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CNN Live At Daybreak
Fatality Numbers Continuing to Rise From Jerusalem Bus Bombing
Aired June 18, 2002 - 06:31 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 COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: We want to check in now with our Jerusalem bureau chief for the latest on this morning's deadly suicide bus bombing.
Jerrold Kessel joins us live now.
Good morning, Jerrold.
JERROLD KESSEL, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: Good morning again, Carol.
And the fatality numbers continuing to rise here. Within the last couple of hours, two people have died in the hospital of their wounds in that bus bombing. The total number of dead now: 19 killed by the suicide bomber; of the 50 people who were taken to the hospital for treatment, five are reported in serious condition.
It was bus 32A heading out of the neighborhood of Gilo. That's one of the outlying suburbs in the areas which Israel annexed in 1967 heading into the center of the city just before -- just in morning rush hour before school was starting, indeed. And many of the people aboard the bus, many of those who were the casualties were schoolchildren, high school pupils mainly on their way to school. Anguished parents rushed to the scene, then rushed off to the hospital to see if any of their children were among those who had been killed or wounded in the incident.
The bus -- the bomber, the police believe, boarded either at a stop, which the bus had made just before the explosion alongside an Arab village, which was within the borders of Jerusalem. All but four had boarded before, perhaps crossing from neighboring Bethlehem, which lies just a few miles to the south of there. And although it is cut off by Israeli troops, Palestinians, who do want to cross out of Bethlehem into Jerusalem, regularly have a fairly easy time of doing so. And it seems perhaps that that's the way the bus bomber got in.
Ariel Sharon on the scene. Israel's prime minister saying horrendous scenes, as he said, and he couldn't describe it, but he was saying Palestinian terror must be combated and he said very ominously, we shall do exactly that, combat terror. The big question is whether Mr. Sharon means to make good on that promise to step up the Israeli response against the Palestinians before President Bush delivers that much anticipated statement on U.S. policy towards the Middle East, or waits to hear what the president has to say. The last couple of hours, Mr. Sharon has been convening his top security chiefs to decide on Israeli policy. We wait to hear the outcome of that meeting -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Jerrold, does this latest attack make the idea of a Palestinian state even more remote?
KESSEL: That is a very, very key question at this moment. We do know, we did hear, of course, that the idea of a provisional Palestinian state, as it has been -- the term that had been used, was at least being muted for possible inclusion in the U.S. vision of how this conflict could best be resolved at this stage, or could best be set on the road to resolution.
Now, Mr. Sharon has made it plain that he doesn't believe that that is a good idea. He said at the Israeli cabinet meeting 48 hours ago that this would simply be a reward for Palestinian terror, and he did not believe it was an idea for telling the Palestinians that they should be able to get a state at this stage. First, they have to prove themselves, was Mr. Sharon's position there. I dare say he will take an even stronger position now. He said so, indeed, at the site.
He made a rare appearance then, and he does not normally go to the site of the attacks, but he was there this morning, perhaps underlining the fact that he needs to take a stronger position. And he made a pointed statement. He didn't refer specifically to those American ideas, but he did say, I wonder what is being referred to when they say a Palestinian state. I can't imagine what kind of Palestinian state they mean. Strong words from the Israeli prime minister, even if it was -- even if they were veiled words -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Well, it will be interesting to see what the U.S. president has to say. Thank you. Jerrold Kessel reporting live for us from Jerusalem this morning.
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