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American Morning

Diplomatic Actions Aim at Israel Conflict

Aired April 09, 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: In Israel, conflicting signals. Tanks made a brief foray into Hebron, then pulled out. They left two other West Bank towns, as well, while beginning an incursion into still another West Bank town overnight.

Let's get the very latest now on both the military and diplomatic fronts from our own John Vause in Jerusalem -- good morning, John.

JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.

Let's kick off with the diplomatic efforts which are ongoing here today. Earlier, the Israeli defense minister met with the U.S. envoy, General Anthony Zinni. The defense minister briefed General Anthony Zinni about the withdrawal from those two towns of Qalqilya as well as Tulkarem. He also informed him that there was another incursion into Dora and he also informed the U.S. envoy that this Israeli military operation would continue as Israel continues to "dismantle the infrastructure of terrorism."

Now, we're also expecting four top Palestinian officials to meet with the U.S. envoy some time today, but most likely some time tomorrow. He will then meet with those four Palestinian officials, who are then expected to meet with Yasser Arafat, as well.

Now, the message from that meeting where, the speculation is that the message that those Palestinian officials will take to Yasser Arafat is basically from Anthony Zinni what Yasser Arafat needs to do to ensure a cease-fire on the Palestinian side of this equation.

As far as the diplomatic efforts go, they continue, and so do the military operation.

The fighting in Jenin continues into a sixth day now. As you said, that death toll estimated at around 150 casualties, 150 deaths so far. That number coming from reports from the Israeli media as well as the Palestinian officials on the ground and also from witnesses at the scene.

It's very difficult to ascertain exactly what's happening in Jenin because the Israeli government has declared it a military zone, which means that the media is not getting in to find out exactly what's happening on the ground there.

However, witnesses have told CNN, they do report that there has been heavy shelling from tanks as well as a number of rockets fired from helicopter gunships, that homes have been destroyed, that many people are being forced to leave. I spoke with a Palestinian official yesterday who told me that hundreds of people had been forced from their homes and that they are, in fact, being housed in schools and in other public offices that the Palestinians have in that region.

The Palestinians say that this is, in fact, a massacre. The Israelis, on their side of things, are going at great lengths to point out that the Israel Defense Force has been involved in pitched battles with Palestinian gunmen and Palestinian terrorists, that's their words. They say that this has, in fact, been an ongoing battle to "dismantle that infrastructure of terrorism." That's the word they continue to use here all the time.

And as that withdrawal from those two towns is under way, a third incursion into Dora. Once again, they say they're going from house to house and seizing weapons, a crackdown on this terrorism, especially after that wave of suicide bombings last week -- Paula.

ZAHN: So I know, John, you were saying it's very difficult for reporters to asses what's going on in Jenin because it's been declared sort of a military operation area, but are the Israeli officials telling you anything about the percentage of those 150 killed and whether, in fact, they are Palestinian gunmen or civilians?

VAUSE: Paula, we're getting nothing from the Israeli government on that, no breakdown whatsoever. And, in fact, we're getting conflicting messages, as is the case always in this conflict, from the Palestinian side compared to the Israeli side.

What we've been working out is an equation based on what we're getting from witnesses as well as the Israeli media as well as the Palestinians, and that number is estimated at around 150. And it all comes down to the definition of what is a terrorist and what is a civilian, Paula.

ZAHN: All right, John Vause, thank you so much for that update. We're going to leave it there for the moment and get back to you a little bit later on this morning.

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