Return to Transcripts main page
Live From...
United States Urges Americans to Leave Gaza
Aired October 15, 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: First, the crisis in the Middle East.
The United States is urging Americans to leave Gaza after a bomb exploded under a convoy of U.S. diplomats. Three American members of a security detail were killed, and another wounded. The convoy was carrying U.S. Embassy officials to interviews with Palestinian students who were looking for scholarships in the United States.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility. The Palestinian Authority has condemned the attack, and so has the White House.
CNN's Dana Bash is with the president in California.
Dana, what are they saying at the White House?
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Judy, the president himself put out a strongly worded written statement condemning this attack.
But just a few moments ago, speaking here just outside of Fresno, California, the president talking in general terms about the war on terrorism and about Iraq and about the fact that he believes that America will not stand for terrorism. He did mention the attack today in Gaza.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Today, an American died as a result of a terrorist attack in Gaza. Now, they continue to plot. They continue to plan against our country and our people. America must not forget the lessons of September the 11th.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: But, as I mentioned, the president did also put out a very strongly worded written statement, putting the blame on this squarely on the Palestinian Authority and specifically on Yasser Arafat himself. And the statement reads, in part -- quote -- "Palestinian authorities should have acted long ago to fight terror in all its forms. The failure to create effective Palestinian security forces dedicated to fighting terror continues to cost lives. There must be an empowered prime minister who controls all Palestinian security forces, reforms that continue to be blocked by Yasser Arafat."
Now, the blaming of Yasser Arafat and the blaming in general of the Palestinian Authority is something that the White House has been saying in the recent attacks against Israelis, saying that this is evidence, all of these attacks are evidence, they believe, that the Palestinian Authority simply isn't cracking down enough on terrorism.
And this, the president said in his statement, is part of the reason why the ultimate goal of getting to two states living side by side is hard to achieve. He didn't specifically, though, in his statement talk about continued work on the road map. But his ambassador in Israel did mention that earlier today -- Judy.
WOODRUFF: All right, Dana, thank you very much. There couldn't be a more vivid setback to the peace process. Thank you.
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 October 15, 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: First, the crisis in the Middle East.
The United States is urging Americans to leave Gaza after a bomb exploded under a convoy of U.S. diplomats. Three American members of a security detail were killed, and another wounded. The convoy was carrying U.S. Embassy officials to interviews with Palestinian students who were looking for scholarships in the United States.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility. The Palestinian Authority has condemned the attack, and so has the White House.
CNN's Dana Bash is with the president in California.
Dana, what are they saying at the White House?
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Judy, the president himself put out a strongly worded written statement condemning this attack.
But just a few moments ago, speaking here just outside of Fresno, California, the president talking in general terms about the war on terrorism and about Iraq and about the fact that he believes that America will not stand for terrorism. He did mention the attack today in Gaza.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Today, an American died as a result of a terrorist attack in Gaza. Now, they continue to plot. They continue to plan against our country and our people. America must not forget the lessons of September the 11th.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: But, as I mentioned, the president did also put out a very strongly worded written statement, putting the blame on this squarely on the Palestinian Authority and specifically on Yasser Arafat himself. And the statement reads, in part -- quote -- "Palestinian authorities should have acted long ago to fight terror in all its forms. The failure to create effective Palestinian security forces dedicated to fighting terror continues to cost lives. There must be an empowered prime minister who controls all Palestinian security forces, reforms that continue to be blocked by Yasser Arafat."
Now, the blaming of Yasser Arafat and the blaming in general of the Palestinian Authority is something that the White House has been saying in the recent attacks against Israelis, saying that this is evidence, all of these attacks are evidence, they believe, that the Palestinian Authority simply isn't cracking down enough on terrorism.
And this, the president said in his statement, is part of the reason why the ultimate goal of getting to two states living side by side is hard to achieve. He didn't specifically, though, in his statement talk about continued work on the road map. But his ambassador in Israel did mention that earlier today -- Judy.
WOODRUFF: All right, Dana, thank you very much. There couldn't be a more vivid setback to the peace process. Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
