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Israelis Seize Boat Off Lebanese Coast
Aired May 22, 2003 - 14:13 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: A fishing boat or a bomb maker's boat? Israel's navy seized it off the Lebanese coast, and sources tell CNN the boat carried a Hezbollah bomb maker and some how-to-do it computer discs as well.
CNN's Kelly Wallace live from Jerusalem now -- Kelly.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, Israeli officials say this is a very concerning development because they say the only thing more dangerous than bombs themselves is information on how to make them, and they say this shipping boat contained lots of information: 36 CD-ROMs in all, according to Israeli security sources with detailed information about how to build bombs, to carry out suicide bombing attacks, other explosive devices, detonators for Katusha rockets, and activation systems to set off these bombs.
Also on board, a Hezbollah-trained expert in making and carrying out bombs and explosive devices Hezbollah, of course, the Lebanese- backed and funded Shi'a Muslim group that Iran and Syria are believed to back as well.
Now, Israeli officials say this is all reminiscent of something else, called the Karine-A, and that is a ship that was intercepted back in January of 2002, believed to be coming from Iran and headed to the Palestinian Authority, according to Israeli officials, carrying 50 tons of weapons.
Back then, Israeli officials pointed the finger at Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, and they are doing so again. Israeli officials say they believe, somehow, some way, this fishing boat seized off the coast of Lebanon will be connected to the Palestinian president. Well, a spokesman for Yasser Arafat is rejecting those charges, saying Yasser Arafat has nothing at all to do with this, and called this part of the Israel smear campaign of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, and part of Israel's refusal to go ahead and implement that so-called road map for Middle East peace.
In another development, Kyra, the Palestinian prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas, met tonight with leaders of the radical Palestinian group HAMAS. He is facing the difficult challenge of trying to urge these groups to disarm and stop attacks against Israelis. Right now, Kyra, the word is that the two sides have agreed to meet again in the next few days. It doesn't appear they reached breakthrough in this meeting -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Kelly, back to this fishing boat, from an intelligence standpoint, is this Hezbollah bomb maker talking? I would assume that would be what the Israeli Navy would be looking for is, obviously, more intelligence from this person.
WALLACE: Key, key issue indeed. At this point in time, it is not clear if this individual is talking. Right now all we know about him is that he is an expert when it comes to making bombs, and that he was trained by Hezbollah. The discs themselves, Kyra, are of concern, of course, to Israeli officials, because what Israeli officials believe, ultimately, the goal was to get this equipment to the Gaza Strip and set up, in essence, bomb-making schools to help these radical Palestinian groups train people to build these bombs and carry out more attacks. So no question Israeli officials will be hoping they can convince this individual to talk, and to provide information about any possible attacks or other things he was planning to do once he got to the Gaza Strip, according to Israeli officials -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Kelly Wallace, live from Jerusalem. Thank you 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 May 22, 2003 - 14:13 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: A fishing boat or a bomb maker's boat? Israel's navy seized it off the Lebanese coast, and sources tell CNN the boat carried a Hezbollah bomb maker and some how-to-do it computer discs as well.
CNN's Kelly Wallace live from Jerusalem now -- Kelly.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, Israeli officials say this is a very concerning development because they say the only thing more dangerous than bombs themselves is information on how to make them, and they say this shipping boat contained lots of information: 36 CD-ROMs in all, according to Israeli security sources with detailed information about how to build bombs, to carry out suicide bombing attacks, other explosive devices, detonators for Katusha rockets, and activation systems to set off these bombs.
Also on board, a Hezbollah-trained expert in making and carrying out bombs and explosive devices Hezbollah, of course, the Lebanese- backed and funded Shi'a Muslim group that Iran and Syria are believed to back as well.
Now, Israeli officials say this is all reminiscent of something else, called the Karine-A, and that is a ship that was intercepted back in January of 2002, believed to be coming from Iran and headed to the Palestinian Authority, according to Israeli officials, carrying 50 tons of weapons.
Back then, Israeli officials pointed the finger at Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, and they are doing so again. Israeli officials say they believe, somehow, some way, this fishing boat seized off the coast of Lebanon will be connected to the Palestinian president. Well, a spokesman for Yasser Arafat is rejecting those charges, saying Yasser Arafat has nothing at all to do with this, and called this part of the Israel smear campaign of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, and part of Israel's refusal to go ahead and implement that so-called road map for Middle East peace.
In another development, Kyra, the Palestinian prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas, met tonight with leaders of the radical Palestinian group HAMAS. He is facing the difficult challenge of trying to urge these groups to disarm and stop attacks against Israelis. Right now, Kyra, the word is that the two sides have agreed to meet again in the next few days. It doesn't appear they reached breakthrough in this meeting -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Kelly, back to this fishing boat, from an intelligence standpoint, is this Hezbollah bomb maker talking? I would assume that would be what the Israeli Navy would be looking for is, obviously, more intelligence from this person.
WALLACE: Key, key issue indeed. At this point in time, it is not clear if this individual is talking. Right now all we know about him is that he is an expert when it comes to making bombs, and that he was trained by Hezbollah. The discs themselves, Kyra, are of concern, of course, to Israeli officials, because what Israeli officials believe, ultimately, the goal was to get this equipment to the Gaza Strip and set up, in essence, bomb-making schools to help these radical Palestinian groups train people to build these bombs and carry out more attacks. So no question Israeli officials will be hoping they can convince this individual to talk, and to provide information about any possible attacks or other things he was planning to do once he got to the Gaza Strip, according to Israeli officials -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Kelly Wallace, live from Jerusalem. Thank you 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
