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CNN Live At Daybreak
International Wrap: Eye on the World
Aired December 11, 2003 - 05:46 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: We want to talk more about that explosion in Tel Aviv and more with David Clinch, our senior international editor. He is here to tell us what we know so far.
DAVID CLINCH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Right, Carol, not much at this point. We are getting initial reports, Tel Aviv, the Israeli police are conforming -- confirming a large explosion in a main thoroughfare in Tel Aviv, a shopping street, a lot of people on that street. There are injuries, at least 10 dead. There are reports now I'm seeing on Israeli newspaper Web sites and on Israeli radio that there may also be dead.
There is no confirmation, at this point, of what has caused this explosion. We are talking to the Israeli police in Jerusalem. We are getting our reporters up in Jerusalem and dispatching to Tel Aviv immediately to cover this story. It is unconfirmed, at this point, whether this is a terror attack, but we are on the story and getting down to Tel Aviv immediately.
COSTELLO: But the Israelis have, of late, been coming down hard on Palestinians.
CLINCH: This comes at a time when there is some very interesting things going on in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. All sorts of plans competing with each other, the road map plan still on the table, Prime Minister Sharon hinting in the last couple of days that he has his own plan for peace, which would be a sort of imposed peace. That's caused some strong reactions in Washington and from the Palestinians.
The Palestinian Prime Minister himself today in an interview in an Israeli paper saying that fires would burn if Sharon and Israel acted outside of the road map. And this is a relatively moderate Palestinian Prime Minister saying this. So tensions very high.
But on the other hand, this -- if this is in fact a terrorist act, and we don't know that at this point, terrorist acts like this bombings have not been happening to such a large extent within the last few weeks and months, allowing for some at least rhetoric and negotiations to go on in the absence of major terrorist acts. Again, we don't know this is a terrorist act, but it has the hallmarks of that early on. We're going to get down to Tel Aviv and find out more.
COSTELLO: A little bit about Taiwan, before you have to go, and try to get pictures in to us on Tel Aviv.
CLINCH: Right, absolutely, we'll get back on this story in a minute. But just following up, we had a sound bite there from an interview that Lou Dobbs has done with the Chinese Premiere who was visiting Washington in the last few days. China is describing his visit to Washington as a complete success, because President Bush, in their view, in China's view, is completely onboard with their criticism of Taiwan's moves towards independence.
But other interview coming up shortly and will be airing today with Taiwan's president who says he is aware of President Bush's criticism, but he is not taking it very seriously. And in his view, he will carry on with a referendum, a planned referendum, and he will continue to at least talk about independence from China.
COSTELLO: OK. And quickly, before you leave the set, the number of dead in Tel Aviv, 10 that we know of.
CLINCH: No, injured at this point.
COSTELLO: Injured, OK.
CLINCH: Confirmed injured 10. I'm seeing early reports possibly of dead, but no numbers yet. But we are confirmed from Israeli police 10 injured in Tel Aviv. We'll get on it right now.
COSTELLO: All right. Thank you, David, we appreciate it.
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 11, 2003 - 05:46 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: We want to talk more about that explosion in Tel Aviv and more with David Clinch, our senior international editor. He is here to tell us what we know so far.
DAVID CLINCH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Right, Carol, not much at this point. We are getting initial reports, Tel Aviv, the Israeli police are conforming -- confirming a large explosion in a main thoroughfare in Tel Aviv, a shopping street, a lot of people on that street. There are injuries, at least 10 dead. There are reports now I'm seeing on Israeli newspaper Web sites and on Israeli radio that there may also be dead.
There is no confirmation, at this point, of what has caused this explosion. We are talking to the Israeli police in Jerusalem. We are getting our reporters up in Jerusalem and dispatching to Tel Aviv immediately to cover this story. It is unconfirmed, at this point, whether this is a terror attack, but we are on the story and getting down to Tel Aviv immediately.
COSTELLO: But the Israelis have, of late, been coming down hard on Palestinians.
CLINCH: This comes at a time when there is some very interesting things going on in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. All sorts of plans competing with each other, the road map plan still on the table, Prime Minister Sharon hinting in the last couple of days that he has his own plan for peace, which would be a sort of imposed peace. That's caused some strong reactions in Washington and from the Palestinians.
The Palestinian Prime Minister himself today in an interview in an Israeli paper saying that fires would burn if Sharon and Israel acted outside of the road map. And this is a relatively moderate Palestinian Prime Minister saying this. So tensions very high.
But on the other hand, this -- if this is in fact a terrorist act, and we don't know that at this point, terrorist acts like this bombings have not been happening to such a large extent within the last few weeks and months, allowing for some at least rhetoric and negotiations to go on in the absence of major terrorist acts. Again, we don't know this is a terrorist act, but it has the hallmarks of that early on. We're going to get down to Tel Aviv and find out more.
COSTELLO: A little bit about Taiwan, before you have to go, and try to get pictures in to us on Tel Aviv.
CLINCH: Right, absolutely, we'll get back on this story in a minute. But just following up, we had a sound bite there from an interview that Lou Dobbs has done with the Chinese Premiere who was visiting Washington in the last few days. China is describing his visit to Washington as a complete success, because President Bush, in their view, in China's view, is completely onboard with their criticism of Taiwan's moves towards independence.
But other interview coming up shortly and will be airing today with Taiwan's president who says he is aware of President Bush's criticism, but he is not taking it very seriously. And in his view, he will carry on with a referendum, a planned referendum, and he will continue to at least talk about independence from China.
COSTELLO: OK. And quickly, before you leave the set, the number of dead in Tel Aviv, 10 that we know of.
CLINCH: No, injured at this point.
COSTELLO: Injured, OK.
CLINCH: Confirmed injured 10. I'm seeing early reports possibly of dead, but no numbers yet. But we are confirmed from Israeli police 10 injured in Tel Aviv. We'll get on it right now.
COSTELLO: All right. Thank you, David, we appreciate it.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
