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CNN Live Today

Police in Peru on High Alert After Bombing

Aired March 22, 2002 - 12:05   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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Next stop now on the Latin tour for the president, Lima, Peru. Police there on high alert after a deadly terrorist bombing -- yesterday's blast near the American embassy, but no Americans killed there, nine, though, were.

Gary Tuchman in Lima awaiting the arrival and joins us now for an update from there -- Gary.

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well Bill, there's still no claim of responsibility after a car bomb blast near the U.S. embassy in Lima and nine people were killed including one Lima policeman who was guarding the U.S. embassy, and when the president arrives here for the first time ever a sitting U.S. president has come to Peru. Peruvian interior minister is saying the bombing, which did not damage the embassy, and by the way, it would have been impossible for a bomb of that size, even though it was relatively powerful, to damage this embassy.

This embassy sits behind a huge concrete wall. It's a very ugly building, but it's certainly very strong and there's no way that unless a very powerful bomb blew up near that embassy, it could ever possibly be damaged. But it's damaged many of the stores and businesses on the street across the way from the embassy.

The interior minister, by the way, is saying that he believes the bombing is connected to President Bush's visit, but he did not way what evidence he had to prove that. Other officials in Peru and the United States say signs point to the "Shining Path" being responsible to prove the terrorist organization still has hundreds of loyalists in the countryside.

Right now I'm standing next to a flowerpot, a simple flowerpot with carnations inside of it, and that's where the car was when the bomb went off. And a very interesting story today in the Peruvian newspaper, "Lavere Peruvica" (ph), it says the car bomb was under a taxi. And it says this taxi was stolen from a taxi driver. He was carjacked, it says two men took a needle, stuck in his neck and put him to sleep with some type of sleeping poison.

It says he was then left on the side of the road. They took the car, parked it near the embassy, placed the 110-pound bomb under it, and that's what led to the explosion. But what's very sad is there were actually two explosions. The first explosion was minor. The policeman who was at the embassy across the street ran to see what it was all about.

The car was on fire and then it blew up again, and that's how that particular policeman was killed. A total of nine, as we said, dead. No official claim of responsibility yet as this security battens down for the visit of President George W. Bush -- Bill.

HEMMER: Gary, we know he will not be in Lima long. Do we know how long, though, that visit will last in Peru?

TUCHMAN: Yes, the visit will be less than 24 hours. He'll arrive tomorrow afternoon in Lima and then head for El Salvador bright and early Sunday morning.

HEMMER: Gary, thanks. Gary Tuchman by telephone there in Lima, Peru. Again, the president will be there tomorrow on Saturday, as Gary mentioned.

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