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American Morning

Protests Erupt Through Middle East

Aired April 04, 2002 - 08:02   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.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Up front this morning, fears a new battle could erupt in the Middle East. While Israel is tied up trying to round up Palestinian terrorists in the West Bank, Arabs throughout the region are demonstrating their anger and frustration with Israel and the United States in protests like this one in front of the U.S. Embassy in Beirut. And for the second day, Hezbollah guerrillas have clashed with Israeli forces on the Israel-Lebanon border. Does this mean another battle zone in the already volatile region?

CNN's Brent Sadler joins us now with the very latest from Beirut -- good morning, Brent.

BRENT SADLER, NBC CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.

As you say, there are very deep concerns in the region that a new war front could open up in the Middle East along the Israeli-Lebanese border, a very sensitive part of the Middle East fractured mat, if you like.

We've seen over the past couple of days two clashes involving, very important heavy clashes involving Hezbollah guerrillas attacking Israeli troop, occupation troops, in an area known as the Chebba Farms. Now, that's a patch of land at the foot of the Golan Heights, largely uninhabited, apart from Israeli occupation troops, who are bunkered in there and they've been coming under for the past two days heavy mortar and rocket attacks from Hezbollah.

At the same time, Israel has been striking back with air raids and heavy artillery bombardments against suspected Hezbollah hideouts.

This at a time of United Nations attempts to try and calm the situation, U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan being in touch with the Syrian and the Lebanese authorities about this deteriorating situation, very much on a knife edge there, should Hezbollah conduct any further operations against Israeli troops, Israel warning it will hit back very hard and hold both the Syrians and the Lebanese directly responsible if that second war front opens up.

Now, as you mentioned just a moment ago, Paula, we've seen over the past several days throughout Lebanon very heavy demonstrations, big show outs not only in Palestinian refugee camps, but also in the center of the Lebanese capital, Beirut. And just on the outskirts Wednesday, there was a very ugly demonstration. In fact, a riot broke out -- we'll show you the pictures -- about a kilometer away from well protected U.S. Embassy compound.

Now, riot police kept protesters, student demonstrators, away from the embassy compound. They said they wanted to protest in front of the embassy, not be kept back by their own forces, to protest of what they say was perceived bias against Palestinians and Arabs by the United States and its policy in the Middle East -- Paula.

ZAHN: Brent, it's interesting to note that both Senator Nelson and Senator Shelby were guests on the air earlier this morning, and he had just met with President Assad of Syria. And he would not give them any assurances about Syria withdrawing any support at all for Hezbollah. What is the concern about that there?

SADLER: Well, the concern is that both Syria and Iran both actively support what Hezbollah does politically and militarily. Syria certainly has the ability to influence Hezbollah, as does Iran, and to a lesser extent as do the Lebanese.

But there certainly is a situation whereby Hezbollah, widely reported in the media over here and suspected by U.S. intelligence sources as well as the Israelis. The Hezbollah has been able to amass several thousands, as many as 8,000 rockets, some of them with long range that if that second war front were to open into a serious situation, Hezbollah could strike areas in northern Israel, very heavily populated civilian areas, not just the more remote northern Israeli settlements, but population areas deeper inside the northern part of Israel and important industrial areas. So there really is a great concern that if this second war front opens it could really expand the whole situation in the Middle East -- Paula.

ZAHN: OK, thanks for putting that into perspective for us this morning, Brent Sadler. Appreciate that report.

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