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CNN Sunday Morning

Arafat Shuts Down More Offices of Hamas and Islamic Jihad

Aired December 16, 2001 - 10:14   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: As Israeli helicopter blasts more targets in Gaza today, Palestinian Leader Yasser Arafat shut down more offices of Hamas and the Islamic Jihad.

CNN's Jerrold Kessel has the latest now from Jerusalem. Hi, Jerrold.

JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Kyra and there's a lot of anticipation for Yasser Arafat's address to the Palestinian people which is due to take place within the hour over Palestinian television and the radio. With a lot of people wanting to see just how far Mr. Arafat will go in explaining the pressures on his authority, and how far he is prepared to go in meeting the international demands that he crack down on the Islamic radicals.

Today, Mr. Arafat took part in prayers for the Eid ul-Fitr celebrations. That's the Muslim festival that culminates the holy month of Ramadan, and Mr. Arafat was striking something of defiant poses. He spoke to reporters there, but what we're getting advance word from Palestinian officials of what the speech will contain is a mixture of toughness to the Palestinian people and also talk on conciliatory moves towards the Israelis and saying that the best way is to get back to negotiations.

But really the key will be what Yasser Arafat has to say on how you handle the challenge of the militants. We are hearing in the speeches -- this from Palestinian officials I stress. We haven't actually had an advance copy of the speech by Mr. Arafat, but what they're telling us is he will say that there'll be no brokering of any alternative authority to the Palestinian authority, to (UNINTELLIGIBLE) that any group that tries to interfere with the authority will be met in full force of the law and curtailed.

Now, whether that will mean carrying in of illegal arms that's another matter, but Mr. Arafat, apparently, will tell the Palestinian people that anyone undertaking the kind of actions like suicide bombings, random shooting of Israelis will be pursued to the full extent of the law, because basically, the thrust of the Arafat speech, we're told, will be that actions against the Israelis are simply counterproductive and that this is just giving Prime Minister Ariel Sharon a chance to keep going after to his authority and after him personally and that the Palestinian authority while seeking the way back to the negotiations and that Mr. Arafat will stress that that is the only way back. He will tell the Israelis at the same time that it is doable. He is not simply acting under pressure but because he believes there's an agreement that can be waged. Well, that so much we will hear in the next hour or so from Yasser Arafat and as you've said, there have been moves taken against the Hamas and Islamic Jihad overnight, closing of more than two-dozen offices.

Whether that's enough for the Israelis? Well, Israel's Foreign Minister Shimon Peres who was today marking the holiday, the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, lighting of candles, and Mr. Peres then expressing some reservations and saying he would wait and see not just what Mr. Arafat had to say but the actions undertaken by him to curtail the Palestinian militants.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHIMON PERES, FOREIGN MINISTER OF ISRAEL: Until now, Hamas is taking over from the hands of the PLO. They're the ones who decide the agenda. They're 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: In action by the Israeli air force overnight against Palestinian targets in northern Gaza, Palestinian police targets, no casualties reported, but at least 13 Palestinians killed since Friday in various actions by the Israeli army, which included a broad two-day sweep against militants of their own -- that the Israeli army undertook in the West Bank and Gaza.

So even though the latest escalation has led to the curtailment, at least for now, of the mediation mission by the United States of Gen. Zinni. The two sides now focusing on two parallel actions: the action by Yasser Arafat against the Palestinian militant groups and the parallel action offensive really by the Israeli army against those same militant radical Islamic organizations -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Our Jerrold Kessel live in Jerusalem, thank you -- Miles.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: The Bush administration is keeping a close eye on the situation in the Middle East to say the least.

For a reaction from the White House, we go now to CNN's Major Garrett. Hello Major.

MAJOR GARRETT, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning Miles. The essence of the Bush White House, here today, dealing with the speech from the Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat is that speech is fine, and in fact, the White House will pay very close attention to it. But the White House has said and it has been saying for a good number of days it is actions and not words from the Palestinian leader that are really the most important. Actions to aggressively seek out, find, and bring to justice those terrorists within the Palestinian movement, Islamic Jihad, and Hamas to bring them to justice, do so aggressively and completely. And until that happens, United States is not; it appears, in any mood to take the pressure off the Palestinian leader or the Palestinian movement in general.

President spending a rare weekend here at the White House instead of going to Camp David, as has been his custom since these 09/11 attacks. President and the first lady just going about a block north of the White House to attend church this morning at St. John's church just on the other side of Lafayette park.

And this morning the president also went to Fort McNair, nearby here in Washington, to take an early morning jog in the very brisk morning temperatures. We'll have video of that later on this morning.

As for the overall White House assessment of what's happening in the Middle East, the Secretary of State Colin Powell said this morning and the National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice that number one, the president's special envoy in the region, retired Marine Gen. Anthony Zinni is coming back, but nevertheless will return to the region and the United States will remain engaged in this region because it is too important for the United States to step back.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: I brought General Zinni back to consult with him on the situation. He has been out there for three weeks. It was always our intention to bring him back for consultations sometime around the Christmas period, and in light of developments of recent days, it seemed appropriate to bring him back.

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: United States is not going to disengage from this extremely important issue. We understand that the United States has an important role to play. That's why President Bush in his United Nations General Assembly speech made the statements that he did. He laid out in a positive vision for the Middle East. Secretary Powell followed that up in Louisville with a positive vision for the Middle East. We now have an envoy who is devoted to trying to advance that positive vision.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GARRETT: As a programming note, the comments from the National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice will be aired a little bit later on today at "Late Edition" with Wolf Blitzer. That's starts at noon Eastern Time.

And Miles, it's worth pointing out that there is intense frustration here at the White House. The national security adviser talked about the president's vision. You know, he is the first American president, Republican or Democrat, to say the words Palestinian state -- to say that it's part of formal U.S. policy to see the creation of a Palestinian state next to a stable and secure Israel.

And after that speech the president gave at the United Nations General Assembly, we have seen this incredible increase in violence, terrorist violence brought on by Palestinians militants. The president says it is those very militants who are trying to undermine all efforts, Palestinian, Israeli, United States, international to achieve peace there. That's why he says it is so crucial for Mr. Arafat to route them out because without that action, no peace is possible -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Thanks very much. CNN's Major Garrett on the North Lawn of the White House.

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