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American Morning

In Middle East, Harsh Words Flying in Wake of Recent Violence

Aired February 04, 2002 - 11:04   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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Further west now in the Middle East where harsh words are flying fast and furious in the wake of recent violence. Today, at least five people were killed in Southern Gaza, the result of a car blast there.

Jerrold Kessel is in the region and files this from Jerusalem with more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The cause of the car blast in Southern Gaza a mystery. No mistaking the deadly results, however. The bodies of four Palestinians identified as members of the hard-line nationalist DFLP group were found in the scorched vehicle. A fifth man died of injuries.

Amid reports of Israeli helicopters hovering and of tanks moving close by near the Israel-Gaza border, all the Israeli army would say in response to questions, "We're looking into it."

This comes after Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon reportedly spurned calls from senior Palestinian leaders for Israel to stop attacks against Palestinians for a 10-day period, to give Yasser Arafat's police a chance to crackdown on Palestinian-initiated violence.

"This latest incident," says Yasser Arafat, "means Israel does not want calm. It wants the continuation of the escalation against our mighty people," said Mr. Arafat.

Mr. Sharon has confirmed to his cabinet that, in an unprecedented political development, he did meet secretly with senior Palestinian officials close to Yasser Arafat. No breakthrough. But the Israeli leader has let it be known that, even while he keeps Mr. Arafat himself penned up in his West Bank headquarters, he shortly means to resume such political contacts with top Palestinians.

But, Israel seems focused on a broader agenda. In weekend talks in Washington, Foreign Minister Shimon Peres talks of major Iranian arms supplies to Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon.

(on camera): And that broader agenda, say Israeli officials, will likely be the thrust of Mr. Sharon's own upcoming talks at the White House later this week, an attempt to explore just how far Israeli and U.S. strategic interests coincide in an expanding global war on terror.

(voice-over): The prime focus, argued Yasser Arafat, ought to be here, on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, as underlined in his own dramatic article in the Sunday "New York Times" under the title, "The Palestinian Vision of Peace."

MAHDI ABDUL HADI, PALESTINIAN ACADEMIC SOCIETY: The message is for Washington: stop pampering the Israelis. It's time for maturity. It's time to wake up and to put some pressure on Mr. Sharon to withdraw his troops, to allow me, for my own people, to move and to work and to breathe freedom and independence. It's a clear initiation for Washington to interfere now with a different thesis, with different agendas.

KESSEL: Mr. Sharon is scoffing at the Palestinian leader's condemnation of terrorism.

"We know him," he said, in an Israeli television interview. "Arafat is irrelevant. He talks incessantly. "Certainly," acknowledged Mr. Sharon, "the comments were written in softer language. But then he went on. Arafat is excellent when it comes to talking."

Nothing fuzzy about the result of this Israeli action: missiles demolished a workshop in a refugee camp just north of Gaza City. Israel says mortar bombs were made there, and that there have been several mortar attacks in recent days. No one was hurt.

But unclear, the purpose for these scenes captured on videotape in the west bank town of Beit Jala: Palestinian gunmen uncharacteristically allowing themselves to be photographed as they shoot into a nearby Israeli housing complex. Uniformed Palestinian policeman seemingly disinterested in the proceedings.

Jerrold Kessel, CNN, Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER: As Jerrold Kessel just mentioned, later this week Ariel Sharon will be in Washington for a meeting with President Bush. Let's straight away to the White House, where the snow is now coming down.

Major Garrett is back with us once again.

What can we anticipate from the meeting, Major?

MAJOR GARRETT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, first of all, Bill, it occurs on Thursday.

And as Jerrold Kessel's package pointing out, it occurs in an atmosphere where many in the Middle East wonder just how tight the United States is going to be with Israel as this ongoing conflict with the Palestinian continues.

Two quick points, on Friday, the president sat down with king of Jordan, King Abdullah, and in that meeting, the president said, "We are not going to give up on Yasser Arafat." He said publicly Mr. Arafat, the Palestinian leader, can do more; we believe he can do more to end terrorism within the ranks of the Palestinian movement. A clear segment from the United States government that it will not put aside dealing with Yasser Arafat, at least indirectly, through intermediaries. That was a clear signal.

Also King Abdullah said he knew where the president's heart was on this issue, and he believes it was in the right place. Before that meeting, some in the Middle East were looking for a signal from the Jordanian leader that there might be some distance, might be some criticism of the U.S. policy, vis-a-vis the Palestinians and the Israelis. It did not happen. So in that context, this meeting with Israeli prime minister, Mr. Sharon, takes place on Thursday -- Bill.

HEMMER: Major, on another focus. Today, the budget is set to be released. There is a lot of money going toward the military. It obviously is a major focus for the White House, not only going back to State of Union Address, but the events of September 11th as well.

GARRETT: That's right, Bill, the White House says serious times require a serious budget, with priorities that meet the challenges that lie ahead.

And toward that end, the Bush budget, released today, all four volumes of it. Let me bend over and show you all four of them here. It's pretty hefty. I could do a little weight lifting.

HEMMER: Did you get through that yet, Major?

GARRETT: Not quite yet. I'm about Halfway through, Bill, and I'm happy to report the cover at least is waterproof. The inside pages, though, for the first time -- I've been here since 1990, Bill. Never before pictures or any sort of color printing at all on the United States budget. I guess the Office of Management and Budget finally found a color printer that works pretty well.

Here's a picture of a Predator unarmed aerial vehicle. I show you that because that kind of technology will get a big boost in the defense budget, $379 billion worth of defense spending.

But there are also photographs of research done by the National Institutes of Health. The Bush administration puts its budget allotment for that as well. So good pictures this time in the Bush budget.

Let's go over some of the numbers. The president left here this morning for the White House to go to Eglund (ph) Air Force in Florida to talk about that defense spending increase.

Here is the big picture, Bill: $2.1 trillion for one fiscal year. That starts October 1st. As I mentioned, defense to be allocated, $379 billion of that amount. Social Security, a mandatory program for elderly Americans, $472 billion. Medicare, providing medical care to those over 65, another mandatory program in the budget, $231 billion. And all other discretionary domestic spending non-defense, but for everything else, education, environment, research, science, $355 billion. Those are the big numbers -- Bill.

HEMMER: You've halfway to go, I take it, huh, Major? Let's get going before the snow stops falling.

Major Garrett, front lawn at the White House. Thanks, Major.

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