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Jerusalem Suicide Bombing Kills 16
Aired June 11, 2003 - 15:01 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.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Judy Woodruff live from Washington, where the Bush administration is watching its road map to peace become engulfed by fresh bloodshed in the Middle East. A suicide bomber blew up a bus in central Jerusalem today killing himself and 16 others; at least 70 were wounded. The military wing of Hamas has claimed responsibility. Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas is condemning the bombing and Israel's military action.
Minutes later, Israeli helicopter gunships attacked three targets in Gaza. Palestinian hospital sources say seven people were killed, including two Hamas militants. At least 30 others were wounded.
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon says that Israel has a deep commitment to the peace process, but will continue to pursue what he calls Palestinian terrorist groups. We go live to Jerusalem shortly.
Here in the U.S., President Bush says it is clear there are people in the Middle East who hate peace. Mr. Bush returned to the White House a short while ago after a trip to Chicago.
Let's go to our senior White House correspondent John King. John, a very, very tough day.
JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: A troubling day, Judy. And a deadly day that will put to the test this president's commitment to do whatever it takes in terms of time and energy and personal diplomacy to keep his fragile progress in getting the Israelis and the Palestinians back into a peace process from disintegrating because of deadly violence.
As you noted, the president returned to the White House just a few moments ago. He was in Chicago when the suicide bus bombing took place earlier this morning. The president updated throughout the day. Yesterday we had the rare event of this president publicly rebuking the President of Israel.
Today, just before coming back to Washington, Mr. Bush said it is clear to him that there are simply people in the region who hate peace, who will do anything to keep Israel from living in security and keep a Palestinian state from coming about. As behind the scenes senior administration officials work to try to get cooperation from both the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority to break this cycle of violence, the president also issued an appeal to the world and, make no mistake about it, he meant the Arab world, to make sure any funding for Hamas and other terrorist groups is cut off.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: For the people in the world who want to see peace in the Middle East, I strongly urge all of you to fight off terror, to cut off money to organizations such as Hamas, to isolate those who hate so much that they're willing to kill to stop peace from going forward. I strongly condemn the killings.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Now, Judy, the president's special new envoy to the Middle East, Ambassador John Wolf, is making his way to the region. He should be there at the end of the week, early next week at the soonest. The administration is hoping by then there is a day or two of calm, and this set back that we're dealing with today, more deadly violence and Israeli military reaction, as well.
The administration is hoping that within a day or two we will have a day of calm and the president can get back to where he was just a week ago, when he was rather hopeful and rather optimistic that at least small steps toward peace could be taken. Today you see the very evident frustration on the president's face.
WOODRUFF: John, what is different, though, about what the President is saying now? And didn't they go into this process knowing full well that this could happen?
KING: They knew this test would come, Judy. They had hoped that there would be two, three, maybe even more weeks of progress so that when this test came, when there was deadly violence, that there would be a reservoir of at least some good will built up, more cooperation, especially security cooperation before the Israelis and the Palestinians, so that when you had a problem like this, there was at least something to draw on.
Instead, the process is being tested immediately. As for how this goes forward, the president said he will get personally involved when he believes it necessary. For now, he is leaving it to his top aides in part.
This is two days in a row the President has had strong statements, but taken no questions. They say the president has to wait for some calm. It's not quite clear what he could say right now that would do any good.
WOODRUFF: All right. John King reporting for us from the White House. Thank you, John, very much.
And now we want to go quickly to Capitol Hill, where we're joined by Senator John McCain. Senator, why shouldn't someone watching this process, and the fact the president was just there a few days ago, say, frankly, this whole process, this hope for peace is doomed for failure?
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: Well, because we are not without options. One of them is to go after the funding of these terrorist organizations, including the Saudis, where there's clear evidence that that funding, at least indirectly, has come from Saudi Arabia.
We must hold Mr. Yasser Arafat responsible. He controls the security forces and the police within the Palestinian organizations. And we should start holding people accountable.
And as far as this word "cycle" of violence, I guess a cycle of violence when terrorists hit our World Trade Center and we went to Afghanistan and took out al Qaeda and the Taliban. I guess when we respond to acts of terror, that is a cycle of violence. Look, we knew who perpetrated this horrible act of violence, and any nation is going to respond, as the Israelis did, when their citizens are slaughtered in this obscene way.
WOODRUFF: So you're not saying it's not at all surprising the Israelis would respond as they did. But, Senator, you mentioned...
MCCAIN: As we would and have.
WOODRUFF: What are the consequences, though, for the Saudis or for anybody else who is putting money into the hands of Hamas and any of these other terrorist groups?
MCCAIN: The consequences, at least as far as the Saudis are concerned for years, is that they have kept these radical organizations away from them, which is a very dangerous game, to say the least. They express their sympathy. They teach their children in Saudi schools that the destruction of Israel is their goal.
The whole atmosphere has to change for the Palestinians to still call Israel occupied territories. And this whole environment has got to be changed. And we can change it and we can force change now.
The victory in Iraq has a very beneficial effect, and we have every right to expect Yasser Arafat to act, as well as the prime minister, although his options are far more limited than that of Yasser Arafat.
WOODRUFF: Senator, you mentioned the U.S. response. What about in the aftermath of the war in Iraq increasing calls by particularly Democrats for oversight hearings? And more than that, you have agreed that oversight hearings are fine.
Senator Jay Rockefeller, among others, are saying, that's not enough. We need very clear -- we need hearings that will look very deeply into what went wrong, and where are these weapons of mass destruction?
MCCAIN: After every conflict we have congressional hearings, as we did after the Gulf War in '91, in Bosnia, Kosovo, and they're appropriate. Our first witness will probably be General Franks, who will review the conflict for us.
There's other issues, like the friendly fire tragedies that have to be addressed. But we also need to know where our equipment and our men and women did so magnificently. Yes, the issue of weapons of mass destruction is an issue that would have to be looked at, but to assume that there was deception, to assume that there was misinformation, the burden of proof there rests with the critics. And I'm sure this conflict will be well justified, and I'm still confident we will find evidence of weapons of mass destruction.
WOODRUFF: And if they're not found?
MCCAIN: I'm confident they will be.
WOODRUFF: All right. We heard it from you.
MCCAIN: Thank you, Judy.
WOODRUFF: Senator John McCain, thanks for talking to us. We appreciate it.
MCCAIN: Thank you.
WOODRUFF: More now on today's deadly violence in the Middle East. We join CNN's Mike Hanna, who's standing by for us in Jerusalem. Mike, now that it is well into the evening, into the night there, what are the reactions that you're hearing?
MIKE HANNA, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: Well, Judy, it's been a day which has seen a vortex of violence in which over 20 people were killed, well over 100 injured. In the early evening Jerusalem time, a few hours ago, a Palestinian disguised as an Orthodox Jew boarded bus number 17 on Jaffa Road, a road that runs right through the middle of central Jerusalem.
He detonated an explosive device, killing himself and at least 16 others. Well over 70 people were injured in this massive blast. A number of them are said to still be in a critical condition.
There has been massive Israeli condemnation of the attack, which followed warnings of imminent action following an Israeli attempt to assassinate a militant Hamas leader Tuesday. But still the attack came as a surprise came in one of the most heavily guarded areas of Jerusalem.
From Israel, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon speaking shortly after the blast. He has said that he would do everything possible to protect Israeli lives and ensure Israeli security. At the same time, he said he was adamant that some form of peace would be attained.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARIEL SHARON, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): We have the deepest obligation to do everything to go forward with the peace process that will bring peace and quiet. We will take all the necessary steps to safeguard the security of all Israeli citizens.
(END VIDEO CLIP) HANNA: In Gaza City, a short while after the Jerusalem blast, when Israeli helicopters fired at what they said were a group of Hamas militants, at least seven people were killed in the Israeli rocket attack. Among them, three people identified as members of the armed wing of the Hamas organization. Also killed a number of bystanders, and dozens of people were wounded in the Israeli attack.
Intense condemnation from the Palestinian side of this attack and of that attack yesterday in which Israel attempted to assassinate another senior Hamas leader. The Palestinian prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas, condemned the Israeli attack, but also condemned the Jerusalem bombing, as did Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
YASSER ARAFAT, PALESTINIAN LEADER (through translator): I call for an immediate cessation of all forms of operations and shootings. The evil, vicious circle of military operations from all parties must stop immediately.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNA: The road map apparently nowhere. The road map that was launched with handshakes between Palestinian and Israeli leaders last week in front of U.S. President George W. Bush still to be implemented on the ground -- Judy.
WOODRUFF: And Mike Hanna reporting for us live from Jerusalem. Mike, just a terrible, terrible day. Thank you very much, Mike.
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 June 11, 2003 - 15:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Judy Woodruff live from Washington, where the Bush administration is watching its road map to peace become engulfed by fresh bloodshed in the Middle East. A suicide bomber blew up a bus in central Jerusalem today killing himself and 16 others; at least 70 were wounded. The military wing of Hamas has claimed responsibility. Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas is condemning the bombing and Israel's military action.
Minutes later, Israeli helicopter gunships attacked three targets in Gaza. Palestinian hospital sources say seven people were killed, including two Hamas militants. At least 30 others were wounded.
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon says that Israel has a deep commitment to the peace process, but will continue to pursue what he calls Palestinian terrorist groups. We go live to Jerusalem shortly.
Here in the U.S., President Bush says it is clear there are people in the Middle East who hate peace. Mr. Bush returned to the White House a short while ago after a trip to Chicago.
Let's go to our senior White House correspondent John King. John, a very, very tough day.
JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: A troubling day, Judy. And a deadly day that will put to the test this president's commitment to do whatever it takes in terms of time and energy and personal diplomacy to keep his fragile progress in getting the Israelis and the Palestinians back into a peace process from disintegrating because of deadly violence.
As you noted, the president returned to the White House just a few moments ago. He was in Chicago when the suicide bus bombing took place earlier this morning. The president updated throughout the day. Yesterday we had the rare event of this president publicly rebuking the President of Israel.
Today, just before coming back to Washington, Mr. Bush said it is clear to him that there are simply people in the region who hate peace, who will do anything to keep Israel from living in security and keep a Palestinian state from coming about. As behind the scenes senior administration officials work to try to get cooperation from both the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority to break this cycle of violence, the president also issued an appeal to the world and, make no mistake about it, he meant the Arab world, to make sure any funding for Hamas and other terrorist groups is cut off.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: For the people in the world who want to see peace in the Middle East, I strongly urge all of you to fight off terror, to cut off money to organizations such as Hamas, to isolate those who hate so much that they're willing to kill to stop peace from going forward. I strongly condemn the killings.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Now, Judy, the president's special new envoy to the Middle East, Ambassador John Wolf, is making his way to the region. He should be there at the end of the week, early next week at the soonest. The administration is hoping by then there is a day or two of calm, and this set back that we're dealing with today, more deadly violence and Israeli military reaction, as well.
The administration is hoping that within a day or two we will have a day of calm and the president can get back to where he was just a week ago, when he was rather hopeful and rather optimistic that at least small steps toward peace could be taken. Today you see the very evident frustration on the president's face.
WOODRUFF: John, what is different, though, about what the President is saying now? And didn't they go into this process knowing full well that this could happen?
KING: They knew this test would come, Judy. They had hoped that there would be two, three, maybe even more weeks of progress so that when this test came, when there was deadly violence, that there would be a reservoir of at least some good will built up, more cooperation, especially security cooperation before the Israelis and the Palestinians, so that when you had a problem like this, there was at least something to draw on.
Instead, the process is being tested immediately. As for how this goes forward, the president said he will get personally involved when he believes it necessary. For now, he is leaving it to his top aides in part.
This is two days in a row the President has had strong statements, but taken no questions. They say the president has to wait for some calm. It's not quite clear what he could say right now that would do any good.
WOODRUFF: All right. John King reporting for us from the White House. Thank you, John, very much.
And now we want to go quickly to Capitol Hill, where we're joined by Senator John McCain. Senator, why shouldn't someone watching this process, and the fact the president was just there a few days ago, say, frankly, this whole process, this hope for peace is doomed for failure?
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: Well, because we are not without options. One of them is to go after the funding of these terrorist organizations, including the Saudis, where there's clear evidence that that funding, at least indirectly, has come from Saudi Arabia.
We must hold Mr. Yasser Arafat responsible. He controls the security forces and the police within the Palestinian organizations. And we should start holding people accountable.
And as far as this word "cycle" of violence, I guess a cycle of violence when terrorists hit our World Trade Center and we went to Afghanistan and took out al Qaeda and the Taliban. I guess when we respond to acts of terror, that is a cycle of violence. Look, we knew who perpetrated this horrible act of violence, and any nation is going to respond, as the Israelis did, when their citizens are slaughtered in this obscene way.
WOODRUFF: So you're not saying it's not at all surprising the Israelis would respond as they did. But, Senator, you mentioned...
MCCAIN: As we would and have.
WOODRUFF: What are the consequences, though, for the Saudis or for anybody else who is putting money into the hands of Hamas and any of these other terrorist groups?
MCCAIN: The consequences, at least as far as the Saudis are concerned for years, is that they have kept these radical organizations away from them, which is a very dangerous game, to say the least. They express their sympathy. They teach their children in Saudi schools that the destruction of Israel is their goal.
The whole atmosphere has to change for the Palestinians to still call Israel occupied territories. And this whole environment has got to be changed. And we can change it and we can force change now.
The victory in Iraq has a very beneficial effect, and we have every right to expect Yasser Arafat to act, as well as the prime minister, although his options are far more limited than that of Yasser Arafat.
WOODRUFF: Senator, you mentioned the U.S. response. What about in the aftermath of the war in Iraq increasing calls by particularly Democrats for oversight hearings? And more than that, you have agreed that oversight hearings are fine.
Senator Jay Rockefeller, among others, are saying, that's not enough. We need very clear -- we need hearings that will look very deeply into what went wrong, and where are these weapons of mass destruction?
MCCAIN: After every conflict we have congressional hearings, as we did after the Gulf War in '91, in Bosnia, Kosovo, and they're appropriate. Our first witness will probably be General Franks, who will review the conflict for us.
There's other issues, like the friendly fire tragedies that have to be addressed. But we also need to know where our equipment and our men and women did so magnificently. Yes, the issue of weapons of mass destruction is an issue that would have to be looked at, but to assume that there was deception, to assume that there was misinformation, the burden of proof there rests with the critics. And I'm sure this conflict will be well justified, and I'm still confident we will find evidence of weapons of mass destruction.
WOODRUFF: And if they're not found?
MCCAIN: I'm confident they will be.
WOODRUFF: All right. We heard it from you.
MCCAIN: Thank you, Judy.
WOODRUFF: Senator John McCain, thanks for talking to us. We appreciate it.
MCCAIN: Thank you.
WOODRUFF: More now on today's deadly violence in the Middle East. We join CNN's Mike Hanna, who's standing by for us in Jerusalem. Mike, now that it is well into the evening, into the night there, what are the reactions that you're hearing?
MIKE HANNA, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: Well, Judy, it's been a day which has seen a vortex of violence in which over 20 people were killed, well over 100 injured. In the early evening Jerusalem time, a few hours ago, a Palestinian disguised as an Orthodox Jew boarded bus number 17 on Jaffa Road, a road that runs right through the middle of central Jerusalem.
He detonated an explosive device, killing himself and at least 16 others. Well over 70 people were injured in this massive blast. A number of them are said to still be in a critical condition.
There has been massive Israeli condemnation of the attack, which followed warnings of imminent action following an Israeli attempt to assassinate a militant Hamas leader Tuesday. But still the attack came as a surprise came in one of the most heavily guarded areas of Jerusalem.
From Israel, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon speaking shortly after the blast. He has said that he would do everything possible to protect Israeli lives and ensure Israeli security. At the same time, he said he was adamant that some form of peace would be attained.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARIEL SHARON, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): We have the deepest obligation to do everything to go forward with the peace process that will bring peace and quiet. We will take all the necessary steps to safeguard the security of all Israeli citizens.
(END VIDEO CLIP) HANNA: In Gaza City, a short while after the Jerusalem blast, when Israeli helicopters fired at what they said were a group of Hamas militants, at least seven people were killed in the Israeli rocket attack. Among them, three people identified as members of the armed wing of the Hamas organization. Also killed a number of bystanders, and dozens of people were wounded in the Israeli attack.
Intense condemnation from the Palestinian side of this attack and of that attack yesterday in which Israel attempted to assassinate another senior Hamas leader. The Palestinian prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas, condemned the Israeli attack, but also condemned the Jerusalem bombing, as did Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
YASSER ARAFAT, PALESTINIAN LEADER (through translator): I call for an immediate cessation of all forms of operations and shootings. The evil, vicious circle of military operations from all parties must stop immediately.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNA: The road map apparently nowhere. The road map that was launched with handshakes between Palestinian and Israeli leaders last week in front of U.S. President George W. Bush still to be implemented on the ground -- Judy.
WOODRUFF: And Mike Hanna reporting for us live from Jerusalem. Mike, just a terrible, terrible day. Thank you very much, Mike.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
