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CNN Live At Daybreak
Crisis in the Middle East: Syria Wants Answers
Aired October 06, 2003 - 05:32 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.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Syria wants Israel held accountable for an attack on its soil. Israel says it hit a training camp for Islamic Jihad outside of Damascus.
Live now to Damascus and our Rula Amin on the phone this morning -- Rula.
RULA AMIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Heidi, good morning.
Syria went to the United Nations Security Council seeking international condemnation for the Israeli raid. It got some of it. Most of the countries who spoke at the council did condemn the Israeli attack, said it was a violation of international law and that it was unjustified. However, the major player in the region and in the world, the United States, stopped short from condemning the Israeli attack. The U.S. ambassador did call on both sides to refrain from any further move to inflame the situation.
However, he did lay out accusations against Syria and said that Damascus is on the wrong side in the war against terrorism. So the Syrians were probably were not very happy to hear that, but they did get some kind of support from other countries and the Arab countries. There was no vote on the drafted resolution that Syria proposed and there was no time set for the council members to come back to decide whether there will be a vote or not -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Rula, just wondering, we're hearing a little bit of conflicting reports about what was actually hit. Of course we've been reporting that it was a terrorist training camp. What are you learning there?
AMIN: Yes, Israel said it was a terrorist training camp and specifically for Islamic Jihad, the same group that was responsible for the suicide attack in Haifa which left 19 people killed. However, Syrian officials say that what Israel hit was a civilian site and they say there were no terrorists -- terrorism training camps over there. Islamic Jihad spokespeople also deny they have any kind of military activities in Syria or Damascus and they insist their only activities here are confined to media activities.
We did hear, however, from Palestinian groups, who are not part of Islamic Jihad, who are more on the side of the leftist group, who said that what was hit was an old camp, abandoned years ago. And then after it was abandoned, it was used to house Palestinian refugee's families and that's why -- that's why probably the Syrians considered it a civilian site. But still, we were not able to get to that camp, so it's very hard to verify the Israeli and the Syrian claims -- Heidi.
COLLINS: All right, we'll wait to hear more about that as the day continues. Rula Amin, on the phone for us today in Damascus, thanks so much.
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 October 6, 2003 - 05:32 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Syria wants Israel held accountable for an attack on its soil. Israel says it hit a training camp for Islamic Jihad outside of Damascus.
Live now to Damascus and our Rula Amin on the phone this morning -- Rula.
RULA AMIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Heidi, good morning.
Syria went to the United Nations Security Council seeking international condemnation for the Israeli raid. It got some of it. Most of the countries who spoke at the council did condemn the Israeli attack, said it was a violation of international law and that it was unjustified. However, the major player in the region and in the world, the United States, stopped short from condemning the Israeli attack. The U.S. ambassador did call on both sides to refrain from any further move to inflame the situation.
However, he did lay out accusations against Syria and said that Damascus is on the wrong side in the war against terrorism. So the Syrians were probably were not very happy to hear that, but they did get some kind of support from other countries and the Arab countries. There was no vote on the drafted resolution that Syria proposed and there was no time set for the council members to come back to decide whether there will be a vote or not -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Rula, just wondering, we're hearing a little bit of conflicting reports about what was actually hit. Of course we've been reporting that it was a terrorist training camp. What are you learning there?
AMIN: Yes, Israel said it was a terrorist training camp and specifically for Islamic Jihad, the same group that was responsible for the suicide attack in Haifa which left 19 people killed. However, Syrian officials say that what Israel hit was a civilian site and they say there were no terrorists -- terrorism training camps over there. Islamic Jihad spokespeople also deny they have any kind of military activities in Syria or Damascus and they insist their only activities here are confined to media activities.
We did hear, however, from Palestinian groups, who are not part of Islamic Jihad, who are more on the side of the leftist group, who said that what was hit was an old camp, abandoned years ago. And then after it was abandoned, it was used to house Palestinian refugee's families and that's why -- that's why probably the Syrians considered it a civilian site. But still, we were not able to get to that camp, so it's very hard to verify the Israeli and the Syrian claims -- Heidi.
COLLINS: All right, we'll wait to hear more about that as the day continues. Rula Amin, on the phone for us today in Damascus, thanks so much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
