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Prisoner Exchange Questioned After Bus Bombing in Jerusalem
Aired January 29, 2004 - 12:59 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: If any single day could captulize (ph) the conflicts, the contrast, the confounding complexities of the modern day Middle East, this is it.
Behind me, you see the payoff of years of secret negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hezbollah. Israel turned loose hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, including two senior Hezbollah officials in exchange for the remains of three long lost Israeli soldiers, and a kidnapped Israeli businessman.
All the while, another bombed-out bus was smoldering. This one very near the Jerusalem residence of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. Ten were killed today in a suicide attack carried out by a Palestinian police officer. Sharon wasn't home at the time.
We have live coverage of both of these stories. CNN's Brent Sadler in Beirut, John Vause in Tel Aviv. Brent, let's begin with you.
BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. You've seen some extraordinary scenes here, Miles, over the past hour or so. What we've seen on the tarmac at Beirut International Airport has been the return of Sheikh Abdul Kareem Obeid, a top official kidnapped by the Israelis some 15 years ago.
Also on board the aircraft, German aircraft that came into Beirut, a couple of dozen of other Lebanese prisoners, released in this rather incredible prisoner swap. Has taken German authorities some three years to put together. A controversial prisoner swap as far as the Israelis are concerned.
But nevertheless, here on the ground in Lebanon, these men are being given a hero's welcome. And this whole event really does, in terms of Hezbollah, the group which Israel regards as a terror organization, legitimizes not only in the eye of the Lebanese, but the wider Arab world at large.
These whole events broadcast end to end not just on Lebanon's TV but on satellite television stations throughout this part of the region. Sheikh Hasan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, was here along with top Lebanese officials, from the president down, welcoming Sheikh Abdul Kareem Obeid and many of the others who came along -- a red carpet treatment, along a guard of honor, to meet their families.
Some of these men separated for many, many years, being treated as heroes here in Lebanon and in villages and towns at least in central Beirut, or rather the southern suburbs of Beirut, Hezbollah's stronghold.
Street celebrations now ongoing. I've heard celebratory gunshots in the past few minutes. Plus for the last hour or so, fireworks erupting as this prisoner exchange comes to fruition.
Back to you, Miles.
O'BRIEN: CNN's Brent Sadler, a step forward there.
Now let's go to John Vause to tell us about the steps back in Tel Aviv. Hello, John.
JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, miles. Well within the last hour or so, an Israeli air force plane touched down here in Tel Aviv, bringing home the body of those soldiers who were kidnapped October 7, 2000. It's been a three-year long, anguish wait for the families, who are now spending a private moment with those bodies of those three dead soldiers.
Also aboard that plane, a kidnapped Israeli businessman, Elhanan Tannenbaum. Now in the next hour or so there will be a military service here for those three dead Israeli soldiers. But Tannenbaum will not taking part in this service. Instead, he will be taken away by police and questioned. It's been wildly reported in Israel that he was kidnapped while overseas on questionable business.
This has caused a great deal of anguish in Israel, this prisoner exchange. Many saying that Israel has paid too high a price for three bodies and a businessman of dubious character. And of you want to see why, look what happened this morning in west Jerusalem. Bus Number 19 blown apart by a suicide bomber at 8:45 a.m., local time, during peak hour, about a block away from the Israeli prime minister's official residence.
The Palestinian suicide bomber was a policeman from Bethlehem, affiliated with the al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, a group which has very close links to Yasser Arafat's Fatah Party.
So that is why many Israelis are saying the terrorism continues, the price they have paid is too high. But nonetheless, within an hour or so here in Tel Aviv there will be a service for those three dead Israeli soldiers. And tomorrow, their families will lay them to rest -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: CNN's John Vause in Tel Aviv, 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
Jerusalem>
Aired January 29, 2004 - 12:59 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: If any single day could captulize (ph) the conflicts, the contrast, the confounding complexities of the modern day Middle East, this is it.
Behind me, you see the payoff of years of secret negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hezbollah. Israel turned loose hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, including two senior Hezbollah officials in exchange for the remains of three long lost Israeli soldiers, and a kidnapped Israeli businessman.
All the while, another bombed-out bus was smoldering. This one very near the Jerusalem residence of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. Ten were killed today in a suicide attack carried out by a Palestinian police officer. Sharon wasn't home at the time.
We have live coverage of both of these stories. CNN's Brent Sadler in Beirut, John Vause in Tel Aviv. Brent, let's begin with you.
BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. You've seen some extraordinary scenes here, Miles, over the past hour or so. What we've seen on the tarmac at Beirut International Airport has been the return of Sheikh Abdul Kareem Obeid, a top official kidnapped by the Israelis some 15 years ago.
Also on board the aircraft, German aircraft that came into Beirut, a couple of dozen of other Lebanese prisoners, released in this rather incredible prisoner swap. Has taken German authorities some three years to put together. A controversial prisoner swap as far as the Israelis are concerned.
But nevertheless, here on the ground in Lebanon, these men are being given a hero's welcome. And this whole event really does, in terms of Hezbollah, the group which Israel regards as a terror organization, legitimizes not only in the eye of the Lebanese, but the wider Arab world at large.
These whole events broadcast end to end not just on Lebanon's TV but on satellite television stations throughout this part of the region. Sheikh Hasan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, was here along with top Lebanese officials, from the president down, welcoming Sheikh Abdul Kareem Obeid and many of the others who came along -- a red carpet treatment, along a guard of honor, to meet their families.
Some of these men separated for many, many years, being treated as heroes here in Lebanon and in villages and towns at least in central Beirut, or rather the southern suburbs of Beirut, Hezbollah's stronghold.
Street celebrations now ongoing. I've heard celebratory gunshots in the past few minutes. Plus for the last hour or so, fireworks erupting as this prisoner exchange comes to fruition.
Back to you, Miles.
O'BRIEN: CNN's Brent Sadler, a step forward there.
Now let's go to John Vause to tell us about the steps back in Tel Aviv. Hello, John.
JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, miles. Well within the last hour or so, an Israeli air force plane touched down here in Tel Aviv, bringing home the body of those soldiers who were kidnapped October 7, 2000. It's been a three-year long, anguish wait for the families, who are now spending a private moment with those bodies of those three dead soldiers.
Also aboard that plane, a kidnapped Israeli businessman, Elhanan Tannenbaum. Now in the next hour or so there will be a military service here for those three dead Israeli soldiers. But Tannenbaum will not taking part in this service. Instead, he will be taken away by police and questioned. It's been wildly reported in Israel that he was kidnapped while overseas on questionable business.
This has caused a great deal of anguish in Israel, this prisoner exchange. Many saying that Israel has paid too high a price for three bodies and a businessman of dubious character. And of you want to see why, look what happened this morning in west Jerusalem. Bus Number 19 blown apart by a suicide bomber at 8:45 a.m., local time, during peak hour, about a block away from the Israeli prime minister's official residence.
The Palestinian suicide bomber was a policeman from Bethlehem, affiliated with the al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, a group which has very close links to Yasser Arafat's Fatah Party.
So that is why many Israelis are saying the terrorism continues, the price they have paid is too high. But nonetheless, within an hour or so here in Tel Aviv there will be a service for those three dead Israeli soldiers. And tomorrow, their families will lay them to rest -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: CNN's John Vause in Tel Aviv, 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
Jerusalem>
