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CNN Live At Daybreak
Deadly Suicide Bombing on Jerusalem Bus
Aired November 21, 2002 - 05:05 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 we want to go to Jerusalem right now for the latest on this morning's suicide bombing. It happened on a bus. Once again, children were involved.
CNN's Matthew Chance is live at our Jerusalem bureau -- Matthew, what can you tell us about this?
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, the clean up operation around that site in the west of Jerusalem is continuing here. Ambulance workers cleaning up the mess that was left, the tragedy of this suicide attack, a suspected Palestinian militant detonating his explosives on board a crowded commuter bus in that west area of Jerusalem, leaving, according to the latest figures we have coming from, to us from hospital officials, 11 people dead, more than 40 Israelis injured.
Just to recap, that bus bomb exploding at around 7:15 local time. That's coming up to five hours ago from now. It's been roundly condemned by Israeli officials, also condemned by President Bush. Palestinian officials have also said, of the Palestinian Authority, have said they condemn the attack, but they say also they expect that attacks like this will continue so long as does the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories.
Well, now joining us for some more Israeli reaction is the senior adviser to Ariel Sharon, Israel's prime minister, Ra'anan Gissin.
Thanks very much for being with us.
First of all, Mr. Gissin, what do you think the response of your government will be to this latest bombing?
RA'ANAN GISSIN, SENIOR SHARON ADVISER: Look, we're an embattled democracy, a bleeding democracy which finds itself in a war for the past two years. There's an optical illusion for the past three and a half months that we didn't have any attack because we were able to prevent. But this one slipped through and today 11 people are dead, schoolchildren, commuters. You yourself have seen the pictures.
Look, there can't be any two state solutions before there is peace, before there is a complete cessation of violence and terrorism. And right now the Palestinian Authority and their leadership are not interested in a two state solution. They're interested in a one state solution, one terrorist state that will govern the life of Israelis as well as Palestinians. And therefore we're going to take all the necessary measures to defend our citizens, as the United States does. CHANCE: Now, when you say necessary measures, over the past few months we've been seeing repeated Israeli incursions into Palestinian towns and cities in the occupied territories. We've seen the Israelis assassinate military figures in militant groups. Has that still, do you think, do you still believe that's provided security for the Israeli people? It doesn't seem to have worked.
GISSIN: Well, at the same time that we were exercising our right of self-defense, you know, you mentioned to, you failed to mention that we also withdrew from Bethlehem and from Hebron. We allowed the Palestinian Authority full control of the area. But instead of the Palestinian Authority stopping terrorist activity, they instigated and supported, continued to help the various terrorist groups, Islamic Jihad in Hebron, and today Hamas in Bethlehem, to launch terrorist activities against our citizens.
So everything that we've done, even currently when we are in the midst of an election campaign and a political debate rages in Israel, the political debate is on how to pursue peace, how to chart the road map to peace.
And what do we get from the Palestinian leadership and authority? A blood trail of war, terrorist activity, more bloodshed.
CHANCE: Briefly, on that issue of peace, it seems like a long way away now. The Israeli government has repeatedly said it won't negotiate with the Palestinians while it's under fire. At the same time, the militant groups say they won't cease their activities while Israel continues its military operations.
Just very briefly, Mr. Gissin, what is the way forward, in your opinion?
GISSIN: Well, the way forward is for the Palestinians to choose. If they choose Arafat, they choose terrorism. If they choose terrorism, they don't choose a two state solution. If they choose a different leadership, there is a way to realize President Bush's vision of a two state solution. We're for it.
CHANCE: Mr. Gissin, thank you very much.
Carol, that's the latest here with the Israeli reaction here in Jerusalem for the moment -- back to you in Atlanta.
COSTELLO: All right, we'll get back to you later.
Matthew Chance, thanks.
As you mentioned, Matthew, President Bush did talk about this suicide bombing from the NATO summit in Prague, and he had this to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm greatly disturbed by the news from the Middle East today. There's been yet another suicide bombing. It is clear that those who want to use terror to stop any process for peace are still active.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired November 21, 2002 - 05:05 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And we want to go to Jerusalem right now for the latest on this morning's suicide bombing. It happened on a bus. Once again, children were involved.
CNN's Matthew Chance is live at our Jerusalem bureau -- Matthew, what can you tell us about this?
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, the clean up operation around that site in the west of Jerusalem is continuing here. Ambulance workers cleaning up the mess that was left, the tragedy of this suicide attack, a suspected Palestinian militant detonating his explosives on board a crowded commuter bus in that west area of Jerusalem, leaving, according to the latest figures we have coming from, to us from hospital officials, 11 people dead, more than 40 Israelis injured.
Just to recap, that bus bomb exploding at around 7:15 local time. That's coming up to five hours ago from now. It's been roundly condemned by Israeli officials, also condemned by President Bush. Palestinian officials have also said, of the Palestinian Authority, have said they condemn the attack, but they say also they expect that attacks like this will continue so long as does the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories.
Well, now joining us for some more Israeli reaction is the senior adviser to Ariel Sharon, Israel's prime minister, Ra'anan Gissin.
Thanks very much for being with us.
First of all, Mr. Gissin, what do you think the response of your government will be to this latest bombing?
RA'ANAN GISSIN, SENIOR SHARON ADVISER: Look, we're an embattled democracy, a bleeding democracy which finds itself in a war for the past two years. There's an optical illusion for the past three and a half months that we didn't have any attack because we were able to prevent. But this one slipped through and today 11 people are dead, schoolchildren, commuters. You yourself have seen the pictures.
Look, there can't be any two state solutions before there is peace, before there is a complete cessation of violence and terrorism. And right now the Palestinian Authority and their leadership are not interested in a two state solution. They're interested in a one state solution, one terrorist state that will govern the life of Israelis as well as Palestinians. And therefore we're going to take all the necessary measures to defend our citizens, as the United States does. CHANCE: Now, when you say necessary measures, over the past few months we've been seeing repeated Israeli incursions into Palestinian towns and cities in the occupied territories. We've seen the Israelis assassinate military figures in militant groups. Has that still, do you think, do you still believe that's provided security for the Israeli people? It doesn't seem to have worked.
GISSIN: Well, at the same time that we were exercising our right of self-defense, you know, you mentioned to, you failed to mention that we also withdrew from Bethlehem and from Hebron. We allowed the Palestinian Authority full control of the area. But instead of the Palestinian Authority stopping terrorist activity, they instigated and supported, continued to help the various terrorist groups, Islamic Jihad in Hebron, and today Hamas in Bethlehem, to launch terrorist activities against our citizens.
So everything that we've done, even currently when we are in the midst of an election campaign and a political debate rages in Israel, the political debate is on how to pursue peace, how to chart the road map to peace.
And what do we get from the Palestinian leadership and authority? A blood trail of war, terrorist activity, more bloodshed.
CHANCE: Briefly, on that issue of peace, it seems like a long way away now. The Israeli government has repeatedly said it won't negotiate with the Palestinians while it's under fire. At the same time, the militant groups say they won't cease their activities while Israel continues its military operations.
Just very briefly, Mr. Gissin, what is the way forward, in your opinion?
GISSIN: Well, the way forward is for the Palestinians to choose. If they choose Arafat, they choose terrorism. If they choose terrorism, they don't choose a two state solution. If they choose a different leadership, there is a way to realize President Bush's vision of a two state solution. We're for it.
CHANCE: Mr. Gissin, thank you very much.
Carol, that's the latest here with the Israeli reaction here in Jerusalem for the moment -- back to you in Atlanta.
COSTELLO: All right, we'll get back to you later.
Matthew Chance, thanks.
As you mentioned, Matthew, President Bush did talk about this suicide bombing from the NATO summit in Prague, and he had this to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm greatly disturbed by the news from the Middle East today. There's been yet another suicide bombing. It is clear that those who want to use terror to stop any process for peace are still active.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
