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CNN Live At Daybreak

City Bus Blown Up by Suicide Bomber in Jerusalem

Aired June 18, 2002 - 05:36   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: Let's go live now to the scene of this morning's deadly bus bombing in Jerusalem.

CNN senior international Correspondent Sheila MacVicar has been at the sight of the devastation all morning. She joins us now with the latest.

Good morning, Sheila.

SHEILA MACVICAR, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

Well just about five hours ago a city bus heading into the city packed with commuters on their way to work, students on their way to school, was blown up when a suicide bomber on board that bus detonated his device. Now obviously the scene now has been pretty much cleaned up. Unfortunately, Israeli rescue services are extremely practiced at this. The five hours on -- there's not a lot to look at now.

Now what Israeli police are telling us is that there are at least 18 people who have died as a result of this. There are more than 50 people who are wounded. Some of them are in a very critical condition.

Now this happens at a time when both Israelis and Palestinians are waiting to hear what President Bush will say in his expected statement about the way forward for the region. The U.S. administration's view of what should lead to political dialogue.

This morning, very unusually, we had Israel's Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, make a visit to the scene. He examined the devastated bus, he walked very slowly, very somberly past the line of body bags that were then at the side of the road. Now Prime Minister Sharon then issued a very strongly worded statement. A statement that clearly had a message for the U.S. administration.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARIEL SHARON, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): These terrible images of this murderous act, these terrible images that we are seeing now, are stronger than any words can say. What Palestinian state are they intending? What Palestinian state are they talking about? This terrible act, the continuation of the Palestinian terrorism, it is this terrorism that we have to fight, and that is what we shall do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACVICAR: Now Carol, we just heard in the last few minutes that Israel's security cabinet has been called into session and is meeting now in that cabinet. They will be discussing this morning's bomb blast, and they will be discussing what further action to take.

Now the militant group, Hamas, has claimed responsibility for the blast. Hamas is the group which has never accepted any part of the peace process, beginning back with the Oslo peace accords in 1991.

We've also heard from the Palestinian Authority this morning, Carol. They are condemning this blast, saying that they do not condone the killing of Israeli civilians. And further adding that given the situation that they are under with repeated military incursions on the part of the Israeli military, that the destruction of the Palestinian security forces, the destruction of the infrastructure, that they are not in a position, Carol, to be able to do much about stopping any suicide bombers -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Understand. Sheila MacVicar reporting live for us from Jerusalem this morning. Thank you.

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