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CNN Live Sunday

Will Israel's Attack In Syria Cause Widespead Violence Throughout Middle East?

Aired October 05, 2003 - 18:11   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.


CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Will the latest developments plunge the Middle East into an even deeper cycle of violence? Joshua Hammer is the Jerusalem bureau chief for "NewsWeek" and the author of "A Season in Bethlehem," and he joins us now from New York.
Hello. Good to see you, Josh. Thanks for being here today.

JOSHUA HAMMER, JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF, "NEWSWEEK": Hi. Thank you, Carol.

LIN: Do you think that Israel, given the videotape that they've shown of this so-called terrorist camp inside of Syria -- does that videotape justify the actions by Israel?

HAMMER: Well, I don't think there's any doubt Syria has been backing these groups. Hamas has an office in Damascus, a popular front to liberation of Palestinian, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah. We know that Syria is behind these groups, and they may very well have training camps there.

The question is, as John Alterman said, you can carry out these attacks on training camps, knock out a few barracks, take out a few weapons, but are you really going to be any closer to ending this cycle of violence? Or are you, in fact, just going to be accelerating it?

I would say that's the bigger question rather than the justification. Israel does what's wants to do. The question is, is it going to lead anywhere?

LIN: And is it? Where's this going to lead?

HAMMER: I don't think it's going to lead anywhere, frankly. I've been watching this. To me, it feels like a desperate measure of a government that has been trying all sorts of different tactics to end this cycle.

They've been targeting militants in Gaza in the West Bank. They've locked down the territories. They are constructing the security fence. Nothing seems to be working because, essentially, it's all failing to address the essential problem at hand, which is this deep despair and misery and anger on the part of the Palestinians. It isn't going to go away by knocking out a terrorist cam.

LIN: So do you agree, though, that by its actions, Israel is risking a much wider conflict? I mean does it seem that the conflict is now going to spill over into neighboring countries?

HAMMER: Well, I don't think you're going to see Syria declaring war on Israel. I mean it knows it's up against, you know, a massive military machine, and it can't possibly defeat Israel militarily.

But what I think it could do was simply use its proxy force, the Hezbollah guerrillas to continue to harass Israeli soldiers along the border. You may see an escalation of rockets launched from southern Lebanon into Israeli settlements, military posts, which could lead to a wider war for sure.

LIN: Why does Israel then -- why would they take such a provocative action? I mean they didn't cause much serious damage to this camp, so why would they do this and take the risk?

HAMMER: Well, I think for a couple reasons. I think, first of all, the government, Ariel Sharon, doesn't know what to do at this point. They've tried, as I just detailed the list of tactics that they've tried without any real effect. These suicide bombers are still coming through, still infiltrating, even though this suicide bomber apparently crossed in an area where the wall exists, the security [UNINTELLIGIBLE] security fence.

So maybe this is a message to Assad and his inner circle to stop funding these organizations, just to put them on watch that they're going to risk more retaliation like this, more strikes, in an attempt to stop at least, to dry up at least this source of funding and logistical support. That's certainly helping keep these groups alive and flourishing, if not the only reason for their continuing to exist.

LIN: So, Josh, in the days and weeks to come, as this story begins to unfold, what is it that you are going to be looking for as this drama plays out?

HAMMER: Well, very good question. I mean, I think that the -- I don't know where this goes next. I think we're all looking to see whether Ariel Sharon and his cabinet will actually make the fateful move against Arafat and attempt to exile him, which I think would almost certainly lead to his death, because I don't think that the Palestinians surrounding Arafat are going to let him simply be, as I've said before, put on a bus and taken to the airport.

So we're all looking at that. We'll all be looking at that confrontation.

And I guess I would expect, given this action against Syria, to see more activity along the border, to see Hezbollah stepping up its actions to see if, in fact, Israel is going to continue pounding Syria and try to bring this war to a new front.

LIN: It certainly does feel like we are the brink. Thank you very much -- Joshua Hammer, "NewsWeek" Jerusalem bureau chief.

HAMMER: You're welcome.

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





Throughout Middle East?>


Aired October 5, 2003 - 18:11   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Will the latest developments plunge the Middle East into an even deeper cycle of violence? Joshua Hammer is the Jerusalem bureau chief for "NewsWeek" and the author of "A Season in Bethlehem," and he joins us now from New York.
Hello. Good to see you, Josh. Thanks for being here today.

JOSHUA HAMMER, JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF, "NEWSWEEK": Hi. Thank you, Carol.

LIN: Do you think that Israel, given the videotape that they've shown of this so-called terrorist camp inside of Syria -- does that videotape justify the actions by Israel?

HAMMER: Well, I don't think there's any doubt Syria has been backing these groups. Hamas has an office in Damascus, a popular front to liberation of Palestinian, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah. We know that Syria is behind these groups, and they may very well have training camps there.

The question is, as John Alterman said, you can carry out these attacks on training camps, knock out a few barracks, take out a few weapons, but are you really going to be any closer to ending this cycle of violence? Or are you, in fact, just going to be accelerating it?

I would say that's the bigger question rather than the justification. Israel does what's wants to do. The question is, is it going to lead anywhere?

LIN: And is it? Where's this going to lead?

HAMMER: I don't think it's going to lead anywhere, frankly. I've been watching this. To me, it feels like a desperate measure of a government that has been trying all sorts of different tactics to end this cycle.

They've been targeting militants in Gaza in the West Bank. They've locked down the territories. They are constructing the security fence. Nothing seems to be working because, essentially, it's all failing to address the essential problem at hand, which is this deep despair and misery and anger on the part of the Palestinians. It isn't going to go away by knocking out a terrorist cam.

LIN: So do you agree, though, that by its actions, Israel is risking a much wider conflict? I mean does it seem that the conflict is now going to spill over into neighboring countries?

HAMMER: Well, I don't think you're going to see Syria declaring war on Israel. I mean it knows it's up against, you know, a massive military machine, and it can't possibly defeat Israel militarily.

But what I think it could do was simply use its proxy force, the Hezbollah guerrillas to continue to harass Israeli soldiers along the border. You may see an escalation of rockets launched from southern Lebanon into Israeli settlements, military posts, which could lead to a wider war for sure.

LIN: Why does Israel then -- why would they take such a provocative action? I mean they didn't cause much serious damage to this camp, so why would they do this and take the risk?

HAMMER: Well, I think for a couple reasons. I think, first of all, the government, Ariel Sharon, doesn't know what to do at this point. They've tried, as I just detailed the list of tactics that they've tried without any real effect. These suicide bombers are still coming through, still infiltrating, even though this suicide bomber apparently crossed in an area where the wall exists, the security [UNINTELLIGIBLE] security fence.

So maybe this is a message to Assad and his inner circle to stop funding these organizations, just to put them on watch that they're going to risk more retaliation like this, more strikes, in an attempt to stop at least, to dry up at least this source of funding and logistical support. That's certainly helping keep these groups alive and flourishing, if not the only reason for their continuing to exist.

LIN: So, Josh, in the days and weeks to come, as this story begins to unfold, what is it that you are going to be looking for as this drama plays out?

HAMMER: Well, very good question. I mean, I think that the -- I don't know where this goes next. I think we're all looking to see whether Ariel Sharon and his cabinet will actually make the fateful move against Arafat and attempt to exile him, which I think would almost certainly lead to his death, because I don't think that the Palestinians surrounding Arafat are going to let him simply be, as I've said before, put on a bus and taken to the airport.

So we're all looking at that. We'll all be looking at that confrontation.

And I guess I would expect, given this action against Syria, to see more activity along the border, to see Hezbollah stepping up its actions to see if, in fact, Israel is going to continue pounding Syria and try to bring this war to a new front.

LIN: It certainly does feel like we are the brink. Thank you very much -- Joshua Hammer, "NewsWeek" Jerusalem bureau chief.

HAMMER: You're welcome.

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





Throughout Middle East?>