Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Sunday

Negotiations Breakthrough May End Siege of Arafat's Compound

Aired April 28, 2002 - 17:01   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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Now back to the Middle East, where there is a breakthrough that may end the standoff at Yasser Arafat's Ramallah compound. CNN's Matthew Chance is near the Palestinian leader's headquarters, and he joins us now with a report. Hi there, Matthew.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Fredricka. You are joining me here in Ramallah, where of course there have been some significant developments. We've word from the Palestinian leadership of their acceptance of U.S. proposals to effectively, as you say, bring an end to the siege of Yasser Arafat's compound.

I have to tell you there is a lot of tension here in Ramallah too. Over the course of the past hour or so, we've been hearing some pretty intensive machine gun firing and a very large explosion coming from the vicinity, the immediate area around Yasser Arafat's compound. The explosion sounded to us like a tank shell detonating. At this stage, though, we're not seeing this as any kind of extended military operation. It may have just been some kind of an isolated incident. Obviously, we're checking into that as soon as we can. We're getting details coming through to us all the time.

Back to those U.S. proposals, the unexpected, I suppose, diplomatic initiative from the Bush administration calling for U.S. or -- and/or British personnel to guard the six Palestinians wanted by Israel currently holed up inside Yasser Arafat's compound along with the Palestinian president. In turn for that transition of authority, of course, Yasser Arafat would in theory be allowed to move freely around the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

Those details we know. What is not clear at this stage is what shape the proposed team of U.S. and British personnel might take at this stage, or what their exact mandate might be. What there is a meeting tomorrow afternoon -- that is Monday local time -- to try and hammer out those details. Obviously, again, we'll bring you the details of that when it happens, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Now, Matthew, we know how Yasser Arafat feels. He said he accepts seeing the U.S. and British monitors, but how about the Palestinian people? How are they accepting this deal?

CHANCE: Well, of course, a lot -- for a lot of them, this news has not really filtered down to the street. But amongst the people that we've spoken to throughout the course of the last few hours, who were aware of the situation as it's been dramatically unfolding, a number of people have expressed a degree of surprise, first of all, that this should come about.

A lot of hesitation, though, about the prospects of American troops coming here. There is no love lost at the moment between the Palestinians and the United States. Many people here feel that the United States has been an unequivocal backer, and therefore a party to the actions of Israel, at least that's how they are perceived here.

The other issue is, of course, that this siege of Yasser Arafat's compound for ordinary Palestinians out there on the street is not the main issue. The main issue for them is the occupation of Israeli forces. They say to us, if this brings about or start it bring about an end to that, then they'll be happy. If it doesn't, then the reaction, the positive reaction that might be seen when U.S. or British personnel relive the Israelis of their posts around the Arafat compound, that may be very short-lived indeed, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, Matthew Chance from Ramallah, thank you very much.

We want to get the Bush administration's reaction now. And our John King is traveling with the president who is in Crawford, Texas.

John, the White House must be pleased with an acceptance coming from Yasser Arafat himself of this U.S.-extended proposal?

JOHN KING, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Finally, Fredricka, in the White House one glimmer of hope, one step of progress, if you will, after weeks and months of frustration in the Middle East. We will hear directly from President Bush later this hour. Reporters have just been summoned out to the Bush ranch. We're told the president will make a statement in which he will applaud both the Palestinians and the Israelis for accepting this proposal he put on the table yesterday.

We also are told, though, the president will say this is but one step, and he will urge parties to recommit themselves not only to implementing this proposal and ending the Israeli siege of Ramallah, but also to try to end the other standoff around the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, and ultimately, in the president's view, the biggest goal has to be to improve security cooperation and ultimately return the two parties to a political dialogue.

But certainly the president put this proposal on the table in a secret conversation yesterday with the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. He pressured Mr. Sharon to get his cabinet to accept it. The Israeli cabinet did so. Then the White House said the Palestinians must act quickly. They have done so. What you will hear from the president in just a bit is praise for both governments and distinctive in that is the first praise from this president for the Palestinian leader Mr. Arafat in some time. But the administration making clear it needs to see much more actions, not just words, in the days ahead -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Well, John, as we're still awaiting official response from the White House, do we know anything about who these monitors would be? Would it be military personnel, intelligence, what?

KING: We're told flatly they will not be U.S. troops. The way it has been explained to us is this: A small group of security experts from United States and Great Britain. By security experts, U.S. officials say they include in that CIA officials who will be taking the lead in the arrangements.

Our understanding of it is the U.S. and British monitors would take over at a Palestinian prison. The Palestinians would still have custody of these prisoners. They would still be Palestinian guards there, but there would be U.S. and/or British personnel on the scene at all times to answer the big Israeli question. Israel has said it worries the Palestinians will keep these men behind bars; the United States now says it can give that direct assurance to Prime Minister Sharon that they will be kept behind bars, and because of that President Bush says it's time for the Israeli troops to leave Ramallah and to let Mr. Arafat move freely. Israel says it will do that.

WHITFIELD: All right. John King, traveling with the president, from Crawford, Texas. Thank you very much.

And as John said, we'll, of course, be bringing to you that statement from the White House as it comes, and we're expecting that to happen momentarily.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com