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CNN LIVE AT DAYBREAK
Israeli Forces Pulled Out of Ramallah
Aired June 6, 2002 - 05:32 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: And Israeli forces have now pulled out of Ramallah after raiding Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's compound.
We get a live update now from CNN's Jerrold Kessel in Jerusalem.
Hi there, Jerrold.
JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Morning, Fredricka.
Following yesterday's lethal car bombing, the bombing of an Israeli bus in Galilee which killed 17 Israelis, the Israeli forces stormed into Yasser Arafat's Mukata headquarters in the town of Ramallah blowing up a number of buildings, causing extensive damage. Also, in a firefight, killing one of Mr. Arafat's guards. And Yasser Arafat, very much under the whip, emerged after that to inspect the damage, the damage which was also seen in his own personal quarters after that Israeli incursion, the latest incursion into his Ramallah compound.
And this is what the Palestinian leader had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
YASSER ARAFAT, PRESIDENT, PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY: They are saying or they try to say that they can defeat us. No one can defeat the Palestinian people who are defending their holy sacred Christian and Muslim holy places. And we are here to defend it, and we are ready to die to defend it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KESSEL: But what had seemed to be a second battle for the Mukata headquarters, that soon proved to be something entirely different because the siege of Yasser Arafat's headquarters this time lasted about six hours. And all the Israeli troops are now out, at least for now they are out. And how different from what was the situation a month ago during Israel's major military offensive into Palestinian towns when they had Yasser Arafat besieged in his headquarters literally for five weeks unable to come out.
Well the target then, Israel said, was the sidelining, the marginalizing of Yasser Arafat. And they now admit that had the -- quite the opposite effect. Instead of that, he became the focus of attention, the symbol, the essence of Palestinian resilience.
Now they say, Israeli officials, the objective is the same, the sidling of Yasser Arafat. The tactics very different. What they seem to be doing, according to the Israeli version, is to try to demonstrate Yasser Arafat's powerlessness in his very power base, to show how irrelevant he is. And that's what they're trying to bank on, to push that as they themselves focus on the deadly effects of yesterday's car bombing -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, thank you very much, Jerrold Kessel.
Unfortunately, I think we're just about to see the beginning -- a new beginning all over again.
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