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CNN Live Today

Five Americans Among Those Killed Yesterday in Mideast Attack

Aired August 01, 2002 - 10:06   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.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's move on with other news of the day and problems in the Middle East. The bloodshed continuing in the region. The latest attack, the target was a college cafeteria. Five Americans were among those killed yesterday.

Our Jerusalem bureau chief Mike Hanna joins us with the latest now.

Mike, hello.

MIKE HANNA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Daryn.

Well, in total, seven people killed in that terror attack on the campus of the Hebrew University in Mount Scopus (ph), in Jerusalem. Well over 70 people were injured. Some of those people still said to be in a serious condition, receiving treatment in hospital.

Five Americans among the seven dead. One of those five held joint American-French nationality. It's expected that later on in the day, the bodies of the Americans will be flown home for proper burial there.

Throughout the day on the campus at the university, crowds gathered to remember those who are dead, to remember, too, those who were injured. There were candles lit, there were tears, as those who lived through the events of the past 24 hours and those who came to pay their condolences remembered the dead and the wounded.

Police investigating exactly what happened when an object was placed in the cafeteria, off the campus. Police believe that there was an explosive device in a bag which was left in the cafeteria and then detonated when the cafeteria was at its most crowded. That was around about lunch time, Jerusalem time.

Police believe, too, that the device was remotely detonated, possibly by a cell phone. All these leads being fold up. Police continuing their search as is Israeli intelligence and other security officials. All those linked to this terror attack. The militant Hamas organization has claimed responsibility for the attack. And the Israeli government has said that it will strike back in a military manner. There is some form of plan underway, we understand, at this stage. No details as to exactly what is going to happen over the next few hours or possibly days. But for the moment, the people of Jerusalem and the people of the Hebrew University remembering the dead and remembering the injured -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Mike, we want to talk more about this international mix at Hebrew University. As I understand it, 19 American students enrolled there this summer, 5 of them now dead. Also among the wounded, besides Americans, South Koreans, Israeli Jews and Arabs. It seems like an odd target. Maybe that's exactly what this bomber intended, a place where so many international students were gathered.

HANNA: Very much so, Daryn. The Hebrew University has long had a tradition of peaceful coexistence, of tolerance. A beacon of those qualities in an area where they have been sadly lacking for a long period of time. The university itself came into existence even before the existence of the state of Israel, and it has long treasured those traditions.

As you say, there were a large amount of international students on campus at the time of the attack. This is partly, because this is summer vacation in universities here at the moment, and there were a large amount of international exchange programs going on. Many people coming from other countries to learn Hebrew, among other things.

So there were a large amount of international students. Perhaps those who plan the attack knew that. We cannot speculate as to the motive of those who carried out the attack, but it was, as you say, a very strange target, a target where there were people, there were Jews, there were Arabs, there were all form of nationality and religions who were on that particular campus, and it is one area within Israel where you will find that mix of people, and as such, a very strange target and a very tragic one.

KAGAN: But I also understand there were concerns about security on this campus. Even the student newspaper had a published report, not only talking about security problems and the poor situation, but even targeting the cafeteria where this bombing took place. Of all of the most dangerous places on campus, this cafeteria. That's exactly how it worked out.

HANNA: Daryn, yes, this is one of the stories that has emerged in the wake of this tragic attack. A few weeks ago, a student newspaper printed a mock article in which there was a terror attack at that specific cafeteria. The Only difference was that in the mock report on it, it was a Palestinian gunman who opened fire within the cafeteria, rather than an explosive device being planted.

We are hearing in the course of the day that students had been complaining about what they believed to be the lack of security on the campus and around the campus. Now in recent weeks, and in recent days, in particular, there has been an intensification of security throughout Israel, following the threats by Palestinian militants that they would seek revenge for the attack on Gaza City last week.

We understand there was a tightening up of security around the campus and other areas. But students today say that there have long been security problems on that campus. There have been reports of people who have driven on to the campus without having the trunks of their cars opened. Their bags have not been opened when people have been moving into campus.

And you must understand as well, some very difficult scenarios. When that university is in session, there are up to 20,000 people moving in and out of that campus. Lots of students, all of them carrying bags. That's what students do.

So it is, and has always been, a security nightmare. In this particular case, it as nightmare that came all too vividly real.

KAGAN: Unfortunate, especially for the five families out here in the U.S. who now have lost loved ones.

Mike Hanna, in Jerusalem, thank you so much.

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