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Bus Bombing Dark Mark on Day of Prisoner Exchange
Aired January 29, 2004 - 11:00 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.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Signs of hope and scenes of carnage in the Middle East. A suicide bomber carried out a deadly attack on a crowded bus in Jerusalem today. This coincided with a historic prisoner exchange. Our Matthew Chance is live from Jerusalem with the latest. Matthew, hello.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, thanks.
Scenes of utter devastation on the streets of Jerusalem this morning. A Palestinian suicide bomber detonated his explosives on a crowded commuter bus in the busy rush hour period in the center of western Jerusalem, killing, according to the official figures we have to date, 10 Israelis, killed himself of course, injuring some 45 other people, some of them very seriously, indeed.
This was an immensely powerful explosion. Police at the scene told me that they were picking debris from the roofs of the surrounding houses. So it really did hurl debris over a wide area.
And of course took place on a day when a controversial prisoner exchange went ahead. That deal brokered by Germany between Israel and the Lebanese militia Hezbollah. Israel sent several hundred -- or 400 Palestinians in buses out of Israeli jails, back to their homes in the West bank, in the Gaza Strip as part of that deal.
They also flew over, through Germany onwards to Beirut, 29 other prisoners. Amongst them, senior Lebanese militant and militants from other Arab countries as well. In exchange, they'll be receiving one live Israeli, Al Hannan Tenenbaum (ph), a 54-year-old Israeli citizen, who was abducted by Hezbollah back in 2000.
As well as the bodies of three Israeli soldiers, again in 2000, who were killed by Hezbollah back then.
So contrasting scenes we're expecting to see over the next few hours across the region. In Lebanon, in the Palestinian territories, quite joyous scenes as those prisoners meet their families again for the first time, some of them, for several years. Here in Israel, the mood much, much more somber -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Matthew, any reaction from Yasser Arafat since its al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade that has claimed responsibility for the bus attack?
CHANCE: Well there's been a reaction from the Palestinian Authority, Saeb Erakat, the chief Palestinian negotiator, has come out openly and condemned this suicide attack. The fact though that it was carried out by the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, which is a Palestinian group loosely affiliated with Yasser Arafat, will lead many, many people in Israel and elsewhere to believe it may be time to act against Yasser Arafat.
Indeed this is what the call has been from a number of ministers, a number of Israeli officials, that they have to take action in response to this. What that action will be is unclear -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Matthew Chance, in Jerusalem, thank you for that.
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 January 29, 2004 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Signs of hope and scenes of carnage in the Middle East. A suicide bomber carried out a deadly attack on a crowded bus in Jerusalem today. This coincided with a historic prisoner exchange. Our Matthew Chance is live from Jerusalem with the latest. Matthew, hello.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, thanks.
Scenes of utter devastation on the streets of Jerusalem this morning. A Palestinian suicide bomber detonated his explosives on a crowded commuter bus in the busy rush hour period in the center of western Jerusalem, killing, according to the official figures we have to date, 10 Israelis, killed himself of course, injuring some 45 other people, some of them very seriously, indeed.
This was an immensely powerful explosion. Police at the scene told me that they were picking debris from the roofs of the surrounding houses. So it really did hurl debris over a wide area.
And of course took place on a day when a controversial prisoner exchange went ahead. That deal brokered by Germany between Israel and the Lebanese militia Hezbollah. Israel sent several hundred -- or 400 Palestinians in buses out of Israeli jails, back to their homes in the West bank, in the Gaza Strip as part of that deal.
They also flew over, through Germany onwards to Beirut, 29 other prisoners. Amongst them, senior Lebanese militant and militants from other Arab countries as well. In exchange, they'll be receiving one live Israeli, Al Hannan Tenenbaum (ph), a 54-year-old Israeli citizen, who was abducted by Hezbollah back in 2000.
As well as the bodies of three Israeli soldiers, again in 2000, who were killed by Hezbollah back then.
So contrasting scenes we're expecting to see over the next few hours across the region. In Lebanon, in the Palestinian territories, quite joyous scenes as those prisoners meet their families again for the first time, some of them, for several years. Here in Israel, the mood much, much more somber -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Matthew, any reaction from Yasser Arafat since its al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade that has claimed responsibility for the bus attack?
CHANCE: Well there's been a reaction from the Palestinian Authority, Saeb Erakat, the chief Palestinian negotiator, has come out openly and condemned this suicide attack. The fact though that it was carried out by the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, which is a Palestinian group loosely affiliated with Yasser Arafat, will lead many, many people in Israel and elsewhere to believe it may be time to act against Yasser Arafat.
Indeed this is what the call has been from a number of ministers, a number of Israeli officials, that they have to take action in response to this. What that action will be is unclear -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Matthew Chance, in Jerusalem, thank you for that.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
