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CNN Saturday Morning News

Israeli Troops Enter Two West Bank Towns; Powell Postpones Meeting With Arafat

Aired April 13, 2002 - 08:03   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: Troops on the move, and a meeting on hold. Israeli forces keep up their offensive, and Secretary of State Colin Powell has postponed his meeting today with Yasser Arafat, as we just told you. CNN's Chris Burns is live in Jerusalem. He has the latest on the crisis in the Middle East -- Chris.

CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Miles, that Israeli incursion offensive has lasted more than two weeks now, and it continued into two more towns near the northern area of Jenin, the towns called Burkine (ph) and Arabay (ph). And in those towns, the Israeli forces moved in. They don't give much comment. Though, what we do hear is that Israeli troops have been telling people to stay in their homes. They have imposed a curfew in those areas and begun to reportedly arrest a number of Palestinian militants, militants they believe are linked to these suicide attacks that have been leaving -- that have left at least 125 Israelis dead in March alone.

So they press on, even though Secretary of State Colin Powell is trying to broker some kind of a cease-fire and to move both sides toward negotiations. Very little progress on that. Instead of meeting with Yasser Arafat today, Powell met first of all with religious leaders, religious leaders who told him that they are very, very concerned with the situation. One of the religious leaders said Powell said that he will consider later today whether to go ahead with that meeting with Yasser Arafat, but everybody is waiting to see whether Yasser Arafat does condemn the suicide attack yesterday that left the suicide bomber dead as well as six Israelis.

Powell also met with aid agencies, including the Red Cross and U.N. Aid Agency here. Those agencies also expressing their concern about civilians in the West Bank while this incursion continues. Powell said that he hopes that the Israelis show utmost constraint in their operation. He says he is concerned about excessive force; hopes the Israelis do not use excessive force, and that he is especially concerned about the humanitarian situation in Jenin, where there are reports about hundreds of people who have been killed or wounded.

The reaction from the Palestinians about whether Arafat should condemn yesterday's suicide attack are generally in support of Arafat not saying anything right now, because they believe the Israelis and the Americans have not said enough about what the Israelis are doing in the West Bank in the last two weeks. Here's some comment from a PLO legal adviser. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL TARAZI, PLO LEGAL ADVISER: Palestinians are asking themselves why are we always the ones who have to condemn the killing of innocent civilians when Israel seems to be able to kill innocent civilians with impunity. And considering right now this has come up at a time when there are reports of hundreds of Palestinians being killed in Jenin and Nablus and elsewhere in the occupied territories, that the United States hasn't condemned those killings either.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNS: A lot at stake on whether Secretary Powell does meet with Arafat. Whether he can meet with other Palestinian officials, we'll have to see later today whether that actually does happen, whether the plans do go ahead for a possible meeting tomorrow -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: CNN's Chris Burns in Jerusalem, thank you very much.

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