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CNN Saturday Morning News
Mideast Death Toll Climbs as Diplomatic Crisis Deepens
Aired May 19, 2001 - 09:02 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.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: We begin this hour with a focus on the Middle East, however, where the death toll climbs and the diplomatic crisis deepens. An Israeli offensive is entering its second day, and Palestinian outrage is resonating throughout the Arab world.
For the latest on the escalating violence, we go to the White House, where the Bush administration is considering its next move. CNN White House correspondent Kelly Wallace is there. Good morning, Kelly.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Miles.
Well, there is concern and mounting frustration here at the White House. Secretary of State Colin Powell spoke yesterday with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. It was a previously scheduled phone call, but sources do tell CNN that the secretary came away from that call frustrated. Earlier, or yesterday afternoon, rather, during a news conference with the Russian foreign minister, Powell made his most impassioned plea to date to have the Israelis and the Palestinians do everything they possibly can to not only reduce the violence but to bring it to an end.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: What we need now more than anything else is unconditional cessation of violence on the part of all. Then things can start to happen. Then we can start to put in place security coordination methods and mechanisms to keep it down and to get it going down and down and down.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALLACE: Secretary Powell, while stopping short of criticizing the Israeli response to that suicide bombing, criticism, though, did come from the United Nations with U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan saying he was deeply disturbed by what he called the disproportionate response, something he said that will lead to only increased bitterness on the Palestinian side.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KOFI ANNAN, UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY GENERAL: While I have repeatedly made clear my utter condemnation of terrorism, from whatever quarter, and do so again today, I can only regard this response as excessive and misdirected.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALLACE: And in that response, the Israelis used war planes to attack Palestinian areas for the first time since the 1967 Arab- Israeli war. Now, what the Bush administration was hoping for, and what it continues to hope for, is that the release of the Mitchell commission report on Monday would serve as some starting point for a reduction in tensions and a resumption of some type of peace talks. That report, crafted in part by former senator George Mitchell, does criticize both sides for the now eight months of violence and offers recommendations to develop a cease-fire and to get both sides back to the peace table.
On another front, Miles, it appears right now talks for a meeting between Secretary Powell and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat next week are on hold. U.S. officials looking to see what happens in the region, although State Department officials do say they will look again next week to see if the secretary should, in fact, meet with the Palestinian leader during his trip to Africa and Europe, which begins next week -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: All right, Kelly Wallace, don't go far. We'll see you in about 25 minutes for our "Reporter's Notebook."
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