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CNN Live Today
LAX Shooting Terrorism?
Aired July 05, 2002 - 10:00 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.
MILES OBRIEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Up first on CNN, the deadly shooting rampage at Los Angeles International Airport and the secrets the gunman may have taken to his grave. Most pressing, was this an act of terrorism, or was it perhaps an isolated incident -- or maybe both?
CNNs David Mattingly is delving into the murderous attack, which exploded amid the heightened tensions of the July Fourth holiday -- David.
DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Miles, there is an increased police presence here at LAX this morning, authorities trying very hard to keep the peace after yesterdays violence.
Investigators are looking into the background of a 41-year-old Egyptian national. Hesham Mohamed Hadayet was a licensed limo driver and father of five from Irvine, California, who had been living in the United States legally since 1992.
Yesterday, he ran through the check-in area here firing a handgun at the Israeli El-Al ticket counter, killing two and injuring four others. He was then shot and killed by El-Al security. No conclusions today on whether or not this was an act of terrorism.
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MATT MCLAUGHLIN, FBI: I would characterize it as heavily armed. He was carrying a Glock .45 semiautomatic pistol. Its a very powerful round. In addition to that, he also had a 9mm Glock handgun as sort of a backup weapon, and then he had on him extra ammunition and magazines ready to go. He also had a hunting knife with a 6 inch blade on it.
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MATTINGLY: The El-Al ticket counter was closed earlier this morning. One airport employee placed flowers and a card there. Passengers I talked to for the most part are not concerned about a repeat of the violence. Again, a strong police presence here, both in the check-in areas and in the concourses -- Miles.
OBRIEN: David, a question for you. I guess a lot has to do with how one defines terrorism, but I suppose that its really a matter of semantics. The fact is this has, in fact, scared people, which is after all the goal of terrorism. Couldnt it be characterized as terrorism regardless whether he acted alone or with the help of a group?
MATTINGLY: Thats what investigators are hoping to determine as they look into his background. Israeli sources say this is clearly an act of terrorism. U.S. officials believe this was an isolated act, and until evidence surfaces to the contrary, thats what theyre going to stick with.
OBRIEN: So implicit in the U.S. definition is it has to be organized in some way. In other words, if its isolated, its not terrorism. Where do investigators go from here? Obviously, the key person to talk to is not talking. He is deceased. Do they have any sense of it out there, do you have any sense of it as to who theyll be talking to to try and get some information as to what the motives might have been?
MATTINGLY: Well, the gunman was here in the United States for ten years, working and living here legally. He has a family, so that will be the obvious places for investigators to start and see where it leads.
OBRIEN: All right, CNNs David Mattingly, at LAX, thank you very much. Well check in with you a little bit later.
Israel swiftly condemned the attack as terrorism, as David just told you, even as U.S. investigators say theres no such evidence of a terror motive yet.
For more on the Israeli reaction, lets check in with CNNs Jerusalem bureau chief Mike Hanna.
Hello -- Mike.
MIKE HANNA, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: Hello there, Miles.
Well, El-Al officials have said that there had been a heightening of security at counters of the Israeli airline throughout the world, this following, says the official, warnings from U.S. as well as Israeli sources. The official would not say when this warning was given, only saying that it was recent.
Now, the FBI saying that it is waiting for further details, further information before it can characterize the attack at the L.A. airport; however, Israel coming out immediately afterwards saying that this was an act of terrorism.
Now underlying this perhaps a difference in approach, as you were just talking about Miles, the FBI waiting for evidence to prove that terrorism was the motive, Israel saying that it assumes terrorism to be the motive until that is proved otherwise. The position summed up by Israels Transport Minister Ephraim Sneh.
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EPHRAIM SNEH, ISRAELI TRANSPORTATION MINISTER: For this very moment, we dont have any clear-cut evidence that it was not a terror attack, and since we are living in a certain reality, we are not living in an isolated environment, we are under attack of terrorism, the most brutal attack of terrorism for 20 months. So when El-Al passengers at the international airports are attacked by a gunman, its the most logical conclusion that this is a terrorist act.
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HANNA: Israeli sources, government as well as airline officials, stressing that they have no independent evidence that this was indeed an act of terrorism -- the reality the -- Ephraim Sneh referring to there a 20-month-long Palestinian intifada or uprising.
There have been no attacks directed or any evidence connected to this uprising against Israeli airlines; however, in the past years there have been such attacks. So in 1985 in Rome, 17 passengers waiting to board an El-Al flight were killed by terrorists with hand grenades and handguns.
No more recent incidents at check-in counters, that as the trainers of El-Al security say every moment that passes where an attack does not occur increases the likelihood that an attack could occur soon. That is the mantra with which El-Al security officials are trained -- Miles.
OBRIEN: Mike, those El-Al security officials, are they looking upon this event as a security success in the sense that security was able to stop this person before additional casualties, or are they looking at ways they can beef up security around the ticket counters, for example?
HANNA: Well, they do see it as a success, very much so. We have had an El-Al official and Israeli government minister saying that there could have been greater tragedy, there could have been more deaths, more injuries if the El-Al officials had not reacted as swiftly as they did in this situation.
There have been security precautions in place at all El-Al counters. There are El-Al security officials armed at all counters around the world. So they see this incident, publicly at least, as confirmation that they have the right processes in place.
And incidentally, that is at international airports outside Israel where you have these El-Al officials at counters. Within Israel itself, any person leaving Ben Gurion Airport is subject to security scrutiny from the moment you enter the airport perimeter itself. You drive up to the gate of Ben Gurion Airport. There are security people there that you pass through. You are scrutinized.
You are scrutinized from the moment you get out of your car through the -- even before the check-in point, you are questioned by security officials. Your baggage is x-rayed. So there are layers of security within El-Al that perhaps are not in force at other airports because of the heightened security risk around El-Al flights, given the ongoing political situation within the region -- Miles.
OBRIEN: CNNs Mike Hanna, our Jerusalem bureau chief, thanks as always for your insights. Well check in with him later as well.
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