefit is a one- time payout, $12,000. Monthly, surviving spouses, they're going to receive $967. Each dependent child receives $241. That is up until the age of 18.
Now if a spouse remarries, benefits cease.
Chelle and hundreds of other families have found financial help privately. The Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, that gives, without any strings attached, a gift of $10,000 to dependent families, with each child receiving $5,000.
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BILL WHITE, INTREPID FALLEN HEROES FUND: Absolutely. It's -- it's a difficult spot. We would not like to be in business as a foundation. And it's our mission to show the American people that is our duty to help these families.
We don't consider ourselves a charitable organization. The military isn't charity. It's our duty, and it's what we owe these families: nothing less than our gratitude and support.
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ROBERTS: It really is a catch-22 for them, but they're doing some excellent work. So far, the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund has given military families roughly $8 million, which on Veterans Day, families like the Pokorneys, they're just grateful to be remembered -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Thomas Roberts, thanks so much -- Drew.
GRIFFIN: Back to one of the day's international stories, the death, of course, of Yasser Arafat.
President Bush made no mention of Arafat during his only public remarks this morning. But some say Arafat's death puts the onus back on the U.S. to redouble peace efforts in the Middle East.
Mark Perry is a Washington-based correspondent for "The Palestine Report." He also wrote the book "Fire in Zion: The Israeli- Palestinian Search for Peace." He joins us live.
And I wonder, Mr. Perry, if you could reflect on Mr. Arafat and what he leaves behind for the Palestinian people. Many saying his life was basically an opportunity that was lost.
MARK PERRY, AUTHOR, "FIRE IN ZION": That's what the Israeli minister of justice said. I think that we're going to have to await the judgment of history to really determine the full impact of his life.
I'm quite convinced, after having known him for 15 years and seen him work, that this was a man of extraordinary abilities, an extraordinary ability to concentrate on political problems. He lived, ate and breathed the Palestinian revolution.
I think that history will show that without him, certainly, the Palestinian national movement would not be where it is today.
When I talked to him a couple of years ago and expressed sorrow that he was surrounded in the Muqataa, he said, "It's fine. I'm amongst my people, and I'm eight miles from Jerusalem." And he considered that a victory.
GRIFFIN: But what -- what is the future now? There appears to be this power vacuum. Who will lead the Palestinian cause? You know, there was no groundwork at least laid out for who will succeed him.
PERRY: There was no groundwork laid out, and some people have found that disturbing. But the Palestinians have a clear law of succession, where the Palestinian -- speaker of the Palestinian parliament becomes president.
Mahmoud Abbas has moved up a chair. He's now the chairman of the PLO. And the prime minister is Ahmed Qorei.
I think that the Palestinian leadership is actually quite talented. They have a very strong cadre of leaders. Mahmoud Abbas is a very strong leader. Abu Alaa is a very strong leader. They are both aging, but they're certainly capable of carrying on Mr. Arafat's legacy.
And I think people who now assume that they have a softer, more compromising leadership, will be very surprised. These people believe in the same principles that Mr. Arafat did for a solution to this -- to this conflict. We're going to have some very difficult days ahead, still, if, negotiations begin on this conflict.
GRIFFIN: Is it your feeling that the next leader of the Palestinian people will be able to negotiate with Israel and the U.S.?
PERRY: I think that's dependent on a number of factors: their legitimacy inside the Palestinian Authority. There have to be elections. In 60 days there will be, I trust, elections. That's how they gain legitimacy in Palestinian -- among the Palestinian people.
I think the United States has to play a bigger role. I think if the United States does not show the Palestinians that they will be even-handed, that they will pressure Israel as much as they pressure the Palestinian Authority, this is going to be a nonstarter, and the talks will fail, even before they begin.
GRIFFIN: Whom do you think would be a better negotiator, in terms of bringing peace and bringing a Palestinian state? Is it Mahmoud Abbas?
PERRY: He's a very good negotiator. Abu Alaa has been a diplomat for 20 years, put together the Oslo agreement. Very -- they're both very talented men in diplomatic circles.
I think that Mahmoud Abbas has shown his ability to meet with Israeli leaders, talk to them very bluntly. So has Abu Alaa. I think they'll make a very good team.
But I think probably the lead on this is going to be taken by Mahmoud Abbas. He's the chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization now, and that is clearly a premier spot in the leadership.
GRIFFIN: Having followed this so closely, do you have any fears that there could be chaos reigning, that this power vacuum could lead to even more disintegration in the Palestinian leadership and, in fact no one will have control over the Palestinian people?
PERRY: I suppose that's a worry. I keep hearing that. And I'm watching very closely to see if that's a real worry.
So far, I haven't sensed anything inside the leadership that is divisive. I'm certain that there are contentious arguments behind closed doors about next steps and how they begin.
But this is a leadership that has known each other quite well. These men know each other -- and women -- know each other quite well, and have worked together for, in some cases, for three or four decade. And they have shown a united front so far. And I don't think that there's any reason to believe that somehow that would end.
They've even approached Hamas in Gaza and talked to them about the possibility of a united leadership, and those talks, as far as I know, are ongoing.
So I don't think we're going to see a dissolution into chaos or violence. This is really run more like a family. Arguments behind closed doors, but in public, real unity.
GRIFFIN: Mark Perry, we thank you for joining us on the future of the Palestinian state. Of course, the president saying this moment is significant in the history of the Palestinian people.
We'll be back with more LIVE FROM after this.
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PHILLIPS (voice-over): Next on LIVE FROM... UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's pretty brazen, in public, to kidnap somebody and actually stuff them in the trunk of a car.
PHILLIPS: Caught on tape: a woman kidnapped while mall shoppers stand there, stunned.
Later on LIVE FROM, not ready for prime time? Some ABC stations won't be showing "Saving Private Ryan" tonight. The reason? They're afraid it could cost them.
And tomorrow on LIVE FROM, a tribute to everyone's favorite neighbor. The widow of Fred Rogers does the LIVE FROM interview.
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