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CNN Live At Daybreak
Series of Suicide Attacks in Israel
Aired May 20, 2003 - 06:03 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 COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: To the Middle East now and a declaration of war against the Palestinian new prime minister. That's what Israel is calling a series of suicide bombings. There have been five in four days, 12 have died. Still, President Bush says the road map to peace will survive.
We take you live to Jerusalem now and Jerrold Kessel.
Jerrold -- will the road map to peace survive?
JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is the big question, but despite the fact that it's certainly taken a batting in the last 48 hours with that series of Palestinian militant attacks, suicide bombings, in the West Bank, in Gaza, here in Jerusalem, and then yesterday up in the Galilee town of Afula, there is still that possibility that the president underlined that the only game in town and the way out of this is to pursue this peace initiative.
Whether that can be done in the welter of blood that is now being shed is really the question. The Palestinian-Israel confrontation, really is it a pivotal moment again? Will it be engulfed in more bloodletting? Or can they keep that fledgling peace initiative alive?
But for the moment the focus of yesterday's torrid, horrifying events in that Israeli town, two young women -- a 19-year-old Palestinian woman from the West Bank is believed to have been the suicide bomber, carried out that attack at the entrance to the shopping mall, a 20-year-old Israeli woman who was one of the security guards at the entrance to the shopping center and prevented the Palestinian woman from getting in, but is now fighting for her life, very seriously wounded in the bombing. Three Israelis were killed, 13 more remain in hospitals, several reported in serious condition, like the security guard.
And now the question is: With the Palestinian leadership condemning it, what does Israel's prime minister do next?
COSTELLO: And what can Mahmoud Abbas do? Because I know the Israeli prime minister is pressuring him to do something. But what can he do to stop these attacks?
KESSEL: Well, what the Palestinians say is they need time. They need time for Mahmoud Abbas, the new prime minister, and his security chief, Mohammed Dahlan, to get -- consolidate their position, to get their forces in order. Of course, the Palestinian Authority forces have taken a battering in the two-and-a-half years of fighting with Israel. And then they can take on the militants if the militants won't abide by his demand that they lay down their arms and cease the attacks.
The question is: Will he get a helping hand from Israel's prime minister, Ariel Sharon, to give him that leeway? The suggestion is that Mr. Sharon, even though he has not signed up onto the road map formally, has been very interesting in his response. He hasn't condemned Abbu Mazen, Mahmoud Abbas, and he hasn't taken very fierce military action in response. Quite the contrary.
In one town in Gaza, Israeli forces have pulled out this morning. Is that enough as a helping hand? That may be doubtful.
COSTELLO: All right, Jerrold Kessel live from Jerusalem this morning.
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 May 20, 2003 - 06:03 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: To the Middle East now and a declaration of war against the Palestinian new prime minister. That's what Israel is calling a series of suicide bombings. There have been five in four days, 12 have died. Still, President Bush says the road map to peace will survive.
We take you live to Jerusalem now and Jerrold Kessel.
Jerrold -- will the road map to peace survive?
JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is the big question, but despite the fact that it's certainly taken a batting in the last 48 hours with that series of Palestinian militant attacks, suicide bombings, in the West Bank, in Gaza, here in Jerusalem, and then yesterday up in the Galilee town of Afula, there is still that possibility that the president underlined that the only game in town and the way out of this is to pursue this peace initiative.
Whether that can be done in the welter of blood that is now being shed is really the question. The Palestinian-Israel confrontation, really is it a pivotal moment again? Will it be engulfed in more bloodletting? Or can they keep that fledgling peace initiative alive?
But for the moment the focus of yesterday's torrid, horrifying events in that Israeli town, two young women -- a 19-year-old Palestinian woman from the West Bank is believed to have been the suicide bomber, carried out that attack at the entrance to the shopping mall, a 20-year-old Israeli woman who was one of the security guards at the entrance to the shopping center and prevented the Palestinian woman from getting in, but is now fighting for her life, very seriously wounded in the bombing. Three Israelis were killed, 13 more remain in hospitals, several reported in serious condition, like the security guard.
And now the question is: With the Palestinian leadership condemning it, what does Israel's prime minister do next?
COSTELLO: And what can Mahmoud Abbas do? Because I know the Israeli prime minister is pressuring him to do something. But what can he do to stop these attacks?
KESSEL: Well, what the Palestinians say is they need time. They need time for Mahmoud Abbas, the new prime minister, and his security chief, Mohammed Dahlan, to get -- consolidate their position, to get their forces in order. Of course, the Palestinian Authority forces have taken a battering in the two-and-a-half years of fighting with Israel. And then they can take on the militants if the militants won't abide by his demand that they lay down their arms and cease the attacks.
The question is: Will he get a helping hand from Israel's prime minister, Ariel Sharon, to give him that leeway? The suggestion is that Mr. Sharon, even though he has not signed up onto the road map formally, has been very interesting in his response. He hasn't condemned Abbu Mazen, Mahmoud Abbas, and he hasn't taken very fierce military action in response. Quite the contrary.
In one town in Gaza, Israeli forces have pulled out this morning. Is that enough as a helping hand? That may be doubtful.
COSTELLO: All right, Jerrold Kessel live from Jerusalem this morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
