Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Live Today
Latest on Kenya Attacks
Aired November 29, 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.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Up first on CNN, the latest on the terror attacks in Kenya. Police in the east African nation say they have detained and questioned a dozen people in yesterday's bombing of an Israeli-owned hotel and the failed missile attack on an airliner.
We begin in Mombasa, the site of both attacks. CNN's Ben Wedeman is there, and he joins us live right now by videophone.
Ben -- you're taking us to the scene.
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Carol, I'm right in front of the main entrance of the Paradise hotel, which was bombed yesterday. It left 13 people dead, including 3 Israelis and 10 Kenyans, in addition to the three suicide bombers.
Now, at this point, Kenyan police are holding 12 individuals for questioning. However, at this point, we are being told none of them have been actually accused of direct involvement in the bombing.
Now, among those 12 are two individuals who reportedly are holding American passports. The U.S. Embassy confirms that at least one of those, a woman, is an American. However, it would appear that these people are just being questioned as part of the routine initial investigations, and the Kenyan authorities are saying that at this point, they have no hard and fast leads.
Now, earlier today, Israeli investigators were on the scene. More than 100 Israeli officials flew into Mombasa between yesterday and today. Those included bomb investigators, diplomats, medical personnel as well, and those medical personnel were attending to some of the more than a dozen Israelis wounded in the attack. And we've been told that by mid-afternoon, the Israelis had evacuated as many as 250 people who had come to Mombasa as tourists.
Now, just about an hour-and-a-half ago, the president of Kenya, Daniel arap Moi, came to the scene. He toured the bomb blast area, and he described the terrorist attack as a terrible crime, a crime that reminds Kenyans of the attack that took place in 1998 -- August 1998, when a suicide bomber in a truck detonated himself in his truck right next to the U.S. Embassy, leaving more than 200 people, mostly Kenyans, dead, and as many as 5,000 wounded -- Carol.
LIN: Ben, have you ever heard of the group that is now claiming responsibility, the Government for Universal Palestine in Exile?
WEDEMAN: No, this is a new one. And in fact, many people are saying that they're not giving much credence to this group. There was another group out of Beirut that also claimed responsibility, but oftentimes when these incidents occur, you find individuals coming out of the woodwork claiming responsibility. And given that really the bomb blast took place only yesterday, it's going to take some time to determine exactly who was behind it -- Carol.
LIN: All right, thank you very much -- Ben Wedeman live in Mombasa.
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 29, 2002 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Up first on CNN, the latest on the terror attacks in Kenya. Police in the east African nation say they have detained and questioned a dozen people in yesterday's bombing of an Israeli-owned hotel and the failed missile attack on an airliner.
We begin in Mombasa, the site of both attacks. CNN's Ben Wedeman is there, and he joins us live right now by videophone.
Ben -- you're taking us to the scene.
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Carol, I'm right in front of the main entrance of the Paradise hotel, which was bombed yesterday. It left 13 people dead, including 3 Israelis and 10 Kenyans, in addition to the three suicide bombers.
Now, at this point, Kenyan police are holding 12 individuals for questioning. However, at this point, we are being told none of them have been actually accused of direct involvement in the bombing.
Now, among those 12 are two individuals who reportedly are holding American passports. The U.S. Embassy confirms that at least one of those, a woman, is an American. However, it would appear that these people are just being questioned as part of the routine initial investigations, and the Kenyan authorities are saying that at this point, they have no hard and fast leads.
Now, earlier today, Israeli investigators were on the scene. More than 100 Israeli officials flew into Mombasa between yesterday and today. Those included bomb investigators, diplomats, medical personnel as well, and those medical personnel were attending to some of the more than a dozen Israelis wounded in the attack. And we've been told that by mid-afternoon, the Israelis had evacuated as many as 250 people who had come to Mombasa as tourists.
Now, just about an hour-and-a-half ago, the president of Kenya, Daniel arap Moi, came to the scene. He toured the bomb blast area, and he described the terrorist attack as a terrible crime, a crime that reminds Kenyans of the attack that took place in 1998 -- August 1998, when a suicide bomber in a truck detonated himself in his truck right next to the U.S. Embassy, leaving more than 200 people, mostly Kenyans, dead, and as many as 5,000 wounded -- Carol.
LIN: Ben, have you ever heard of the group that is now claiming responsibility, the Government for Universal Palestine in Exile?
WEDEMAN: No, this is a new one. And in fact, many people are saying that they're not giving much credence to this group. There was another group out of Beirut that also claimed responsibility, but oftentimes when these incidents occur, you find individuals coming out of the woodwork claiming responsibility. And given that really the bomb blast took place only yesterday, it's going to take some time to determine exactly who was behind it -- Carol.
LIN: All right, thank you very much -- Ben Wedeman live in Mombasa.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
