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CNN Saturday Morning News
Palestinian Prime Minister Meets President Bush
Aired July 26, 2003 - 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.
THOMAS ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: And speaking of the Middle East, the Middle East crisis also getting a lot of international attention. And while the Palestinian prime minister was visiting President Bush, he revived security forces and started to assert their authority in areas of Gaza as well as the West Bank.
CNN's Matthew Chance reports from Gaza.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The smashed headquarters that once housed Palestinian security forces, in Gaza, the pride of Yasser Arafat and his police, destroyed by Israeli war planes in the first months of the intifada. But out of the rubble, a new force is emerging. These are recruits of the Palestinian anti- terror squad and the men now being trained to handle security here. It's the kind of force the Palestinian Authority might need if there's to be any crackdown on the militant groups.
Commanders say these forces, approved by Israel, are motivated to fight crime. "There is complete enthusiasm to implement law and order," he says. "We have made that decision and our forces will be ready soon."
Riot police are also being trained in case of public disorder. Arresting militants seen by many Palestinians as heroes of the intifada may prove hugely unpopular. Even cracking down on crime might stir unrest. The new Palestinian security forces must be ready.
(on camera): In Israel, there's wide skepticism that this is any more than a public show of force that certainly looks capable of cracking down hard on terrorism, but does not. Convincing those doubters is now, for the Palestinian Authority, a key task.
(voice-over): In southern Gaza, we followed a police raid. The targets not a militant, but a suspected smuggler of weapons. It is, say police, a related crime. This time a single hand grenade was found, and a bullet. It's hardly the kind of sting operation against terrorism many in Israel want. But such is the support for the militants, Palestinian officials say it's all they're willing and able to risk.
ELIAS ZANINIRI, PALESTINIAN INTERIOR MINISTER: Once this kind of a step is done, it's only an invitation for a civil war. That's on one hand. And on the other hand, the duty of the Palestinian Authority, the role of the PLA today is to make sure that nobody breaks the law and nobody breaks the truce, nobody breaks the cease- fire, but not to punish people retroactively because they fought the Israelis over the last three years.
CHANCE: And until there's improvement in people's lives, Palestinian officials say these men won't be used to confront the militants. When that day comes, they say, they want ordinary Palestinians to side with them.
Matthew Chance, CNN, Gaza.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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 July 26, 2003 - 08:03 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THOMAS ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: And speaking of the Middle East, the Middle East crisis also getting a lot of international attention. And while the Palestinian prime minister was visiting President Bush, he revived security forces and started to assert their authority in areas of Gaza as well as the West Bank.
CNN's Matthew Chance reports from Gaza.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The smashed headquarters that once housed Palestinian security forces, in Gaza, the pride of Yasser Arafat and his police, destroyed by Israeli war planes in the first months of the intifada. But out of the rubble, a new force is emerging. These are recruits of the Palestinian anti- terror squad and the men now being trained to handle security here. It's the kind of force the Palestinian Authority might need if there's to be any crackdown on the militant groups.
Commanders say these forces, approved by Israel, are motivated to fight crime. "There is complete enthusiasm to implement law and order," he says. "We have made that decision and our forces will be ready soon."
Riot police are also being trained in case of public disorder. Arresting militants seen by many Palestinians as heroes of the intifada may prove hugely unpopular. Even cracking down on crime might stir unrest. The new Palestinian security forces must be ready.
(on camera): In Israel, there's wide skepticism that this is any more than a public show of force that certainly looks capable of cracking down hard on terrorism, but does not. Convincing those doubters is now, for the Palestinian Authority, a key task.
(voice-over): In southern Gaza, we followed a police raid. The targets not a militant, but a suspected smuggler of weapons. It is, say police, a related crime. This time a single hand grenade was found, and a bullet. It's hardly the kind of sting operation against terrorism many in Israel want. But such is the support for the militants, Palestinian officials say it's all they're willing and able to risk.
ELIAS ZANINIRI, PALESTINIAN INTERIOR MINISTER: Once this kind of a step is done, it's only an invitation for a civil war. That's on one hand. And on the other hand, the duty of the Palestinian Authority, the role of the PLA today is to make sure that nobody breaks the law and nobody breaks the truce, nobody breaks the cease- fire, but not to punish people retroactively because they fought the Israelis over the last three years.
CHANCE: And until there's improvement in people's lives, Palestinian officials say these men won't be used to confront the militants. When that day comes, they say, they want ordinary Palestinians to side with them.
Matthew Chance, CNN, Gaza.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
