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CNN Sunday Morning

PLO Shuts Down More Militant Offices

Aired December 16, 2001 - 08:17   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: Yasser Arafat is under intense pressure to quell the violence in the Mideast region. His Palestinian Authority today shut down more offices of militants. This happened as Israel launches strikes today in Gaza, deepening its campaign against terrorism.

Our Jerrold Kessel is live from Jerusalem, where he's monitoring all the developments.

Hi Jerrold.

JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Kyra.

And there is intense anticipation of that speech in about two and a half hours from now that Yasser Arafat will give over Palestinian radio and television to the Palestinian people, detailing the pressures his Palestinian Authority is under, and perhaps outlining the -- how far he's prepared to go, the kind of steps he's taking to control the Palestinian militants. The kind of pressure that he's been under to do just that.

Now, Mr. Arafat this morning was at prayers for the Eid al-Fitr celebrations. That's the Muslim holiday at the culmination of the Ramadan holy month. And afterwards, Mr. Arafat was in a somewhat a defiant mood as he spoke of his anticipation of things to come. He said the Palestinian people should be patient, because they would eventually get what they want. Saying, also: "I'm telling the Arab nation, I'm telling the Islamic nation, Jerusalem is calling for you. The holy mosques are calling for you," Mr. Arafat said. "And those blessed places," he said, "we will protect them; we will defend them."

Now, as you say, Yasser Arafat's police have been in action overnight, and more than two dozen officers and organizations affiliated to the Palestinian radical Islamic groups, Islamic Jihad and Hamas, have been shut down both in Gaza and the West Bank. The Palestinian leader has, of course, been under intense international pressure to move strongly against those radical groups which have been responsible for a series -- a string of deadly attacks that have killed more than 40 Israelis in the past month.

Israel's Foreign Minister Shimon Peres as he marked the Jewish holiday of Chanukah, lighting the Chanukah candles this morning, said that he has reservations and wanted to wait and see just how far and how serious Mr. Arafat is in curbing the Palestinian militants. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHIMON PERES, ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTER: Until now, Hamas is taking over from the hands of the PLO. They are the ones who decide the agenda. They are the ones who decide what should be done or who should be killed. And I think it is for the Palestinian Authority to assert itself as the responsible authority.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KESSEL: No casualties reported in the latest Israeli air action. Israeli Air Force planes striking at Palestinian police posts in the northern part of Gaza. But in a series of actions since Friday, at least 13 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli troops, and over 60 arrested in a two-day sweep which Israeli troops have conducted, they say, against suspected Palestinian militants both in the West Bank and Gaza.

Now this escalating situation has, for now, at least curtailed the would-be mediation mission led by the retired Marine General Anthony Zinni. And it's left the two sides eying each other more suspiciously than ever, as these two new processes take shape -- Yasser Arafat's moves against the Islamic militant groups, and the Israeli Army's vigorous offensive against those same organizations -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. Jerrold Kessel, live in Jerusalem, thank you.

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