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Bodies of Three Aid Workers to be Returned to U.S. Today
Aired December 31, 2002 - 05:03 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.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Now to the deadly attack on Americans in Yemen. The bodies of the three aid workers killed in the shootings there are to be returned to the U.S. today.
And our Rula Amin is joining us live with the very latest from there -- what can you tell us this morning?
RULA AMIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Catherine, widespread condemnation for these murders, whether from the government of Yemen, whether from U.S. officials or from regular Yemenese. Now, the bodies of the three victims are still in Jedlah (ph). We are expecting some families of the victims to arrive here in the capital somehow. No final logistical preparations yet on when the bodies will be taken to the United States. There are reports, however, that one of the victims will be buried in Jedlah. Still not confirmed. U.S. officials here want to make sure that they are coordinating with the families.
And at the same time, we just spoke with the U.S. ambassador here in the capital and he had this to describe the Yemen -- the reaction among regular Yemenese.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EDMUND HULL, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO YEMEN: Today the government laid out in the people's assembly a very, very strong case against terrorism and the harm that terrorism is doing to Yemeni interests and calling upon all political parties and political forces in Yemen to make common cause with the government to counter and eliminate this terrorism.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AMIN: The U.S. ambassador says the cooperation the United States has been getting from the Yemenese government has been better, even better than excellent. He says the U.S. investigators, professional investigators are on the ground in Jedlah working with their Yemeni counterparts, that this investigation is still at an early stage. It's not wise, he says, to make final conclusions.
But Yemeni officials we spoke to off the record seem to think that the attack has not, has been the work of a group that is not linked with al Qaeda directly, but inspired by what al Qaeda calls for. It seems that this is a group who is targeting not only foreigners and Americans, but also secular Yemeni officials. On Saturday, there was a popular Yemeni physician who got elected who was assassinated as he was addressing an Islamic rally. And that's why the Yemeni government here is focusing its effort on trying to make sure that this was an act of only this individual, that there are no more members who are trying to target other elements -- Catherine.
CALLAWAY: All right, thank you.
That's Rula Amin in Yemen with the very latest on the situation there.
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 31, 2002 - 05:03 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Now to the deadly attack on Americans in Yemen. The bodies of the three aid workers killed in the shootings there are to be returned to the U.S. today.
And our Rula Amin is joining us live with the very latest from there -- what can you tell us this morning?
RULA AMIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Catherine, widespread condemnation for these murders, whether from the government of Yemen, whether from U.S. officials or from regular Yemenese. Now, the bodies of the three victims are still in Jedlah (ph). We are expecting some families of the victims to arrive here in the capital somehow. No final logistical preparations yet on when the bodies will be taken to the United States. There are reports, however, that one of the victims will be buried in Jedlah. Still not confirmed. U.S. officials here want to make sure that they are coordinating with the families.
And at the same time, we just spoke with the U.S. ambassador here in the capital and he had this to describe the Yemen -- the reaction among regular Yemenese.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EDMUND HULL, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO YEMEN: Today the government laid out in the people's assembly a very, very strong case against terrorism and the harm that terrorism is doing to Yemeni interests and calling upon all political parties and political forces in Yemen to make common cause with the government to counter and eliminate this terrorism.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AMIN: The U.S. ambassador says the cooperation the United States has been getting from the Yemenese government has been better, even better than excellent. He says the U.S. investigators, professional investigators are on the ground in Jedlah working with their Yemeni counterparts, that this investigation is still at an early stage. It's not wise, he says, to make final conclusions.
But Yemeni officials we spoke to off the record seem to think that the attack has not, has been the work of a group that is not linked with al Qaeda directly, but inspired by what al Qaeda calls for. It seems that this is a group who is targeting not only foreigners and Americans, but also secular Yemeni officials. On Saturday, there was a popular Yemeni physician who got elected who was assassinated as he was addressing an Islamic rally. And that's why the Yemeni government here is focusing its effort on trying to make sure that this was an act of only this individual, that there are no more members who are trying to target other elements -- Catherine.
CALLAWAY: All right, thank you.
That's Rula Amin in Yemen with the very latest on the situation there.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
