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CNN Live Sunday
Powell Issues Mild Rebuke to Israel for Assassination Strikes
Aired June 22, 2003 - 18:08 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.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: Well, the road to the Middle East peace is a bumpy one. Anyone can tell you that. Today it led Secretary Of State Colin Powell to throw Israel a caution flag and issue a mild rebuke for its practice of targeting Hamas in assassination strikes. CNN White House Correspondent Suzanne Malveaux explains White House concerns.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The White House insists Hamas is the obstacle to Middle East peace.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: For those who want peace to go forward, we must combine our efforts to prevent people like Hamas from sabotaging peace.
MALVEAUX: But the frustration for the U.S. now is with Israel. The Bush administration believes Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas is on the verge of winning a cease-fire agreement with Hamas, but that Israel's policy of targeting and killing Hamas leaders is derailing any possibility of a truce.
Less than two weeks ago, Israel unsuccessfully tried to assassinate Hamas leader Abdel Aziz Rantissi. The White House quickly condemned the attack.
But Saturday, Israel killed another top Hamas militant in Hebron. Israel insists soldiers were trying to arrest him. But even so, Secretary Powell, in the region, expressed concern.
COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: I regret that once again, we had an incident that could be an impediment to progress.
MALVEAUX: An Israeli official maintained it was justified.
RA'ANAN GISSIN, ISRAELI P.M. SPOKESMAN: There's a clear understanding that when it comes to issues that have to do with a life and security of the citizens of Israel, we'll be the ones who are responsible for that, and we will take the necessary action to do that.
MALVEAUX: One U.S. lawmaker is actively lobbying Israel to take a new approach in cracking down on terrorism by extraditing Palestinians who have killed Americans in Israel to the United States, where they could face the death penalty for their crimes.
Senator Arlen Specter, first announced on CNN that he has contacted Israel's prime minister and its attorney general, seeking Israel's cooperation in at least two cases of convicted Palestinian terrorists. One of them Hassam Salome (ph), convicted for his role in a 1996 bus bombing in Jerusalem that killed 25, three of them Americans.
SEN. ARLEN SPECTER (R), PENNSYLVANIA: The United States would be helping Israel in Israel's war on terrorism, and we would be vindicating a very important United States interest when our citizens are being murdered abroad by Palestinian terrorists.
MALVEAUX (on camera): Secretary Powell acknowledged that Israel is justified in going after Palestinian terrorists who are ticking bombs, those who are active in planning upcoming attacks. But the role of Hamas is still in dispute. U.S. and Palestinians, for now, are hoping for a cease-fire agreement, while Israel insists that Hamas must be completely dismantled.
Suzanne Malveaux, CNN, the White House.
(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
Strikes>
Aired June 22, 2003 - 18:08 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: Well, the road to the Middle East peace is a bumpy one. Anyone can tell you that. Today it led Secretary Of State Colin Powell to throw Israel a caution flag and issue a mild rebuke for its practice of targeting Hamas in assassination strikes. CNN White House Correspondent Suzanne Malveaux explains White House concerns.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The White House insists Hamas is the obstacle to Middle East peace.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: For those who want peace to go forward, we must combine our efforts to prevent people like Hamas from sabotaging peace.
MALVEAUX: But the frustration for the U.S. now is with Israel. The Bush administration believes Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas is on the verge of winning a cease-fire agreement with Hamas, but that Israel's policy of targeting and killing Hamas leaders is derailing any possibility of a truce.
Less than two weeks ago, Israel unsuccessfully tried to assassinate Hamas leader Abdel Aziz Rantissi. The White House quickly condemned the attack.
But Saturday, Israel killed another top Hamas militant in Hebron. Israel insists soldiers were trying to arrest him. But even so, Secretary Powell, in the region, expressed concern.
COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: I regret that once again, we had an incident that could be an impediment to progress.
MALVEAUX: An Israeli official maintained it was justified.
RA'ANAN GISSIN, ISRAELI P.M. SPOKESMAN: There's a clear understanding that when it comes to issues that have to do with a life and security of the citizens of Israel, we'll be the ones who are responsible for that, and we will take the necessary action to do that.
MALVEAUX: One U.S. lawmaker is actively lobbying Israel to take a new approach in cracking down on terrorism by extraditing Palestinians who have killed Americans in Israel to the United States, where they could face the death penalty for their crimes.
Senator Arlen Specter, first announced on CNN that he has contacted Israel's prime minister and its attorney general, seeking Israel's cooperation in at least two cases of convicted Palestinian terrorists. One of them Hassam Salome (ph), convicted for his role in a 1996 bus bombing in Jerusalem that killed 25, three of them Americans.
SEN. ARLEN SPECTER (R), PENNSYLVANIA: The United States would be helping Israel in Israel's war on terrorism, and we would be vindicating a very important United States interest when our citizens are being murdered abroad by Palestinian terrorists.
MALVEAUX (on camera): Secretary Powell acknowledged that Israel is justified in going after Palestinian terrorists who are ticking bombs, those who are active in planning upcoming attacks. But the role of Hamas is still in dispute. U.S. and Palestinians, for now, are hoping for a cease-fire agreement, while Israel insists that Hamas must be completely dismantled.
Suzanne Malveaux, CNN, the White House.
(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
Strikes>
