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Bomb Detonated Prematurely, Injuring Driver, Killing Bomber

Aired August 05, 2002 - 14:10   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Now back to the Middle East, and we are talking about -- Israeli police talking about today's car blast and that it was caused by a would-be suicide bomber possibly on his way to an attack. More now from Jerusalem with our John Vause. John, what can you tell us?
JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Kyra, looks like more troubles for the Israeli security forces. Despite a massive operation which is underway right now in the West Bank which was in response to those waves of terrorist attacks in the last 24 hours, it looks like another suicide bomber did get through, but this time, he only killed himself, but he did seriously injure the driver of that car.

Now, Israeli media here, Channel One in particular, the TV station, is reporting it looks like the driver had nothing to do with this. It looks like he was a security guard who works for hotel, and he actually picked up the suicide bomber on the way when that explosion happened near the Arab-Israeli town of Umm al Fahm.

Now, as we say, the driver was seriously wounded in this attack. The Palestinian man blowing himself up, and of course, this a serious concern to Israeli security forces. They have now moved in and clamped down on five towns on the West Bank, five Palestinian towns. Jenin, Tulkarem, Qalqilya, Nablus, and Ramallah. The Israelis saying no one will get in, no one will get out, unless, of course, there are medical reasons or humanitarian reasons.

This, of course, against the backdrop of some ongoing talks which had been taking place last week to try and ease conditions in those Palestinian towns on the residents there, 700,000 people under curfew for more than month. They had hoped to ease the conditions there.

There were moves to get some talks underway. What the Israeli government now is saying that those talks have been suspended. They are not giving us a date when they will actually take place now, but the Israeli government is saying you can't hold these kind of talks, at least not while you are burying your dead.

PHILLIPS: John Vause from Jerusalem. Thanks, John.

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