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Three American Missionaries Dead After Attack in Yemen

Aired December 30, 2002 - 11:03   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: Moving overseas right now, three American missionaries are dead and a suspect is in custody after an attack at a hospital in Yemen. A fourth person was seriously wounded when a gunman opened fire at the missionary-funded hospital in Jibla in southern Yemen.
Journalist Farris Al-Sanabani joins us by telephone from Yemen with more on that attack. Farris, I'm just wondering if you've learned any more about the 35-year-old suspect.

FARRIS AL-SANABANI, "YEMEN OBSERVER": We heard that he has listened to lectures by an assassin who committed a crime two days ago against the assistant secretary-general of the Socialist Party. The earlier assassin. He was a mosque preacher, and he preached hate. He was jailed and kicked from his post by the Yemeni government. He was jailed for one year, and apparently this new assassin listened to his lecture, and that was one basis for him to commit his crime.

LIN: Do you know what the motivation would be here? I mean, it was a Baptist hospital. Was religion involved?

AL-SANABANI: As a matter of fact, Yemen in comparison to other nations, neighboring nations, is very free in that sense. We have a number of churches in Yemen. There is one in Sanaa (ph). There is two in Aden that were built by the British during the British colony. They are still open and operating. Also have a number of synagogues in Yemen and a number of Jewish in the country. So I doubt it is directed to religion. I think he saw an easier target in that location because the security is very heavy around Yemeni -- or around American diplomats and American oil people. So maybe he saw an easier target, in that since it's a human assistant, he was able to get him.

LIN: Targeted, but why targeted? Why were these Americans targeted, because as we understand it, as the gunman moved through the hospital, he broke into this room, opened fire, and then actually hunted down one of the people who was shot.

AL-SANABANI: Yes, as a matter of fact, I've heard earlier reports, he did he not go with a machine gun or a Kalishnikov as some have reported. He came in as a patient early morning, in the morning hours, with a patient card. He had the gun under his armpit. He was able to get in. There was heavy security around the hospital. Once he entered, it's less. They don't have metal detectors in that hospital, in that department, and that is what made it easier for him.

LIN: But again, the motivation, I mean, was he targeting Americans? In this case, was he targeting specific Americans? AL-SANABANI: It's too early to tell, but from what we understand, when the police arrested him, he was shouting that he did what he did to get closer to God.

LIN: Does this indication that there's a wider conspiracy to target others in the region?

AL-SANABANI: As a matter of fact, with the growing cooperation between Yemen and the Americans on the fight on terrorism has angered a number of extremists within the country and outside. As we understand, there has been more than 110 people jailed by the government, a number were questioned and detained and a number of hideout Al-Qaeda cells was forced out by the army with machine guns, with Kalishnikovs. A number of Al Qaeda people were killed during the past operations.

So this close cooperation has angered a number of people, and that also a possibility that could be a reaction to the close cooperation between the government of Yemen and the United States of America.

LIN: So do you see any evidence out on the street today, or have you heard word from your sources what the Yemeni government is doing to protect foreigners and Americans?

AL-SANABANI: First of all, I have noticed that in the streets, people are very angry and very saddened by it. I think today's incident went above politics and above religion. It's just pure human. These people have been assisting the Yemenis and providing the best medical help for free, and the Yemeni citizens are angered by it, but also, the government has strengthened security. They have put it full alert. You can see the security forces in the streets checking cars, and they're waiting and in preparation for the New Year's celebration. They don't want any other incident to happen in the coming hours and the coming days.

LIN: Yes, certainly an embarrassment indeed, since the government is responsible for security there, specifically even at that Baptist hospital.

Thank you very much, Farris Al-Sanbani, for joining us from "The Yemen Observer." That hospital servicing Yemeni citizens for almost 40 years in that region.

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 December 30, 2002 - 11:03   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Moving overseas right now, three American missionaries are dead and a suspect is in custody after an attack at a hospital in Yemen. A fourth person was seriously wounded when a gunman opened fire at the missionary-funded hospital in Jibla in southern Yemen.
Journalist Farris Al-Sanabani joins us by telephone from Yemen with more on that attack. Farris, I'm just wondering if you've learned any more about the 35-year-old suspect.

FARRIS AL-SANABANI, "YEMEN OBSERVER": We heard that he has listened to lectures by an assassin who committed a crime two days ago against the assistant secretary-general of the Socialist Party. The earlier assassin. He was a mosque preacher, and he preached hate. He was jailed and kicked from his post by the Yemeni government. He was jailed for one year, and apparently this new assassin listened to his lecture, and that was one basis for him to commit his crime.

LIN: Do you know what the motivation would be here? I mean, it was a Baptist hospital. Was religion involved?

AL-SANABANI: As a matter of fact, Yemen in comparison to other nations, neighboring nations, is very free in that sense. We have a number of churches in Yemen. There is one in Sanaa (ph). There is two in Aden that were built by the British during the British colony. They are still open and operating. Also have a number of synagogues in Yemen and a number of Jewish in the country. So I doubt it is directed to religion. I think he saw an easier target in that location because the security is very heavy around Yemeni -- or around American diplomats and American oil people. So maybe he saw an easier target, in that since it's a human assistant, he was able to get him.

LIN: Targeted, but why targeted? Why were these Americans targeted, because as we understand it, as the gunman moved through the hospital, he broke into this room, opened fire, and then actually hunted down one of the people who was shot.

AL-SANABANI: Yes, as a matter of fact, I've heard earlier reports, he did he not go with a machine gun or a Kalishnikov as some have reported. He came in as a patient early morning, in the morning hours, with a patient card. He had the gun under his armpit. He was able to get in. There was heavy security around the hospital. Once he entered, it's less. They don't have metal detectors in that hospital, in that department, and that is what made it easier for him.

LIN: But again, the motivation, I mean, was he targeting Americans? In this case, was he targeting specific Americans? AL-SANABANI: It's too early to tell, but from what we understand, when the police arrested him, he was shouting that he did what he did to get closer to God.

LIN: Does this indication that there's a wider conspiracy to target others in the region?

AL-SANABANI: As a matter of fact, with the growing cooperation between Yemen and the Americans on the fight on terrorism has angered a number of extremists within the country and outside. As we understand, there has been more than 110 people jailed by the government, a number were questioned and detained and a number of hideout Al-Qaeda cells was forced out by the army with machine guns, with Kalishnikovs. A number of Al Qaeda people were killed during the past operations.

So this close cooperation has angered a number of people, and that also a possibility that could be a reaction to the close cooperation between the government of Yemen and the United States of America.

LIN: So do you see any evidence out on the street today, or have you heard word from your sources what the Yemeni government is doing to protect foreigners and Americans?

AL-SANABANI: First of all, I have noticed that in the streets, people are very angry and very saddened by it. I think today's incident went above politics and above religion. It's just pure human. These people have been assisting the Yemenis and providing the best medical help for free, and the Yemeni citizens are angered by it, but also, the government has strengthened security. They have put it full alert. You can see the security forces in the streets checking cars, and they're waiting and in preparation for the New Year's celebration. They don't want any other incident to happen in the coming hours and the coming days.

LIN: Yes, certainly an embarrassment indeed, since the government is responsible for security there, specifically even at that Baptist hospital.

Thank you very much, Farris Al-Sanbani, for joining us from "The Yemen Observer." That hospital servicing Yemeni citizens for almost 40 years in that region.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com