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CNN Live Today
Israeli Cabinet Deciding on Response to Bombing
Aired March 28, 2002 - 14:18 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: All right, to the Middle East right now, where some are suggesting the ball now is firmly in Israel's court. The Israeli cabinet meeting overnight to consider its response to that suicide bombing that happened just about 24 hours ago.
More than 170 wounded, better than 20 dead there. Our bureau chief in Jerusalem, Mike Hanna now, reports with more.
MIKE HANNA, JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: Israel is looking to its dead and looking to its wounded, as the cabinet decides what steps to take next in the wake of the Netanya bombing.
The cabinet is meeting overnight to debate the issue. The key question: what steps would it take in retaliation for an attack that killed 20 Israelis, wounded more than 100? Israel in recent days has said that it's been practicing restraint, in its words, "with difficulty." The sheer scale, though, of the Netanya attack, likely to put immense strain on this declared Israeli policy of restraint.
Palestinians, bracing themselves for some form of Israeli military action. No indication yet as to what course Israel intends to follow. But that will be decided by the cabinet as it meets overnight. Mike Hanna, CNN, Jerusalem.
HEMMER: And as Mike is reporting that from Jerusalem, also getting word right now the northern West Bank town of Nablus, apparently another hit today. Word we're getting through CNN. A shooting there in the West Bank. Five settlers, Jewish settlers, hurt, four critically, when apparently at least two gunmen, Palestinians, began firing inside a settlement.
Police officials say that gunfight with two Palestinians, continuing at this time. One report suggested that the gunmen right now are holed up in the building there. This incident again, coming only 24 hours after that suicide bombing ripped through a Passover Seder there in Netanya, just west of Nablus there, in the Middle East.
Want to get to Major Garrett right now. The president is in Texas today. We heard him yesterday again, decrying the latest violence. And Anthony Zinni, still on the ground in the Middle East. But again, it's a tender situation today.
Major, good afternoon.
MAJOR GARRETT, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Couple of important developments to bring to you, Bill.
First of all, the White House reaction to this Saudi peace proposal, unanimously embraced at the Arab League Summit in Beirut. National Security spokesman Sean McCormack, telling CNN the administration considers it a positive step forward. The administration hopes that leaders throughout the region will build on the progress. The administration sees this initial Saudi peace idea.
And the president, traveling to Dallas today for fund-raiser for Republican Senate candidate, John Cornyn, said that his administration will in no way be deterred as it pursues peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians, even in the aftermath of this horrific bloodshed on Passover eve in Netanya. Here's what the president said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: My heart breaks for those who were celebrating Passover in a hotel, when a cold- blooded killer came in and destroyed innocent life, to derail the attempts of peaceful, loving people for coming together. But they're not going to stop us, as a nation longing for peace and working for peace. And the best way to achieve the peace is to be strong and steadfast against terror.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GARRETT: Bill, the administration has decided that even amid all this violence, it simply doesn't have the option of backing out of what are called the trilateral talks, between the United States, the Palestinians and the Israelis, in pursuit of what has proved to be so far an elusive cease-fire.
The great irony here -- some might even call it a great tragedy, Bill -- is that only yesterday morning the president got very optimistic reports from his intelligence and military and diplomatic advisers. Reports brought to them by Anthony Zinni, his personal envoy in the region, who was saying great progress was being made toward achieving that cease-fire. Mere hours later, a suicide bombing attack, and now much instability. But the administration continues to pursue that. And the word here in Crawford is, that will be the policy for the foreseeable future -- Bill.
HEMMER: Major, thank you. Major Garrett, Crawford, Texas, reporting live there.
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