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CNN Sunday Morning
Israeli Military Pulls Out of Arafat's Ramallah Compound
Aired September 29, 2002 - 08:04 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.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: In the West Bank this morning, Israel is easing its grip on the Ramallah headquarters of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, as Charles told you just a few moments ago, but only slightly.
Troops have pulled back from the ruins of the compound about 30 yards. And they are still in a position to keep an eye on the building in case some of the terror suspects inside try to escape.
Arafat says the pullback does not meet the recent demands of the U.N. Security Council. CNN's Jerrold Kessel joins us from Jerusalem with the latest.
JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Anderson. Well, whether this Israeli decision and the relocation of the tanks amounts to a total end of the siege of Yasser Arafat's Muqataa headquarters in Ramallah or merely an easing of the pressure on that devastated Arafat compound is still not clear. But what is clear is that this Israeli decision taken at a special meeting of an Israeli Cabinet forum this morning under Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was taken under intense U.S. pressure.
The headline in the top-selling Israeli daily (UNINTELLIGIBLE) said that Mr. Bush had sent a message to Prime Minister Sharon effectively saying, "You are disturbing us." The reference being to U.S. plans of potential action over Iraq.
And the Israeli officials who are reluctant -- those officials close to Mr. Sharon -- are reluctant to comment on the decision today, did acknowledge -- and this was acknowledged in the statement put out by Mr. Sharon's office -- that there are strategic interests there -- strategic alliance between Israel and the United States -- that was taken into account and that Israel's actions in Ramallah as regards to Palestinian Leader have to take into account potential U.S. action over Iraq.
Well, Israel went into action. Israel forces 10 days ago ringing that compound of Mr. Arafat's in Ramallah after a devastating suicide bombing incident in Tel Aviv in which a Hamas terrorist killed six people in the heart of Tel Aviv.
Israeli forces then went into action and an Israeli official saying, "We had to make it plain to them that they could not go on planning such actions at will."
And while that message was then conveyed in a very concrete since as Israeli bulldozers proceeded to tear down and demolish virtually all of the buildings in the compound other than Mr. Arafat's own personal headquarters building.
And even as the demolition was underway, criticism was beginning to build on the Israeli prime minister of the wisdom of the operation.
Some are now saying that the back-down amounts to a surrender. Others are saying that Yasser Arafat's position -- instead of being undermined is actually being strengthened.
Well, the Israeli support depositing their decision today as being a repositioning of the forces and they are still in a position, say the Israeli government, to act if any of the 50 or so people whom Israel says it wants on terrorism charges who are in the compound with Mr. Arafat try to get out.
They are still in a position to be arrested by those Israeli forces although they're not saying exactly how and where they will be cited.
Well, that has given Yasser Arafat, as you say, the position -- the grounds for saying that this Israeli action is really only cosmetic. And in a firm conversation with his top aide, Saeb Erakat, before the Israeli forces left and before Palestinians came into the compound, Mr. Arafat is said to be worried that this will be an Israeli attempt to pull the wool over Washington's eyes with a cosmetic redeployment -- Anderson.
COOPER: All right, Jerrold, thanks very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired September 29, 2002 - 08:04 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: In the West Bank this morning, Israel is easing its grip on the Ramallah headquarters of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, as Charles told you just a few moments ago, but only slightly.
Troops have pulled back from the ruins of the compound about 30 yards. And they are still in a position to keep an eye on the building in case some of the terror suspects inside try to escape.
Arafat says the pullback does not meet the recent demands of the U.N. Security Council. CNN's Jerrold Kessel joins us from Jerusalem with the latest.
JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Anderson. Well, whether this Israeli decision and the relocation of the tanks amounts to a total end of the siege of Yasser Arafat's Muqataa headquarters in Ramallah or merely an easing of the pressure on that devastated Arafat compound is still not clear. But what is clear is that this Israeli decision taken at a special meeting of an Israeli Cabinet forum this morning under Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was taken under intense U.S. pressure.
The headline in the top-selling Israeli daily (UNINTELLIGIBLE) said that Mr. Bush had sent a message to Prime Minister Sharon effectively saying, "You are disturbing us." The reference being to U.S. plans of potential action over Iraq.
And the Israeli officials who are reluctant -- those officials close to Mr. Sharon -- are reluctant to comment on the decision today, did acknowledge -- and this was acknowledged in the statement put out by Mr. Sharon's office -- that there are strategic interests there -- strategic alliance between Israel and the United States -- that was taken into account and that Israel's actions in Ramallah as regards to Palestinian Leader have to take into account potential U.S. action over Iraq.
Well, Israel went into action. Israel forces 10 days ago ringing that compound of Mr. Arafat's in Ramallah after a devastating suicide bombing incident in Tel Aviv in which a Hamas terrorist killed six people in the heart of Tel Aviv.
Israeli forces then went into action and an Israeli official saying, "We had to make it plain to them that they could not go on planning such actions at will."
And while that message was then conveyed in a very concrete since as Israeli bulldozers proceeded to tear down and demolish virtually all of the buildings in the compound other than Mr. Arafat's own personal headquarters building.
And even as the demolition was underway, criticism was beginning to build on the Israeli prime minister of the wisdom of the operation.
Some are now saying that the back-down amounts to a surrender. Others are saying that Yasser Arafat's position -- instead of being undermined is actually being strengthened.
Well, the Israeli support depositing their decision today as being a repositioning of the forces and they are still in a position, say the Israeli government, to act if any of the 50 or so people whom Israel says it wants on terrorism charges who are in the compound with Mr. Arafat try to get out.
They are still in a position to be arrested by those Israeli forces although they're not saying exactly how and where they will be cited.
Well, that has given Yasser Arafat, as you say, the position -- the grounds for saying that this Israeli action is really only cosmetic. And in a firm conversation with his top aide, Saeb Erakat, before the Israeli forces left and before Palestinians came into the compound, Mr. Arafat is said to be worried that this will be an Israeli attempt to pull the wool over Washington's eyes with a cosmetic redeployment -- Anderson.
COOPER: All right, Jerrold, thanks very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
