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White House Calling Bombing at Hebrew University 'Horrific Act of Terror'

Aired July 31, 2002 - 14:02   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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: The White House is calling today's bombing at Hebrew University "a horrific act of terror." As we've been reporting, at least seven people are dead, dozens wounded, in the wake of a lunchtime explosion at a school cafeteria. The university has long been an oasis of tolerance in a desert of suspicion and hate.

CNN's Mike Hanna is live now from Jerusalem.

Mike, have we confirmed if indeed one of the dead is indeed an American?

MIKE HANNA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, we have indeed, Kyra. We just heard from the U.S. embassy the fact that one of the seven people killed in the this explosion at the Hebrew University campus has been identified as an American, a female American. The embassy will not give any further details at this particular point.

In all, seven people were killed, Some 70 people were wounded, some of them said to be still in a serious condition. All this occurred when an explosion happened at lunchtime in a crowded cafeteria on the university campus.

Police believe that an explosive device was brought onto the campus in a bag, placed in the cafeteria, and then detonated.

There's been a claim of responsibility from the militant Hamas organization, which says this terror attack is in response to the Israeli bombing of Gaza City last week, in which a senior Hamas militant was killed, as well as a number of civilians. Israeli says that the militant wasn't only target in that particular attack.

So once again, a terror attack in Jerusalem, in as you say, an oasis of tolerance, an area in which there was Arabs as well as Jews, as well as a number of international students. Police investigating how that explosive device got on to the campus, through very stringent security measures that had been in place around the campus, and in other parts of Israel in the wake of these ongoing threats by Palestinian militants -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Mike Hanna, what about reaction, about students and people that live in that area? If I were a student there, I don't know if I'd want to go back to school. HANNA: Well, once again, there is summer a vacation in place at that university. However, those who are on the campus today were people who were either taking part in some kind of summer program, or indeed of some international exchange students that were there. But, of course, there is that immediate reaction that this has been a target of attack, great concern among those who use that campus regularly. It's also the venue of art exhibitions, of all sorts of exhibitions that take place there.

In the past, we've seen a pattern, a terror attack happens, people will avoid that area where the attack happens for a while, but still, many Israelis absolutely insisted that they will not be dissuaded from attempting to lead as normal a life as possible. Because to them, anything else would be to give into terror.

Back to you, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Mike Hanna, live from Jerusalem. Thanks, Mike.

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