Return to Transcripts main page

Live From...

Suicide Bomber Was British Citizen

Aired April 30, 2003 - 13:37   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.


MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Israelis and Palestinians, at long last, have an internationally devised plan to get peace talks back on track. Officials are mulling the so-called road map, even as new Palestinian leadership takes charge in Ramallah. But all this comes amid more new violence.
CNN's Kelly Wallace joining us live from Jerusalem with the latest -- hello, Kelly.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Miles. Well, Miles, international diplomats already face a big challenge when it comes to the so-called road map, paving the way for the creation of a Palestinian state by 2005, and that is because the Israelis and the Palestinians already have dramatically different interpretations of what should happen next.

First, the Palestinians -- newly sworn-in Palestinian prime minister Mahmoud Abbas received his copy of the road map this afternoon from international mediators, including the U.N. envoy to the Middle East. The Palestinians believe this document should be implemented immediately, with no changes, and that is a big difference from what the Israelis are saying.

As for the Israelis, the prime minister, Ariel Sharon, received his copy from the U.S. ambassador to Israel, Daniel Kurtzer, who could be seen in his car heading over to the prime minister's home. The Israelis say they want to see more than a dozen changes made, and they have also said they believe there should be an end to all attacks by radical Palestinian groups against Israel, before the Israelis have to take any other steps.

And as for that violence, this definitely is the major challenge, really, for the newly sworn-in prime minister. Overnight, we saw a suicide bomber blow himself up outside a Tel Aviv cafe, leaving three innocent civilians dead. Two radical Palestinian groups are claiming responsibility for this, and they seem to be sending a message to the Palestinian prime minister that they don't support his call for an end to terrorism, and a call for a negotiated settlement with the Israelis.

And, Miles, this just in to us here at CNN, a very interesting development, and something that is likely to be of great concern to the Israeli government. Israeli police are telling CNN that the suicide bomber who acted in the early morning hours was a British citizen who entered Israel from the Gaza Strip. Police sources also telling CNN that another British citizen was with this suicide bomber, and Israeli police believe this individual was also planning to engage in a suicide attack, but for some reason, fled the scene. Now Israeli authorities are trying to find that individual -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: That certainly doesn't fit the pattern. As to why a British citizen would be involved, do you have any thoughts beyond that point, or are authorities not willing to speculate?

WALLACE: Not willing to speculate, it doesn't really fit the pattern at all. In most cases of suicide bombing attacks in Israel, they have come from Palestinians, from the Palestinian territories. One of the Israeli newspapers is reporting that the individual, the suicide bomber, was a British Muslim citizen. So perhaps an act of solidarity in some way with the Palestinian cause in this battle with the Israelis. But right now, sources not speculating, just expressing some concern, of course, about the incident of a British citizen engaging in a suicide attack against Israelis -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: All right. Keep us posted, Kelly Wallace. Live from Jerusalem, thanks very much.

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 April 30, 2003 - 13:37   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Israelis and Palestinians, at long last, have an internationally devised plan to get peace talks back on track. Officials are mulling the so-called road map, even as new Palestinian leadership takes charge in Ramallah. But all this comes amid more new violence.
CNN's Kelly Wallace joining us live from Jerusalem with the latest -- hello, Kelly.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Miles. Well, Miles, international diplomats already face a big challenge when it comes to the so-called road map, paving the way for the creation of a Palestinian state by 2005, and that is because the Israelis and the Palestinians already have dramatically different interpretations of what should happen next.

First, the Palestinians -- newly sworn-in Palestinian prime minister Mahmoud Abbas received his copy of the road map this afternoon from international mediators, including the U.N. envoy to the Middle East. The Palestinians believe this document should be implemented immediately, with no changes, and that is a big difference from what the Israelis are saying.

As for the Israelis, the prime minister, Ariel Sharon, received his copy from the U.S. ambassador to Israel, Daniel Kurtzer, who could be seen in his car heading over to the prime minister's home. The Israelis say they want to see more than a dozen changes made, and they have also said they believe there should be an end to all attacks by radical Palestinian groups against Israel, before the Israelis have to take any other steps.

And as for that violence, this definitely is the major challenge, really, for the newly sworn-in prime minister. Overnight, we saw a suicide bomber blow himself up outside a Tel Aviv cafe, leaving three innocent civilians dead. Two radical Palestinian groups are claiming responsibility for this, and they seem to be sending a message to the Palestinian prime minister that they don't support his call for an end to terrorism, and a call for a negotiated settlement with the Israelis.

And, Miles, this just in to us here at CNN, a very interesting development, and something that is likely to be of great concern to the Israeli government. Israeli police are telling CNN that the suicide bomber who acted in the early morning hours was a British citizen who entered Israel from the Gaza Strip. Police sources also telling CNN that another British citizen was with this suicide bomber, and Israeli police believe this individual was also planning to engage in a suicide attack, but for some reason, fled the scene. Now Israeli authorities are trying to find that individual -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: That certainly doesn't fit the pattern. As to why a British citizen would be involved, do you have any thoughts beyond that point, or are authorities not willing to speculate?

WALLACE: Not willing to speculate, it doesn't really fit the pattern at all. In most cases of suicide bombing attacks in Israel, they have come from Palestinians, from the Palestinian territories. One of the Israeli newspapers is reporting that the individual, the suicide bomber, was a British Muslim citizen. So perhaps an act of solidarity in some way with the Palestinian cause in this battle with the Israelis. But right now, sources not speculating, just expressing some concern, of course, about the incident of a British citizen engaging in a suicide attack against Israelis -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: All right. Keep us posted, Kelly Wallace. Live from Jerusalem, thanks very much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com