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CNN Live At Daybreak

LAX Attacker Was Not on U.S., Israeli Watch Lists

Aired July 05, 2002 - 05:04   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: And Israeli officials feel differently about this incident. They say the shooting appears to be a terrorist act, although they say there's no evidence to back up that assumption.

For more on the Israeli reaction, we want to go to our John Vause, who is live in Jerusalem this morning -- good morning.

Why do the Israelis think this was a terrorist act?

JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, simply because of their experience over the last 34 years with El Al Airlines, their national carrier. There have been a number of terrorist attacks on their airlines here, more than 20 or so. In the '60s, there were the hijackings. In the '70s, there were those direct terrorism attacks where the planes were targeted. And in the '80s, there were attacks similar to the ones that happened at lax yesterday, when there was the shooting.

In 1985, in Vienna and Rome, simultaneous attacks on counter staff at airports there, where 19 people were killed. But now the El Al Airlines boast incredibly tight security and they say the last terrorist attack on one of their airlines was, in fact, in 1986. and even then, that terrorist attack was foiled by a security guard who found a suitcase full of explosives. And that was destined to go on board one of the planes, but it was found beforehand. The explosives, though, did detonate inside the terminal, injuring 13 people.

Now here in Israel, though, there is also a general disbelief that the gunman actually managed to get into the terminal, especially armed with two handguns and a knife. That's in the context here of the incredible security at Tel Aviv Airport. At Tel Aviv, when you pull up, there are security guards. As you drive into the airport, your car is searched. You've got to open the trunk. The security guards look under the car for explosives. And then once you get to the curb, there are heavily armed guards there. Once inside, heavily armed guards again.

Your luggage is X-rayed before you even get to the check in counter and then, of course, once you do get to the check-in counter, there are the security guards there, as well. There's also intense monitoring of the situation.

So there's disbelief here in Israel that this could actually happen. And as far as the Israeli response that this, in fact, is terrorism, what they are saying is that basically they've been through this before and this all adds up to looking like a terrorist attack.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EPHRAIM SNEH, ISRAELI TRANSPORT MINISTER: It's not something very astonishing. You know, El Al was a target for terrorists for 34 years and about more than 20 attempts to hit El Al airplanes, El Al crewmen, El Al passengers. It's very logical.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: And, Carol, as you mentioned, the gunman has been identified as an Egyptian national. The Israeli authorities here are saying hey, look, this is all starting to add up to look like a terrorist attack. The FBI, though, for their part, are saying hey, we've got a ways to go before we get to that point -- Carol.

COSTELLO: But this man was not known to the Israelis, this suspect.

VAUSE: That's very true. He was on no watch list. At least we don't think he was any watch list at any time. He hasn't been identified as being part of any terrorism group. It gets down to, I guess, what your definition of terrorism is. As far as the Israeli policy is that it's an attack by an Arab national on an Israeli target, therefore that in the broad sense is terrorism.

However, the FBI is taking a much more cautious approach because there could be bigger issues at play here. It could be a workplace dispute. It could be something bigger. It could be some kind of domestic argument.

We just don't know. All those details have yet to come out. But as far as the Israelis are concerned, as far as their definition of terrorism, this certainly looks like that. Nothing else to go on apart from their past experience and the fact that this man is Egyptian and it was El Al Airlines -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Understood.

Thank you.

John Vause reporting live from Jerusalem this morning.

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