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Israeli and Kenya Working Towards Sorting Evidence form Hotel Bombing

Aired December 02, 2002 - 11:13   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.


LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Kenyan and Israeli investigators are squabling over the detective work at the Paradise Hotel. Which side is going to lead the probe into the hotel bombing that left 13 people dead? Well that is the question they seem to be arguing over. Our Ben Wedeman joins us now live on the phone from Mombasa. He's got the latest on the terror investigation as it's been unfolding there. Hello, Ben.
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, hi, Leon. As you mentioned, there is something of a tug of war between Kenyan and Israeli investigators.

The Israelis would like to take certain bits of evidence back to Israel for analysis. The Kenyans at this point say they will consider the Israeli request. And by and large, it would appear that will their working relationship is still good. Just a few moments ago, I saw a group of Kenyan and Israeli investigators speaking quite amicably on the grounds of the Paradise Hotel.

The items the Israelis would like to take back to Israel include the remnants of two gas welding cylinders that it's believed contained the explosives that were on board that car, that four-wheel drive that was driven into the Paradise Hotel lobby and then exploded resulting in ten Kenyans dead and three Israelis.

Also what they like they'd like to take back to Israel are two launchers used to fire the missiles that just missed an Israeli passenger jet at about the same time as the attack on the Paradise Hotel.

Also, what was found on the -- in the hotel was the charred remains of an AK-47 assault rifle and the Israelis want to take all of that back for detailed scientific analysis. The gas cylinders, for instance, may contain some sort of explosive remnants that could give clues as to who might be behind the bombing.

The two or three individuals who were in the car that contained those explosives were seen and actually spoke to a farmer who lived just down the road from the hotel. My colleague, Catherine Bond, spoke to that farmer, and he described two men who appeared to be of Arab origin, one of them a younger man, a slim young man who he described as very nervous, spoke some Swahili with what he said appeared to be an Arab accent or an Arabic accent. Now, this afternoon we spoke to one of the leading Kenyan investigators in the case and he said that it appears that initially there in fact as farmer reported, there were two people in the car, but the police officer said there were other eyewitnesses who said they saw a third person get in -- get in the car before it went on to the grounds of the hotel, suggesting that he may have been serving as something of a lookout. So that's about the latest in the investigation here in Mombasa.

HARRIS: Ben, any new evidence of any al Qaeda fingerprints on this at all?

WEDEMAN: Specifically, no, apparently Israeli investigators are increasingly convinced that there may very well be an al Qaeda involvement.

But at the moment, much of the attention is beginning to shift toward Somalia where according to one Israeli media report that may have been a forward face for the attackers.

Also, of course, the United States has mentioned this radical Islamic group based in Somalia called (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Islamiah as possibly involved in the attack. So really at the moment, the focus is shifting towards Somalia. The question of an al Qaeda involvement or not is still somewhat speculative.

HARRIS: What is not speculative is the fact that there does appear to be a worldwide war on terrorism now. Ben Wedeman reporting live for us from Mombasa in Kenya.

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




Hotel Bombing>


Aired December 2, 2002 - 11:13   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Kenyan and Israeli investigators are squabling over the detective work at the Paradise Hotel. Which side is going to lead the probe into the hotel bombing that left 13 people dead? Well that is the question they seem to be arguing over. Our Ben Wedeman joins us now live on the phone from Mombasa. He's got the latest on the terror investigation as it's been unfolding there. Hello, Ben.
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, hi, Leon. As you mentioned, there is something of a tug of war between Kenyan and Israeli investigators.

The Israelis would like to take certain bits of evidence back to Israel for analysis. The Kenyans at this point say they will consider the Israeli request. And by and large, it would appear that will their working relationship is still good. Just a few moments ago, I saw a group of Kenyan and Israeli investigators speaking quite amicably on the grounds of the Paradise Hotel.

The items the Israelis would like to take back to Israel include the remnants of two gas welding cylinders that it's believed contained the explosives that were on board that car, that four-wheel drive that was driven into the Paradise Hotel lobby and then exploded resulting in ten Kenyans dead and three Israelis.

Also what they like they'd like to take back to Israel are two launchers used to fire the missiles that just missed an Israeli passenger jet at about the same time as the attack on the Paradise Hotel.

Also, what was found on the -- in the hotel was the charred remains of an AK-47 assault rifle and the Israelis want to take all of that back for detailed scientific analysis. The gas cylinders, for instance, may contain some sort of explosive remnants that could give clues as to who might be behind the bombing.

The two or three individuals who were in the car that contained those explosives were seen and actually spoke to a farmer who lived just down the road from the hotel. My colleague, Catherine Bond, spoke to that farmer, and he described two men who appeared to be of Arab origin, one of them a younger man, a slim young man who he described as very nervous, spoke some Swahili with what he said appeared to be an Arab accent or an Arabic accent. Now, this afternoon we spoke to one of the leading Kenyan investigators in the case and he said that it appears that initially there in fact as farmer reported, there were two people in the car, but the police officer said there were other eyewitnesses who said they saw a third person get in -- get in the car before it went on to the grounds of the hotel, suggesting that he may have been serving as something of a lookout. So that's about the latest in the investigation here in Mombasa.

HARRIS: Ben, any new evidence of any al Qaeda fingerprints on this at all?

WEDEMAN: Specifically, no, apparently Israeli investigators are increasingly convinced that there may very well be an al Qaeda involvement.

But at the moment, much of the attention is beginning to shift toward Somalia where according to one Israeli media report that may have been a forward face for the attackers.

Also, of course, the United States has mentioned this radical Islamic group based in Somalia called (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Islamiah as possibly involved in the attack. So really at the moment, the focus is shifting towards Somalia. The question of an al Qaeda involvement or not is still somewhat speculative.

HARRIS: What is not speculative is the fact that there does appear to be a worldwide war on terrorism now. Ben Wedeman reporting live for us from Mombasa in Kenya.

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




Hotel Bombing>