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CNN Sunday Morning
White House Keeps Close Eye on Middle East
Aired March 03, 2002 - 10:01 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: In the Mid East the circle of violence is spiraling out of control. There have been at least three attacks by Palestinian militants, and Israel is responding with warplanes, gunboats, and tanks. Palestinian sources say Israeli helicopters fired missiles at a police station near Yasser Arafat's compound in Ramallah today. Israeli tanks also fired at two Palestine military bases.
Those actions were in retaliation for an attack on an Israeli checkpoint earlier today that left 10 Israelis including six soldiers dead.
Israel says it's operating against Palestinian checkpoints in the West Bank, which terrorists pass through to carry out attacks. Now yesterday Jewish worshipers were leaving a synagogue in central Jerusalem when a suicide bomber attacked, and that blast killed 10 people including an 18-month old girl, and at least 57 other people were injured.
In the last hour we spoke with a Palestinian information minister and a representative of the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. First Mr. Sharon's spokesperson.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RA'ANAN GISSIN, SHARON SPOKESMAN: We are not going to fulfill our (UNINTELLIGIBLE) dreams and hopes to ride in a wave of terror activity as the current wave indicates to the summit meeting in Beirut. That will not happen. We are taking all the necessary precautions and measures to prevent escalation.
YASSER ABED RABBO, PALESTINIAN MINISTER: We had last December three weeks of not one single incident and in spite of that, the Israeli government and Sharon personally declared that he's going to continue the policy of assassinations, and this does not violate the cease-fire. This turns the whole situation into a hell once again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Excuse me -- the White House is keeping a wary eye on the Middle East violence. More on this from our senior White House correspondent John King.
Good morning again, John. JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning again to you Miles, and the big question here at the White House is whether this renewed violence, more than 20 Israelis killed just in this weekend of violence, whether that is an impetus to get a breakthrough towards some diplomacy or whether it is yet again a sign of discouragement that makes people step back and say no diplomacy can work at this moment.
A key question because the Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak already is across the street from the White House staying at Blair House (ph), the official government guest house. He will be here to meet with Mr. Bush on Tuesday, other conversations with top U.S. officials. The prime topic of those discussions not only the deadly violence as it continues, but a new Saudi peace proposal that will come up at the Arab League Summit later in Beirut.
Mr. Bush hoping this is a potential not for a breakthrough, no one expecting comprehensive peace, but perhaps a political breakthrough to get the Israelis and the Palestinians at least to agree to a cease-fire and step back. But in exchange for embracing the Saudi proposal, what the White House wants most from President Mubarak, King Abdullah of Jordan, Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, other Arab leaders, is to put pressure on Arafat to crack down and end the violence by Islamic militants linked to the Palestinian territories and indeed, even to Arafat's own organizations.
If Arafat steps back and if Arafat can stop the violence, then the U.S. position is that they can go to the Israeli government and say you must now make a counter proposal. You must step back and deescalate as well the diplomatic conversations more intense, of course, because of the violence. The question is whether this new Saudi proposal can at least serve as the table center, if you will, to conversations leading to a cooling off period or a cease-fire -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: Yes but John, given the fact that the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) of the Saudi proposal, at least some sort of land per peace deal, it doesn't seem as if the Israelis are in any mood for that sort of proposal right now.
KING: The Israelis have flat out said this is a proposal not worth considering. Prime Minister Sharon is on record saying he will not give up all the occupied territories that he would have to give up under this Saudi proposal. The Saudi proposal is more a framework than a proposal right now. The details still to be flushed out. What the U.S. is hoping, though, is that you can get the process moving in this way, and what the Arab leaders are counting on, and we are told President Mubarak's message to President Bush is if the Israelis say no, the only way to get them to say yes is if the United States demands it and put pressure on the Sharon government.
O'BRIEN: CNN's John King at the White House. Thanks again very much. We appreciate that.
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