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CNN Sunday Morning

Violence Overshadows Mideast Peace Efforts

Aired May 27, 2001 - 09:00   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, CNN ANCHOR: We begin this hour in Jerusalem, where two separate car bombings have provided a dramatic backdrop to U.S.-led peace efforts. Washington's new Middle East envoy is meeting separately with Israeli and Palestinian leaders but will it be action or words that charts the future course of relations?

CNN's Ben Wedeman is in Jerusalem. He can tell us more about that. Hi, Ben.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Kyra. Yes, two car bombs went off today in Jerusalem. The most recent one went off on Jappa Road, that's one of the main streets through Jerusalem. It was a car packed with explosives including mortar bombs, bullets and nails.

The initial explosion was followed according to eyewitnesses by a series of other blasts apparently those emanating from the car. More than 20 people were treated for shock as a result of that blast and two were also injured by flying glass. Police took hours to defuse explosives that were ejected from the car. They blocked off the road for several hours. And as we are hearing from Beirut, the Islamic Jihad has taken responsibility for that blast.

Just 8 1/2 hours before that there was another car bomb that went off near the site of the one that went off this morning. It was an area full of young people who were going to bars and discos after the end of the Jewish Sabbath. No injuries in that case, however. And the blast in the case of this bomb was claimed by the popular front for the Liberation of Palestine.

This comes against the backdrop of a renewed U.S. effort to push the peace process or what's left of the peace process forward. UN secretary -- or undersecretary of state for the middle east, William Burns, met with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and after the meeting he did sound upbeat.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILLIAM BURNS, U.S. ENVOY: We had a constructive discussion today with Chairman Arafat about how to implement the Mitchell Reports and its goals of an immediate and unconditional end to violence, rebuilding confidence and resuming negotiations. Sadly today we witness further violence in Jerusalem. The United States strong condemns the terrorist attacks which are taking place and in my discussions with Chairman Arafat urged that he do everything possible to stop such attacks.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WEDEMAN: Mr. Burns is also scheduled to meet this afternoon with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. There's a possibility of a follow-up meeting with the Palestinian meeting after that in what may appear to be the beginning of a U.S. shuttle diplomacy to move the peace process forward -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: That's positive news. Ben Wedeman in Jerusalem, thanks so much -- Lou.

LOU WATERS, CNN ANCHOR: The latest escalation in the Israeli- Palestinian violence resonates all the way to The White House. The Bush Administration savors a domestic victory while confronting an international conflict that appears to me deepening.

CNN White House correspondent Major Garrett joins us now with the latest from the White House -- Major.

MAJOR GARRET, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Lou, the White House similarly condemns the violence, the recent violence and it really describes, or illustrates the problem the White House is confronting here because as it tries to deal with the Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat, it knows that there are other militant groups that Mr. Arafat may not have complete control over who may lob acts of violence to sort of disrupt the progress that the White House is attempting to make, both with the Israelis and the Palestinians.

The special envoy is over there on behalf of President Bush having conversations with both sides, trying to create an atmosphere where you can at least create a cease-fire, and after that constructive dialog on a peace process -- Lou.

WATERS: Major, the president has invested a lot of personal and political capital in lobbying for his tax cut plan. Things have changed now. We're going to see a Republican-dominated Senate, perhaps a new strategy. What's next for the president?

MAJOR: Well, with that new democratic leadership of the Senate the first priority of the president is to get one other key domestic priority through both chambers, the House and the Senate. That's his education reform plan. And despite the change over from Republican to democratic control of the Senate, that bill appears to be on very firm ground. The president and his White House advisers expect to have that piece of legislation on the president's desk by mid-June.

The White House knows after that it's going to be much tougher. They're going to confront a democratic Senate the, for example, will show little interest in his energy policy and lot of interest in prescription drug benefits for Medicare beneficiaries and reforming the HMO system in this country -- two issues the president has tried to grapple with but has shown very little success with, rather, so far. They're going to confront a hostile democratic Senate dealing with both of those issues -- Lou.

WATERS: All right, Major Garrett at the White House this morning.

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